Award Honorees

In recognition of OTA's 20th anniversary, Joseph Smillie, one of the founders of the trade association, was selected to receive OTA's 2005 Organic Leadership Award for Special Pioneer. Smillie was one of the founders of the Organic Foods Production Association of North America, as OTA was originally known when it formed in 1985. Cited for his vision, energy, expertise and leadership, Smillie has served as a past president of OTA, co-chair of OTA's Quality Assurance Committee and chair of OTA's International Relations Committee. He has been a leader in organic certification and the development of global organic trade. In his travels as a consultant, certification inspector and certification agency representative, he promoted organic agriculture and helped farmers and processors throughout North America and in countries such as Mexico, China, Haiti, Turkey, Bolivia, Jamaica, Japan, Argentina, Iceland, India, and Sri Lanka.