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Organic Industry Event

Provender Alliance Conference

Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - 9:45am to Friday, October 7, 2016 - 5:45pm

Registration is now open for the 40th annual Provender Alliance Educational Conference to be held October 5-7 in Hood River, OR. The Organic Trade Association and The Organic Center will be present at this event. 

Gwendolyn Wyard, OTA's Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, and Nate Lewis, OTA's Farm Policy Director, will be giving a presentation titled "Shedding Light on the Controversial Shopping Basket." This session will provide up-to-date and accurate information on controversial organic issues including where each issue is at in the regulatory process and how shoppers can weigh in and make their voices heard. Topics will include hydroponics, animal welfare, aquaculture, natural flavors and GMO labeling. 

Dr. Jessica Shade, Director of Science Programs for the The Organic Center, will give a presentation titled "The Science Behind Organic: Recent Studies in Organic Research." This workshop will help to bridge the gap between science and the public by covering studies published in the last two years about the human health and environmental benefits of organic agriculture. 

For more details about the conference and to register, visit the Provender Alliance website.

Food Tank Webinar featuring OTA's CEO Laura Batcha

Wednesday, June 29, 2016 - 12:00pm

Food Tank will host a webinar at 12:00pm EST on Wednesday, June 29, featuring the Organic Trade Association’s Executive Director/CEO Laura Batcha, who will speak on organic agriculture’s ability to reduce rural poverty. Her presentation will focus on recent research findings showing that organic agriculture—and the business activities accompanying it—can benefit local economies and help secure the financial future for many organic hotspots in the United States. The report identified 225 counties as organic hotspots that have high levels of organic agricultural activity. Findings showed that this activity reduced county poverty levels by an average of 1.3 percentage points, and raised median household income levels by over $2,000. Batcha will discuss these results and what they mean for agricultural and economic policymakers moving forward. Sign up for the webinar on Food Tank’s website

Sign up for Webinar

OTA in Switzerland & Sial Paris

Wednesday, October 12, 2016 - 3:15pm to Friday, October 21, 2016 - 5:15pm

The Organic Trade Association will host a seminar on organic equivalency in Switzerland. The Organic Center's Director of Science Programs Dr. Jessica Shade will present on the latest organic science. Following the seminar, OTA will host an all-organic pavilion featuring six OTA member companies at Sial Paris. To learn more contact OTA's Director of International Trade Monique Marez

Food 2.0: Investing in the next wave of natural & organic

Tuesday, June 7, 2016 - 9:15am to Thursday, June 9, 2016 - 5:15pm

Food 2.0: Investing in the Next Wave of Natural & Organic will take place June 7-9, 2016 at the Millenium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. Food manufacturers, companies & entrepreneurs, food service providers, distributors, food hubs, the investment community, consultants, lawyers and others will meet to assess the natural & organic food landscape and prospects.

OTA's Senior Director of Regulatory and Technical Affairs Gwendolyn Wyard will give a presentation on navigating the certification process, and will also sit on a panel discussing GMOs. To connect with OTA at the event, contact Gwendolyn

NRCS Organic Stakeholder Meeting

Friday, May 27, 2016 - 10:00am

The first National Resources Conservation Service organic stakeholder meeting will take place at the United States Department of Agriculture on Friday, May 27th at 10:00 am. 

Location: USDA // 1400 Independence Ave., SW // Washington, D.C.

 

ShiftCon

Thursday, December 1, 2016 - 9:45am to Saturday, December 3, 2016 - 5:00pm

The ShiftCon Conference will take place in New Orleans December 1-3, 2016. ShiftCon is the only social media conference focusing on food, wellness, health, and the environment. This conference blends workshops, networking, parties, and intense collaboration of changemakers all over in one place, with 500+ leading social media influencers attending.

OTA and The Organic Center will sponsor an Organic Track including two sessions focused on the health and environmental benefits of organic. The sessions will be moderated by OTA's CEO Laura Batcha and presenters will include Organic Center scientists Dr. Jessica Shade and Dr. Tracy Misiewicz, as well as Dr. Asa Bradman, a University of California Berkeley scientist and Organic Center board member. 


