The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) Fall Meeting will be taking place ONLINE October 27-29, 2020! This meeting was originally scheduled to take place in-person, but was transitioned to a virtual event due to Covid-19.

The NOSB will meet to discuss substances petitioned for addition to or deletion from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List), substances due to sunset from the National List in 2022, and recommendations on organic policies.

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) typically meets twice per year in various locations around the United States. During meetings, the NOSB listens to public comments, discusses agenda items, and then votes on recommendations to the Secretary in a public forum. Detailed meeting information, including agendas, locations, proposals, and public comments, will be posted below as it becomes available. For information on previous meetings, visit the NOSB meetings page.

Organic Trade Association's VP of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, Gwendolyn Wyard, will be attending the meeting and submitting written and oral recommendations to the NOSB on behalf of Organic Trade Assocation Members. For more information or to connect at the meeting, contact Gwendolyn Wyard.

Meeting Information:

October 27-29, 2020

ONLINE VIRTUAL EVENT 

2020 has been an eventful year for the organic industry. This is true from an agricultural and market perspective, but also in the realms of regulatory and legislative affairs – where progress is not always a linear process. Join Organic Trade Association’s Government Affairs team for a live webinar that clarifies the processes and entities that govern organic, and to receive an update on actions taken in 2020, as well potential developments and trade association priorities for 2021. 

• Esteemed Panelists:
• Megan DeBates, Director of Legislative Affairs and Coalitions | Organic Trade Association
• Johanna Mirenda, Farm Policy Director | Organic Trade Association

Complimentary to OTA members 
Not-yet member registrations: $149

This webinar will be recorded. Register to be updated when the recording is available. 

Registration closes at 12 pm Eastern. If you register after 12 pm, we will provide you access to view the recording within 24 hours of its completion. 

REGISTER

Come learn about the hottest science in the field of organic food and farming from 2020. This webinar brings together leading scientists to talk about where we’ve been and how far we’ve come  in this challenging year. Hear about what studies have changed the industry, how COVID has changed the research landscape, and what we foresee for the scientific outlook for 2021. 

• Esteemed Panelists: 
• Asa Bradman, PhD, Professor, Associate Director and Co-founder | University of California, Merced & CERCH
• John P. Reganold, PhD, Regents Professor of Soil Science and Agroecology | Washington State University
• Jessica Shade, PhD, Director of Science Programs | The Organic Center (Discussion Leader)
• Houston Wilson, PhD, Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist & Director| University of California, Riverside & Organic Agriculture Institute
• Jayson Porter, PhD Candidate in Mexican Environmental History, Department of History, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences | Northwestern University

Open to all

This webinar will be recorded. Register to be updated when the recording is available. Registration closes at 1 pm Eastern. If you register after 1 pm, we will provide you access to view the recording within 48 hours of its completion. 

REGISTER

Join us for our signature policymaking event, Organic Week in Washington, D.C. at the Intercontinental at the Wharf on D.C.'s waterfront for three days of advocacy and countless connections.

April 26-28, 2021 | INTERCONTINENTAL - AT THE WHARF ON D.C.’s WATERFRONT

THREE DAYS. ONE LOCATION. COUNTLESS CONNECTIONS.

We have to plan for a successful organic future and we need you involved! This is a critical time for the organic sector. The Organic Trade Association’s Organic Week in Washington, D.C. is all about the future of organic. Join us for 72-hours in the nation’s capital to work on solutions for the complex issues surrounding organic food and farming. We will focus on continuous improvement in organic, celebrate organic leaders, and lay the groundwork to advance organic policy priorities. 

The Organic Trade Association’s unprecedented partnership with Food Tank promises to bring to the forefront the complex issues surrounding organic food and farming. You’ll learn what’s really at stake and how to help shape decisions made in Washington that directly impact organic. Organic Week is a place of discovery, collaboration and advocacy for farmers to retailers and everyone in between looking for clarity on what’s happening now and how to prepare for the future.

THREE DAYS

Day 1 will have you rolling up your sleeves and finding solutions (Monday April 26, 2021)
MEMBER DAY starts with a workshop on repairing the public-private partnership and advancing continuous improvement in organic. It’s been 30 years since Congress passed the law that established the national organic program. What should the future of organic look like for the next 30 years? A day of roundtable discussions and thought provoking breakouts will be finished off by a networking reception and celebratory dinner honoring our inspirational Leadership Award winners.

Day 2 will leave you inspired (Tuesday April 27, 2021)
CONFERENCE DAY, in partnership with Food Tank, will deliver a powerful collaboration that promises to bring to the forefront the complex issues surrounding organic food and farming. It will facilitate open and thoughtful discussions by organic industry leaders, policy experts, organic farmers, retailers and everyone in between looking for clarity on what’s happening now, how to prepare for the future and how to continue advancing organic. This is the first Food Tank summit focused exclusively on organic agriculture.

Day 3 will have you on your feet (Wednesday April 28, 2021)
ADVOCACY DAY is a meaningful way to lend your voice and help educate the nation’s top policymakers on the importance of organic. Members will work in small teams to attend hundreds of pre-scheduled meetings across Capitol Hill. We’ll toast a full day of advocating for organic with cocktails and appetizers, side by side with policy makers, during our Congressional Reception.

Monday’s Member Day workshops and Wednesday’s Advocacy Day meetings are offered exclusively to Organic Trade Association Members. To learn more about the many benefits of membership contact the Organic Trade Association.

ONE LOCATION

The InterContinental at the Wharf in Washington, D.C. is the Organic Week headquarters hotel where all activities will be based. Book our Residency Package to enhance your opportunities to meet with colleagues, share experiences and enjoy the convenience of one central location (that’s right, no Uber’s needed).

Ranked #1 on Conde Nast Traveler's best D.C. hotels, the InterContinental is located on the Potomac River with incredible views in D.C.’s recently revitalized Southwest waterfront promenade. Organic Week attendees will settle in to this beautiful location to learn together and work together.  You will be steps away from award winning restaurants and bars, recreational activities, a newly opened concert hall and D.C.’s original fish market. When you book the Organic Week Residency Package, you get luxurious accommodations and tremendous convenience. All workshops, meetings, and conference sessions will be held on-site, making it easy to return to your room for breaks (or work).

The Organic Week Residency Package gives you the VIP experience and full access to: Member Day Workshops + Leadership Awards Dinner + Annual Membership Meeting + Conference Day + Advocacy Day + Congressional Reception + 4 nights’ at the InterContinental + all organic food and beverage.

COUNTLESS CONNECTIONS

Organic Week in Washington D.C. is a one of a kind opportunity to gain strategic insights, new advocacy tools and valuable personal connections. There will be countless opportunities for connecting with attendees and sponsors whether at the rooftop pool, the hotel bar, or during our exclusive networking breakfasts. Join us for the event that unites the entire organic sector to take action on issues at the forefront of organic food, agriculture and trade priorities.

Interested in sponsorship? Contact Cassandra Christine, Organic Trade Association's Director of Industry Relations, to learn more about Organic Week 2020 sponsorship opportunities.