U.S. Organic Industry Praises U.S.-Switzerland Partnership in Organic Trade
Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the United States and Switzerland formed a partnership that will recognize the two countries' organic programs as equivalent for organic products and streamline access to each other's markets.
Do organic farmers need special seeds & money to breed them?
Rearranging veggie genes is big business, and we're not even talking about biotechnology. Private companies and university researchers spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year breeding better genetic varieties of food crops. But organic farmers say those programs have a big blind spot when it comes to figuring out which new varieties are truly better.
Members Named to Seven Agricultural Trade Advisory Committees
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and United States Trade Representative Michael Froman today announced the appointment of 129 private-sector members to the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) and six Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees (ATACs).
OTA members Clif Bar, Organic Valley spearhead $10 million investment to support organic agricultural research
Clif Bar & Company and Organic Valley today named the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) as the recipient of the nation’s first endowed chair focused on plant breeding for organic crops.
OTA member Driscoll’s expands organic nursery plant program
Driscoll Strawberry Associates has made a commitment to supply all of its organic berry growers with organic nursery plants. Watsonville, Calif.-based Driscoll’s has had an organic nursery program certified by Santa Cruz-based California Certified Organic Farmers for the past seven years, according to a news release.
OTA on point with research and reaching out across the nation
As the demand for organic produce aggressively jumps boundaries, and with no signs of slowing down, the Organic Trade Association is working hard to keep spreading the message and reporting about organic conditions across the nation.
The Organic Thing: for Many, Still a Mystery 25 Years Later
The biggest roadblock to an even-more rapid growth of and acceptance for the industry in the U.S. is a lack of organic literacy.
California Agricultural Leaders Recognize State Food Producers' Commitment To Antibiotic Stewardship And Organic Production At State Capitol
Today, on the heels of the White House calling on food companies, retailers, and human and animal health stakeholders to commit to antibiotic stewardship, the Organic Trade Association and Californiaagricultural leaders met at the State Capitol to acknowledge the influence of California's food producers, including leading poultry producer Foster Farms, in mainstreaming antibiotic-free and organ
Organic agriculture more profitable to farmers
A comprehensive study finds organic agriculture is more profitable for farmers than conventional agriculture.
Bringing U.S. Organic Products to International Trade Shows
The U.S. organic industry is taking advantage of growing opportunities to market its products in Europe. Thanks to the support of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), American companies are connecting with a wide array of potential customers at major international trade shows.