The Organic Trade Association is excited to announce its first set of Virtual Trade Missions! 

Our first virtual trade event will be held on September 1st, from 7:00pm - 11:00pm ET, and will feature organic produce buyers from across Asia, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong.

OTA will arrange 1 on 1 virtual meetings for you with buyers from these countries that are interested in your products. OTA does not guarantee the number of meetings you will have during this activity.To participate in these meetings, you will need to fill out your supplier information in the online registration form, download or access Adobe Connect, and agree to be present online for the duration of your meetings (though they may not take up the entire 4-hour block). Registration is $75.00 per company for OTA to register you with the online platform and schedule meetings for you with interested companies. You will receive buyer profiles of the participating companies including contact information prior to your meetings. You must agree to fill out an evaluation form following the activity, which will be emailed to you right after the event.

REGISTER HERE - Registration will close after August 14th. 

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 onsite evaluation and a 6 month follow-up evaluation.

For any questions, please contact Alexis Carey, Organic Trade Association's International Trade Manager. 

The Organic Trade Association is excited to announce its first set of Virtual Trade Missions. Our second virtual trade event will be held over two days, and will feature organic buyers from across Asia, Europe, and the U.A.E. These virtual meetings will take place over the course of two days as follows:

Tuesday, September 22 | 10:00am-2:00pm ET (with European and U.A.E. buyers)

Wednesday, September 23 | 7:00pm - 11:00pm ET (with Asia buyers)

OTA will arrange 1 on 1 virtual meetings for you with buyers from these countries that are interested in your products. OTA does not guarantee the number of meetings you will have during this activity. To participate in these meetings, you will need to fill out the supplier information requested in this registration form, download or access Adobe Connect, and agree to be present online for the duration of your meetings (though they may not take up the entire 4-hour block). Registration is $75.00 per company for OTA to register you with the online platform and schedule meetings for you with interested companies. You will receive buyer profiles of the participating companies including contact information prior to your meetings. You must agree to fill out an evaluation form following the activity, which will be emailed to you right after the event. 

REGISTER HERE - Registration will close after August 14th. 

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. 

For any questions please contact Alexis Carey, Organic Trade Association's International Trade Manager. 

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 

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.