The Congressional Organic Agriculture Caucus, which held its initial meeting in Washington, D.C., on April 10, 2003, was formed as a bipartisan association of United States representatives to “enhance availability and understanding of information related to the production and processing of organic agricultural products.”

At its formation, it included sixteen Democrats, five Republicans, and one Independent. “Organics is one of the fastest growing sectors in agriculture,” said Representative Sam Farr (D-CA), who authored the nation’s first comprehensive organic standards while he was a member of the California state legislature in 1990. “With new organic standards now in effect, consumers are demanding greater availability and farmers are seeking solutions to their organic production problems. This caucus will give us the chance to discuss ways of enhancing the standards to make them workable for producers and consumers.”

The formation of this caucus is a major step towards getting organic farmers their fair share of federal agricultural resources,” says Bob Scowcroft, Executive Director of the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) based in Santa Cruz, California. “Organic farmers and their supporters should call their representatives and ask them to join the caucus. When it comes to Capitol Hill, there is strength in numbers,” he added. For the current makeup of the caucus, visit the OFRF web site at http://www.ofrf.org and visit the policy page.