A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to direct the department of commerce to contract with a market research firm to conduct a study of the economic opportunities of expanding and developing organic agriculture production, marketing, and supporting business enterprises in north carolina.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Department of Commerce shall contract with a market research firm with experience in thorough and comprehensive organic marketplace analysis to conduct a study to identify the current status of organic agriculture in North Carolina and describe opportunities for and challenges to a rapid expansion and development of organic production, marketing, and supporting business enterprises in North Carolina, including the potential job growth and economic impact and benefits for the State.  The study shall identify infrastructure needs, as well as any potential obstacles, whether in public policy or other areas that might hamper the expansion of organic agriculture production, marketing, and supporting business enterprises.  This study shall include all of the following:
(1)	A supply‑side analysis of the current status and supply of organic products, inputs, and value‑added processing in North Carolina that includes the number of farms engaged in producing organic products, inputs, and value‑added processing; the acreage involved in producing organic products, inputs, and value‑added processing; the production systems of these farms and business enterprises; information about who owns these operations, itemized by categories of owners and to include the number of women and minorities who own these operations and the age ranges of the owners of the farms, with comparisons made to conventional growers in the State.
(2)	A demand‑side analysis of how much and which types of organic products are being sold by retail grocery stores in the State and where these products currently are produced.
(3)	If the potential of local growers is maximized to meet the increasing demand for organic products, the potential economic benefits for North Carolina. The potential economic benefits shall address, at least, the potential for new jobs, increased farm and associated businesses revenues for processing and distributing organic products, increased retail revenue, tourism, increased tax revenues, and any other economic benefits.
(4)	If the potential of local growers is maximized to meet the increasing demand for organic products, the identification of needs and opportunities for new and existing input suppliers and providers of processing, distribution, marketing, education, research, and infrastructure needs.
(5)	The economic impact of any expected social and environmental benefits associated with expanding the transition to organic farming systems, to include anticipated increases in farmland preservation and job growth in rural North Carolina and reductions in carbon emissions.
(6)	Overall economic potential and opportunities for growth of the organic sector in North Carolina.
(7)	Any other issues the Department of Commerce considers pertinent to this study.
SECTION 2.  No later than May 1, 2008, the Department of Commerce shall report the results of the study under Section 1 of this act to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and to the Fiscal Research Division.
SECTION 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Commerce the sum of one hundred twenty‑five thousand dollars ($125,000) for the 2007‑2008 fiscal year to fund the costs of the study under this act.
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2007.