Main Menu New

Home > News > Press Releases > Organic agriculture: What is its role in protecting natural resources?

Organic agriculture: What is its role in protecting natural resources?

Organic Trade Association’s Organic Week D.C. looks at organic’s environmental benefits

Maggie McNeil
(
mmcneil@ota.com
(202) 403-8514
(202) 615-7997
)
Washington , DC
US
 (
April 17, 2019
) — 

The phrase “ecosystem services” is a new way to talk about a well-established idea: that organic agricultural systems protect natural resources (including air, soil and water), and help to mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas pollution.

During OrganicWeekDC, May 20-23, organic industry leaders gathered in the nation’s capital will further explore this critical facet of the world’s most highly regulated agricultural system with decision-makers in the U.S. Congress. They will also discuss novel ideas to reward farmers for effectively using beneficial practices and expanding acreage under organic production.

A team of industry thought leaders will host a discussion on Capitol Hill on May 20 to brief Congressional staff members on the science behind the soil health benefits of organic farming. They’ll look at what leading organic companies and NGOs are doing in the private sector to help mitigate climate change, and how farmers are adapting their farming systems to address a changing climate.

Later in the week, the Organic Trade Association’s “Bold Ideas & Critical Conversations” 2019 annual conference on May 22 will feature a session on Strategies to Reward Farmers for Ecosystems Services and Climate Change Mitigation. Danone’s Christopher Adamo will lead Sean Babington (Senior Professional Staff on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee), Wood Turner of Agriculture Capital Management, and others in the conversation.

Organic farming can be an important part of the solution to climate change. These discussions will offer organic stakeholders the opportunity to learn more about the proven environmental benefits of organic, and what can be done to boost the acreage and impact of U.S. organic agriculture.

For more information on the Bold Ideas & Critical Conversations conference and on OrganicWeekDC, see this page.

Leading Edge Thinking. Better Solutions.

Bold Ideas & Critical Conversations.


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 over 9,500 organic businesses across 50 states. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.