Perspective on the U.S. Organic Research Field: The Path to OREI and Next Phases.

The speaker will (briefly) provide a 30-year, first-hand retrospective on the establishment and evolution of the U.S. organic research “ecosystem”. This narrative will emphasize the interactions of public policy/$, institutions, and stakeholders, with the trajectory of organic farming science and education. In this context, goals and strategies for continued progress over future time horizons will be suggested.  The speaker recently completed  a four-year  term appointment as the USDA Organic Agriculture Policy Advisor. He was Policy Program Director for the Organic Farming Research Foundation from 1995-2010.