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SPRING 2015

ForwardOrganic

Moving

Organic Check-off // Year of the Soil // Organic Public ServantsOTA’s Farmers Advisory Council

ORGANICReport

T his has been an eventful spring for organic. As youwill read in the cover article (Page 5), an officialapplication has been submitted to the U.S.

Department of Agriculture seeking an organic check-off—more commonly referred to as GRO Organic (GenericResearch and Promotion Order for Organic). This is amonumental step for the organic sector—creating a way tofund much needed research, promotion and technicalassistance to take U.S. organic agriculture to a new level.

Organic Trade Association (OTA) Board member Jesse Laflamme, on Page 5,sums it up: “The organic check-off is going to be so broad to promote the benefitsof organic that is not a small versus big or us versus them. …promoting organic…no matter what size our farm is or what size our company is.”

The U.S. organic industry is thriving and maturing, but we are at a criticaljuncture. We need a mechanism to give organic stakeholders the opportunity tocollectively invest in research, build domestic supply, and communicate the valueof the organic brand. An organic check-off—designed to meet the unique needs oforganic—can do just that.

To share this message with the entire U.S. organic community, we are mailingthis edition of the Organic Report to all U.S. certified organic operations. Alongwith a wide range of articles, we include an insert summarizing GRO Organic anddetailing the specific provisions in the check-off regulation. A fact sheet on Page 11 addresses commonly posed concerns.

The organic sector is diverse and vibrant, as you will see from our featuredarticles.

We include a spotlight on the members of OTA’s Farmers AdvisoryCouncil—egg producers, dairy farmers, grain growers, producers of fruits,vegetables, cotton, and other crops. And the council has room for more!

Organic processors play a key role in the organic supply chain. The dailychallenges they face in maintaining the integrity of their organic products isillustrated in our organic toolbox story (Pages 14 and 15). Organic fibers areimportant in the organic marketplace. This edition looks at how one OTA membertakes organic fibers and offers hope and purpose to refugees and others seeking tomake a living (Page 34), while another launches the first U.S. GOTS factory of itskind (Page 35).

And then there are those within the organic spectrum who are—or have—worked in public service with an eye toward integrating organic within U.S.agricultural policy (Pages 18–19).

It takes all of us—a diversity of voices—to tell the organic story, whether it beto consumers, other producers who one day may choose to join our ranks, oragricultural policymakers.

OTA cares about this diversity, and is actively engaged—through policy eventslike our annual Organic Week in D.C. to our leadership in organic exportpromotion—to give organic stakeholders the chance to exercise their voices. Weencourage you to be a part of the movement forward.

Laura BatchaOTA’s CEO/Executive Director

F RONT PIECE

Moving Organic Forward

OTA BOARD OF DIRECTORSMelissa HughesOrganic Valley

PresidentSarah Bird

Ecologic Brands Inc.Vice President—USA

Dag FalckNature’s Path Foods

Vice President—CanadaMelody Meyer

UNFISecretary

Tony BedardFrontier Natural Products Co-op

TreasurerRyan Benn

Alive Publishing Group Inc.Samantha Cabaluna

Earthbound FarmPerry Clutts

Pleasantview FarmNicole Dawes

Late July Organic SnacksKim Dietz

Smucker Natural FoodsChris Ely

Applegate FarmsJesse Laflamme

Pete and Gerry’s OrganicsKelly Shea

WhiteWave FoodsMarci Zaroff

Portico Brand GroupLeslie Zuck

Pennsylvania Certified Organic

ContributorsLaura Batcha, Amy Bovaird, Tracy Campany,Henry Chen, Kelly Damewood, MatthewHolmes, Angela Jagiello, Marni Karlin,Nathaniel Lewis, Mark Lipson, MoniqueMarez, Maggie McNeil, Danielle Morrissey,Linda Richards, Jessica Shade, Kelly Taveras,Gwendolyn Wyard, and Tessa Young.Editor: Barbara HaumannDesign & Production: Lynne RudiéOrganic Week photos: Erika NizborskiCopyright ©2015, Organic Trade Association

The Organic Report is published by theOrganic Trade Association as a service to its members and the organic community. Re-publication of short excerpts is permittedwithout fee. Contact Organic TradeAssociation staff to arrange for use of longermaterial.The material contained in this magazine is forthe information of the organic community.Although the information is believed to becorrect, OTA disclaims all responsibility forany damage or reliance on the informationcontained in this publication.

ORGANIC TRADE ASSOCIATIONHeadquarters

Hall of The States, 444 N. Capitol St., NWSuite 445A, Washington, DC 20001

Member Services28 Vernon St., Suite 413, Brattleboro, VT 05301

Web: www.ota.com • E-mail: [email protected]: 802-275-3800 • Fax: 802-275-3801

2 Organic Report • Spring 2015

Organic Report • Spring 2015 3

ContentsFEATURES

5 Organic Check-off: An Historic Step for Organic

12 Farmland LP creatively strategizes to meet organic demand

17 Celebrate the International Year of Soils

18 Organic Public Servants: Help Wanted

Already Serving: Jenny Lester Moffitt

26 Spotlight on Farmers Advisory Council (FAC)

Working to reduce barriers, expand supply

32 Grant expands fresh produce for Florida SNAP recipients

34 Esperanza Threads: a place of hope and purpose

END PIECE

51 Perspectives on an Organic Check-Off

REGULATORY

14 The Organic Farmer’s Toolbox: A National List Perspective

LEGISLATIVE

22 OTA plays a role in the broader food policy debate

NEWS FROM OTA

31 When #Organic Goes Social

40 OTA’s 2015 Policy Conference

42 OTA’s 15-Year Vision

EXPORT PROMOTION

44 Quantifying the international organic marketplace

DEPARTMENTS

12

18

34

20 Update from CCOF Inc.

25 News & Trends

35 Fiber News

37 Canada News

47 New Products

48 News Bites

50 New Members

DISPLAY ADS

4, 10, 16, 20, 21, 23, 24,

25, 29, 30, 33, 36, 39, 49

INSERT:

Get the Facts! GRO OrganicExecutive Summary

We believe in leaving the earth better than we found it, which is why we’ve been

creating deliciously organic foods for 30 years. And why we’ll keep ushering the organic

movement forward with deliciously healthy innovation. Thanks to you, we’re working

towards a day when all foods will be organic. Together, we’ve seen extraordinary growth

in the organic industry – the promise of a bright organic future.


ORGA NIC CHECK-OFF: AN HISTORIC STEP FOR ORGANIC

Trailblazing research and promotion program could

take sector to new level

By Maggie McNeil

Research. Information. Technicalassistance. More research.

R esearch to bring new farmersinto organic, to find organicsolutions to fight invasive pests

and weeds, to breed organic seeds thatare so scarce. Regular dissemination ofthe latest information and technical datato assist organic farmers and keep themup to date on key research findings andother vital facts.

And reform. Reform to create a newkind of check-off program for theorganic industry that would beaccountable, open to scrutiny, andalways reflect the needs and interests ofthe organic farmers and processors andorganic businesses it would be chargedto represent.

Those were the major themesresonating from three years ofconversation between the Organic TradeAssociation and the entire swath of thecountry’s organic stakeholders in thelong drive to formulate a check-offresearch and promotion program for theorganic brand and the organicproduction system.

OTA listened, analyzed, studied andresearched. And on May 12, OTA, incollaboration with the GRO Organiccore committee, formally petitioned the

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)to begin steps to conduct a vote on andimplement a research and promotioncheck-off program for the organicindustry.

OTA’s action is a ground-breakingmove with the potential to have far-reaching and significant impacts for thenation’s organic sector, and marksanother benchmark for an industry thathas been advancing and evolving andchanging the landscape of Americanagriculture and the food we eat foralmost half a century.

More than 40 years ago, theAmerican public began to call for achange in the nation’s food system.People wanted to eat foods grownwithout the use of toxic chemicals,processed without artificial colors andpreservatives, and produced in ways thatdid not compromise the environment.This desire for a responsible, clean andhealthy food system became anationwide call to action that, in 1990,culminated in Congress authorizing anact leading to current rules for the entiresystem of certified organic agriculture inthe United States.

The authorization of the OrganicFoods Production Act (OFPA) wastransformative for the organic sector. Itbrought together the hodgepodge ofstate and private organic certificationprograms and the many different

“The organic check-off is going tobe so broad topromote the benefitsof organic that is nota small versus big orus versus them. Weare promotingorganic and we allshare that, no matterwhat size our farm isor what size ourcompany is. There areshared values andshared principles oforganic. That is whatthe organic check-offwill promote.”

— Jesse LaflammePete & Gerry’s Organic Eggs


standards and regulationsused by organic farmersand processors around thecountry into a single set ofclear and strict criteria forthe organic industry. Witha uniform and coherent setof rules to work with, theU.S. organic industry took off.

Now 25 years after that benchmarkmoment, the organic sector is againpoised for another dramaticadvancement.

OTA’s action marks the first time inthe 49-year history of U.S. agriculturalcheck-off programs that organic wouldbe recognized as a distinct commodityclass based on production practices. Theorganic check-off, referred to as GROOrganic (Generic Research andPromotion Order for Organic) would bean unprecedented multi-commodity, fullsupply-chain program in which thecommon thread is the set of organicproduction practices and the organicbrand.

“For the first time the organicindustry will reach out to consumerswith a single voice to educate themabout what the organic seal means. Ibelieve all farmers, large and small, willgreatly benefit from the research andpromotion made possible by the revenuethe organic check-off program willgenerate,” said Luis Acuña of Viva TierraOrganic, organic produce farm anddistributor in the state of Washington.“It will be exciting to see what the futureholds for our movement and industryafter we reach this new milestone.”

GRO Organic would represent andpromote all organic products; it wouldrepresent and promote the organicbrand and the organic agriculturalproduction system. Organic is different,and so would be the organic check-off.It is a daring concept, and did not comewithout a healthy debate and discussionwithin the organic sector.

Unlike any other check-off program,the proposed organic check-off has beendesigned to solve what hasn’t worked inother research and promotion programs,emphasizes what has worked, andcreates an innovative program tailor-made for today’s organic sector.

“I’m really happy to seeorganic is growing up,” saidorganic blueberry growerDonna Miller.

“An organic check-offwill help the industry bring

the message to consumers ofwhy organic is important and

what the difference is between organicand conventional farming,” said Miller,who farms 32 acres of certified organicblueberries in west central Florida.“Consumers need to realize that thedifference goes right down to theground and to what we are putting inour drinking water through our farmingpractices.”

OTA led the drive to explore thefeasibility of an organic check-off,gathering information over three yearsthroughout the country from theorganic community—farmers,processors, distributors and otherorganic businesses. In town hallmeetings, panel discussions, surveys andphone calls, the needs and challenges—and how to meet those needs andchallenges—of the organic industry werediscussed and analyzed. More than 5,000organic farms and businesses respondedto OTA’s extensivesurveys, weighingin support ofestablishing adedicated organiccheck-off by amargin of 2 to 1,with little or nodifference in theamount of supportbetween the sizeand types ofoperations.

It’s estimatedthat GRO Organiccould raise over$30 million a yearto move theorganic sectorforward. Rooted ina strong focus onresearch to make farmers successful andtechnical services to accelerate theadoption of organic practices, theproposed program is designed toaddress organic’s most pressing needs:

bringing new farmers into organicproduction, increasing organic research,and educating consumers about organicand its benefits.

A huge portion of the funds raisedby the check-off—50 to 75 percent—willbe dedicated to research, informationdissemination and technical assistance.Not only is research devoted to organicagriculture sadly in need, but withoutthe rapid dissemination of researchfindings or the unavailability ofresources for technical assistance,organic farmers will continue to be heldin check.

HELP WANTED

How to get more farmers into organic isan urgent challenge for the growingorganic sector.

Demand for organic products in thiscountry has never been greater. OTA’smost recent survey of the U.S. organicindustry showed that organic sales in2014 reached a new record of $39.1billion, a jump of 11 percent. Organicfood sales totaled $35.9 billion, also upmore than 10 percent. Organic food nowaccounts for almost 5 percent of thehuge U.S. food market, and some

organic categorieslike organic producenow commandmore than a tenpercent marketshare.

But organicacreage is still lessthan 1 percent ofthe total farmacreage in theUnited States. Thewidening disparitybetween organicsupplies and organicdemand means thatorganic milkproducers havebeen forced to turnto foreign-grownorganic products for

organic feed for their cattle. Organicprocessors and handlers have also had tolook abroad to fulfill their orders. Anddespite the best efforts to satisfy thegrowing appetite for organic, many

“For the first time theorganic industry willreach out to consumerswith a single voice toeducate them aboutwhat the organic sealmeans.”

— Luis AcuñaViva Tierra Organic


retailers find that running short oforganic products on their groceryshelves is not that rare of an occurrence.

“We have the organic demand here,and we have the ability to grow organichere; what we need to do is increase theorganic production,” said Roger Lansink,an organic corn, soybean, and barleygrower in northwest Iowa. Lansink andhis two sons farm 750 acres of organiccrops, and have been certified organic

for 20 years. Lansink thinks that now isthe time for the organic industry tocome together to advance itself, and thatthe organic check-off could be the way.

“This check-off would greatlyenhance organic’s ability to meet thedemand. This check-off would allowfunds to be spent on bringing newfarmers into organic, so that organicsupply can grow,” said Lansink. “Itwould focus on increasing organicproduction, which would be unlikeother check-offs which focus onincreasing demand. This is on the righttrack.”

RESEARCH NEEDS

The lack of funds for organic research—on organic production, on ways tocontrol pests and weeds organically, onorganic seed breeding, and more—is akey obstacle in the effort to increaseorganic production. And thecorresponding lack of accurate and up-to-date data about the findings of keyorganic research and studies, along withan at-best spotty infrastructure to turnto for technical assistance, have kept theorganic sector at a disadvantage.

Organic producers throughout thecountry say that without goodresearch—and good information andadequate technical assistance—to helpthem deal with everyday problems, theyare often fighting an uphill battle instaying ahead of the bugs and invasiveweeds and unexpected diseases.

“The money spent on organicresearch is a fraction of what is spent onconventional research. An organiccheck-off could help organic farming themost by providing funds for research fororganic systems,” said Perry Clutts,organic dairy farmer in Ohio. “Researchhelps present organic farmers reachhigher potential, and it also givesconfidence to future organic farmers totransition.”

“The need for a funding mechanismfor organic research is huge,” addedDoug Crabtree, organic grain andlegume farmer in north centralMontana. “Organic crops should begrown from organic seeds, but untilthere is dedicated funding for organicseeds, we are going to fall behind. Weneed more long-term research on croprotation and on long-term farm systemtrials. Organic is starving for researchfunds, and the check-off could be a wayto channel money into the system.”

Florida blueberry grower Milleragreed: “Organic needs more researchdollars for the organic problems we’re allfighting with …We could rocket what isavailable money-wise for organicresearch if we could provide some fundsfrom an organic check-off.”

CONFUSED CONSUMERS

Consumers all over the country, of allages, income levels, political leaningsand ethnic backgrounds, are buyingorganic.

“At Organic Valley, welook not only at how toinvest in our brand buthow to invest in oursupply—our farmers. We understand the pinchof tight resources, howand when to balanceconsumer marketing, andwhy we must get morefarmers in the pipelineand keep them on theland to farm for all ourfamilies. This is largely anindependent effort, andwhen we look at issues oforganic feed costs, theneed for moreinfrastructure andresearch, we see that weneed a bigger boat. Weneed all of the organicindustry to be supportingthese conversations, theallocation of resources forthe best priorities.”

— Melissa HughesOrganic Valley

Market research released this spring by OTA shows thatfrom the Atlantic Seaboard to the Pacific Coast, from Detroit toHouston, sales of organic products are posting double-digitincreases. The majority of American households in all regionsof the country now make organic a part of their supermarketand retail purchases—from 68 to almost 80 percent ofhouseholds in southern states, to nearly 90 percent on the WestCoast and in New England.

And while the average shopper knows a lot more aboutorganic than in years past, there is still much confusion aboutwhat the organic label stands for, and misleading informationon what differentiates organic from all the unregulated claimson food that have proliferated in the grocery aisle.

