by FLORENTINA RODRIGUEZ
NEW REPORT PROVIDES ACTION PLAN FOR GROWING THE ORGANIC SEED SUPPLY State of Organic Seed (SOS) is an ongoing project to monitor organic seed systems in the U.S. Every five years, Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) releases this progress report and action plan for increasing the organic seed supply while fostering seed grower networks and policies that aim to decentralize power and ownership in seed systems. More than ever, organic seed is viewed as the foundation of organic integrity and an essential component to furthering the principles underpinning the organic movement. OSA views organic agriculture as more than a package of production practices, but as a necessary social movement that can create a sustainable and equitable path for our seed, food, and farming systems.
Why Organic Seed? The organic seed supply has grown tremendously since the National Organic Program (NOP) was established in 2002, which formalized the US organic standards. Certified organic growers are required to source organic seed when commercially available. Beyond helping growers meet a regulatory requirement, OSA views organic seed as an important catalyst for change in areas of ecological crisis, human and environmental health, and unbalanced power structures.
HUMATES Gallons: 5, 15, 55, or 265 Dry super sacks: 2400 lbs. Or 50% semi-soluable (Magna Plus) OMRI certified Other dry water-soluable: 7-6-4 or 16-0-0
Frommelt Ag
Greeley, IA | 563-920-3674
ORGANIC BROADCASTER | 24
The benefits of expanding organic seed in the field and marketplace include: •
•
•
Seeds are alive and adapt to changing climates through seed saving, selection, and other classical plant-breeding techniques. This adaptation is key for a crop’s survival—mitigating risks for growers and the communities they feed. Organic plant breeding and organic seed are therefore key elements of adaptable and resilient farming systems. When these seeds are grown organically, the climate benefits are even greater. Organic seed provides other environmental and human health benefits as well. Organic seeds are grown without synthetic chemicals and are not treated with synthetic chemical seed coatings, so growers who plant organic seed are choosing to keep pollution caused by synthetic pesticides out of our soils, water, air, and food. We also believe that a healthy seed system is decentralized, with many decision makers at the table: seed growers/savers, plant breeders, farmers, consumers, chefs, food and seed businesses, Indigenous seed keepers and tribal nations, and others. In important ways, the expansion of organic seed systems has embraced decentralized approaches to plant breeding, seed production, and distribution. And as a social movement, we believe that organic seed can take a distinct path from the dominant conventional seed industry, where consolidation and privatization are key strategies.
Reviewing the Data This 2022 report is our third update, allowing us to compare new data with our 2011 and 2016 findings. The data comparisons included in this report provide a snapshot of progress (or lack thereof) and ongoing challenges and needs for expanding organic seed systems and the seed supply they support. Unfortunately, our newest findings show no meaningful improvement in organic seed usage since our first report. We arrived at this and other conclusions through numerous data collection methods. SOS is drawn from seven data sets: four different surveys of organic growers, certifiers, researchers, and seed producers/companies; seed producer interviews; a database of organic research project funding; and grower focus groups organized by Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF).
