HB 524 will help provide funding for MO-TIPP, a critical agricultural program established in 2009. Organic farming is a win-win for Maryland. It can increase revenue for struggling farmers while helping clean up our rivers and streams.
Organic products are becoming increasingly lucrative for farmers, but organic certification requires a three-year transition period. MO-TIPP eases the financial burden for farmers who want to make the switch, and participating farmers commit to maintaining a certain amount of acreage as organic for five years. The market for both organic and local food is growing, and Maryland farmers are well-positioned to profit from this increasing demand.
Successful, clean, organic farming is what Maryland needs, both economically and environmentally. Thriving sustainable farms can be far less polluting than suburban development, and more organic acreage means fewer fertilizers and pesticides in our drinking water, rivers and streams, and the Chesapeake Bay.
Environment Maryland respectfully requests a favorable report on HB 524.
