(1) There is created an organic advisory committee within the department. The committee shall advise the director on the implementation of this act and the promulgation of rules and may do all of the following:
  (a) Assist the director in developing the Michigan organic standards and recommend appropriate equivalent interim standards.

Terms Used In Michigan Laws 286.925

  • Certifying agent: means an entity registered by the department that certifies production or handling operations or portions of production or handling operations as meeting the Michigan organic standards. See Michigan Laws 286.903
  • Department: means the Michigan department of agriculture. See Michigan Laws 286.903
  • Director: means the director of the department or his or her designee. See Michigan Laws 286.903
  • Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
  • Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. Source: OCC
  • Michigan organic standards: means those organic production and handling standards defined by this act, rules adopted under this act, or both, that are designed to combine organic production or handling practices and an audit trail that will ensure the integrity of organic products from the producer to the consumer. See Michigan Laws 286.907
  • Organic: means a labeling term referring to an agricultural product produced in accordance with the standards described in this act, rules adopted under this act, or both. See Michigan Laws 286.907
  • Organic advisory committee: means the committee created under section 25. See Michigan Laws 286.907
  • Organic product: means agricultural products including, but not limited to, crops, livestock, livestock products, or other agricultural products that are produced organically for human or livestock use or consumption. See Michigan Laws 286.907
  • Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
  • United States: shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
  (b) Annually review and recommend changes in the Michigan organic standards, if necessary.
  (c) Review and recommend to the director rules and policies governing the business of organic production and handling by study and evaluation of organic production issues.
  (d) Annually conduct or cause to be conducted a comprehensive review of the organic product registration and certifying agent registration programs and advise and recommend to the director any necessary changes to the programs.
  (e) Formulate and recommend to the director actions and policies to promote organic products.
  (2) The organic advisory committee shall consist of 11 voting members appointed by the director for 4-year terms. The voting membership shall include 4 producers of organic food, 4 individuals who are either retail food establishments, processors, or input suppliers of organic food or organic fiber, and 3 members of the general public who are consumers of organic products and are not associated with the commercial production or handling of organic food or organic fiber. Of the initial membership, 4 members shall be appointed for a term of 4 years, 3 for a term of 3 years, 2 for a term of 2 years, and 2 for a term of 1 year. The department may allow a representative of the United States department of agriculture natural resources conservation service, the Michigan state university cooperative extension service or the agricultural experiment station, the director, and a member of a recognized environmental organization to serve as ex officio nonvoting members.
  (3) Members shall receive reimbursement for travel in the amount provided for in the department of management and budget regulations.
  (4) The members, at the first meeting and annually thereafter, shall elect officers and adopt rules of procedure. Terms of officers are 1 year. A majority of the members are a quorum and an act performed by a majority of the quorum is considered an official act of the committee.
  (5) The committee shall meet at the call of the chair, at the request of a majority of its members, at the request of the department, or at such times as may be prescribed by its procedural rules. The proceedings of the committee are subject to the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275. Any records, except those that may be used to identify an individual’s financial status or proprietary information, are subject to the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.
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