Organic Trade Association CEO delves into anti-fraud rules at USDA Ag Outlook
How do the government’s new regulations to stop fraud in the organic supply chain measure up? What will be the impact for organic producers, organic brands, and organic consumers? Organic Trade Association (OTA) CEO Tom Chapman will answer these questions and more next week at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2023 Agricultural Outlook Forum.
One of the presenting panel members for this year’s Organic Outlook Session on Friday, Feb. 24, Chapman will delve into the sweeping new Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) regulations recently announced by the USDA, and other measures the trade association has put in place to safeguard the continued integrity of the USDA Organic seal, including advocating for organic priorities in the upcoming Farm Bill.
Led by Jennifer Tucker, Deputy Administrator of the USDA’s National Organic Program, Chapman and the other panel members, USDA Research Economist Sharon Raszap Skorbiansky and organic expert Houston Wilson, Director of UC Organic Agriculture Institute, will also reveal the latest statistics and in-depth intelligence on the important organic sector.
Today’s U.S. organic sector is a $63 billion per year market, with certified USDA Organic products found in every aisle of the grocery store and in the kitchens of the majority of American households. Organic is one of the country’s fastest-growing food production and processing categories.
USDA’s 99th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum will be held in-person at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott on February 23-24, 2023, and all sessions will be livestreamed on a virtual platform. USDA’s premier public event attended by thousands, the forum will feature more than 30 sessions and 100 agriculture leaders and experts discussing the key issues impacting the agricultural sector.
The Organic Outlook Session will be on Friday, Feb. 24 at 3:30-5 pm Eastern time. OTA CEO Tom Chapman will be available for media interviews during the forum. For interview requests or media questions, contact Maggie McNeil at mmcneil@ota.com.
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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 more than 10,000 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