One-third of organic consumers are new to the market andhave been buying organic for less than two years, so they’re stilllearning all the facts. But,even for many people whohave been buying organicregularly for some period,there is still a lack ofknowledge that there is ahuge infrastructure ofregulations and standardsbehind the organic label.

“People don’t alwaysunderstand that organic isthe highest standard outthere. Over the years ofinteracting withconsumers, we know first-hand how confusedconsumers are aboutorganic in the broadsense,” said JesseLaflamme, organic egg producer and founder of Pete & Gerry’sOrganic Eggs in New Hampshire.

“To have a program from a high level that educates on thebenefits of organic is critical: that farmers are not allowed to usetoxic chemicals, that farmers aren’t allowed to use antibiotics,not allowed to use growth hormones, and more; those are veryhigh level virtues of organic that are somewhat unclear andoften not differentiated enough from other brands,” saidLaflamme.

Vermont organic farmer Abbie Corse shares Laflamme’sconcern, and says the organic sector needs to come togetherthrough a check-off program to pool funds to tell consumersthe value of organic: “There is so much confusion in themarketplace for consumers...We need to let them know thatwhen they buy USDA Organic, they are buying good, for theirchildren, their family, their environment, their world. If wedon't put our money where our mouth is, who is going to?”

“An organic check-off program offersthe organic industry an opportunity tounite and work toward a common goalof growing more organic. While thereis increasing demand for organic,there are many more people who stilldon’t understand what organic isabout and how they and the planetcan benefit. Furthermore, someorganic farmers face challenges thatinvestment in agronomic research andother field-based activities would helpovercome. An organic check-offprogram can help move the entireindustry in the right direction toaddress these challenges, and help usget closer to the future we want to seewith more organic available to all.”

— Shauna SadowskiAnnie’s Inc.

“Organic is starvingfor research funds,and the check-offcould be a way tochannel money intothe system.”

— Doug CrabtreeVilicus Farms


Photos: Nature’s Path (Page 5);

Leslie Goldman, Your Enchanted Gardener (Pages 8, 9).

REFORM FOCUSED

Commodity check-off programs have been a part ofAmerican agriculture for almost fifty years, and numerousstudies have been done on the effectiveness of thoseprograms during that period. Most studies have found thatcheck-offs have boosted funding for research, increasedawareness and demand for the product they are promoting,and have returned a good investment on the dollar.

That said, some of the older research and promotionprograms established as “stand-alone” Acts of Congress havebeen criticized for not always using check-off funds wisely orin the best interests of the sector they represent. The GenericAct, under which the GRO Organic program would beestablished, resolves many of these issues through new ruleson how much of check-off funds can be spent foradministrative purposes, identifying production practices asa research area for check-off funds and other new criteria.

OTA went even further in the crafting of the check-offproposal, learning from the concerns of farmers and otherstakeholders, and creating a program that would representthe best of all the check-off programs.

“This is not your father’s check-off,” said Melissa Hughes,Director of Government Affairs for Organic Valley, thenation’s oldest organic dairy cooperative, and president ofOTA’s Board of Directors. “This check-off is unique as thesector it is representing. It contains meaningful reforms toimprove upon older check-offs.”

The key reforms put in place in the organic check-offproposal include:• Equal representation on the Check-off Board of

producers and handlers.• Direct election of producer board members through

direct balloting of producers.• A full value chain of assessment, with all organic

stakeholders paying into the program.• A referendum every seven years to decide whether or

not to continue the program.• The option for farmers and handlers with gross

organic revenue below $250,000 to voluntarily payinto the program.

• The option for organic producers to pay anassessment based on Net Organic Sales or ProducerNet Profit.

• Earmarking up to 75 percent of the check-off fundsfor research (including regional priorities), fordisseminating information on organic research andstudies, and for technical assistance.

• Ensuring that all the research, inventions andinnovations resulting from organic check-offprograming remain in the public domain.

Will everyone like the organic check-off? No. But Iowafarmer Lansink sums it up: “If we get this passed and itdoesn’t work out, we get to come back in seven years andtake it back. But right now is the time for the organicindustry to come together. “

An organic check-off. Unprecedented. Forward-thinking.Future-oriented. Like the industry it would be representing. //

“The organic industry in America isthriving and maturing, but it is at acritical juncture. An organic check-offprogram would give organicstakeholders the opportunity tocollectively invest in research, builddomestic supply and communicate thevalue of the organic brand to advancethe entire industry to a new level.”

— Laura BatchaOrganic Trade Association


Phillips Family FarmCortland County, NY1 of our 1,800+ farmer-owners

Organic Valley dairy farmers like the Phillips family believe in the importance of providing healthy, local, organic dairy products for the communities they live in. For more than 25 years, our farmer-owned cooperative has been committed to producing nutritious, organic products in harmony with the earth and with respect for animals.

Learn more about our mission at OrganicValley.coop.


A N ORGANIC CHECK-OFF: I t sounds good but what about…?

An organic check-off would be unlike any other check-off program in American

agriculture. Nothing like it has ever been tried, so the idea has understandably raised

some questions. OTA has talked to lots of organic stakeholders over the past three

years, and has found there’s a core group of concerns that keep coming up. We’ve

also found that most of these concerns are based on perceptions of older check-offs,

and we’ve addressed these issues.

CONCERN / Producers won’t be adequatelyrepresented and will get overshadowed by largecorporate interests.

SOLUTION / The composition of the check-offboard has been designed with the key objectiveto give producers a strong voice. Organicproducers will hold at least half of the votingseats on the check-off board. Those producerswill represent different regions, and will bedirectly elected by producers in their region.Producers are the backbone of the organicindustry, and their needs and interests will notbe overlooked or diminished.

CONCERN / Smaller-scale producers and handlers wouldn’t have a say in the program.

SOLUTION / The check-off has been craftedso that producers and handlers with revenueunder $250,000 could choose to be assessed.If they chose to participate and pay into theprogram, they’d have full voting rights.

CONCERN / It would be too expensive for the smaller operations.

SOLUTION / The assessment rate is broad andshallow; everybody pays a little into theprogram and everyone benefits. Theassessment rate would be 1/10 of 1 percent ofNet Organic Sales (or of Producer Net Profit),so for an operation with net organic sales of$90,000 for example, the voluntary annualassessment would be $90.

CONCERN / Not enough of the check-off funds would go into research.

SOLUTION / An absolutely paramount objective of theGRO Organic program is to increase research fororganic in order to help organic farmers deal witheveryday problems, accelerate the adoption of organicpractices and boost organic production. At least 50 to75 percent of the check-off funds have been earmarkedspecifically for research or for activities that workhand-in-hand with research, such as technicalassistance and widespread information dissemination ofresearch findings. Also, because organic producers haveidentified local and regional research as a critical need,a board sub-committee of regional producer seatholders would be established to recommend to the fullboard just how those research funds should be spent.

CONCERN / Too much of the check-off money wouldbe spent on salaries and administrative costs, andother questionable activities.

SOLUTION / A number of common-senseprohibitions are written into the check-off: First, a tight maximum cap of 15 percent of assessmentshas been established for administrative expenses;second, no check-off dollars could be used forlobbying; third, no check-off dollars could be usedto promote individual brands.

CONCERN / Once this is in place, it won’t be able to be terminated.

SOLUTION / A referendum is required everyseven years to decide whether or not to continuethe program. The organic check-off has beencrafted to be accountable and transparent. Iforganic stakeholders are not satisfied with theprogram, they can vote to end it.


FE AT U RE

Farmland LP creatively strategizes to meet organic demand

By Linda Richards

T he challenge is clear and onlyintensifying with the risingdemand for organic products:

more organic farmers and more organicland are needed.

At the same time, older farmers areselling farmland, fueling afarmland real estate market thatcontinues to grow. For investors,this has averaged a return rate of12 percent the last 20 years,according to the National Councilof Real Estate InvestmentFiduciaries.

A company called FarmlandLP is using these marketdynamics to offer a creativesolution. Launched in 2009 andbased in San Francisco, FarmlandLP owns over 7,000 acres offarmland in California andOregon. More than 1,000 acres ofthem are now certified organic,with the rest in transition.

The farms are professionallymanaged by Farmland LP, while20 tenant farmers and rancherslease cropland, livestock forageand on-farm facilities. One ofthese is Garret Mussi, a third-generation farmer in the Deltaarea east of San Francisco. For 50years, his family had leased landthat was recently sold to FarmlandLP. The company worked out anagreement where he farmed a portionlast year while the land transitioned toorganic.

“I had been skeptical about organicbut they asked us if we wanted to groworganic this year,” said Mussi. He saidyes and now his family is one of first tofarm organically in the Delta area,growing durum wheat, tomatoes andsilage crops.

THE VISIONJason Bradford co-launched thecompany with his business partner CraigWichner, a private equity investment

manager long interested in agriculture.Bradford grew up in Silicon Valleywhere he witnessed the conversion oforchards in Santa Clara Valley to tracthousing. Always a biology nut, he wasfascinated by agriculture. Afterobtaining his doctorate, he launched hiscareer. This included co-founding the

certified organicBrookside Farm inWillits, CA, andresearch with theMissouri BotanicalGardens, where hebegan the AndesBiodiversity andEcosystem ResearchGroup (ABERG)—

which studies biodiversity distributionand how ecosystems work in a SouthAmerican area that harbors Earth’shighest biodiversity and is also the areamost threatened by climate change.

It was the ABERG experience thatmolded Bradford’s thinking in the globalneed for a sustainable farmingmodel. “And Brookside Farm gave me aperspective on farming and the foodsystem that allowed me to think aboutthe need to manage land and partnerwith farmers the way we do,” Bradfordsaid.

Farmland LP is a B corporation, alsocalled B Corps. B Corps are profit

corporations certified by the non-profitB Lab, which demonstrate that theymeet rigorous standards of social andenvironmental performance,accountability, and transparency inaddition to making a profit.

Farmland LP was named to B Corp’s“Best for the World” top 100 list the past

two years. Farmland LP also made FastCompany’s list of the “World’s 50 mostInnovative Companies.” Open toaccredited investors, Farmland LP hastwo funds. The first was established in2009 as a limited partnership with a 30-year term. The second fund, launched inlate 2014, is a Real Estate InvestmentTrust (REIT) that functions like amutual fund for farmland.

TRANSITIONING TO ORGANICThe company’s primary mission is toacquire and manage farmland near highdemand organic markets.

“Many of our farmers sell torestaurants or through small distributorsgoing to regional grocery chains andfood coops. For example, in Oregon,Cattail Creek Lamb buys nearly all thelambs from our farms. Mosaic Farms is asmall grower of pastured hogs that sellsregionally,” explained Bradford, who isalso the company’s manager overseeingfarm operations.

Delta farmer Mussi said the biggest benefit for him washaving someone else deal with the three-year transition of theland to organic, which Bradford and his advisors accomplishedduring the pasturing phase.

The company’s early acreage near Corvallis, purchasedfrom retiring farmers, made a quick organic transition,primarily by putting it into pasture for livestock grazing. “Nowsome of those early pastures are rotating into vegetables(winter squash, spinach, kale), which is very exciting for me as

it fulfills a long-term plan,” saidBradford.

While continuing to addacreage, Bradford said thecompany’s biggest challenge iscontinuing to transition the largeracreage farmland, especially inCalifornia, which came with legacytenants, such as Mussi, who werefarming conventionally. “It is aprocess to phase out conventionalleases and bring in new tenants. Insome cases, legacy tenants such asMussi will convert to organic withus,” he said, adding that much timeis spent building relationships andensuring that expectations are clearon all sides.

VITAL PARTNERSHIPSWithin an area, Farmland LP prefers to buy land in significantblocks so that a diverse set of farmers can rotate from field tofield to grow their specialized crop. Some of the Oregon farmshave less than 100 acres, but are managed along nearby farmswith 1,700 acres.

“A farmer growing grain and other seed crops may want acouple hundred acres or more within a few miles of eachother. If we are bringing on livestock, we need enough pastureto make it cost-effective for them to manage their stock,” saidBradford. A small number of tenants need only five to tenacres to expand vegetable acres or raise pastured hogs.

Working with stakeholders to make the farmland offerpositive environmental assets is another mission. For example,they’re working with the Oregon Watershed EnhancementBoard to restore riparian forest and with U.S. Fish and Wildlifeon endangered species recovery. As part of that effort, pollinatorhedgerows are being planted with a grant from the NationalResources Conservation Service.

FUTURE GOALSBradford can’t say enough about the perseverance anddedication of his staff. “This is exciting but very challengingwork with a blend of high creativity and diligent follow-through,” he said.

In three years, Bradford hopes to complete all landpurchases for the REIT fund. “In five years we plan to be wellon our way towards organic transition on those lands. In tenyears, he forecasts, Farmland LP will be the top organicfarmland manager in the country.

“Personally I am always seeking to learn and improve myability to manage farmland with the agroecological principles Iadhere to. I want to see the farmland become more vibrantand productive with higher biodiversity, both native anddomesticated, and stewarded by a host of talented farmers andranchers earning right livelihoods,” Bradford said. //


Photos by Jason Bradford


REGU LATORY UPDATE

The Organic Farmer ’s Toolbox: A Nat ional L ist Perspect ive

By Gwendolyn Wyard

OTA’s Senior Director of Regulatory and Technical Affairs

I n late April, the 15-memberNational Organic StandardsBoard (NOSB) met in La Jolla,

CA, where it spent the majority of itsfour-day meeting listening to publiccomments and discussing the majorityof National List inputs scheduled tosunset in 2016 or 2017. Under theSunset Review Process, non-organicinputs allowed in organic farming andhandling under certain restrictions mustbe reviewed every five years, to providean opportunity to remove them from theNational List if they fail the criteriaoutlined in the Organic FoodsProduction Act (OFPA).

The Sunset process was designed tomaintain the National List and keep it inline with OFPA criteria. This ensuresthat allowed production and handlinginputs used to grow, raise or makeorganic products are 1) not harmfulto human health or the environment,and 2) necessary because of theunavailability of a natural or organicsubstitute.

This process is a fundamental partof the organic law. However, therecontinues to be considerable debateabout the end-goal: whether theobjective is to shrink and ultimatelyeliminate the National List or simplymaintain a list consistent with OFPA.The discussion brings manyinteresting questions, and sometimessuccessfully spurs market innovationto create new and better alternativefarming and handling inputs.Unfortunately, the debate also createsa disproportionate amount of time onthe “use of inputs,” and detracts fromthe real focus of organic agriculture—to build healthy soils and use culturaland biological practices to combatpests, weeds and diseases.

With this conversation in mindand in preparation for the review of

over 200 National List materials, OTAprepared an article entitled “TheOrganic Farmer’s Toolbox.” We featuredthis perspective in our Spring 2015NOSB Resource Booklet along with aKnow Your National List articledemonstrating the “no-growth trend” tothe National List since 2008. We areencouraging OTA members to widelycirculate this information so we canpush out a positive perspective thatreflects realistic organic practices, strictstandards, on-going transparency andpublic participation.

THE ORGANIC TOOLBOXEvery household needs a good toolboxand a well-stocked first aid kit to dealwith unexpected challenges. And so it iswith organic agriculture.

Many consumers believe thatabsolutely no synthetic substances areused in organic production. For themost part, they are correct and this isthe basic tenet of the organic law. But

there are a few limited exceptions to thisrule, and the National List is designed tohandle these exceptions. The NationalList can be thought of as the “restrictedtoolbox” for organic farmers andhandlers. Like the toolboxes or first aidkits in our cupboards to deal withcritical situations, the organic toolbox isto be used only under very specialcircumstances.

The organic farmer’s toolboxcontains materials traditionally used inorganic production. By law, they arenecessary tools widely recognized as safeand for which there are no naturalalternatives. This toolbox is muchsmaller than the “full toolbox” used inconventional farming. Organic farmershave restricted access to 25 syntheticactive pest control products, while over900 are registered for use inconventional farming. Organic ranchershave restricted access to 22 syntheticlivestock health treatments, while over550 synthetic active ingredients are

Organic Trade Association | www.OTA.com

25 synthetic active pest control products allowed in organic crop production

900+ synthetic active pesticide products registered for use in conventional farming by EPA*

How do the synthetic pest control products allowed in organic farming compare to the pesticides allowed in conventional farming?

