Spotlight on Member Councils: Leading the Organic Movement from the Inside Out
At the Organic Trade Association (OTA), our strength lies in the collective expertise of our members. Through OTA’s Member Councils, industry leaders from across the supply chain unite to shape the future of organic, collaborating on shared challenges, advancing best practices, and elevating the voice of organic in policy, research, and the marketplace.
This article is part of our ongoing series spotlighting the dynamic work of OTA’s Sector Councils. In this edition, we turn to the Dairy Council, a long-standing coalition of farmers, brands, NGOs, and experts dedicated to advancing and protecting organic dairy.
From tackling complex regulatory issues to elevating the voice of organic dairy at the highest levels of government, the Dairy Council plays a vital role in ensuring the resilience and growth of this cornerstone category. Read on to learn how this community is driving progress from pasture to policy.
It’s hard to imagine the organic movement without your mind conjuring up a family delighting in the goodness of organic dairy and the pastoral panorama of a farmer caring for cows in balance with the land.
And you’re not alone, according to the 2025 OTA Organic Market Report, organic dairy achieved $6.751 billion in sales last year and witnessed nearly 6% growth—families are continuing to eat organic dairy, and more families are starting to enjoy it.
The outlook for the organic dairy market remains strong, with double-digit growth in categories such as organic yogurt and organic butter/cottage cheese/sour cream. While the market shows promise, what’s the picture further down the supply chain with organic dairy brands and the family farmers that work with animals to produce milk?
Well, that’s the space OTA’s Dairy Council puts the bulk of their attention.
This collection of farmers, NGO groups, brands, as well as numerous retailers, researchers, and trade experts maintains an open pre-competitive dialogue on the challenges faced by organic dairy and the applicable policies or programs within the community.
During OTA’s Dairy Council’s most recent call in July, we ticked through very organic-specific topics, like how three council members are challenging the treatment of organic milk through the Federal Milk Marketing Orders, which is overseen by the USDA, and also how new seats will open from the NOP National Organic Standards Board. But we also covered broader issues like impacts of tariffs being proposed, as well as how dairy and organic dairy fared in the large budget reconciliation bill passed by Congress and signed by the President. As an FYI, organic certification cost-share was included in the bill, and so too were some favorable modifications to the USDA Dairy Margin Coverage Program.
This collective council isn’t just information sharing, but it’s also a place that participants can flag issues needing administrative or legislative action – this is the place that helps OTA staff determine what and how to act on all things dairy. The last call we discussed rightsizing organic inspections on family dairy farms and the pressure that inflation is creating for businesses looking to invest in manufacturing or on-farm.
Whether you're an organic dairy farmer, brand, or dairy manufacturer, this council's quarterly call is informative and valuable. To join the next call, contact Adam Warthesen, Blake Alexandre, or Danielle Cote for an invitation. And you can be assured some of the OTA Dairy Council issues will receive attention at the OTA Organic Week on September 15 – 17, so if you haven’t registered, we suggest you get to it – this is the foremost organic week held in Washington, D.C.