US Federal Organic Research Activity is Expanding

The United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service is the agency responsible for the federal effort in agricultural research. A recent survey of the ~2340 USDA/ARS scientists revealed that approximately 8% of the scientists were interested in working on research topics for organic agriculture. At the time of the survey only about 4% had worked in or were working on projects useful to certified organic industries. The survey identified several obstacles hindering work in organic agriculture. Some obstacles such as low funding levels were not unique to organic research while other obstacles were. A recent USDA/ARS workshop on organic agriculture helped to identify and alleviate some of those issues. Introduction The growth of organic agriculture as an industry has mandated an equivalent growth in organic agriculture research. Local, state, and national research institutions are beginning research programs in organic agriculture and the resulting publications are beginning to emerge. A literature search in the CABI database revealed that, in the five years from 2000 to 2004, nearly 4 times as many (2168) publications on organic agriculture were published as compared to the five years from 1990 to 1994 (558). The interest of the US federal government is also increasing and more scientists from the US Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) are conducting research on organic agriculture than ever before. This paper provides a glimpse of organic agriculture research currently underway at the Federal level. Early pioneers in organic agricultural research were mostly growers and researchers working with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The lack of funding for state and federal research was in part due to the lack of economic impact and political clout of the organic sector during its early years. Organizations like the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) were created to fill the vacuum that existed due to the lack of institutional support for organic farming research (5). As the political and economic clout of the organic sector has grown, so has the involvement of government research organizations. Consequently more state institutions are implementing organic research and extension programs. Approximately 44 states now have some evidence of organic research activity supported by state resources (9). Although some universities and cooperative extension agencies have just recently begun to serve the research needs of the organic industry, others, like the University of California at Santa Cruz, have been conducting organic agricultural research for decades. Their record is exceptionally impressive considering that they are not a Land Grant University and thus http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/cm/symposium/organics Crop Management Organic Agriculture: Innovations in Organic Marketing, Technology, and Research: Introduction to the Proceedings have limited resources available to them for agricultural research in comparison to the Land Grants. Organic Agricultural Research at the Federal Level Three agencies within the USDA are responsible for the national effort in organic agricultural research. Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service (CSREES; csrees.usda.gov) is responsible for competitive funding programs within the Department. Until recently there were no funds designated specifically for organic agriculture research, although there were several programs from which scientists received funds for conducting organic agriculture research. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE; sare.org) and individual programs within the National Research Initiative (NRI; csrees.usda.gov/funding/nri/nri.html) have funded organic research projects. However, in 2000 the first program explicitly aimed at funding research on organic agriculture was established. The Organic Transitions Program is part of the Integrated Pest Management Integrated Competitive Grants authorization in the 1998 farm bill (AREERA). A second program, the Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) was authorized in the 2002 farm bill. Grants from OREI were funded for the first time in 2004 as part of the Integrated Organic Program (IOP), which combined both authorizations into a single program. To date these two programs have awarded approximately $8.5 million dollars for organic research projects. Although funds are provided to state, private, and other federal organizations, this program directs the funds toward issues that are significant at the national level. Part of this research focus was influenced by the research agenda developed by the Scientific Congress on Organic Agriculture Research (7). While CSREES runs granting programs in organic agriculture research, this agency does not conduct research. The Economic Research Service (ERS; ers.usda.gov) is responsible for research on agricultural economics. Members of the ERS published have published important analyses of market and economic trends in the organic industry. They have led the way in our understanding of growth in the US organic industry. The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the national agricultural research organization in the US, and is comprised of approximately 2340 scientists. The agency is divided into eight administrative areas that are based on regional proximity. There are over 20 National Programs with 1373 individual projects organized in the themes: (i) Animal Production, Product Value and Safety; (ii) Natural Resources and Sustainable Agricultural Systems; and (iii) Crop Production and Product Value and Safety. The National programs are run by National Program Leaders (NPL) who prioritize the national research agenda within those programs. There is no specific national program for organic agriculture and therefore until recently there was no documentation of which scientists were conducting organic research or the extent of the USDA commitment to organic research. Until the 1ate 1970s the USDA/ARS had no official policy toward organic agriculture but this sector was most often neglected and at times demeaned by USDA administrators (5). The first attempt by the ARS at a national organic research agenda was made in the late 1970s. In 1979 the USDA/ARS began an extensive assessment of organic farming in the US by the "USDA Study Team on Organic Farming" which published what is still one of the most comprehensive analyses of organic agriculture in the US conducted by government agencies (5). The resulting publication