The Organic Trade Association's Annual Organic Leadership Awards recognize individuals who have shown leadership and vision in furthering the goals of the organic movement.
Organic Trade Association’s Board of Directors determines the categories and criteria for each year’s awards. In 2021, we will present awards in the following three categories:
Organic Farmer of the Year Leadership Award
Nominees should be professional farmers* who have made significant contributions to support and advance organic agriculture and trade at the farm level, such as increasing the amount of land under organic management, expanding the number of farmers using organic practices, or advancing organic agriculture through farm policy advocacy, community education, or innovative land stewardship and technical practices.
*For the purposes of the OTA Leadership Award, a farmer is defined as someone who:
- Owns, leases, or is a partner in an organic farm;
- and has a full-time functional role as an organic farmer;
- and derives their primary income from an organic farm.
Organic Climate Action Leadership Award
Nominees are demonstrating exemplary leadership in advancing organic solutions to mitigate climate change through policy advocacy, farm to business innovation, or engagement of their peers, customers, and supply chains.
Organic Pioneer Leadership Award
Nominees are long-standing trade members who have dedicated their careers to the furtherance of organic agriculture and trade by providing broad vision, innovative creations and solutions, and the labor and leadership required to bring dreams into reality. Nominees should be considered movement and/or trade elders who helped lay foundations in their youth and continue to contribute by providing us with their wisdom and passion through efforts and positions such as mentorship, advocacy, trade governance and management roles.
Organic Community Service Leadership Award
Nominees have gone above and beyond their standard business practices to be a source of positivity and stability for customers and organic community members during the pandemic. Often reaching beyond concerns for their own bottom lines, nominees have demonstrated compassion and concern through creativity and flexibility as they direct resources toward responses such as producing and distributing essential supplies, retooling to secure public interfaces, enhancing employee benefits and undertaking exceptional measures to keep supply chains moving.
General Criteria
In making an award, OTA considers individuals who have:
- Demonstrated skill, innovation, personal commitment, leadership and vision beyond the professional competence and requirements of the position for which s/he was employed.
- Achieved identifiable and lasting changes to promote and protect organic agriculture and trade.
- Inspired and persuaded others to act to advance the cause of organic agriculture and trade.
Nominations will only be accepted in writing and must use the questions on the nomination form to list the major contributions and activities of the nominee relating to the year’s award category and selection criteria. Nominations may not be made anonymously. Letters of endorsement to the nomination are encouraged.