The Packer’s Global Organic Produce Expo (GOPEX) has been reinvented for 2021, offering organic fresh produce buyers and suppliers two chances to engage in this increasingly important segment of the industry. 

GOPEX 2021 is taking place January 25-29, 2021 completely digitally. GOPEX Home will feature exciting and interactive entertainment, thought leadership from key industry professionals and a unique program that attendees and sponsors will be talking about all year. In addition to networking sessions that include a virtual escape room and a BYOP (Bring Your Own Pet) happy hour, the January 25-29 online event will offer the quality educational programming and BizMatch meetings for which GOPEX is well known. 

Organic Trade Association will be presenting the following panel sessions during GOPEX Home in January: 

• Finding Trends in Organic Numbers
  Panel Session: Tuesday, January 26, 2:00 - 2:45 EDT Networking / Discussion: 3:00-4:00 EDT
  Featuring: Angela Jagiello
   
• The First 100 Days: An Industry Petition to the New Administration
  Panel Session: Thursday, January 28, 4:15-5:00pm EDT Networking / Discussion: 5:00-5:30 EST
  Featuring: Megan Debates

A second, in-person event, GOPEX Go, will take place in August 2021, with dates and location to be announced soon. The event will feature a more intimate outdoor expo/golf tournament format for 100 of the most influential retail and wholesale buyers in organic fresh produce. The in-person event will include BizMatch meetings, exhibits and social activities that will deliver exclusive sponsorship opportunities and deeper connections among all participants. 

If you are interested in connecting with Organic Trade Association at GOPEX, contact Angela Jagiello. 

2021 has brought a series of significant trade policy changes for businesses importing and exporting organic products. Join the Organic Trade Association’s international trade team for a member briefing on February 11 at 4 p.m. Eastern / 1 p.m. Pacific to discuss policy changes in the UK, EU, Mexico, India, and Canada that will impact your organic business.

We’ll discuss the status of trade, the implications for organic, and what to expect next. We will also share more about our global promotion plans for 2021, and how you can get involved in our grant-funded marketing activities. The briefing will be interactive, with ample time for discussion and questions throughout. 

This event is only open to Organic Trade Association Members. Contact Alexis Carey, International Trade Manager, to register! 

USDA's 97th Agriculture Outlook Forum will be taking place virtually February 18-19, 2021. This virtual Forum is free to attend, and the theme for this year is Building on Innovation: A Pathway to Resilience.

Organic Trade Association's CEO/Executive Director, Laura Batcha, will be a featured speaker at the forum, discussing the Effects of COVID-19 on Organic Producers. The session will take place on February 19th, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. EST followed by a 30-minute live Q&A.

Organic Outlook | February 19, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST

Moderator: Mark Lipson
Speakers: Andrea Carlson - Two decades of U.S. organic market trends: new evidence from NASS data
                  Mathieu Ngouagio - NIFA organic research trends and new initiatives
                  Laura Batcha - The pandemic and shifting organic consumption and supply chain patterns

Learn more and register here!

The 2021 MOSES Conference will be a 5-in-1 virtual event taking place February 22-27, 2021, in partnership with GrassWorks, Iowa Organic Association, OGRAIN, the University of Wisconsin, and Fairshare CSA Coalition.

The theme for the 2020 MOSES Conference is Growing Stronger: Collaborative Conference on Organic & Sustainable Farming. Learn the latest on organic and sustainable production during the 5-in-1 virtual event that combines the MOSES Organic Farming Conference, GrassWorks Grazing Conference, OGRAIN Organic Grain Conference, Midwest Organic Pork Conference, and Organic Vegetable Production Conference. With more than 60 workshops and opportunities to connect through roundtables on food system and farming issues, and more than 70 exhibitors, this event has the content you need to make critical decisions for your farm. Learn more! 

The Organic Center's Dr. Jessica Shade will be speaking in a session called Building Soil Health in Organic Systems - stay tuned for more info coming soon! 

FOODEX Japan is taking place March 9-12, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Over 80,000 qualified Japanese traders,wholesalers, retailers and food service buyers will attend.

Organic Trade Association will host a pavilion of 5-6 U.S. organic companies at the show. If you are interested in participating, contact Alexis Carey, International Trade Manager. 

The Organic Trade Association and Food Export are planning a virtual buyers mission in place of the event we typically host at Expo West, to take place April 13-15, 2021. Meetings will take place 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST, but please note that some meetings could take place outside of these regular business hours to accommodate buyer time zones. While we would love to host the event in person at Expo West, we aren’t confident international travel will have resumed in time to host the wide range of buyers we typically bring to the show. 

Buyers from around the world will participate, and companies have been invited from South America, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Kuwait, the U.A.E, the U.K. , and more! Buyer profiles will be available soon.

