During a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing last week, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) spoke about the resiliency in the US agriculture industry.
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00:00A question to Mr. Hoskins about the National Organic Program. In Vermont, we've got 690 USDA
00:08organic certified farms, and that's about $153 million in sales. It's a big deal.
00:16And our organic farmers want clear, consistent organic regulations. That's the foundation of
00:23a thriving organic market. And my hope is that you will, given the recent staff reductions at the
00:32National Organic Program, how does USDA intend to maintain support both for transitioning and
00:39existing organic producers so that this organic sector that does have a lot of value added can
00:45continue to grow? Thank you for that question, Senator, and to your staff for making them
00:53making themselves available to me to meet in your office before today's hearing. They raised this
01:00issue and a number of other priorities you have on behalf of Vermont agricultural producers.
01:06In my experience with the AMS National Organic Program, you have absolutely the most committed,
01:15informed career officials working to implement that program consistent with the National Organic
01:22Food Production Act that this committee and the Senate passed, I think, in 1990.
01:28There are challenges at times, in my recollection, with the agency working with different certifiers,
01:34especially certifiers that are overseas, certifying product coming into the U.S.
01:41I don't know that there's an answer to all of those challenges, but I would say in the 18 Farm Bill,
01:46this committee and the Congress passed the Organic Safety Act. I've got the acronym wrong. I apologize.
01:56But it basically mandated the department would update and modernize their ability to protect the
02:02integrity of the organic seal. And there were ways to do that, both with partnerships with CBP and DHS,
02:10and also modernizing technology and resources the agency could use to better pierce that veil
02:18in certifiers overseas to ensure products that were coming in were consistent with the same level
02:26of attention and practices that our producers execute.
02:30Thank you. Mr. Hutchins, welcome.
02:35You know, you have been a champion of acknowledging just the hardship that wild weather
02:43is imposing on a lot of our producers.
02:47And, you know, we had floods in Vermont in 23 and 24, July, the same day in July, 23 and 24.
02:55And you've previously told this committee that USDA is fully committed to supporting research that ensures
03:03U.S. producers will be able to adapt to a changing climate.
03:07That's welcome news because our farmers think any information we can get will help us.
03:15And one of the things I wanted to ask is how can the research, education, and economics mission at USDA
03:22help make rural communities and farmers more resilient?
03:27Senator, thank you for the question.
03:29As I alluded to earlier, I believe that we have a great opportunity in front of us
03:34with regard to the science that leads to the technology that will allow us to develop crops and animals
03:41to be more resilient to heat, to be more resilient to drought, whatever the case may be.
03:47We need to be able to utilize those tools.
03:49So you'll maintain that.
03:51You'll do all you can to help there.
03:53Farmers have been dealing with weather year in and year out since farming.
03:57And so that will always continue.
04:00And the good news is we will have the tools.
04:02We do have the tools now to allow them to succeed.
04:04I'm almost out of time.
04:05So I just want to move on to one other question.
04:07There was a lot of support in Vermont for the local foods and schools program
04:11and the local food purchasing assistance programs.
04:14I was very disappointed that those programs were canceled a few months ago.
04:20So if you're confirmed, can you work with us to help restart programs like that?
04:27They've been shown to strengthen local food supply chains.
04:30That's a big deal for us.
04:33Thank you for that question, Senator.
04:35This is another issue your staff raised when I had a chance to meet with them.
04:40I understand your concern and frustration.
04:45I heard a number of different offices and staff raise those same questions.
04:51Not being at the department and not privy to the internal briefings or assessments
04:55on what programs or needs are being met or should be met,
04:59I don't know if I can speak to that directly.
05:02But what I would say is under the Ag Marketing Service Agency,
05:07this committee and the Senate have directed that agency through different farm bills
05:13and other authorities to facilitate local agricultural marketing production
05:18and connecting some of that local food resiliency system.
05:23So I don't know that it would be carbon copy to what you're hearing or looking at under the LFAP,
05:31but there are existing programs where AMS may be able to meet some of those similar needs
05:37that Congress has already mandated the agency undertake.
05:41So if committed, I would continue to work with the agencies to ensure compliance with the law.
05:47Okay, thank you.
05:48I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
05:49Thank you and thank you again to Mr. Hoskins and Dr. Hutchins for appearing before the committee.