Friday, December 2

4:00 - 5:00 pm | Hot Science: How Organic Agriculture is Improving Our Environment

Organic isn’t just good for you, it’s good for the environment. This compelling and informative presentation addresses organic’s role in some of the most critical aspects of environmental science – soil health, water quality, biodiversity conservation, and climate change. Come learn how your food choices – and specifically choosing organic — can improve the world we live in.


Saturday, December 3

9:45 - 10:45 am | Hot Science: How Organic Supports A Healthy You
 
Groundbreaking studies prove that choosing organic food for yourself and your family is good for everyone’s health on a number of levels. This panel presentation features top scientists in the field to highlight the most recent research supporting the health benefits of eating organic, including improved nutritional content, pesticide avoidance, and protection against antibiotic resistant bacteria. From our babies to our senior citizens, organic supports a healthy you, and this panel will prove it!


To connect with OTA at ShiftCon, contact our Director of Media Relations Maggie McNeil. To connect with the Organic Center at ShiftCon, contact the Center's Director of Science Programs Jessica Shade

National Press Foundation Boot Camp

Monday, July 25, 2016 - 9:15am

OTA will sponsor an organic boot camp for journalists during the National Press Foundation's 4-day training on The Future of Food and Agriculture. On July 25, 2016, OTA will lead a tour of an organic farm, followed by a presentation on organic. Over four days, journalists will dive into a range of topics, taking them from the fields to the dinner table to a peek into the future of agriculture. 

The all-expenses-paid fellowship covers airfare, ground transportation, hotel costs and most meals. NPF offers this professional development opportunity for journalists to enhance skills, increase knowledge and recharge their reporting on one of today’s most critical issues. 

LEARN MORE

USDA Informational Session - Organic Certification Cost Share

Thursday, April 28, 2016 - 10:00am to 12:00pm

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hosting an information session and stakeholder workshop on the Organic Certification Cost Share Programs on April 28, 2016. The objective of the session is to share information on the current state of the program and discuss a proposal for improving the program, including the potential for Farm Service Agency involvement in program implementation. Currently, two organic certification cost share programs are available to assist certified organic operations in defraying the costs associated with organic certification. Organic operations may receive up to 75 percent of their certification costs, not to exceed $750. For more information on the programs, please visit the Agricultural Marketing Service's website.  OTA's Vice President of Government Affairs, Marni Karlin, will be attending the event. For more information, please contact Marni

Pre-registration is not required, but it will help USDA to estimate the number of attendees. The session is free and open to the public.

Register 

National Organic Standards Board Fall Meeting

Wednesday, November 16, 2016 - 8:00am to Friday, November 18, 2016 - 7:00pm
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) typically meets twice per year in various locations around the United States. During meetings, the NOSB listens to public comments, discusses agenda items, and then votes in a public forum. OTA will be attending to provide comments and represent the interests of our diverse membership. We have created a resource booklet to prepare OTA members for the meeting and share OTA's positions on agenda items. To download OTA's Resource Booklet, visit the NOSB meetings page

Meeting Information:

Chase Park Plaza Hotel
212 N. Kingshighway Blvd. 
St. Louis, MO 63108 
(314) 633-3000

Learn more

 

Portland's Bounty: B Corp + OTA Networking Event

Thursday, April 7, 2016 - 8:00pm

OTA member Grady Britton will host "Portland's Bounty: B Corp + OTA Networking Event" in Portland, OR on April 7 from 5-7 PM. Portland (and Oregon) is home to some of the finest natural & organic food and drink in the land. Come network with local B Corps, Organic Trade Association (OTA) members, and other local companies who are interested in Oregon's thriving food and beverage industry. There will be food, drinks, music and a raffle of B Corp prizes too!

REGISTER

Event hosted in partnership with: A to Z Wineworks, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Buoy Beer Co., B-Line Urban Delivery, Sustainable Harvest, and Grady Britton. OTA and B Lab representatives will also be in attendance. Contact Derek Mulhern to learn more.

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