*Ware, George W and Whitacre, David M. The Pesticide Book 6th Edition. 2004

The organic farmer must first use mechanical, cultural, biological and natural materials and move onto the toolbox

only when and if they don't work. In this way the toolbox is “restricted.”


approved in conventional animal drugproducts.

Before organic farmers can use anyof these substances, however, they mustdevelop a pest and disease managementplan describing how they will firstprevent and manage pests without theuse of National List inputs. Therestricted toolbox can only be openedwhen mechanical, cultural, andbiological controls are insufficient tocontrol pests, weeds and disease. This isfoundational to organicfarming.

The National List is alsodesigned to cover the up to 5%non-organic minor ingredientsallowed in organic foodprocessing. These ingredientsare essential in organic foodprocessing but difficult orimpossible to obtain in organicform, either because the supplyis very limited or the ingredientis non-agricultural (like bakingsoda) and cannot be certifiedorganic. A total of 79 non-agricultural minor ingredientsare allowed in an organicprocessor’s “pantry,” while theconventional food processor’spantry is bulging with morethan 3,000 total allowedsubstances.

The restricted toolbox usedin organic production and

handling represents the best and least-toxic technology our food system hasdeveloped. NOSB regularly reviews thetools in the organic toolbox to assurethey still meet the organic criteria setforth in the law. Under the rigorousSunset process, NOSB and organicstakeholders review the contents of thetoolbox every five years to make surethat organic’s allowed tools continue tobe safe for humans, safe for theenvironment, and necessary because of

the lack of natural or organicalternatives. There is no otherregulation like this in the world.

Now more than ever, organicagricultural practices are needed onmore acres to address significantenvironmental challenges for our planet.Now more than ever, the supply oforganic ingredients, particularly grainsand animal feed, is falling behindconsumer demand. We face the dualchallenges of encouraging more farmersto convert to organic and making ourfood production more sustainable.NOSB’s challenge is to protect theintegrity of organic, while at the sametime providing producers and handlerswith enough flexibility to allow them tocomply with organic standards and toalso expand organic acreage.

Like the toolboxes and first aid kitsof households for unexpectedemergencies should they arise, theorganic toolbox provides the tools tosafely meet the challenges of today’sorganic world.

To learn about the results of thespring 2015 NOSB meeting, check outOTA’s NOSB Report.

For more information about theNational List, check out OTA’s website. //

The organic farmer must first use preventive practices and biologics to prevent sickness and move onto the toolbox

only when and if they don’t work. In this way the toolbox is “restricted.”


22 synthetic livestock health treatments allowed in organic livestock production

550+ synthetic active ingredients approved by FDA* in animal drug products

How do the synthetic livestock health treatments allowed in organic livestock production compare to the drugs allowed in conventional livestock production?

*FDA Approved Animal Drug Products (Green Book)

79 non-agricultural minor ingredients allowed in organic processing

3000+substances comprise Everything Added to Food in the United States (EAFUS)

How do the materials allowed in organic processed foods compare to the materials allowed in all other food?

Compared to the 79 non-agricultural minor ingredients allowed in organic processing, more than 3,000 totalsubstances comprise an inventory often referred to as Everything Added to Food in the United States (EAFUS),

and this is only a partial list of all food ingredients that may be lawfully added to conventional food.



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the United Nations Councilhas declared 2015 as theInternational Year of Soils.Soils have been receiving alot of attention lately, becausethey are the basis for ourfood systems, fuel and fiberproduction, many essentialenvironmental functions,and climate change mitigation.Unfortunately, soil health isunder threat: the large-scaleuse of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in conventionalfarming has been damaging soils and decreasing their naturalability to provide ecosystem services.

One of the benefits of organic agriculture is that it culturessoils to have higher biodiversity, an important measure in soilhealth. An article published in the journal Science found thatorganic soils had greater biological activity, greater soil stability,more biomass and higher diversity than conventionallymanaged soils. Another study published in 2014 in Agronomyfor Sustainable Development found that conservation andorganic farming techniques increased the number of soilorganisms when compared to conventional farming.

Organic management is also important for carbonsequestration and building soil organic matter. The OrganicCenter has been addressing this issue by collaborating with Dr.Geoff Davies and Dr. Elham Ghabbour, who head the NationalSoil Project, to investigate soil health in conventional andorganic farms. Drs. Davies and Ghabbour have developed aninnovative technique that is able to separate out soil organicmatter into its components: humic acid, fulvic acid, and humin.

Looking at each of the pieces that make up soil separatelyis important because while fulvic acids are water soluble andfluctuate from year to year, humic acid represents the long-term storage of carbon in the soil. Because the application of

synthetic fertilizer can strip the soil of humic acid, TheOrganic Center and the National Soil Project are comparingthe levels of humic acid between conventionally managed soiland organically managed soils, which do not use syntheticfertilizer.

This will be the first time that the humic acid differencesbetween management systems have been quantified and linkedto soil health. Several studies have found that organic is betterat sequestering carbon, so we expect to see higher levels ofhumic acid, which would mean that not only is organic betterat sequestering carbon, but it is effectively locking awaycarbon in long-term reserves that would otherwise be in theatmosphere.

The Organic Center Project will be continuing through2015, and the project is offering free soil analyses to all organicfarmers who send in soil samples. For more information aboutthe research and to learn how to submit soil samples, visit TheOrganic Center’s Soil Health website.

This year, celebrate the International Year of Soils withThe Organic Center by helping us gather more soil for ourresearch. This work will be used to communicate withfarming organizations, policymakers, and the public abouthow transitioning to organic benefits the soils, the land, andthe greater landscape of agriculture as a whole. //

T HE ORGANIC CENTER

Celebrate the Internat ional Year of Soi ls

Dr. Geoff Davies and Dr. Elham Ghabbour are investigating soil health by

separating soil organic matter into its components.


HE LP WANTED: PUBLIC SERVANTS

Tending the Organic Policy Garden

By Mark Lipson

June 14, 2010, I arrived at the westend of the National Mall in D.C.for my first day of employment

advising the Office of the Secretary ofAgriculture on organic farming andlocalizing food systems. It was quite aleap for me. After spending 25 years ofadvocacy and agitation as an organicfarmer and non-profit policy wonk, Iwas about to be assimilated into theObama Administration. Later that day, Isat outside in the recently inaugurated“People’s Garden,” a patch of reclaimedparking pavement just becoming aworking garden of food and flowers.

In that garden, I looked to findinspiration for my new task: cultivatingorganic agriculture policy and projectsacross the breadth of USDA beyond theNOP regulatory boundaries. That’s whatI did for the next four and half years:weeding, planting, tilling and harvestingin more than a dozen different patchesof varied fertility, in some cases still withtoxic residues, in some places yieldinghealthy results and suitable for prouddisplay.

As the first person with such anassignment within USDA, I wasobviously stretched pretty thin. I quicklyfound that while the numbers of peoplewho understood and valued organic andsustainable agriculture in public servicewere growing (and have grown moreduring the past six years), we stillneeded a lot more people on the team, atall levels. It’s especially undersizedrelative to the size of the organiceconomy and the critical potential fororganic agriculture to address thesystemic challenges our planet faces.

The “insurmountable opportunities”for the federal organic policy gardenrequired then—as they do now—a smallarmy of organic experts and allies. Weneed, and can deploy, a bigger force,both working change from withininstitutions and influencing fromoutside the world views of those who arein government service.

I’m now six months out from the endof my term at USDA, back on my farmand catching up with myself andcommunity. I’m beginning to work ondistilling my Washington experiencesand finding waysto transmit thelessons. One suchlesson is alreadycompletely clear:organic,regenerative,agroecologicalfood systems havemuch deeper soiland widerterritory to claimwithin our publicinstitutions, but itwon’t happenwithout a lot morepolicy gardenerstoiling at the task.

I’m not (only) appealing for peoplein the organic industry to take a tour ofduty in Washington. There are manifoldways to participate in conqueringterritory in the policy jungle. For everyrole in the organic sector, there areneeds for service on advisory boards,expert panels, and other forms ofstakeholder groups.

OTA continues to be an effective andgrowing force in the policy arena, withits membership activities, politicalalliances, and service contributions allplaying a part. Some other publicinterest organizations have organicadvancement on their agenda, and suchgroups are also a great vehicle forparticipation. Think of a swarm oforganic pollinators and other beneficialorganisms working on all those fronts inthe organic policy garden. Be a part ofthe swarm.

As far as the heaviest trench work inthe garden, that’s where the biggestchange happens. No matter whathappens in U.S. elections, theadvancement of organic agriculture inpublic policy will be directly correlatedwith the presence of organic-sector-

trained professionals in policymakingand implementing. Whether yourexpertise is production, procurement,formulation, distribution, orcommunications, there will be need for

that in the contextof federal agencyservice. Mid-careerand seniormembers of theorganic sector canand shouldconsider preparingfor such service.The phrase“governmentrevolving door”has a malignantconnotation, butthat is not at allalways deserved. Itis possible to stepover from industry

and commerce into government and stillbe able to distinguish private gain frompublic interest in pursuit of the latter.That this often fails to happen is not areason to abandon the field to those whoproject a different set of values into thepractice of public policy.

While the mission of cultivatingorganic values into public policy mayrequire some self-sacrifice, there arepositive rewards. I found satisfaction inconverting diverse opportunities intogains for organic farmers and foodsystems. Sometimes it was only stoppingor slowing down something that was notsuch a good idea, but that was a goodreason to be there. I was inspired by anumber of incredibly smart andridiculously hard-working people whowere on their own tour of duty.Returning now to my home and farmingcommunity, I have a whole newperspective on the possibilities andpayoffs within the organic policy garden.

From this vantage, I wonder who willnext take up the spade and pruners totend the growing organic policy garden.Will it be you? //


ALREADY SERVING: Jenny Lester Moff i tt

F ormer CCOF Board MemberJenny Lester Moffitt earlier thisyear was appointed Deputy

Secretary at the California Departmentof Food and Agriculture (CDFA). Priorto that, Jenny was managing director atOTA member company Dixon RidgeFarms since 2005. She previously servedas an education, outreach and researchspecialist at the American FarmlandTrust, and was vice chair of the CentralValley Regional Water Quality ControlBoard. Jenny will be a very strong voicefor organic agriculture at CDFA.

How has your previous experienceprepared you for this role?

Raised on my family’s organic walnutfarm, I have grown up in the organicindustry. In 1992, when my family’s farmbecame certified organic and expandedinto processing, I stepped in and workedto develop our first customer. In highschool, when it was time to develop aresearch project, I investigated IntegratedPest Management (IPM) systems,conducting action research on my family’sfarm.

Since then, I haven’t stoppedchampioning the importance ofagriculture, including organicagriculture. As managing director of myfamily’s farm for the past 10 years, Ioversaw the company’s day-to-dayoperations, including sales andmarketing, food safety and organiccertification. As vice chair of the CentralValley Regional Quality Control Board, Iapproached every opportunity andchallenge with an open mind andthoughtful judgment.

CDFA embraces the diversity of ouragricultural production systems and Ishare this value. I value the perspectiveof diverse experiences and opinions. It isfor this reason and the many wonderfulissues that I work on that I am excited towork at CDFA.

What issues critical to organic areon your radar there?

My work at CDFA includes water,climate change, healthy soils, the stateorganic program, farmland protection,compost and beginning farmer—all ofwhich are critical to organic farming.

Without water, soil,climate and farmers,we wouldn't be ableto produce the foodand fiber that we allneed.

One issue thatCalifornia andCDFA is embarkingon is an issue that isnear and dear to myheart: healthy soils.On our farm, weunderstood howimportant soil was toour livelihood.Healthy soils areimportant not justfor providingnutrients to support plant life, but forwater capture and retention, carbonsequestration and biodiversity. InJanuary, Governor Brown launched aHealthy Soils Initiative and has chargedCDFA with taking the lead to work crossagency in implementation. I am thrilledto be part of the team working on thisvery important initiative.

How receptive is CDFA to concernsand practices of organic growers?

The diversity of our agriculturalproduction systems is essential tokeeping California a leader inagriculture. CDFA and Californiachampion that diversity. We are proud tohave the most certified organic acres inthe nation and to be the only state with aState Organic Program as well as arobust organic input material review andregistration program.

The department is receptive toorganic alternatives, as demonstrated byour use of biocontrol options andorganic-approved treatments in severalof our active programs. Just recently weannounced the addition of a secondbiocontrol organism, a parasitic wasp, toour Asian citrus psyllid response efforts,with the Santa Barbara County infestedarea already identified as a site forreleases. Our scientists, along withpartners in the university systems,search the world for these alternatives,often going to far-flung sites in Asia and

elsewhere to findand bring backpredatory orparasitic organismsthat can keep ourinvasive pests incheck.

We use otheralternativesincluding sterileinsects (Medfly andpink bollworm, forexample) andpheromonetreatments as well.An organicformulation of thepesticide spinosad isa central element in

our response to fruit fly infestations. Wehave demonstrated not just a willingnessto use these alternatives, but also acommitment to choose them first aslong as they are shown to be effective.

What are your goals in serving inthis post?

I am proud to bring my perspective as afarmer to CDFA. I know how personalfarming is. Agriculture is not just anindustry, it is our nation’s roots, our foodand fiber, and a way of life forCalifornia’s 80,000 plus farmers andranchers. I hope that I can help sharethat story and help others understandwhat farmers go through—theirdependence on weather, theirvulnerability to market forces, their utterdedication to feeding people whileserving as responsible stewards of theland.

Do you think your appointmentwill make a difference to theorganic sector?

I bring 10 years of operating my family’sorganic farm and processing operationto every conversation I am involved in,and I know the challenges andopportunities of the organic community.I’m proud to bring that experience toCDFA. But I’m also proud to representthe voices of all farmers and championthe good work we are doing to betrusted stewards of the land. //


By Kelly DamewoodCCOF Policy Director

C COF will soon release a comprehensive report on theCalifornia State Organic Program (SOP) entitled TheCalifornia Organics Review Report (CORR). California

is the only state with its own organic program, and CCOFmembers consistently express concern that the SOPunnecessarily duplicates the National Organic Program(NOP). Therefore, CCOF is developing CORR to understandhow the SOP may reinforce NOP and identify potentialinconsistencies, shortcomings, or duplicative fees andpaperwork requirements.

CORR complements our multi-faceted work to supportexisting and transitioning organic producers because it bringsclarity to an ongoing policy issue for our membership.California produces more organic product than any other statein the United States, with over $8.2 billion in organic productsales annually. Yet organic producers in California complywith more regulations and pay more fees than any otherorganic producers in the nation.

Meanwhile, retailers and food manufacturers are callingupon California to help increase acreage and expand

production to meet the rising national demand for organicproducts. Thus, we must understand what it will take toresponsibly increase organic acreage and production inCalifornia if we want domestic production to meet the highnational demand for organic.

We recognize that addressing tough policy issues head-onis part of the puzzle to maintaining and increasing organicproduction in California. The most frequently cited policyissue among our California producers is concern about theSOP’s fees. To determine whether improvements or legislativechanges are appropriate, organic stakeholders and Californiapolicymakers must have a basic knowledge of the SOP and itsrelationship to NOP. By building this knowledge base, CORRwill provide a foundation upon which the organic communitymay build to address challenges related to the certificationprocess.

To ensure full stakeholder engagement, we developedCORR with an advisory committee comprised of diverseorganic producers, public officials, and other stakeholders.The advisory committee reviewed our goals, helped us set theagenda for the report, and provided direction and feedback onkey interviews and documents for review. The advisorycommittee’s final task will be to vet and critique CORR.

In addition to our advisory committee, we engaged withother stakeholders through a series of interviews. For example,we interviewed public officials at the California Department ofFood and Agriculture (CDFA) and California Department ofPublic Health, county agriculture commissioners, organicfarmers and processors, people who work in certification, anda variety of other stakeholders. We heard firsthand accountsfrom farmers and processors about challenges working withthe SOP as well as accounts about the value of the SOP tocertified organic food. We also vetted our interpretations oflegislative histories, efforts to reform, and governmentdocuments such as budgets via interviews and conversationswith appropriate individuals.

