Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP)
Key claim: The USDA/CCC is issuing a formal rule to establish the Organic Certification Cost Share Program for 2025–2031 under funding provided by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, codifying eligibility, payment calculations, and application procedures consistent with prior practice.
Abstract
(Rule · Agriculture Department, Commodity Credit Corporation) The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) provides funding for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) for fiscal years 2025 through 2031, and, as a result, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is issuing this rule to establish OCCSP for 2025 and future program years. The rule specifies the eligibility criteria and payment calculation for OCCSP, which are consistent with how CCC has administered OCCSP in previous years by Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs). Prior NOFAs also established the opportunity for State agencies to enter into agreements to administer OCCSP; these provisions are also included in this rule. The rule also establishes the application process and deadlines for eligible producers and handlers who apply through FSA county offices.
Why this matters
OCCSP reduces the financial barrier for small and mid-sized farms to obtain and maintain USDA organic certification by reimbursing a share of certifying-agent fees, which supports market access to premium organic channels. Codifying the program via formal rulemaking with multi-year statutory funding (2025–2031) provides predictability for producers and certifiers relative to the prior year-to-year NOFA cycle, though the underlying payment structure is unchanged.