The National Organic Coalition (NOC) is an unincorporated coalition with fiscal sponsorship by RAFI. NOC was ‘founded’ in January 2003 by RAFI, Center for Food Safety, and Humane Society of the United States as a coalition of diverse organizations working to provide a “Washington voice” for farmers, ranchers, environmentalists, consumers and progressive industry members involved in organic agriculture.
NOC seeks to advance organic food and agriculture and ensure a united voice for organic integrity, which means strong, enforceable, and continuously improved standards to maximize the multiple health, environmental, and economic benefits that only organic agriculture affords. The Coalition works to assure that policies are fair, equitable, and encourage diversity of participation and access.
On behalf of organic farmers, food producers and retailers of all sizes, as well as consumer and environmental groups, NOC:
- Brings together diverse organic stakeholders to share information and create opportunities;
- Offers government agencies and Congress innovative policy solutions to challenging issues;
- Engages the wider organic community to advocate on its own behalf;
- Shows up — our members testify at federal government hearings and agency meetings across the U.S. each time organic issues are discussed or organic integrity is threatened.
NOC Membership
Coalition membership is open by invitation from current members to those representing the following categories of interests in organic: (1) farmers; (2) non-profit consumer, environmental, and animal welfare organizations; 3) retailers or other businesses dedicated to the integrity of organic.
The National Organic Action Plan
With RAFI, NOC co-produced the National Organic Action Plan which articulates a vision for the future of organic food and agriculture in the United States. Countries all over the world have developed and implemented national organic action plans with clear targets, benchmarks, and protocols to facilitate public accountability of agricultural policies. NOAP builds on this experience, but with a focus on the grassroots.
Published in January 2010, the “National Organic Action Plan: From the Margins to the Mainstream” represents the culmination of five years of meetings that engaged diverse stakeholders in envisioning the future of organic and in building strategies for realizing our collective vision. Download: National Organic Action Plan: From the Margins to the Mainstream
Implementation of the action plan is a collaborative effort between NOC, RAFI and partner organizations. Learn more about RAFI’s NOAP project here.
Publications
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