The cost to participate is $75 per company for OTA to register you with the online platform and schedule meetings for you with interested buyers. You will receive profiles of the participating buyers including contact information prior to your meetings. Please note we will be scheduling meetings based on buyer preferences and time zones, and meetings could occur outside of regular business hours. 

Contact Alexis Carey, OTA's International Trade Manager, if you have questions. Click here to register! 

For all USDA MAP programs, all of the products you promote must be USDA certified organic, produced in the USA, and made of 51% or more of U.S. based ingredients either by value (cost of the ingredients) or volume (against overall weight of the product).  This is the federal USDA regulation for participation and part of declaration you agree to when signing up for Organic Trade Association activities.  All supplier participants must complete Organic Trade Association’s online evaluation following the activity and a 6 month follow-up evaluation. All participants must also agree to be available online for the entire meeting window. 

Organic Trade Association will be hosting a Trade Mission to Australia and New Zealand, taking place May 4-6, 2021, for a limited group of U.S. organic companies interested in expanding in those markets. If you are interested in participating, contact Alexis Carey, International Trade Manager. 

The Organic Center will hold the largest ever virtual organic celebration on May 26, 2021 to showcase the latest science on the environmental and health benefits of organic farming, food and products.

Organic industry leaders and consumers will come together for the virtual event to celebrate the (in)credible science behind organic. The celebration will feature inspiring keynote speeches, informative research updates and organic recipe tutorials with influencer watch parties, raffle prizes, and ways to support sponsor companies and engage in the work of The Organic Center.

“The Organic Center is committed to the pursuit and achievement of sound science for the public good. Its research empowers consumers and helps strengthen and expand sustainable farming to make organic even better by tackling critical issues like soil health, biodiversity and how organic can positively impact the environment and human health,” said Bob Kaake, Organic & Natural Technical Director at General Mills and member of The Organic Center’s Board of Trustees.

Kaake added: “By leading with science, The Organic Center is at the forefront showing how organic agriculture can be part of the solution to climate change. Please support The Organic Center so it can continue to provide ‘(In)credible Science, Credibly Sourced.’”

The virtual benefit will include live and pre-recorded program elements that feature the latest science on the environmental and health benefits of organic farming, food and products. With no cost to attend the event, the consumer audience is expected to be large and diverse.

Dr. Tyrone Hayes, groundbreaking biologist and activist, will be one of a handful of inspirational keynote speakers. Fan-favorite celebrity Chef Megan Mitchell will create video tutorials with custom recipes created from sponsor products. The virtual menu will be shared in advance so attendees can follow along from home.

The event will be held during Natural Products Expo West, and will be hosted on New Hope Network’s Natural Products Expo Virtual platform, which will also be the digital site for the organic and natural products community to access other virtual components of Natural Products Expo West. The Organic Center’s annual celebration has for 15 years been one of the most highly anticipated events at Expo, and is the single biggest fundraising event for The Organic Center.

“We are very excited about our new venue for our benefit in 2021, and the potential to tell organic’s amazing story to a bigger audience than ever before,” said Dr. Jessica Shade, Director of Science Programs for The Organic Center. “The COVID-19 pandemic has caused us to do things in new ways, and it’s made organic, and the research on organic, even more important.”

“At Organic Valley, we know the world needs more organic food. Research from The Organic Center shows the benefits of organic food and farming, and is essential to debunking myths and maintaining trust in the Organic seal. As a TOC board member, I believe funding this research is critical. The Organic Center continues to conduct and support innovative research on organic animal care, climate-smart farming practices, and more,” stressed Logan Peterman, Agricultural Data Scientist for Organic Valley and trustee for The Organic Center.

Current sponsors for the 2021 event are Albert Lea Seed House, Aurora Organic Dairy, Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms, Danone, Firmenich, Lundberg Family Farms, New Hope Network, Organic Valley, Presence Marketing, Rogue Creamery and Whole Foods Market.

There are six levels of sponsorship available. Contributions support The Organic Center’s work and allow it to continue to be THE trusted resource for scientific reporting on agriculture and food. For details on how to be one of the benefits sponsors, contact Douglas Korb.

The Organic Produce Summit will take place July 14-15, 2021 in Monterey, CA. 

Organic Trade Association will be hosting a Produce Buyers Mission in coordination with the show, including international buyers from 6-8 different markets. Meetings will take place July 14-15, 2021. If you are interested in participating, contact Alexis Carey, International Trade Manager. 

Natural Products Expo East will be taking place September 22-25, 2021 in Philadelphia, PA. More information regarding how the show will continue to transform will be provided in the upcoming months, stay tuned!

Organic Trade Association will be hosting 6-8 international buyers at the show to meet with U.S. organic suppliers interested in exporting. Meetings will take place September 20-25, 2021. If you are interested in participating in the Buyers Mission meetings, contact Alexis Carey, International Trade Manager.