Overview
Title
Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) wants to change and keep checking how organic farms do their work in the U.S. They plan to ask about 27,000 farms for information, and they're inviting people to share their thoughts on how this can be done in a way that's easy and useful.
Summary AI
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the USDA plans to revise and extend the Annual Organic Survey, as noted in a recent announcement. This effort seeks to align data collection with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, focusing on organic agricultural practices and production. The survey will target certified organic operations, those exempt from certification, and those transitioning to organic certification across all states, with an estimated 27,000 operations contacted. Comments on the proposed information collection are being solicited to evaluate its necessity, accuracy, and potential burden on respondents.
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Annual Organic Survey. USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) typically funds an organic production and practices survey in years where the Census of Agriculture Special Study for Organics is not conducted. The next Special Study is planned for 2025 (enumerated in early 2026). With the completion of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, NASS will conduct the Special Study again, return it to its' original scope of questions and the mandatory reporting requirement. This request will also include the 2026 and 2027 voluntary surveys that are funded by USDA-RMA. A minor revision to burden hours will be needed to account for the anticipated data collection plan for the upcoming surveys along with adding some cognitive interviews to test requested changes to the annual surveys.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document under review is an announcement by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) within the USDA regarding its plans to revise and extend its Annual Organic Survey. The primary goal of this survey is to capture data related to organic farming practices and production across the United States. The survey seeks inputs from a diverse group of stakeholders, including certified organic operations, those who are exempt from certification, and those in transition to becoming organic. This initiative aligns with guidelines under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ensuring that reporting requirements do not impose undue burdens.
General Summary
The notice discusses a proposed revision and extension of the Annual Organic Survey, a data collection tool used by NASS to gather information on organic farming practices. This survey, which is planned to be executed with support from USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA), aims to expand beyond its traditional scope. This expansion includes planning for mandatory questions included in the Special Study slated for 2025, aligned with the completion of the 2022 Census of Agriculture. Moreover, voluntary surveys for 2026 and 2027 are also considered within this framework. Importantly, the process welcomes public comments until March 31, 2025, regarding various aspects of the survey, such as its practical utility, accuracy, and the burden it imposes on respondents.
Significant Issues or Concerns
Several issues emerge from the document. Firstly, the funding specifics for the survey are vaguely addressed, leading to questions about the potential cost-effectiveness of the initiative. Secondly, the historical transition from mandatory to voluntary status for these surveys might not be clear to all, creating possible confusion around current requirements. Concerns also arise regarding data confidentiality, specifically about how individual farm data is protected at the state level.
The assurance of an 80% response rate is presumed in estimating annual burden hours, without addressing strategies to handle lower response rates that could compromise the data’s reliability. Furthermore, while the document encourages public comment on improving data collection methods, it provides no clear examples, possibly leaving readers uncertain about what methods would be considered suitable.
Impact on the Public
The broader public impact of this survey is tied to better understanding and optimizing organic farming practices, which can benefit consumers through improved agricultural products. By collecting and analyzing comprehensive data, this survey can enhance transparency and inform policy decisions relevant to organic farming and associated supply chains. However, potential concerns about privacy and data integrity must be duly considered.
Stakeholders' Positive or Negative Impact
For farmers and ranchers, particularly those engaged in organic production, this survey represents both an opportunity and a potential burden. On the positive side, it offers a platform to voice operational experiences and challenges, which can guide policies and innovations in organic farming. However, responding to surveys demands time and resources, which may burden some stakeholders, especially smaller operations. Moreover, the shift between mandatory and voluntary survey statuses could affect how participants engage with the data collection process.
In conclusion, while the document outlines a significant initiative aimed at improving the understanding of organic farming in the United States, it poses several questions regarding execution, confidentiality, and stakeholder engagement. These need careful consideration to ensure that the data collected is both reliable and useful.
Financial Assessment
The Federal Register document outlines intentions regarding the Annual Organic Survey, which is facilitated by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) under the USDA. Funding for this survey is typically provided by the USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA), especially in years when a Special Study for Organics isn't conducted. The financial references in the document primarily highlight the involvement of RMA in funding various surveys that assess organic production and practices.
Financial Summary
The document refers to funding from the USDA-RMA for the organic production and practices survey, especially for the 2026 and 2027 voluntary surveys. Unfortunately, the document does not provide specific figures regarding the total budget or the precise financial allocations made by the USDA-RMA. This lack of detail may pose challenges in evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of the funding, as stakeholders cannot easily assess whether the resources are being optimally utilized.
Relationship to Identified Issues
The absence of detailed financial figures is highlighted as a potential issue, making it challenging to assess whether the funding from RMA is appropriately allocated or if it risks being wasteful. Without clarity on the amounts being allocated, it is difficult to conduct a thorough analysis of the financial prudence of these surveys.
Moreover, while the document describes a change from mandatory to voluntary surveys in historical context, this shift might lead to questions about potential cost implications. For instance, have voluntary surveys necessitated lesser funding due to their nature compared to mandatory ones, or has the financial burden increased due to additional measures needed to ensure compliance and response rates?
Additionally, there is an estimation of the public reporting burden, which averages 43 minutes per response across 27,000 expected respondents. This reflects a calculated total burden of 9,500 hours annually. Although this estimate considers an 80% response rate, it does not specify financial strategies or considerations for managing variations in response rates, which could influence the cost-effectiveness of data collection. Lower response rates might translate into additional costs for follow-ups or alternate data collection methods to ensure the reliability of survey results, yet these potential financial repercussions are not addressed.
In summary, while this document relies on USDA-RMA's funding for the execution of the Annual Organic Survey, the lack of explicit financial details leaves gaps in understanding the financial magnitude and accountability involved in these operations. More comprehensive financial disclosure could enhance transparency and allow for better assessments regarding the stewardship of public resources.
Issues
• The document describes funding for surveys from the USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA), but does not provide specific details on the total costs or budget allocation, which could make it difficult to assess potential wastefulness.
• The language used in describing the changes from mandatory to voluntary surveys and the cooperative agreement with the USDA RMA might be confusing for those not familiar with the history of the survey.
• The document mentions potential confidentiality issues with state-level data but does not clearly describe how these issues will be managed to prevent disclosure of individual operations' data.
• The explanation for the estimated total annual burden on respondents assumes an 80% response rate but does not account for strategies to manage lower response rates, which could affect data reliability.
• While the document requests comments to improve the quality and utility of the data collection, no specific examples or guidance are provided on what constitutes 'appropriate' automated, electronic, or technological collection methods, leaving potential ambiguity.
• The document, while technical, uses complex legal references (e.g., Paperwork Reduction Act, CIPSEA) that may not be easily understood by all readers without legal expertise.