Additionally, we used a variety of research methods andtools, and strived for high stakeholder engagement. Forexample, we examined the legislative history and mandates ofboth the SOP and NOP. We also compared NOP’s enforcementin other states to California. Finally, we closely examined theSOP’s budget and fee structures, and discussed our findingswith public officials at CDFA.

In sum, CORR is the first step for a worthwhileconversation about fees and regulations of organic productionin California. Through our in-depth research and highstakeholder engagement, we feel confident that CORR willhelp the organic community move forward with reforms orchanges to the SOP. In turn, CORR will help California step upand take part in the national effort to grow organic. //

UPDAT E from CCOF Inc .

CCOF undertakes report on state’s organic program

By Marni KarlinOTA’s Vice President of GovernmentAffairs/General Counsel

F or years, OTA has focused itsresources on influencing thenational policy debate around

organic agriculture priorities—thingslike ensuring the National OrganicProgram has the tools it needs to fullyenforce the organic regulations,appropriating federal funds for organic-specific research, and developing aproposal for an organic research andpromotion program. These debates takeplace in the context of the Farm Bill andappropriations.

But it is important for organic tohave a seat at the table in the broaderfood policy debate—playing a role inconversations about issues that are notorganic-specific, but that affect theorganic community. Organic agriculturecan offer unique solutions to broaderfood policy issues—and engaging inthese conversations can facilitatecoalition building with partners withwhom we might not otherwiseencounter.

Developing working relationshipswith stakeholders in the broader foodand agriculture community is important,both in terms of wider food policydebates and in helping develop newallies in advance of the next Farm Billand appropriations debates.

This summer, OTA is engaged in thedebate around three broader food policyareas—dietary guidelines, pollinatorpolicy, and child nutrition.

DIETARY GUIDELINESThe Dietary Guidelines AdvisoryCommittee this year had a mandate toconsider sustainability as it drafted the2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.OTA’s comments were among the morethan 22,000 comments filed to theDepartment of Health and HumanServices and the Department ofAgriculture—more comments than haveever been submitted on any prior

Dietary Guidelines. Many of thecomments were about the Committee’srecommendation that Americans cutback on red and processed meats.

OTA’s comments, which focused onthe Committee’s consideration ofsustainability, encouraged theCommittee to incorporate acommitment to organic agricultureinto future Guidelines. Organicagriculture can enhance sustainability,sound treatment of the environment,and the health of the American public.The data continue to show the role thatorganic production practices play inultimate nutritional outcomes, so acommitment to organic is acommitment to the nutrition ofAmerican eaters.

POLLINATOR POLICYSeventy-five percent of all crops grownfor human consumption rely onpollinators, predominantly bees, for asuccessful harvest. Over the past decade,both native and honeybee populationshave been declining at alarming rates,raising concerns about the impact onour global food security. Since 2006, U.S.honeybee keepers have reported theylose 30 percent of their hives on averageeach winter.

Factors likely involved in decliningpollinator populations include exposureto toxic agricultural pesticides, decreasein pollinator forage due to extensivemono-cropping and dramatic increase innon-selective use of herbicides, anddestruction of native habitat through theconversion of land for anthropogenic use.

Earlier this summer, the WhiteHouse released a National Strategy toPromote the Health of Honey Bees andOther Pollinators. Although intended tobe a comprehensive approach toreducing the impact of stressors onpollinator health, it only minimallyaddressed the impact of agriculturalproduction methods on pollinators.

OTA has released its own positionon pollinator policy. There, OTA urgesthe Administration to more fully address


the impact ofagricultural

production methods,including organic practices, onpollinators, and dedicate research tothese practices. Organic farmingstandards require a number of practicesthat are beneficial to pollinators—suchas the prohibition of the use of syntheticpesticides, and a requirement of farmmanagement that fosters biodiversityand improves natural resources.

OTA has engaged in theconversation by specifically calling on:• USDA to ensure the National Organic

Program has the resources needed tomove forward on an organic apiculturestandard

• USDA to investigate the best and mostsuccessful models—including diversifiedorganic systems and practices—forpollinator habitat protection

• USDA to expand programs—conservation or others—through whichproducers can get assistance inestablishing appropriate pollinatorhabitat

• USDA and EPA to recommit toidentifying alternatives to neonicotinoidpesticide use and leveraging organicsystems to reach that goal

• USDA to rely on existing research andengage in new research to assist farmersin organic conversion to benefitpollinators

• The White House to amend its NationalStrategy to include agriculturalproduction methods as a valuablesolution to pollinator problems and

LEGIS LATIVE UPDATE

OTA plays a ro le in the broader food pol icy debate


recognize organic farming practices asparticularly beneficial.

CHILD NUTRITIONThe Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of2010 authorized an organic food pilotprogram under which school foodauthorities could explore opportunitiesto build relationships with local organiccompanies, farms and food providers toprovide healthy and nutritious organicfoods to our students, without drivingup costs. The pilot program wouldmodel best practices in bringing fresh,nutritious, affordable organic foods toour schoolchildren within the confinesof the existing school food coststructure.

The pilot program was authorized at$10 million per year, but was never

funded. During OTA’s Policy Conferencethis year, OTA members lobbiedMembers of Congress to fund theprogram, so best practices could beidentified and an opportunity could becreated to allow all of our kids to haveaccess to healthy, nutritious, organiclunches.

When funded, this competitive grantprogram would develop and providesupport services to initiatives increasingaccess to organic foods in eligibleschools; help schools scale or furtherdevelop existing initiatives that increaseaccess to organic foods; help schools thatare just getting started on bringingorganic to their schoolchildren andstructure their efforts for maximumimpact by embedding best practices intoearly design consideration; or provide

technical assistance in the area ofprocurement, food safety, or otherrelevant areas.

CONCLUSIONWhile OTA will, of course, continue toprioritize organic-specific policy goals inour advocacy work, we are alsocommitting our resources to participatein the broader food policy debate. Byengaging on issues such as dietaryguidelines, pollinator preservation, andchild nutrition, we have the opportunityto offer organic solutions to these issues,and build coalitions with stakeholders inthe broader agriculture community.

This will serve American consumers,as well as position the organiccommunity as a relevant thought-leaderin broader food policy issues. //

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NEW S AND TRENDS

Sales of U.S . organic products reach record $39.1 b i l l ion

S ales of organic food and non-food products in theUnited States set another record in 2014, reaching$39.1 billion, up 11.3 percent from 2013, according to

the Organic Trade Association’s 2015 Organic Industry Survey.Despite tight supplies of organic ingredients, organic food

sales posted an 11 percent increase to reach $35.9 billion,while organic non-food sales, at $3.2 billion, jumped almost 14

percent for thebiggest annualincrease in six years.

The U.S. organicsector has expandedsignificantly since

OTA first began tracking the industry’s performance in 1997.In 1997, organic food sales totaled around $3.4 billion, andaccounted for under 1 percent of total food sales. In 2014,organic food claimed almost 5 percentof the total food sales in the U.S., andhas consistently far outshone the 3percent growth pace for the total foodindustry.

Organic fruits and vegetables continued to be the biggest-selling organic category in 2014 with $13 billion in sales, up 12percent from the previous year, and making up more than 36percent of all organic food sales. Of all the produce now soldin the United States, 12 percent of it is organic, a market sharethat has more than doubled in the past ten years when organicproduce sales accounted for only 5 percent of the fruit andvegetable market.

The organic dairy sector posted an almost 11 percent jumpin sales in 2014 to $5.46 billion, the biggest percentage

increase for that categoryin six years.

Sales of organic non-food products—accounting for 8 percentof the total organic

market—posted the biggest percentage gain in six years, withsales of organic fiber and organic personal care products thestand-out categories.

The final survey report is available for purchase, with OTAmembers receiving a discount. Contact Angela Jagiello at OTAfor more information.

U.S. CERTIFIED ORGANIC OPERATIONS JUMP FIVE PERCENTThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announcedthat the number of U.S. certified organic operations increasedby more than five percent over the past year, to reach 19,474businesses. Meanwhile, the global tally reached 27,814operations certified to meet National Organic Standards.

Since the count began in 2002, U.S. certified organicoperation have increased by over 250 percent. The list of

certified organic operations is available online through USDA’sAgricultural Marketing Service.

GLOBAL ORGANIC MARKET ESTIMATED AT $72 BILLIONAccording to the latest data on organic farming and salesreleased in February at BioFach, the global organic market in2013 reached 72 billion U.S. dollars (approximately 55 billioneuros), led by the U.S. market with sales of $35.1 billion (24.3billion euros).

Germany was next, with 7.6 billion euros, followed byFrance, with 4.4 billion euros. China, for which there wereofficial market data for the first time, logged in with 2.4 billioneuros in sales. Two million organic producers—a new high—were reported in 2013. The countries with the highestnumbers of producers were India, Uganda, and Mexico.

Meanwhile, a total of 43.1 million hectareswere organic at the end of 2013, up almost 6million hectares compared to the previous year.These and more statistics are included in TheWorld of Organic Agriculture 2015, published and

available for purchase from IFOAM-Organics Internationaland the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture. //

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MONTANA ORGANIC ASSOCIATIONThe 230-member farmer-governed Montana OrganicAssociation (MOA) provides invaluable perspectives from

organic growers in the important Northern Great Plains and the Mountain Westregions. The Northern Great Plains is a significant provider of organic grains,with Montana ranking as the nation’s largest producer of organic wheat.

Joining OTA’s Farmer Advisory Council will benefit our membership ingiving them a larger influence on national organic

policy issues, and gives FAC our perspective on issuesfacing Montana’s organic farmers and ranchers. With

the demand for organic food so high, especially forgrains, MOA thinks this partnership will help us to

better serve our membership, cultivate new organicfarmers and ranchers, and expand organic acreage in

our region.

—Nate Brown, Chairman of the Board for MOA, is an organic dairy farmer in Montana.

S POTLIGHT ON OTA’S FARMERS ADVISORY COUNCIL

OTA’s Farmers Advisory Council (FAC) provides input from small- and medium-sized organic farmers, ranchers andgrowers to the Organic Trade Association on matters pertinent to the advancement of organic agriculture, with aspecific focus on OTA’s policy agenda. Established in 2013, FAC is designed to formalize and improve communication

between OTA and organic producers. It gives organic farmers a voice to directly influence OTA’s policy, and enables OTA tobetter represent the diversity of organic producers in its policy and advocacy.

The council is comprised of representatives of state and regional farming organizations representing organic that enter intoan agreement with OTA for the mutual benefit of strengthening the organic industry’s national public policy influence. If yourorganization is interested in being represented through FAC, contact OTA’s Senior Crops & Livestock Specialist Nate Lewis.

CCOF INC.CCOF advances organicagriculture for a healthyworld. For more than 40years, we have done this

through organic certification,education, advocacy and promotion.From field to fork, we certify andrepresent organic growers, livestockproducers, handlers, and retailers.Our certified members include morethan 2,900 organic operationssupplying 1,100 different organiccrops, products, and services. CCOFis the only full-service organiccertification agency whose membersare represented by a strong tradeassociation. CCOF is headquarteredin Santa Cruz, California, andgoverned by a board of directorsconsisting of elected certifiedmembers.

It’s importantto include

CCOF on the

FarmersAdvisory

Council andCaliforniafarmers torepresent

organic specialty crops. CCOF isproud to have a seat at the FAC

table to advance organicagriculture.

—Phil LaRocca of LaRocca Vineyards in Forest Ranch, California, is Chair

of the CCOF Inc. Board.

CROPP COOPERATIVE Organic Valley is America’s largest cooperative of organicfarmers and one of the nation’s leading organic brands.Organized in 1988, it represents approximately 1,800 farmers

in 36 states. Focused on its founding mission of saving family farms throughorganic farming, Organic Valley produces a variety of organic foods, includingorganic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, and produce, which aresold in supermarkets, natural food stores and food cooperatives nationwide. Withits regional model, milk is produced, bottled and distributed right in the regionwhere it is farmed to ensure fewer miles from farm to table and to support ourlocal economies.

Organic farmers depend on aligning to help the publicunderstand the value of their products, andthe Farmers Advisory Council provides that

opportunity. The broad range of farmers from acrossthe industry and country share current concerns and

issues, so it is a grassroots approach tosupporting family farms—which is really the Organic

Valley mission.

—Steve Pierson, a member of CROPP Cooperative since 2005, currentlyserves as Treasurer on its Board and has been a director since 2011. He

and his wife Susan operate their organic family dairy farm in St. Paul, Oregon.

FAC PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS

TILTH PRODUCERS OFWASHINGTONTilth Producers of Washington has beena leader in the organic agriculturemovement since 1974, educating and

advocating for farmers for decades, and committed tomaking organic agriculture a viable option forbeginning and experienced growers alike. Based inSeattle, Tilth Producers is a 500-member organizationrepresenting farmers across Washington State. TilthProducers advocates for policies and regulations thatsupport small-scale organic farming, both inWashington and nationally.

We look forward to having arepresentative on OTA’s

Farmer Advisory Council andproviding direct input onbehalf of our small andmedium-sized grower

members.

—Michele Catalano, Executive Director


ORGANIC EGG FARMERSOF AMERICAThe Organic Egg Farmers of

America (OEFA) aims is to bring together variousstakeholders dedicated to the production of eggs incompliance with the Organic Standards, and to create anenvironment of honesty and co-operation for thebetterment of the industry as a whole. OEFA is a nationalorganization made up of approximately 38 farmers,marketers, certifiers, and associated egg industrycompanies. A not-for-profit organization dedicated tosharing information, research and exploring commontopics that affect egg producers, its primary event is anannual educational symposium. It welcomes newmembers.

Being part of the Farmers Advisory Council gives us a voice at the table. We are able to share

our views with the broader organic farmercommunity, and advocate

together for things that matterto us all. Through FAC and OTA,

we are part of the largermovement of organic farmingand the difference organic is

making in the food system and inrural America.

—Joseph Kropf of Fairfield Specialty Eggs Inc., of Deer Grove,

Illinois, is OEFA’s representative on FAC

OREGON TILTH CERTIFIEDORGANICOregon Tilth is a leading certifier, educatorand advocate for organic agriculture andproducts since 1974. Our mission to make ourfood system and agriculture biologically sound

and socially equitable requires us to find practical ways totackle big challenges. We advance this mission to balancethe needs of people and planet through focus on core areasof certification, conservation, public health, policy and themarketplace. With headquarters in Corvallis, OR, OregonTilth’s scope of activities is global. We certify 1,511operations located in 47 U.S. states as well as Mexico andCanada. We have 1,287 members, comprised of certifiedoperations as well as non-certifiedindividuals and organizations that support our mission.

Oregon Tilth focuses oncollaborative partnerships toincreast access to resources andexpertise. By participating onthe FAC, we bring the organicfarm community’s diverseperspectives to offer input onensuring organic integrity,growing the organic sector anddriving public investment insustainable agriculture.

—Chris Schreiner, Executive Director

WESTERN ORGANIC DAIRY PRODUCERS ALLIANCEThe Mission for the Western Organic Dairy ProducersAlliance (WODPA) is to preserve, protect and ensurethe sustainability and integrity of organic dairy farmingacross the West. WODPA’s supporting membership is 18percent of the organic dairy farms, which accounts forabout 40 percent of the organic milk produced in thewestern half of the United States. WODPA’s vision is toadvocate for and help protect organic dairy farmers inthe West.

It is important for WODPA tobe a part of the OTA-FAC sothat organic dairy farmers

from the Western part of theU.S. can provide input into

issues affecting ouroperations and haveour collective voice

be heard.

—Sean Mallett is from Harmony Organic Dairy, Twin Falls, Idaho


Doug Crabtree: After a career inorganic research, inspection and

certification, Doug Crabtree returned tohis calling to farm. In 2009, he and hiswife Anna Jones-Crabtree foundedVilicus Farms, a dry land organic cropfarm located in north-central Montana.The operation produces a diverse arrayof heirloom and specialty grains, oilseedand pulse crops, and practices "radical"land stewardship, minimizing fallow and

strip cropping. It also devotes nearly 20 percent of the land toconservation, enhancing wildlife, pollinators and beneficialbiology. Vilicus Farms also sponsors an apprentice programdesigned to "create and launch" new organic farmers. Dougand Anna strive to provide an example of organic farmingpracticed as an expression of a deep stewardship ethic as wellas a legitimate profession.

