Aug 28, 2024

Organic market development grants released by USDA

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has awarded $9.7 million for 13 grant projects through the Organic Market Development Grant (OMDG) program.

The funding brings the total amount awarded through the program to $85 million.

The projects will support the development of new and existing organic markets to increase the consumption of domestic organic agricultural products. The projects funded through the program are anticipated to benefit more than 119 million producers, buyers and consumers, according to a news release.

California Certified Organic Farmers was awarded $3 million for market development and promotion to expand economic opportunity for small and underserved farmers. The grant’s goals are to address key obstacles restricting growth in organic sales, which are the lack of consumer clarity on what “organic” means and a perceived lack of consumer confidence in the seal; to create market paths for small and underserved organic producers by linking them with buyers actively looking to source their products; and to educate and provide farmers with tools to talk to consumers and buyers about organic.

A description of other award recipients can be found here.

“This final round of awards through the Organic Market Development Grant program marks an unprecedented investment into our nation’s organic industry and we will see the impacts of this funding for years to come,” USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt said in the release. “The projects awarded through this program are making great strides in expanding market opportunities for organic businesses and ensuring producers and processors have the infrastructure to meet the growing consumer demand for organic products.”

With the final award announcement, AMS has now awarded nearly $85 million to 106 projects in 36 states across the nation and the District of Columbia through the Organic Market Development Grant program, supporting these organic farmers and investing in the capacity of this growing sector, according to the release.

A full list of awarded projects is available on the OMDG webpage.