Location
United States
District of Columbia
Washington
March 19, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 19, 2025) -- The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is pleased to announce it has received a total of $1,042,035 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market Access Program (MAP) to promote U.S. organic products around the world in 2025.
This funding includes $971,393 in new allocations and $70,642 in carryover funds. The award comes alongside the additional $2.5 million received at the end of 2024 from the second tranche of the Regional Agricultural Promotional Program (RAPP). This $5 million in RAPP funding paired with the new MAP funding offers critical support to bring U.S. organic companies to trade activities globally and continue to open foreign markets.
“Consumers around the world are choosing organic,” says Sarah Gorman, Manager of International Trade for OTA. “Our activities showcase and educate key markets on the quality, integrity, and variety of USDA certified organic products available for export. This year’s activities are taking place in a wide range of markets – from our more established trading partners to new untapped markets.”
“Since 1999, OTA has been participating in USDA’s Market Access Program and bringing the U.S. organic industry to markets throughout the globe. We’ve created new opportunities for organic businesses through international promotions, organic exporter education and business to business connections. These opportunities don’t just help organic farmers – they also create jobs and economic opportunities across all sectors,” says OTA co-CEO Tom Chapman.
Global demand for U.S. organic continues to strengthen as American exporters introduce new products annually to consumers overseas. USDA statistics show an 18 percent increase in exports over the last year. Canada and Mexico remain the primary export destination for U.S. organic products by a wide margin, though Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates are also strong export markets. Within the last couple of years, Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, and India have also edged into the top 10 export destinations.
The USDA has estimated that for each $1 invested in export market development, U.S. agricultural exports have increased by more than $24. The department is providing a total of $172.3 million through MAP for fiscal year 2025 to 70 Market Development Program Cooperators.
A host of OTA international activities in 2025
OTA is showcasing American-produced organic products to a wide and diverse global audience this year, from the world’s biggest organic trade fair in Germany to trade shows and missions stretching across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
The year’s activities have already kicked off in a big and successful way. OTA hosted its largest pavilion ever with 18 U.S. organic companies at Biofach in Nuremberg, Germany, in early February. Biofach is the world’s largest trade fair devoted to organic, attracting thousands of international visitors. Following Germany, OTA sponsored five organic brands to the sprawling Gulfood show in Dubai, the largest food and beverage trade show in the MidEast. Next it was the big 50th FoodEx in Tokyo, where OTA showcased six organic companies. Other 2025 trade promotion activities on the calendar are Food & Hotel Asia in Singapore, Thaifex in Bangkok, Anuga in Germany, and FiE in Paris.
With this robust 2025 funding, OTA plans to continue its consumer promotion activities in Japan, Canada, and Hong Kong, along with launching new promotions in Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
The Regional Agricultural Promotional Program (RAPP) was launched in 2023 by USDA to diversify and expand market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products into new markets in parts of the world where the middle class is growing and the desire for high-quality food and farm products is increasing. Activities have focused on boosting U.S. organic exports to Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean. The newest allocation includes the EU, where OTA is planning a new consumer promotion campaign, as well as support for its traditional trade promotion programming.
RAPP funding allowed for OTA’s first engagement in Africa in 2024, where OTA sponsored four U.S. organic companies in a USDA Agriculture Trade Mission to Casablanca, Morocco to initially explore and open the markets of Morocco and West Africa for U.S. organic exports. This mission created key partnerships with local buyers, the American Chamber of Commerce in Morocco, and other cooperators attending the mission. Participating companies learned more about this still niche market and consumer preferences, and took an important first step into exploring the region and creating future opportunities.
OTA’s member companies provide the bulk of all U.S. organic exports. The market promotion activities administered by the association are open to the entire organic industry, however, not just members. For more information or to sign up for activities, visit OTA’s website.
###
About the Organic Trade Association
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing organic businesses and producers across the nation. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, brands, retailers and others. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.