John Brunnquell is managing memberof Egg Innovations LLC, which owns

and operates organic pullet production,an organic feed mill and processing plantas well as chickens for egg production.He oversees the company’s day-to-dayoperations, sales and marketing, foodsafety and organic certification. John isactive on several industry organic eggboards and committees including UnitedEgg Producers’ Organic Egg Committee,

Organic Egg Farmers of America Board of Directors, and theMethionine Task Force. He is both a strong advocate for familyfarms and for maintaining consumer trust in the organicproducts produced by the organic industry. Egg Innovationsproduces a wide variety of specialty eggs, and is committed toorganic, animal welfare and maintaining family farms forfuture generations.

Bob Quinn of Quinn Farm and Ranchowns and operates a fourth

generation small grain certified organicdry land family farm of 4,000 acres nearBig Sandy in North Central Montana. Heearned a Ph.D. in plant biochemistryfrom the University of California atDavis. His whole farm—100% organicsince 1989—is his laboratory as well ashis garden. He experiments with organiccropping systems, dry land vegetables, a

small orchard, and grows high oleic safflower which is crushedand used first for food by local restaurants and then for fuel torun his tractor. In 1986, Bob introduced Kamut brandKhorasan ancient wheat to the natural food market place.

Jimmy Wedel of Wedel Farm has beenan organic producer for 23 years. His

2,800-acre organic farming operation islocated on the High Plains of Texas,where he grows organic yellow corn,blue corn, forage sorghum, soybeans,wheat and cotton. He is President of theTexas Organic Cotton MarketingCooperative and also serves on the TexasDepartment of Agriculture’s OrganicIndustry Advisory Committee, as well as

the Texas Corn Producers Board and Capital Farm Credit.

Samantha Cabaluna ofEarthbound Farm, chair ofOTA’s Community RelationsCommittee, is FAC Co-Chair.

Nate Lewis, OTA’s Senior Cropsand Livestock Specialist, isstaff liaison.

Perry Clutts ofPleasant View Farm inOhio, who holds thefarmer seat on OTA’sBoard of Directors, isFAC Chair.

AT-LARGE FAC MEMBERS

Organizing across the country,across supply chains, and time

zones, we have had challenges,but in keeping with OTA’s value

that farmers are thefoundation of the organic

industry, it has been imperativeand a priority for OTA to

design a process to hear thevoices of organic farmers.

OTA’s Farmers Advisory Councildoes just that, and is doing

that successfully. It has beengratifying to see it grow,including more and more

farmers.


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FA C FIELD NOTES

Working to reduce barriers

and expand supply

By Nate LewisSenior Crops & Livestock Specialist

OTA’s Farmers Advisory Council (FAC) has been busyover the past few months. FAC has expanded itsmembership and reach through a strategic

partnership with Tilth Producers of Washington, andconvened the organic supply chain in numerous meetings atOTA’s Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., to refine astrategy for reducing barriers to organic production andexpanding organic supply. We are also looking forward to theproduction season where we will host a collaborativediscussion at the Northern Plains Sustainable AgricultureSociety field day in Carrington, North Dakota.

Adding the voice of farmers from Tilth Producers ofWashington will ensure the diversity of concerns and issuesfacing producers in the Pacific Northwest will be raised andaddressed. Finding solutions to these barriers is not simple, andrequires a multi-stakeholder approach, which we fostered at ourmember meetings and agency visits at OTA’s 2015 PolicyConference in D.C.

For three days, OTA members convened in our nation’s

capital to identify barriers to organic production andincreasing organic supply. Discussions covered crop insurance,land access, apprenticeship programs, and consideration of apossible industry-led transitional certification program. Themulti-stakeholder meetings included farmers, handlers,manufacturers, retailers, and certifiers all providing theirperspectives on the larger challenges facing the organicindustry and how addressing these specific issues couldovercome those challenges

FAC-led conversations about crop insurance informed asmall team of OTA farmer members in a visit to the RiskManagement Agency (RMA) at USDA. In this meeting, weshared the challenges organic farmers still face in obtainingadequate coverage for their farms, and how RMA couldimprove their products to better serve the unique needs oforganic producers. A strong safety net for farmers is critical tothe growth of the organic sector as is facilitating access tomentorships and land for beginning farmers and providing afinancial premium for their crops during the three years oftransition to organic certification.

These hurdles can be insurmountable, and FAC is taking alead role in scaling and networking existing apprenticeshipprograms to provide models for the training of America’sfuture organic farmers. Similarly, a transitional certificationprogram could be used as a supply chain management tool fororganic handlers and play a key role in guaranteeing apremium price for transitional crops.

A strong safety net, opportunities for new and beginningfarmers to get into organic production, and a mechanism tocompensate existing farmers for the expense of transitioningto organic are all facets of a solution to the organic supplypinch that the industry is facing. These topics were brought tothe table through FAC, and developed into policy actions byconvening the full spectrum of OTA’s larger membership base.

We are looking forward to showcasing this work at acollaborative meeting in conjunction with the Northern PlainsSustainable Agriculture Society’s July 14 field day inCarrington, North Dakota. The field day will take place at theNorth Dakota State University’s Carrington ResearchExtension Center, which is focusing breeding efforts onspecialty “ancient” grains like Einkorn.

Following the field day, the U.S. Organic GrainCollaborative will host a meeting for farmers, processors,advocates, and Extension on further identifying specific issuespreventing organic acreage expansion in the Northern GreatPlains, and how to best leverage the resources available.

By convening a regionally based stakeholder group, we hopeto build off the success of OTA’s national approach to the issuesand develop solutions that work to address the specific regionalconcerns of the Northern Great Plains. //


By Kelly TaverasOTA’s Digital Communications Manager

“What does ‘organic’

really mean? Can I trust it?

Why is it so expensive?”

T he conversation is happeningon social media, whether you’rea part of it or not. Throughout

the world, millions of consumers,businesses, influencers and policymakersare engaged across a variety of socialnetworks—and all signs point tocontinued growth across channels in thecoming years.

Today more than half of the U.S.population engages on social networksregularly, and most of them are underage 34. At the same time, OTA’s U.S.Families Attitudes and Beliefs Studyshows that the majorityof organic consumersare in that samedemographic, are newentrants to the market,and rely on socialnetworking sites as theirprimary source forinformation on currentevents, food andcooking, and health.

Effective socialmedia marketing givesorganic businesses andbrands an exceptionalopportunity to meet andeducate the new-to-organic consumeronline—and it’s timethat we, as an industry,collectively seize it.

As an organicbusiness, yourcommunications andmarketing strategieslikely have twooverarching objectives—to educateconsumers about your brand, and toeducate them about organic. Whileorganic businesses across the supplychain are diverse and communications

priorities vary, one primary goal remainssimilar: the desire to help consumersunderstand the value of organic, whatthe USDA Organic seal means, why theycan trust it, and perhapsmost importantly, why theyshould invest in it.

Many of our membersare already activelyengaged on social. Andmany are new to the game.Wherever you are in theprocess of establishing yourchannels and joining theconversation, now is thetime for organicstakeholders to collaborateon delivering a consistentorganic message and engaging inmeaningful dialog.

The 140 character tweet and the 403x 403 pixel Facebookgraphic need to demandattention, and the#TwitterChat dialogueand direct commentreplies need to digdeeper, clarify nuances,and be human to bemeaningful. As a sector,we have to deliver amessage that will changethe conversations aboutthe organic industry. Ifwe come together withstrong and consistentmessages about organicand strategies fordisseminating andengaging that message,people will be enticedand want to discuss it.

So how do we do it?We bringcommunicationsprofessionals fromorganic businesses

together to brainstorm how to betteralign messaging. We create a pipeline ofcontent sharing so that when a newstudy is released that shows organic ismore nutritious, we can collectively

share it on our networks and expand itsreach. We collaborate on social mediacampaigns that educate the public on thevalue of making the organic choice and

put premiumorganic productsin the hands ofconsumers. Andwe keep talkingto each other.

OTA wantsthe public toknow aboutorganic and tosupport it. Wealso want thepublic to knowabout our

members and to support them. Throughcollaboration with our diversemembership, strategic partners, mediaand bloggers, social influencers,policymakers and consumers, we areconfident that we can increase thatsupport and move the needle onunderstanding what organic reallymeans.

This past year, OTA launched an“Organic-Palooza” social mediacampaign aimed at doing just that. Thecampaign reached more than 15 millionindividual social media users, likelymaking it one of the largest-ever, short-term social campaigns in the organicindustry. We were encouraged that somany organic brands (over 100) tookpart in sharing the campaign’s messagesto speak in a unified voice in the midstof their own social media outreach.

Staying engaged in the conversationvia social media networks where eatersand thinkers gather is critical to oursuccess as an industry. OTA plans tocontinue efforts with engaging andtargeted organic campaign outreachefforts in the future, and we’d love tohave you on board.

If you have ideas on how we cancollaborate on delivering a consistentorganic message through social, havequestions, or want to get involved in thenext campaign, contact me at OTA. //

W HE N #ORGANIC GOES SOCIAL

Bringing stakeholders together to deliver the #organic message

The 140 character

tweet and the

403 x 403 pixel

Facebook graphic

need to demand

attention, and

the #TwitterChat

dialogue and direct

comment replies

need to dig deeper,

clarify nuances,

and be human

to be meaningful.


FE AT U RE

Grant expands fresh produce for Florida SNAP recipients

By Linda Richards

F lorida’s fruit and vegetable production is year-roundand the second largest in the United States. However,since most is exported, a problem exists: few Florida

residents purchase and consume Florida-grown produce. Addto that scenario the fact that nearly one in six Floridians iswithout reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable,nutritious food.

An organic grower organization is providing a solution.Via a large-scale grantover three years, theFlorida OrganicGrowers (FOG) isboosting organic, localproduce use amonglow-income Floridians.

In April, U.S.Secretary ofAgriculture TomVilsack flew to Florida,and awarded FOG oneof its eight multi-yearlarge-scale FoodInsecurity NutritionIncentive (FINI)grants. FOG’s ProgramDirector Marty Mesh, arecipient of one ofOTA’s OrganicLeadership Awards in2014, and his staff werepresent to receive theaward.

“We have a uniqueopportunity to combatour state’s foodinsecurity while providing new market opportunities forFlorida farmers,” said Mesh, adding that a miniscule amount(.018% in 2013) of assistance benefits go to the state’s farmers.As a result of the grant, people in under-served communitieswill have access to affordable, fresh Florida-grown produce atfarmers’ markets, and soon Community SupportedAgriculture programs (CSAs), while providing a realimmediate benefit to farmers and their communities.

The grant was part of 31 small to large grants given in theprogram’s first year. (The Rodale Institute received a one-yearaward.) Funded by the 2014 Farm Bill, the grants are designedto increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables among low-income consumers participating in the SupplementalNutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). As a result, nowcardholders can take advantage of a one-to-one match. Thus,

cardholders who spend $10 on fresh, Florida grown producecan receive an additional $10 to purchase more fresh, localproduce.

Increasing farmer salesIn the Florida program entitled Fresh Access Bucks (FAB):Increasing Food Access and Florida Farmer Sales at MarketsStatewide, organic products are a key component, althoughconventional, certified organic and practicing organic/notcertified are all covered.

Carmen Franz,the manager of theFAB program, co-wrote the grantapplication after asuccessful two-yearpilot programfunded by stategrants. “Through 20farmers’ markets wegenerated over$200,000 in healthyfood purchases forover 150 Floridafarmers and added3,000 new shoppers.We were also verygood at buildingpartnerships withkey agencies andorganizations thatdemonstrated ourcollaborative effortsin Florida,” she said.

Over the nextthree years, 30markets will join the

current 20 throughout at least 21 counties in Florida.

HELPING INDIVIDUALSArt Friedrich is one of those partners. In 2009, he moved tothe Miami Dade area with non-profit experience and abackground helping his family run sustainable farms in NewEngland.

“I wasn’t planning to get back into non-profit work, butthere was a total lack of a local food market in the Miamiarea,” he said. With the help of a colleague, he organized anon-profit organization—Urban Oasis Project—that overseesseven of FAB’s current 20 markets. Other endeavors includemanaging Verde Gardens—a 22-acre organic farm and café—that also benefits a permanent assisted-housing program for

Through community support and funding from Jane's Trust,

Englewood Farmers’ Market in Englewood, Florida, has been able

to hire support staff to manage Fresh Access Bucks.


formerly homelessfamilies in partnershipwith CarrfourSupportive Housing.

Friedrich say hisnumbers show localproduce has doubledeach year. He estimatescertified organicproduce make up 70%of sales, withorganically grown butnot certified accountingfor another 20%.

All his markets arelocated in low- or

mixed-income neighborhoods, while a Supportive CommunityAgriculture (SCA) program is being developed that willprovide the FAB program in housing projects through asmaller weekly drop-off food share. “We’re getting a greatresponse from SNAP users who, with the doubling of theproduce, are able to feed their families. They can double theirfruits and vegetables, up to $20 a day. They’re spreading theword among their friends.”

This mirrors national research on farmers’ market SNAP

incentive programs, which show 90% of incentive programconsumers report increasing their consumption of fresh fruitsand vegetables.

PARTNERSHIPS KEYFAB’s manager Franz said the biggest challenge is getting theword out about the program

“It’s been difficult without ample resources to doprofessional branding and expensive advertisements to letSNAP participants know about the program,” said Franz,adding that grassroots outreach is vital in local communities.“The relationships we’ve built with state level agencies havemade a huge impact on expanding our reach,” she said.

To make sure recipients know the benefits and how toprepare seasonal produce on a budget, the market partnersconduct regular nutrition education initiatives such as healthscreenings, and recipe and nutrition info for fruits andvegetables. The grant includes educational funding for eachmarket to purchase mobile, cooking demo units.

“In some instances, our markets partner with local chefs todo the demos, or we’ve partnered with the American CulinaryFederation or various volunteers from culinary schools,” said Franz.

Marty Mesh of FOG with

Secretary Vilsack

©2015 Honest Tea, Inc. All rights reserved.

lbs


FIB E R FEATURE

Esperanza Threads: a place of hope and purpose

By Barbara Haumann

As its name implies, OTAmember Esperanza Threadsbrings hope through the gift

of sewing.In 2000, returning to Cleveland,

Ohio, after working in Native Americanmissions in Montana, Sister Mary EileenBoyle contemplated what she wouldchoose for the next step in her life’scalling. An Ursuline Sister ofCleveland—an order whose mission is totransform lives through contemplation,justice, and compassion,she wanted to startsomething that wouldtransform lives whilerespecting the earth andfollow a holisticphilosophy.

The result: theestablishment ofEsperanza Threads,which produces appareland goods such as t-shirts, hand and bathtowels, sweat suits, andonesies for babies usingorganic fibers. Theproducts are then oftensold at churches, artshows, and other localtrade fairs.

However, its mission is way morethan that. In fact, in addition tomanufacturing goods using organicfibers to support its existence, it trainsindividuals for jobs in industrial sewingin Cleveland. These trainings are aimedat refugees and immigrants whorelocated to the metropolitan area ofCleveland as well as area citizens whoare underemployed or unemployed.Here, they learn the basics of industrialsewing and how to transform fabric intoapparel, towels and pillows to give thema way to earn a living within theCleveland sewing industry.

It was the vision of EsperanzaThreads to use organic fibers—generallyorganic cotton but sometimes organicwool. The organic and eco-friendly

fibers used are made into apparel underfair wage and fair trade conditions.

Lucretia Bohnsack has served asEsperanza Threads’ Executive Directorfor the past three years, but has beeninvolved there since its inception 15years ago, evenserving in thepast on its board.She notes thatabout three-fourths of thetrainees arerefugees or

immigrants fromsuch countries asBhutan, Nepal,Afghanistan,Iraq, Iran,Honduras, ElSalvador, andsmall African nations.

Although the original idea was tohelp encourage women taking part tostart their own businesses, it has evolvedto train them on the basics of sewing sothat they can find jobs in the localeconomy, Bohnsack says.

“People taking part feel appreciatedand are trained to have a skill. They thengo out and find jobs,” she adds. In fact,this past year, Esperanza Threadsachieve a 72 percent placement rate for

those who went through training,obtained positions, and were able tokeep them.

