WASHINGTON — The Organic Farmers Association applauded farm bill conferees on completion of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which includes important programs for organic farming.

The association thanked House and Senate agriculture committee leaders for addressing organic priorities by improving the integrity of the organic supply chain, providing much needed organic research funds, continuing the organic certification cost share program and other fixes to programs important to its members.

“Organic farming is at a critical junction,” said Dave Colson, president of the Organic Farmers Association. “American commodity farmers need support to diversify their production and enter new markets, like organic, and the domestic organic market needs more supply. This farm bill will help to enhance U.S.D.A.’s enforcement of the organic label so that all producers are farming within consistent and fair standards. It will also support programs to grow our domestic production to meet the increasing demand for local, organic food.”

The association also noted that conferees made two changes involving operation of the National Organic Standards Board that it did not support.