U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research and promotion (R&P) programs establish a framework to pool resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) currently provides oversight of more than 20 research and promotion boards, to help ensure fiscal responsibility, program efficiency, and fair treatment of participating stakeholders. These programs, authorized by Congress, are requested, funded, and driven by industry.
AMS has initiated a new procedure of posting proposals for new R&P programs on the AMS website. When an industry wants to implement a new R&P program, it submits a proposal to AMS for consideration. AMS then reviews and subsequently publishes a proposal in the Federal Register for public comment. AMS believes that posting all proposals upon receipt by the Agency, as opposed to waiting until publication in the Federal Register, would help to improve the transparency of the process of establishing a new R&P program.
After receiving a proposal, AMS will review it for completeness and make it publicly available at www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/research-promotion/proposals. The first proposed program on this page will be the Proposed Organic R&P Program as it is currently the only proposed program under review by AMS.
For more information on research and promotion programs, visit www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/research-promotion.