Diversity

For organic coffee roaster Candy Schibli, a cup of coffee isn’t just a cup of coffee. It represents a ritual savored by people around the world and a healthy spark for greater mental and physical potential. And in Schilbi’s case, a product produced sustainably and organically by mostly small farmers who are women of color.  

Helping people become healthy naturally and organically is in Dr. Dana Nettles’s DNA. Born into a family with a long legacy of healing and close ties to nature, and raised by parents who were a physician and a nurse, Dr. Nettles grew up respecting and learning the healing powers of nature and wanting to share that knowledge with others in their journeys to health. 

In May 2021, OTA established a Diversity & Entrepreneurship Program and Fund as part of its Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) commitment. The Diversity & Entrepreneurship Program and Fund provides (among other benefits) a two-year Trade Membership with voting rights to Organic Trade Association for businesses that are 51 percent owned and controlled by under-represented groups including Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/Indigenous American/Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, and women.

Each week, OTA’s Accounting Manager, Janet Martz, processes hundreds of financial and administrative transactions for the organization. However, she never had the opportunity to meaningfully engage with members or OTA’s programming until the establishment of the Diversity Council.