Esperanza Threads’ manufacturing isdone by people who have sewingexperience or have graduated from the

company’s trainings. Italso does contract sewingfor others. Sister MaryEileen oversees thetrainings, which teach sixto seven people inindustrial sewing at atime. Volunteers who helpinclude retired homeeconomics teachers andothers who have sewn foryears. These intensivetrainings provide 48 hoursof basic industrial sewingskills, with trainees thenprepared to get a job andget further specialized on-the-job training.

Its manufacturingoperations help pay therent, cover administrativecosts, utilities, and buymore materials for futuresewing. The organic fibersit uses are domesticallyproduced and sourcedfrom the Carolinas.Bohnsack said supply islimited.

“It is difficult to findorganic fiber. We woulduse more if it wereavailable,” she says.

Esperanza Threads hassome dreams—such as actually openingup a little retail space rather than cartingaround its products to different sales,and improving its website,www.esperanzathreads.com, to have thecapacity to take online orders.

For now, it continues to fulfill itsmission, giving hope and providingskills to those it serves in its communitywhile expanding the use of organicfibers. //

Sister Mary Eileen


F IB E R NEWS

MetaWear launches f i rst U.S . GOTS factory of i ts k ind

L ocated in a refurbished Verizon facility in Fairfax, VA,close to our country’s capital, OTA member companyMetaWear has launched the first GOTS-certified

ethical manufacturing and dye factory in the United States.This cutting-edge solar- and geothermal-powered

manufacturing facility provides cutting, sewing, dyeing andscreen-printingto producecertified organiccotton T-shirts.

Usingseaweed-basedinks and payingits staff a livablewage, theMetaWearoperation wasrecentlycertified to theGlobal OrganicTextile Standard(GOTS), theworld’splatinumstandard for theprocessing oforganic textiles.

“MetaWearis extremelyproud to bepaving the way for today’s U.S. textile industry. We adhere tothe most stringent global processing standards, and offerearth-conscious, socially responsible and screen-printedapparel—perfect for promoting companies’ brands andmessages,” says Marci Zaroff, ECOfashion pioneer andMetaWear co-founder and President.

GOTS—the textile industry’s counterpart to the U.S.Department of Agriculture’s organic food standard—coversthe growing, processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling,trading and distribution of all textiles made with at least 70percent certified organic fiber. As with organic food standards,a textile product carrying the GOTS Organic seal must contain

a minimum of 95 percent certified organic fibers, while onewith the “made with organic” label must contain a minimumof 70 percent certified organic fiber. GOTS-certified textilesmust be produced without toxic and persistent pesticides,GMOs, formaldehyde, chlorine bleaches, heavy metals orother chemicals detrimental to humans and the environment

but typicallyused inconventionalcotton t-shirtsand textiles.

MetaWearuses FairTrade-certifiedorganic cottonto producepromotionalcustom T-shirtsfor men andwomen. Inaddition, it uses“Seaink,” aproprietary dyeprocess thatuses a seaweed-derived base.

“WithSeaink,MetaWear canavoid the

harmful impact of standard dyes without sacrificing colorvibrancy,” according to CAS Shiver, MetaWear co-founder andtechnical mastermind behind the ink development as well asthe solar and geothermal energy practices used for theoperation.

In addition to being GOTs-certified, MetaWear producedthe world’s first Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) Certified fashion T-shirt for lifestyle brand Under the Canopy, also founded byZaroff. It was unveiled at the Cradle-to-Cradle InnovationInstitute’s recent Fashion Positive launch. C2C certificationfocuses on material health, material reuse, renewable energy,water stewardship, and social justice.

GOTS FACILITIES GREW BY18% IN 2014The number of facilities worldwidecertified to the Global Organic TextileStandard (GOTS) grew by more than 18percent in 2014, from 3,085 to 3,663.GOTS certified facilities are now locatedin 64 countries around the globe.

GOTS is recognized worldwide as

the leading processing standard fortextiles made from organic fibers.Growth is evenly spread across allmarket segments, including mass marketand big brands. GOTS certificationallows consumers to purchase itemscertified organic from field to finishedproduct.

Countries with the greatest increasein GOTS certification during 2014 were

India (+388), Bangladesh (+89),Germany (+32), Turkey (+21), andChina (+18).

The top 15 countries with thehighest number of GOTS certifiedfacilities are India, Turkey, Germany,China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Italy, SouthKorea, Portugal, Japan, France, UnitedStates, United Kingdom, Austria, andHong Kong.


“The growth in certifications demonstrates that GOTS hasbecome the standard of choice for brands and retailers toefficiently manage their organic fiber supply chains,” saidClaudia Kersten, GOTS Managing Director.

Such certification also verifies a company’s commitment tosustainability, as opposed to unverified self-claims.

According to OTA’s 2015 Organic Industry Survey, themarket for organic fibers is the most rapidly growing U.S. non-food organic category, growing to $1.1 billion in 2014, up 18percent from the previous year.

The number of U.S. companies gaining GOTS certificationin 2014 increased by 20 percent over 2013, and included Burt’sBee Baby™, Boll & Branch, IMM Group, Loomstate, Maggie’sOrganics, MetaWear, Michael Stars, Organics and More,Portico, Synergy Organic Clothing, Under the Canopy, PACTApparel, Welspun, and Xamax. These companies make a widearray of products, from apparel for babies throughwomen/men, to beds and bedding, and personal careproducts.

In March, GOTS released a new edition of its Licensingand Labeling Guide to address changes made in the latestversion (4.0) of the standard.

GOTS was developed by leading international standardsetters—the Organic Trade Association, Japan Organic CottonAssociation, International Association Natural Textile Industry(Germany), and Soil Association (UK) to define globally

recognized requirements that ensure the organic status oftextiles. For more information, visit www.global-standard.org.

NEW FIBER COUNCIL FORMINGAt its April meeting, OTA’s Board of Directors approved theestablishment of an OTA Fiber Council based on OTA SectorCouncil operating guidelines. The application for the newsector council was first reviewed by the OTA Board’sCommunity Relations Committee, which gave its support.

Marci Zaroff, President of Portico Brands and Founder ofUnder the Canopy, submitted the request along with sevenother OTA member companies that have expressed interest inparticipating. Besides Zaroff, those expressing interest includeSandra Marquardt of On the Mark PR, Bená Burda ofMaggie’s, Scott Nash of MOM’s Market, Tara Cappel ofMetaWear, Dale Read of the Specialty Sleep Association, BarryCik of Naturepedic, and Melody Meyer of UNFI.

The aim is to create a cohesive voice across fiber categorieswithin OTA, and to grow the organic fiber sector overall.

The first in-person meeting for the council will be held atNatural Products Expo West. Those interested in becomingpart of the Fiber Council are encouraged to contactGwendolyn Wyard, OTA’s Senior Director for Regulatory andTechnical Affairs. //

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We’re on our way to revolutionizing the textile industry — one T-shirt at a time.


CA NADA NEWS

A g r icultural Growth Act : focus on seed

C anada is in the midst ofimplementing new agriculturallegislation, which will have far-

reaching impacts for all sectors in thecoming years. Additionally, major changesare planned to rules governing food safety,imports, organic, and food labeling.

On February 25, Bill C-18—theAgricultural Growth Act—receivedRoyal Assent and became law in Canada.However, rather than totally overhaulingthe laws governing agriculture and seed,the government chose to introducehundreds of small amendments andshifts throughout nine pre-existing acts,with dozens of regulations implicated.This included the Plant Breeders’ RightsAct (PBR), which protects the rights ofplant breeders and seed developers.Canada’s new Agricultural Growth Act

enacts The International Union for theProtection of New Varieties of Plants(UPOV 1991), with importantconsequences for organic andconventional growers in the country (seeVariety Protection sidebar).

Efforts to amendEarly on, COTA and other partnerorganizations called on the governmentto amend the bill to better protectfarmers’ right to save seeds. COTA’sExecutive Director was one of the firstwitnesses called to testify at theParliamentary Standing Committee onAgriculture and Agri-Food on Bill C-18.COTA’s testimony focused on theunintended consequences of the bill onthe organic sector and onrecommendations to strengthen thefarmers' privilege.

COTA relied heavily on data from itsrecent market study on organic andecological seed, and also held its annualpolicy conference and lobby day inOttawa during the hearings to drivehome the organic sector’s views on thelegislation. Following these actions, thegovernment agreed to introduce

amendments to the bill, specificallylanguage that clearly indicates farmers’rights to save, condition and replantseeds. This was a major victory for theorganic sector, and will protect allproducers in the future. However, thecurrent law still makes it possible towithdraw or restrict (on a crop-by-cropbasis) this “privilege” following aregulatory consultation process.

Although pleased with the progressmade, COTA remains concerned thatthe Agricultural Growth Act does nottake into account the reality of theorganic sector. Organic growers employa low- to minimal-input system, andtarget seed varieties for very specificagronomic outcomes. As the bill doesnot incentivize the development of seedfor organic production, it is likely thatfew new organic-relevant varieties willbe adapted to Canadian climate andgeography. COTA will continue toactively participate in the next phase ofregulatory development under this Actto ensure farmers’ rights are protected,and that the collection of royalties onsaved seeds is not introduced.

VARIETY PROTECTIONThe Term of Protection for plantvarieties is extended from 18 to 25years for trees and vines, and from15 to 20 years for all othermaterials. It also extends the scopeof breeders’ rights to import,export, stock and conditioningreproductive material (such asseed).Essential derived varieties: UnderPlant Breeders’ Rights (PBR), agrower could grow “essentiallyderived varieties,” derived from andretain essential characteristics of aprotected variety, only if he or shehas the authorization from the PBRholder of the original protectedvariety.End-point-royalties (EPRs): Textwithin the law could allow PBRholders to ask for royalties onharvested material, includingroyalties on crops from saved seed.The regulatory text doesn’texplicitly indicate that the cost ofEPRs cannot be greater for savedseeds than for purchased seeds (tocreate a disincentive or “penalty”for seed saving).

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada(AAFC) has announced over $785,000in matching funds over four years forCOTA to promote and market Canadianorganic products in domestic andforeign markets through theAgriMarketing Program (AMP).

Totalling over $1.5 Million, COTA’sproject will expand its marketingstrategy to new countries and tradeshows targeting organic products, whilealso enriching activities in currentmarkets, expanding the “Think CanadaOrganic” domestic consumer campaign,and providing technical assistance togovernment authorities working onmarket access and equivalencyarrangements.

Over the next few years, COTA staffwill lead several trade missions to Japanto build on the recent Canada-JapanOrganic Equivalency Arrangement.

COTA will also pursue its organicpromotion and education programs inEurope by adding new target countries(France and the United Kingdom), andwill organize trade missions inSwitzerland for Canadian organiccompanies. This four-year support willalso strengthen Canada’s presence atNatural Products Expo West andBioFach Germany, among other tradeevents. Additionally, reverse trademissions will bring organic food buyersfrom Asia, the United States and Europeto talk business directly with Canadaorganic suppliers across the country.

Finally, investments will be made tosupport the expansion of the consumerpromotional campaign (“Think BeforeYou Eat: Think Canada Organic”) toeducate Canadians on theenvironmental, social and healthbenefits of choosing organic.

INVESTMENT IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETING


B.C. TIGHTENS REGS Earlier this year, the Ministry ofAgriculture in British Columbiaannounced a new regulation to restrictthe usage of “organic” on labels toproducts that have been certified by anational or provincial certificationprogram. This change is to provideconsumers with assurance that productsmeet accepted standards. Although thefederal regulations for organic have beenin place since 2009, some local productscan fall outside of the regulatory scope.With this, British Columbia becomes thefourth province to introduce suchlegislation, joining Quebec, Manitobaand New Brunswick.

The tightening of organic regulationsis part of the three-pillar approach tostrengthen the awareness and reputationof B.C.’s organic foods. The other twoinitiatives are to develop transitionalstrategies that support farmers tobecome certified along with businessstrategy and market developmentprogram supports, and creating a brandto market B.C. organic foods.

“By working with B.C. organic sectorstakeholders, we’ll develop a model thatcreates consumer and industry certaintyaround organic products, and ensurestransitional strategies are in place to helpsmall businesses seeking the benefits ofjoining a brand of recognized organicstandards,” B.C. Agriculture MinisterNorm Letnick said.

Last year, COTA issued a publicstatement urging all Canadian provinces

to introduce legislation to support andstrengthen Canada’s regulatoryframework for organic across thecountry.

TRANSITION SUPPORTIn March, COTA’s Matthew Holmes wascalled to testify before the Senate’sAgriculture and Forestry Committee.The Committee has been conducting astudy into international market accesspriorities for the Canadian agriculturaland agri-food sector in advance of thegovernment’s next five-year Federal-Provincial-Territorial Agricultural PolicyFramework.

COTA used the occasion tounderscore the significant supplypressures in the sector, and call forfederal funding to assist producers withthe transition to organic farming. Thecommittee was highly engaged, andasked a number of questions of Holmeson how the government could introducenew programming supports to addressthe shortage.

The testimony also garneredattention from Prairie-based WesternProducer, the dominant agriculturaltrade publication in Canada. In April,the publication ran a full storyshowcasing COTA’s call for federalfunding, with more details provided viaan interview with COTA’s ShaunaMacKinnon.

“We need to bring more farmers intoagriculture, and organic is the strongestpart of the food sector right now.

Canada is really alone in comparison toour trading partners in not providingthat kind of support at the federal level,”MacKinnon said.

Both the article and COTA’s originaltestimony also highlighted the need toexpand the scope of the Canada-EUequivalency to benefit the processingsector. In April, COTA held a series ofmeetings with industry and Canadiantrade officials in Brussels to buildconsensus for an expanded scope underthe Canada-EU equivalencyarrangement.

GMO APPLE APPROVED Following in the footsteps of U.S.authorities, Health Canada hasannounced approval of OkanaganSpecialty Fruits’ genetically engineered(GE) “Arctic Apple,” which could reachmarkets as early as next year. Only twoweeks after the Arctic Apple wasapproved for sale in the United States,the Canadian company was acquired for$41 million by Maryland-based IntrexonCorporation, which calls itself a leaderin synthetic biology.

In a press release, Neal Carter,founder of Okanagan Specialty Fruits,stated, “We are committed to bringingbetter versions of consumers’ favouritefruits to their grocery stores andkitchens.”

The Arctic Apple has been modifiedto inhibit the natural browning of theflesh after being cut, but will not berequired to be labeled as GMO. “Arctic

COTA PARTNERS WITH SIAL CANADAFor the first time, COTA this year formally partnered with SIALCanada, held in Toronto April 28-30, to strengthen the organicpresence at the international food show. The show included adedicated organic booth as part of SIAL’s “expert hub” staffed bymembers of COTA’s staff and Board.

COTA also coordinated two conference sessions: “TheCanadian and U.S. organic markets: statistics and emergingtrends,” which covered the current trade relationship and the latestmarket and consumer data; and an "Organic Leaders Panel,”which explored current challenges faced by leaders in the sector.A big thanks to Monique Marez (Associate Director, InternationalTrade at OTA), Kevin Greenwood (Vice President of Marketingfor Manitoba Harvest), Steve Diakowsky (President and CEO ofTaste of Nature Foods), and Lynne Brenegan (President of UNFICanada) for being a part of COTA’s education sessions.


Apples” are the first geneticallyengineered apple approved for sale inthe United States and Canada.

A poll conducted in 2012 showed 69per cent of Canadians opposed theapproval of the Arctic Apple. Fred Steele,President of the British Columbia FruitGrowers’ Association in BritishColumbia, said, “The market shouldhave a reference point to make a choiceand to protect conventional producersfrom possible harm… The governmentneeds to ensure consumers can makegood decisions and, if there is to bechoice on purchasing geneticallymodified foods, then the choiceshould be apparent.”

COTA was active in advocatingagainst the approval of the GE apple,and continues to work on tighteninghow GMOs are approved and labeled inCanada. The Canadian BiotechnologyAction Network is encouragingCanadian retailers to pledge theircommitment not to carry this new applein their stores.

GMO CONTAMINATIONCOTA has initiated a new researchproject with the aim of understandingthe degree of GMO contamination inorganic products across Canada, as wellas strategies for better prevention andmitigation. The research consists of aliterature review and comparison ofmajor global organic standards, focusing

primarily on four crops identified ashigh-risk in Canada: corn, canola,soybeans and alfalfa.

