Organic Industry Human Capital Capacity Building

The organic industry faces a shortage in well-qualified organic inspectors and reviewers. Given this issue, the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) is implementing an “Organic Industry Human Capital Capacity Building” initiative. The goal is to improve the oversight capacity of the organic industry by supporting and expanding the pool of qualified inspectors and reviewers. The initiative will support projects across the human capital pipeline, from initial workforce development to creating resources for existing professionals. USDA issued a Request for Applications that invites proposals for projects aimed at organic inspector and reviewer workforce development, recruitment, and retention. NOP intends to fund multiple projects (approximately three to six total) with different organizations, each of which may last no longer than one year.
Applications are due by July 2, 2021.