The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) State Organic Program (SOP) announces that any certified organic operation in California that received or renewed organic certification through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on or between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024, may now apply for reimbursement.
This is a result of the USDA Farm Service Agency, on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation, announcing the availability of funding for the national Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). The OCCSP assists eligible certified organic producers, handlers and processors with the cost of organic certification.
The USDA National Organic Program currently recognizes four scopes of certification: crops, wild crops, livestock and processing/handling. CDFA will be distributing reimbursements to operations that have been certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent and for registration fees paid to the CDFA State Organic Program and/or the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) for Organic Processed Product Registration fees. Eligible entities will be reimbursed up to 75% per scope of their organic certification costs and CDPH/CDFA SOP registration fees, not to exceed $750 per scope.
Applications should be submitted as soon as possible after receiving certification to facilitate reimbursement. Applications postmarked or emailed after Nov. 1, 2024, will not be accepted. Applications will be processed upon receipt on a first-come, first-served basis. Please allow up to 105 days for reimbursement to be received from the CDFA Financial Services Branch. Incomplete or inaccurate applications will be denied.
Email application(s) to CDFA.ISD_Cost_Share_Program@cdfa.ca.gov or send them via certified mail to:
California Department of Food and Agriculture
ATTN: Organic Program / Cost Share
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/organicprogram/costshare.html to view the Cost Share Application Packet. For additional information, please contact the Cost Share Program at (916) 900-5202 or CDFA.ISD_Cost_Share_Program@cdfa.ca.gov.