The research provides an overview ofthe agronomic profiles of the identifiedhigh-risk crops, along with estimates ofeconomic costs associated with currentGMO avoidance mitigation strategies. Italso showcases common preventivemeasures implemented by organicoperators to contain the GMOcontamination threat. Moreover, itaddresses genetic testing protocolapproaches, and best managementpractices. The research also includes achapter on international organicstandards, which allows a comparativeanalysis of where Canada stands interms of GMO prohibitions, labeling andseed testing. Finally, COTA provides aseries of recommendations to theorganic sector pinpointing currentresearch gaps that should be addressedto ensure a better understanding ofGMO contamination in Canadianorganic products.

COTA shared its findings with theOrganic Technical Committee at theCanadian General Standards Board’s Maymeeting, with the aim to better informand contextualize the committee’s reviewof Canadian organic standards.Companies seeking more information orinterested in being involved in the nextphase of the project are encouraged tocontact the COTA office.

ORGANIC WEEK 2015September 19-27 marks the sixth annualcelebration of Organic Week in Canada,organized by COTA, Canadian OrganicGrowers and the Canadian Health FoodAssociation. Supported by dozens ofsponsors and regional partners, OrganicWeek celebrates organic products andfarming across the country in aninclusive way—from small farmers tomainstream retail. Increased awarenessand demand for organic productsamong Canadian consumers show thecampaign is hitting the right nerve.

Over a very short period, OrganicWeek has become Canada’s largestorganic marketing event. Hundreds ofOrganic Week community events takeplace across the country each year, andhundreds of organic retailers hostOrganic Week displays and promotions.These are listed on the Organic Weekwebsite.

Thanks to industry sponsor support,Organic Week is able to promote organicproducts and farming in major weekliesand magazines, supply retailers all overCanada with point-of-sale materials, runan online advertising campaign andpartner with The Globe and Mail topublish an annual Special Report onOrganic. For more information on thesignificant opportunities to align yourbrand with this campaign or to reserveyour 2015 sponsorship, contact COTA’steam. //


Whether you were in D.C. with OTA,

at your desk following the live stream, or

watching your inbox light up with Google

Alerts, OTA’s #OrganicWeekDC was an

exciting time for our members and

for our sector.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED:

A vibrant conference featuring U.S.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack,

Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), and other

thought-provoking leaders.

A jam-packed Hill Visit Day, during

which OTA members advocated for

organic at more than 100 congressional

offices, as well as key agencies

including USDA, the White House,

and several foreign embassies.

What an INCREDIBLE week!

OTA’S POLICY CONFERENCE & HILL VISIT DAYS

Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR)


A packed house at OTA’s first-ever Member Business Day, prior to the Policy Conference at the

Hall of the States. Over 100 OTA members took part in more than a dozen meetings.

An Organic PAC bowling fundraiser.

And even a 25th birthday party for

the Organic Foods Production Act!

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) Secretary Vilsack


THE ORGANIC INDUSTRY IN 2030

OTA believes the growing demand in the organic market will continue to outpace supply. This widening gap betweensupply and demand for organic products sets the stage for acritical era in the growth of organic. With OTA’s leadership,the organic supply chain can work together to deliver onthe promise of organic to agriculture, the environment and

the public.

THE ROLE OF OTA IN 2030

For organic to reach its full potential, OTA will play anindispensable role in navigating the challenges andopportunities ahead. OTA’s efforts will:• Create a unified and impactful voice for the organic

industry. • Empower the membership to remove barriers and

provide access across the value chain. • Uphold and advance robust organic standards across

the globe.• Build infrastructures which cooperatively support the

growth of organic.

I. INFLUENCE

In 2030, OTA will be recognized by policymakers, the mediaand organic industry participants as the go-to voice fororganic. Membership in the trade association will berecognized as the single-most effective way to address therange of issues facing the organic industry.

II. POLICIES AND POLITICS

In 2030, OTA’s leadership in the political and policy arenaswill result in a national agriculture policy in which organicfarming will be recognized as best practices in agricultureproduction. Organic will be known as the premier agricultureproduction model. The health and environmental benefits oforganic food, fiber, personal care and other non-food productswill be validated and clearly understood.

III. ORGANIC STANDARDS

In 2030, OTA’s unwavering commitment to its core mission topromote and protect organic trade and integrity will result inorganic firmly recognized as the gold standard for transparentfarm-to-table/shelf (or body) guarantees. IV. GLOBAL ARENA

In 2030, OTA’s collaboration in the global organic arena willfoster a robust global market for organic, spur organicproduction worldwide, and help address global environmental,economic, and food security challenges.V. RESEARCH, PROMOTION AND EDUCATION

In 2030, OTA will have facilitated an organic industry withrobust research, promotion, and education resourcescommensurate with the need to support the growing marketand expanding acres. One possible way to accomplish this isvia a self-directed and independent fully functioning OrganicResearch and Promotion Order/Board whose establishmentwill be led and facilitated by OTA. VI. ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

In 2030, OTA’s leadership in the industry as a whole will be asan umbrella and coordinating organization with affiliatedorganizations. The structure of these new entities will bedetermined by industry need, with OTA building out theorganizational umbrella and serving as the thought leader andcatalyst for development, coordination and evolution of thevarious activities. VII. MEMBERSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT

OTA will be recognized for the diversity of its membership,with members across the supply chain actively involved in theassociation structure and leadership. The divides betweenproducers and processors, small-scale and large-scale, food,fiber and non-food will be overcome through OTA providingthe opportunities for its members to come together andinfluence the organization. Through its strong leadership,OTA will provide a unifying vision to its members to advocatefor what’s best for the whole organic industry.

I n January, the Organic Trade Association’s Board of Directors adopted a long-term visionfor the trade association to lead the organic sector into the year 2030. OTA’s 15-YearVision Task Force was co-chaired by Melissa Hughes and Laura Batcha, with participantsMelody Meyer, Perry Clutts, Leslie Zuck, and Marci Zaroff.

OTA’s 15-Year vision adopted by the Board is bold, ambitious and far-reaching. It is a reflection ofthe dedication, integrity and creativity of the sector that OTA serves, and of OTA’s unwaveringcommitment to lead the organic sector to new unprecedented levels of achievement.The opportunities for the organic industry have never been greater. To lead organic stakeholders—farmers, processors, handlers, retailers—to greater financial profitability, to greater politicalinfluence, and to a greater role as the example of agricultural excellence in protecting theenvironment and producing the highest and safest quality products, OTA is looking 15 years intothe future and defining its vision for the association.

ORGA NIC IN 2030


NE WS FROM OTA’S ORGANIC EXPORT PROGRAM

Quant ify ing the internat ional organic marketplace

Exports of U.S. organic foods as well as imports oforganic products into the United States have risensignificantly in the past few years. But, by how much?

And, for which products?OTA’s international department sought to answer those

questions with a landmark study on the trade flow of organicfood products across the borders of the United States. Thiswatershed report compiles, for the first time ever, acomprehensive picture of the officially tracked organic food

products sold by U.S.exporters and bought by U.S.importers. The work revealsthat a robust global appetitefor organic food has creatednew lucrative markets fromMexico City all the way to

Hong Kong for U.S. organicproducers—but also provides strong evidence that Americanfarmers are losing out on some valuable opportunities by notgrowing more organic.

The study was conducted by Pennsylvania StateUniversity’s Dr. Edward Jaenicke, Associate Professor ofAgricultural Economics. Powered by the latest data from theU.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.STrade Representative, the OTA-commissioned study analyzesinternational trade for organic products that have beenassigned a harmonized tariff schedule code. Twenty-six codes

in all were used for the report. Currently there are 38 exportand 38 import codes with another submission for additionalcodes—mainly processed products—under review.

The data result in a ‘Help Wanted’ message for Americanfarmers. They show substantial missed opportunities for theU.S. farmer by not growing organic—whether to meet thedemand outside the country or keep up with robust domesticdemand for organic.

GLOBAL APPETITE FOR U.S. ORGANIC In 2014, American organic growers sold more than $550million worth of products tracked by the U.S. governmentthrough organic export codes to buyers around the world,with the United States rightly claiming the position of globalsupplier for fresh organic produce.

Apples, lettuce, grapes, spinach and strawberries are thetop five organic products exported by the United States.Exports of organic apples alone jumped 40 percent in 2014from the previous year, compared to a small three percentgrowth rate for non-organic apple exports. In fact, the pace ofgrowth for the exports of almost all of the 26 organicproducts tracked was markedly higher than that of their non-organic counterparts.

Exports of organic produce account for an increasinglygreater proportion of total exports. Of all the cherry tomatoesexported by the U.S., for example, 42 percent are organic; 33percent of the spinach exports are organic, along with 27percent of the onions, and 23 percent of the carrots.

The thirst for organic products—and specifically for U.S.organic products—is resonating around the world.

ORGANIC IMPORTS FILLING GAPSImports of organic products outpaced exports, amounting tonearly $1.3 billion in 2014. The import picture tells twostories: one of an increasing appetite by Americans for organicfoods not widely produced in this country (like coffee,bananas, mangoes, and olive oil), and the second of growingdomestic market for organic feed grains but insufficient home-grown organic crops to meet that demand.

On the import side, the top five organic imported productsare coffee, soybeans, olive oil, bananas and wine. WhileAmerica’s coffee lovers gulped down more than $330 millionworth of foreign-grown organic coffee, helping to boost theimport total, imports of organic soybeans and organic corn—the main ingredients in organic feed for the expanding U.S.organic dairy, poultry and livestock sectors—showed sharpgains.

The second-largest organic product imported by the U.S. issoybeans. The U.S. is the world’s largest soybean grower, andnormally exports more than one-third of its soybean crop.Domestic production of organic soybeans, however, hasstagnated at very low levels since early 2000, despite the

The OTA Pavilion bustles with

activity at BioFach 2015.

Preliminary Analysis of USDA’s

Organic Trade Data: 2011 to 2014


SUCCESSby the Numbers

OTA-sponsored trade show activities lead to record-breaking sales projections

for the first half of 2015!

Through Market Access Program funding, OTA isable to offer myriad trade show opportunities toorganic exporters. So far in 2015, OTA hasparticipated in three trade shows with 35 USDAcertified organic businesses. The results are in, and asyou can see, our grant money is being put to gooduse!

BioFach14 participants

$4 million USD projected sales

$200,000 on-site sales

Natural ProductsExpo West16 participants

$4.8 million USD projected sales

Seoul Hotel& Food

5 participants

$2.1 million USD projected sales

growing demand for the product by organic feed usersand organic processors. Organic corn is the tenth mostimported organic food product, even though the U.S.leads the world in corn output. Like soybeans, U.S.organic corn production has fallen far short of demand,with domestic output only marginally rising in the pastdecade.

Organic soybeans and organic corn command highprice premiums in the U.S. Organic feed-gradesoybeans now sell for around $25 per bushel versus theaverage price for conventional soybeans of around $9per bushel. Organic yellow feed corn sells for around$14 per bushel versus the conventional price of around$4 per bushel.

Going organic is not easy, but this report identifies that there areopportunities for U.S. farmers in both the domestic and global organicmarkets. This study provides critical new data not only for farmers, butfor the industry, lawmakers and other policymakers to design programsand supply chain partnerships to encourage more organic productionand help farmers make the transition to organic. For more informationor for a copy of the report, go to OTA.com.

Professor Ted Jaenicke, with OTA’s Monique Marez,

shares USDA certified organic export data.

Representatives of Acme BBQ, To Your

Health Sprouted Flour, UNFI, Nature's Sun

Grown, and Organic Valley pose with

Ambassador Mark Lippert in Seoul.

RETAIL PROMOTIONSEOUL, KOREA

T he South Korean consumer is ready for USDA certifiedorganic products! As the national trends move towards

health-focused and functional foods, and as our equivalencyarrangement reaches its first anniversary, the time is now topromote your products in Korea. If you would like to beinvolved in planning this marketing strategy and nominatingproducts to be featured, let us know.

SIGN-UP NOW: BIOFACH 2016

Sign-ups are now open for BioFach 2016. For a small co-pay, first-time exhibitors are offered a table top in the

OTA Pavilion, one round-trip economy airfare to Germany,and hotel costs during the show. This is the leading all-organic trade show. If you are ready for the EU market,BioFach is a great place to meet qualified buyers, brokers,and more!

Upcoming Events for OTA’s Export Program...

We Want You!OTA has a fully loaded calendar to increase USDA certified organic exports for the rest of2015. We want you to get involved! Here is a list of upcoming activities. Contact Monique Marez, OTA’s Associate Director for International Trade, to learn more.

EXPO MILANO 2015 USA PAVILION, MILAN, ITALY

OTA is participating in Expo Milano2015 in the USA Pavilion: American

Food 2.0 United to Feed the Planet. Acollaboration between the U.S. Departmentof State and the James Beard Foundation,this one-of-a-kind pavilion features avertical farm, interactive exhibitions, anddaily programming all about our foodsystem. OTA will lead a symposium, twoTED-style talks, and other activities duringthe month of October in Milan. There areopportunities to collaborate! Contact OTAfor more information.

ANUGA 2015 COLOGNE, GERMANY

OTA will host an all-organic pavilion atAnuga in Cologne, Germany. Anuga is

the largest food trade show in 2015 withthousands of visitors from all over theworld expected to attend. The pavilion isfull, but let us know if you are interested infuture EU-based trade shows

ORGANIC DAYTOKYO, JAPAN

OTA is leading a consumer educationactivity in Japan in late October. The

program will help familiarize customerswith the USDA Organic seal and all thatour organic industry represents. We needhelp developing content for all age levels,and all product categories. Let’s get creativeand collaborate on this excitingopportunity!

EXPO WEST REVERSE TRADE MISSION 2016

No doubt about it, the Natural ProductsExpo West trade show floor is chaotic.

Avoid missing out on key conversations withqualified buyers due to the hustle and bustle inthe exhibition halls, hallways, and tents. OTAsponsors ten buyers from all over the world tocome to Expo West just to meet you! For a smallparticipation fee, we organize one-on-ones withhighly motivated buyers looking to bringorganic products to their customers. Thenumbers don’t lie: 2014 participants reported$4.8 million USD in projected sales. Reserveyour spot now!


SQUEEZE PACKS

ONCE AGAIN NUT BUTTER now offerssingle-serving 1.15 oz. squeeze packsintended for snacking on the go. Thecertified organic and Non-GMO ProjectVerified varieties include Almond Butterand Lightly Toasted Almond Butter(www.oanb.com).

REVERED TEA

DAVIDSON’S ORGANIC TEAS hasintroduced three new offerings to its Tulsitea line. These include Tulsi Licorice Root,Tulsi Rose Petals, and Tulsi Red Vanillavarieties. All of the company’s product lineis certified organic(www.davidsonstea.com).

HEAT AND EAT

PLUM ORGANICS has jumped into theheat-and-eat organic soup category withsingle-serve soups in eight-ounce pouches.Varieties are chicken noodle, tomato andturkey meatball, and chicken fiesta(www.plumorganics.com).

ORGANIC SOUP LINE

CAMPBELL SOUP CO. has launched sixsoups—fiveof which aregluten-free—underits namesakebrand,Campbell’sOrganic.Each is made with USDA certified organicingredients (www.campbellsoup.com).

THINS & MINIS

MARY’S GONE CRACKERS now offersgluten-free Thins and Minis featuringcertified organic ingredients. The Thins,made with organic sprouted buckwheatflour, chia seeds, quinoa flakes, mesquiteflour and sprouted black bean flour, comein five flavors. The Minis—bite-sized treatsin the form of the sun, moon, stars, andhearts—come in three flavors(www.MarysGoneCrackers.com).

BERRY HARVEST

CROFTER’S ORGANIChas added a new flavor toits family size 16.5 oz.Premium Spread line.Berry Harvest—a blend ofstrawberry, blueberry,seedless blackberry andseedless raspberry—is certifiedorganic, Non-GMO Project Verified, andhas one-third less sugar than a traditionalpreserve. It is sweetened with fair tradecane sugar (www.croftersorganic.com).

