Minnesota Agencies

The task force advises the Commissioner of Agriculture on policies and practices to improve organic agriculture in Minnesota. By November 15 of each year that ends in a zero or a five, the commissioner, in conjunction with the Minnesota Organic Advisory Task Force, shall report on the status of organic agriculture in Minnesota to the legislative policy and finance committees and divisions with jurisdiction over agriculture. The report must include available data on organic acreage and production, available data on the sales or market performance of organic products, and recommendations regarding programs, policies, and research efforts that will benefit Minnesota's organic agriculture sector. The task force must meet at least twice each year.

The Legislature first created the Organic Advisory Task Force in 1990. In 1999, the Legislature more explicitly defined membership for the task force (Laws of Minn. 1999, chap. 231, sec. 57). In 2003, the group's duties were expanded and additional changes were made to membership (Laws of Minn. 2003, chap. 107, sec. 15-19).

The Minnesota Organic Advisory Task Force was reviewed by the Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy (LCPFP) in 2013 as part of their biennial duty required by Minn. Stat. 3.885 Subd. 11. The LCPFP's 2013 Recommendations called for keeping the task force. That year, the legislature also extended the Minnesota Organic Advisory Task Force through fiscal year 2016.

Laws of Minnesota 2016, chapter 184, section 6 extended the Minnesota Organic Advisory Task Force by three years through June 30, 2019. Laws of Minn. 2019, chap. 38, sec. 16 extended the Task Force through June 30, 2024 and Laws of Minn. 2024, chap. 127, art. 38, sec. 54 extended the expiration date through June 30, 2034.

The task force must consist of the following residents of the state: three organic farmers; one wholesaler or distributor of organic products; one representative of organic certification agencies; two organic processors; one representative from University of Minnesota Extension; one University of Minnesota faculty member; one representative from a nonprofit organization representing producers; two public members; one representative from the United States Department of Agriculture; one retailer of organic products; and one organic consumer representative.

The commissioner, in consultation with the director of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station; the dean and director of University of Minnesota Extension and the dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, shall appoint members to serve three-year terms.