Founded in 1985, OTA grows and protects organic with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace. Today, OTA is the voice of the $63+ billion organic industry, representing 9,500 businesses across 50 states. OTA provides expert industry guidance and keeps members informed on the ever-changing organic rules and regulations as well as industry trends, and other valuable tools and resources
As you can see from the information below, our sole focus throughout 2023 will be as our mission states: to promote and protect organic with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.
It is a critical year to secure the future of organic. Every five years, the U.S. Congress takes up discussion to reauthorize the Farm Bill by the close of the session. In just a few short months, when Congress reconvenes, they will once again be setting federal agriculture policy for years to come. While we are working to ensure key points are included in the 2023 Farm Bill, we will provide legislative updates through e-communications and support our members to engage directly with their representatives when needed.
Your support will help advance our 2023 priorities to strengthen and advance organic for the entire industry.
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The Farm Bill – a multi-billion-dollar legislative package of food, farm, and conservation bills – sets the U.S. federal agriculture policy and is reauthorized by Congress roughly every five years. With the Farm Bill due for reauthorization in 2023, OTA is putting in a tremendous effort to advocate for organic throughout the legislative process.
We will provide OTA members with legislative updates, lobby training, and coordinated visits to key Congressional offices on Capitol Hill during Organic Week 2023, in addition to hosting industry roundtables, Farm Bill listening sessions, and in-district Congressional events and farm visits.
The trade association’s 2023 Farm Bill Platform will ensure:
Responsive Organic Standards that keep organic relevant to consumers.
Thriving American Farmers to support our current and new farmers to grow certified organic acreage.
Resilient Supply Chains that support and grow the marketplace.
Protecting the integrity of the USDA Organic seal is critical to the success and growth of our industry and protecting your business. Thanks to OTA’s successful legislative efforts in the 2018 Farm Bill, USDA is releasing the Strengthening Organic Enforcement Rule (SOE) to address fraud in the organic system. The trade association will provide the support and resources needed to ensure the successful implementation of this significant new rule to help mitigate and prevent organic fraud.
Our Organic Fraud Prevention Solutions program provides members with the resources needed to develop and implement an organic fraud prevention plan as mandated in SOE.
Shoppers today have increasingly high expectations for brands and retailers. They expect to see the full scope of their values reflected in the products they choose – including environmental sustainability, human health, animal welfare, and social justice. The trade association developed a data-driven communications toolkit to empower our members to effectively educate on the requirements and. attributes of organic.
We will continue to update the toolkit with the latest research and new promotional materials and provide training opportunities to equip our members with everything needed to successfully utilize the toolkit to educate consumers and advocate for organic.
The trade association is the premier source of information about organic. We will continue to provide the latest data on the size of the organic marketplace, organic industry trends, and insights into the organic consumer, including our annual flagship Organic Industry Survey.
We will also provide members with a suite of exclusive technical assistance, webinars and training opportunities to address the unique challenges faced by members across the supply chain.
OTA accepts our social responsibility in helping shape a more inclusive agricultural future for the food of the organic market and our communities. We are thrilled to continue work addressing the inequalities that prevent all people and communities from benefitting from organic food and farming. This work includes efforts to support BIPOC farmers and businesses in their transition to organic through our Diversity and Entrepreneurship Fund and technical assistance, along with programs and resources to help the entire industry diversify its supply chains, content, conferences, and marketing efforts.