from this study team called for the establishment of a permanent resources coordinator on organic agriculture (10). These recommendations were initially taken seriously but in 1982 the full-time organic farming coordinator position that http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/cm/symposium/organics Crop Management Organic Agriculture: Innovations in Organic Marketing, Technology, and Research: Introduction to the Proceedings was recommended and established was abolished. Although some scientists continued to work in organic systems, the organic nature of their work was not emphasized and they didn’t report the organic nature of their work in the project reports. Nine years ago, an informative survey of the Current Research Information System (CRIS) database was conducted by Mark Lipson of OFRF (5). He reported that less than one-tenth of one percent of the USDA’s research portfolio consisted of "strong organic projects." He recommended that the level of commitment should be raised to the level of the industry market share. This survey was done with the best available data and provided valuable insight into the current research being conducted. However, because of the structure of CRIS project documentation systems, very little of the scientist’s research can be documented there. Additionally because of the lack of support for organic research in the agency, some scientists did not explicitly state that their research was done in organic systems. In order to try to better understand who was working in organic systems or who would be interested in doing so, I was asked by the USDA National Program Staff (NPS) to survey USDA/ARS scientists in 2001 (3). All supervisors were asked to forward a request for scientists working or interested in organic research to contact the NPS. All respondents were asked if they knew of other ARS scientists interested or working in organic research. A total of 188 USDA/ARS scientists responded that they were interested in organic agriculture research. Many of them hadn’t yet had the opportunity to work in organic systems but were eager to. Of the 188 who responded, 89 stated that they work in organic research. All 188 scientists received a survey to evaluate the nature of the work they do and/or the obstacles they face in conducting organic research. Some of results from this survey are reported here. Of the 89 scientists who indicated that they conduct organic research, four scientists reported that 100% of their research was directly applicable to organic agriculture. However, only one appropriated project within the ARS is dedicated to work in organic systems (Cover Cropping Practices to Improve Weed and Fertility Management in Organic Production Systems). This new project, established in 2001, has a single scientist located in the Crop Improvement and Protection Research Unit at Salinas, CA. There were 15 scientists who reported that at least 50% of their research was explicitly organic. Nevertheless, the commitment of other scientists’ time varied, with the average scientist spending about 18.5% of their time and presumably resources working on organic research projects. At the time of the survey, there was only one location that had certified land that they owned (Salinas, CA with 22 acres certified) (Fig. 3). In addition, Beltsville, MD (Fig. 1) had 30 certifiable acres, and Fort Pierce, FL was developing 10 acres on 80-year lease (Fig. 2). Thus, most ARS scientists conduct their organic research in collaboration with established organic growers or NGOs. For example, scientists in Morris, MN have developed a long-term relationship with an NGO, Barnes-Aastad Soil and Water Conservation Research Association, where they have initiated a long-term systems trial that includes 3.8 acres that, while not certified, are managed according to organic regulations (Fig. 4). http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/cm/symposium/organics Crop Management Organic Agriculture: Innovations in Organic Marketing, Technology, and Research: Introduction to the Proceedings Fig. 1. USDA/ARS Organic Research Farming Systems Trial in Beltsville, MD. Dr. Michel Cavigelli, a soil scientist with the Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, manages this farming systems trial, which was initiated in 1993. The trial emphasizes organic production systems and the replicated plots are big enough to use standard-sized farm equipment. The research team compares organic and conventional production systems by evaluating crop performance, soil fertility, soil quality, weed population dynamics, nutrient cycling, soil bioloigical activity, and other measures of agronomic performance among the five cropping systems. Fig. 2. Paper mulch being evaluated as an alternative to plastic mulch at Rosie's Organic Farm, Gainesville, FL. Dr. Erin Rosskopf of the Subtropical Plant Pathology Research Unit in Fort Pierce, FL is evaluating biodegradable paper mulches as an alternative to plastic mulches for weed control in organic and conventional systems. Like many ARS scientists, Dr. Rosskopf collaborates with organic growers to test promising technologies on the growers' land. In addition, Dr. Rosskopf and her colleagues are working to certify 10 acres of land for which the USDA/ARS holds a longterm lease. http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/cm/symposium/organics Crop Management Organic Agriculture: Innovations in Organic Marketing, Technology, and Research: Introduction to the Proceedings Fig. 3. Organic Weed Management Systems Trial, Salinas, CA. Dr. Eric Brennan and colleagues are evaluating cover crop variety and seeding rates on a variety of agronomic, horticultural, and economic aspects in an organic vegetable production system on a portion of the 22 acres certified in Salinas, CA. Dr. Eric Brennan’s research program (Cover Cropping Practices to Improve Weed and Fertility Management in Organic Production Systems) is the first and only USDA/ARS project specified to work in organic systems. Fig. 4. USDA/ARS Farming Systems Plots, Morris, MN. In 2002, Dr. David Archer and his colleagues established 96 organically managed plots out of the 192 plots in this long-term farming systems trial. This represents 3.8 acres that could be certified organic. The experiment is comparing tillage, rotations, and fertilization in plots managed organically and conventionally. The plots in the foreground are a tofu variety of soybeans (Vital), conventional tillage on the left, strip tillage on the right. This work is being done in conjunction with an NGO, Barnes-Aastad Soil and Water Conservation Research