WELLNESS IN A CUP

CHOICE ORGANIC TEAS now offers fournew tea blends to its Wellness Teas line.These new organic functional teas includeExpecting Baby, Beauty Detox, Body StressRelief, and Hibiscus Heart. The blends areclassified as Herbal Dietary Supplements(www.choiceorganicteas.com).

LOW GLYCEMIC SYRUP

WHOLESOME!™ has introduced a low-glycemic natural sweetener made fromorganic coconut palm sugar. It is a popularingredient in Asian cuisine, but also makes agreat baking ingredient or sweet topping fordishes like oatmeal, pancakes and waffles.This syrup is certified organic and Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free vegan,and kosher (www.wholesomesweet.com).

SPORTS NUTRITION

CLIF BAR & COMPANY offers a line ofsports nutrition food containing organicingredients in resealable pouches. Eachrecipe in its new CLIF Organic EnergyFood line is gluten-free, non-GMO anddoes not contain partially hydrogenatedoils, high fructose corn syrup, artificialflavors or synthetic preservatives(www.clifbar.com).

NOT JUST FOR KIDS

ORGANIC VALLEY has introduced SnackSticks made with organic cheese aimed foradults. They are available in MediumCheddar and Pepper Jack varieties(www.organicvalley.coop).

FRUIT BARS

PATAGONIA PROVISIONS has addedOrganic Fruit + Almond Bars in threeflavors to its food line. The fruit bars—which come in apricot, Inca berry, andmango—contain organic fruit, seeds, nutsand juice. They are also gluten-free, kosherand vegan (www.patagoniaprovisions.com).

ORGANIC JUICES

UNCLE MATT’S ORGANIC has launchedthree new organic juices: Orange Turmeric,Orange Coconut, and Matcha Lemonade.Both the Orange Turmeric and OrangeCoconut juices will include probiotics. Thethird juice is made with a blend of organicMatcha green tea and organic home-stylelemonade (www.unclematts.com).

FROM CHIPS TO NUTS

MADE IN NAURE has a variety of newproducts, from Organic Toasted CoconutChips and Organic Nut Fusion Blends toOrganic Dried Berries and Cherries. All aremade from organic ingredients with noartificial flavors or refined sugars(www.madeinnature.com).

ICED AND GREEN

Organic green-tea based beverage companySTEAZ haslaunched fournew flavors:LightlySweetenedGrapefruitHoney,UnsweetenedPassion Fruit,Unsweetened Dragon Fruit, and ZeroCalorie Goji Blackberry. All are organic andfair trade (www.steaz.com).

ZERO-CALORIE DRINKS

HONEST TEA has introduced three newvarieties of organic, zero-caloriebeverages—Cinnamon Sunrise Herbal Tea,Ginger Oasis Herbal Tea, and Honest Fizzorganic Golden Ginger Ale. The companyis also converting the other varieties in itsHonest Fizz zero-calorie soda line toorganic certification (www.honesttea.com).

NE W PRODUCTS

New product announcements may be submitted to Barbara Haumann ([email protected]).


BUSINESS MILESTONES

Amy’s Kitchen is opening its first Amy’seatery—a fast food shop with drive-thru win-dow—in Rohnert Park, California. It featuresan all-vegetarian menu, including meatlessburgers on gluten-free rice flour buns, dairy-free ice cream shakes, single-serve pizzas, bur-ritos and salads. Clif Bar & Company has broken ground onits first owned and operated bakery in TwinFalls, ID. The new 277,000-square-foot bak-ery—the Clif Bar Baking Company—will helpit meet growing demand for organic energyand nutrition bars. The opening date is slatedfor spring 2016, creating more than 200 jobs. Elevation Burger, the first and largest U.S.organic burger chain, opened its third store inMaine in March. Also, the chain has addedorganic chicken to its menu in its more than50 domestic and international ElevationBurger restaurants. The company is alreadythe nation’s largest restaurant seller of organicbeef. Cuisine Solutions, which has developedan innovative sous-vide method for slow-cooking chicken, is Elevation Burger’s exclu-sive provider of certified organic chicken read-ied to be finish-grilled at its restaurants world-wide.MOM’s Organic Market is planning a newCenter City grocery store at 34 S. 11th St. inPhiladelphia's new East Market development.MOM’s second in Philadelphia, it will bedesigned to help draw young and retired pro-fessionals to the four-acre block of plannednew and renovated stores, apartments, offices,bars, and restaurants. The store will have 55free shopper parking spaces in a garage, and isslated to open when renovations are done in2016 in a former warehouse most recentlyused by Family Court.Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage openedits first Fayetteville, Arkansas, store in March.The store features a mix of national brandsand locally grown, raised and manufacturedproducts from Arkansas. All fresh produce isUSDA certified organic.At its annual meeting in April, Organic Valleycelebrated its record sales of $972 million in2014, with a profit of $14.5 million. The co-opimplemented a record increase in farmer payprice, which went up in most regions by 10percent, on average. Organic Valley also added65 jobs, ending 2014 with 802 staff. OrganicValley farmers produced nearly one millionkilowatts of clean, renewable energy in 2014,nearly double 2011 figures.SK Food International’s parent Healthy FoodIngredients LLC has merged SK Food

NE WS BITES

International with Hesco/Dakota OrganicProducts. Both SK Food and Hesco are certi-fied organic by QAI, Kosher throughOrthodox Union, and Non-GMO ProjectVerified.United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) plans toopen a 450,000-square-foot distribution centerin Gilroy, CA, to expand its market reach inthe San Francisco Bay area. The new facility,slated to open in August, is being designedusing sustainable practices and is expected toachieve Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED) Gold certifica-tion.Expanding in the Chicago market with sixnew stores, Whole Foods Market is addingin-store dining options and bars to each togive adult customers more reasons to visit. Inearly May, the company announced it hadsigned leases for nine new stores planned forAtlanta (two locations), Birmingham inMichigan (relocation), Houston, JacksonvilleBeach in Florida, Park City in Utah, Rochesterin New York, and Washington, D.C. (two loca-tions). It also announced plans to debut a newchain of smaller, more value-focused storesnext year.

MAR KETING

Earthbound Farm has launched a new web-site that includes Organic Bound, a web-basedmagazine offering product coupons and arecipe collection and database searchable bytype of dish, dietary restriction, cuisine andoccasion.

Honest Tea’s Honest Tropical Green Tea hasbeen selected to be exclusively sold by TheWendy’s Company. The tea is certified organicand Fair Trade Certified.Organic Valley marketed its Organic Fuel—the first milk protein recovery shake on themarket made using organic milk—by con-ducting a cause campaign to “Save the Bros”with a video that went viral on YouTube andFacebook, and was named Adweek’s best com-mercial of the week on February 20.Pacific Foods’ new organic bone broth is nowbeing served on tap at the popular JoLa Caféin Portland, OR. The café is serving five fla-vors of Pacific’s organic chicken and turkeybroths in 10-ounce servings at its new cus-tomizable bone broth bar.Sutherland Product Sales Inc., sales agentand distributor of organic fruit and vegetables,expanded its spring and summer organic fruitlineup.Whole Foods Market has expanded the reachand hours for My Street Grocery—a mobilefood trolley providing community access tohealthy foods in the Portland, OR, metro area.Stocked with produce, pantry staples, as wellas dairy, meats and frozen fruits and vegeta-bles, the refurbished trolley car now operatespop-up community markets Tuesdays throughSaturdays. My Street Grocery represents apartnership between Whole Foods Market andlocal healthcare providers, social service agen-cies, faith-based organizations, schools andneighbors.

Whole Foods Market’s My Street Grocer


Wholesome Sweeteners has changed its name to Wholesome!™ Since2005, Wholesome!™ has paid more than $10 million in Fair Trade pre-miums to farming co-operatives and partners worldwide, helping tobring clean water, electricity, schools and health care to villages inMalawi, Mexico, Brazil, and Paraguay. It has produced a documentary-style video, now on YouTube, putting a face and story behind FairTrade organic farming.Wild Oats Foods LLC’s organic products are now sold in approximate-ly 3,800 Walmart stores.

OF NOTE

Twenty K-8 teachers nationwide will be awarded $1,000 grants thissummer for organic agriculture classroom projects from the CCOF(California Certified Organic Farmers) Foundation’s Future OrganicFarmers Grant Fund. The $20,000 in grants was funded by the UNFIFoundation, Driscoll’s, Organic Valley, National Co+op Grocers,Lauren and Eric Shiermeyer, and Clif Bar Family Foundation.MegaFood, in partnership with Uncle Matt’s Organic, has establishedan annual grant program to Florida Certified Organic Growers andConsumers Inc. as part of a commitment to organic and sustainablefarming.National Co+op Grocers has joined the IX-ONE Product Data andImage Exchange as a founding member. Organic Farming Research Foundation (ORFR) has established afive-member Advisory Team. The members are Dr. Kathleen Merrigan(Executive Director of Sustainability, George Washington University),Dr. Frederick L. Kirschenmann (Distinguished Fellow for the LeopoldCenter for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State University and Presidentof Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture), Dr. Chuck Benbrook(Research Professor, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and NaturalResources, Washington State University), Ferd Hoefner (Policy Directorfor the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition), and Dr. NancyCreamer (Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Agriculture adCommunity Based Food Systems at North Carolina State Universityand Director of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems).Organic Materials Review Institute’s Executive Director Peggy Miarshas been appointed to the Board of Directors of the InternationalOrganic Accreditation Service (IOAS). Last October, Miars was electedas the only North American representative to serve a three-year termon the World Board of the International Federation of OrganicAgriculture Movements, which created IOAS in 1997 to provideaccreditation for certification bodies that verify organic or sustainabili-ty-related standards.RIBUS Inc.’s Nu-FLOW—an organic solution to silicon dioxide—wasawarded the Engredea Editors’ Choice Award for Best OrganicIngredient at Natural Products Expo West 2015.Will Harris, a pioneer in sustainable meat production and owner/presi-dent of Georgia’s largest certified organic farm White Oak Pastures,has been named president of the American Grassfed Association repre-senting hundreds of U.S. grass-fed meat producers.Whole Foods Market has been ranked No. 55 on this year’s “100 BestCompanies to Work For” by FORTUNE magazine. It is the company’s18th year to be on the list.

PERSONNEL NEWS

Global Organics Ltd. has hired Gigi Brienza as its Director ofOperations. She formerly directed sourcing and supplier developmentat Stonyfield Farm.PCC Natural Markets has hired former Starbucks executive CateHardy as its new CEO.

RIBUS Inc. has hired Laurie Wittenbrink as Global MarketingManager and Lisa Harter for Global Business Development.Rodale Institute has hired three new employees: Dr. Vijay Bhosekar,Director of Scientific Communications; Jesse Barret, OrganicAllentown Program Manager; and Justin Barclay, Veteran FarmingProgram Coordinator.

IN MEMORIAM

RALPH BRONNER

Ralph Bronner, executive vicepresident and spokesperson for Dr.Bronner’s Magic Soaps, diedFebruary 10 at the age of 78. Thefirst son of company founderEmanuel H. Bronner, he hadcontinued his father’s legacy ofsharing a message of hope for aunified world, and led Dr.Bronner’s on the progressive pathit is most known for pioneering.

CORRECTION

The Wild Oats product line was launched in Walmart starting in April2014, not 2013 as stated in the article “Retailers Ramp Up theirOfferings” in the Winter 2015 edition of the Organic Report.

TM

TMTM

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AG PROCESSOR

FONA International Inc.

BROKER

Red Hill Foods

ASSOCIATIONS

Biopesticide Industry AllianceOrganic ExportersAssociation of New Zealand

CONSULTANTS

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DISTRIBUTOR

PureSource Natural ProductsSugarism Trade

GROWERS/FARMERS

Richard AussantBelcampo Meat Co.Botanical Plantations LLCCascade Organic Flour LLCCultivator Natural ProductsPvt. Ltd.Greg FerrisFoster FarmsGreen Tractor FarmHestia Organic FarmsHighlander Organics Inc.Ward HoculakRobert & Marion HourdHudson Bay FarmsJoachim’s Pride Inc.Garry & Gerri JohnsonColby & Bobbie KivolAllan McCuaigMeadowview Ranch Inc.Midmore FarmsMiller FarmDon McKenJeremy & Kelsey PletzQuarter Acre Farm

RedWillow OrganicsRembrandt FoodsSabine Land & LivestockSkagit River RanchStonehenge OrganicsWilwynn Farm Ltd.Lyle WrightYorkshire Valley FarmsZondo Family Farm & Ranch

HOMESTEADMEMBERS

Kyle AudetteCarmela BeckChris Schreiner

IMPORTERS/EXPORTERS

EDIFIC Inc.KVZ Trading Company LLC

INGREDIENTSUPPLIER

Natural Habitats USA Inc.

MANUFACTURERS

Archaea Organics LLCDD USA Organic LLCEnviroKure Inc.Ferrara Candy CompanyIsagro USA Inc.Margarita’s Tortilla Factory LLCMonalunaPrivateLabelSkin Inc.Three Twins Ice CreamWeleda Inc.Zimt Artisan Chocolates Ltd.

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Perspect ives on an Organic Check-Off

“A huge concern of mine is how is theorganic industry positioned to meetthe growing demand for organic? Wedo not have enough people in place tomake sure there are adequate organicproducers, to make sure there isenough organic information available.This check-off would greatly enhance

organic’s ability to meet the demand.”

—Roger Lansink farms 750 organic acres in northwest Iowa

Photo: Gene Lucht, Iowa Farmer Today

“There is adisconnectbetween thedemand fororganicproducts andthe supply oforganic

ingredients. Organic foodcompanies like my companyface shortages of organicingredients far too often. Eachyear there is another organicingredient that is under-produced and difficult tosource. In order to fix thissupply and demand issue,more farmers in America needto go organic.”

—Nicole Dawes, founder and CEO of Late July Snacks

“I’d like to seecheck-off funds gotowards helpingbring morecertified organicproducers into ourcommunity… Weneed to helpourselves do abetter job of promoting what wedo, and how farmers can benefitfrom being an organic farmer...And one of the best parts for meas an organic producer isproducing something thatconsumers really want.”

—Perry Clutts, owner of organic dairyfarm Pleasantview Farms in Ohio

“I’m really happy to see that organic isgrowing up. An organic check-off would helpthe industry be able to bring the message toconsumer of why organic’s important…Organic needs more research dollars for theorganic problems we’re all fighting with—pests and weed control in particular… weed

control is the biggest beast and what I spend the mostmoney on. I probably could expand more if I didn’t havethat piece of the expense associated with the hand laborof pulling weeds.”

—Donna Miller, owner of D&G Blueberry Farms in western Florida

“For the first time the organicindustry will reach out toconsumers with a single voice toeducate them through various PRcampaigns about what the organicseal means. I believe all farmers,large and small, will greatlybenefit from the research andpromotion made possible by the revenue theorganic check-off program will generate.”

— Luis H. Acuña, President and CEO, Viva Tierra Organic Inc., Sedro-Woolley, Washington

“I understood that the proposed check-off wascontroversial and decided to investigate. LargelyI found that concerns stem from bad experienceswith other agricultural commodity programs likebeef, pork and eggs, that benefited largeagribusiness and processors while Americanfarmers were screwed over. But I found that theproposed organic check-off program has been designed with a lotof feedback from organic farmers in a sensible and fair fashion.”

—David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s

“Over the years of interacting withconsumers, we know first-hand about howconfused consumers are about organic inthe broad sense. Is natural better, whatabout all-natural, is GMO-free as good asorganic? What makes organic ‘organic?’ To

have a program from a high level that educates on thebenefits of organic is critical… People don’t alwaysunderstand that organic is the highest standard out there.”

—Jesse Laflamme, co-owner of Pete & Gerry’s Organic Eggs, Monroe, New Hampshire

“As a smallorganic dairyfarmer, I cancertainlyunderstand theconcernsbrought by theopposition. Butultimately, I

find myself thinking of mykids and the decisions Imake for them on a dailybasis. And honestly, I’mbrought to the line from The

Lorax that I've read so manytimes, ‘Unless someone likeyou cares a whole awful lot,nothing is going to getdifferent. It's not.’”

—Abbie Corse, sixth generation farmer at

The Corse Farm Dairy, Windham County, Vermont

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