This is a critical time for the organic sector. The Organic Trade Association’s Organic Week in Washington, D.C., May 14-16, 2024 is all about moving organic forward. 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 work together to advance organic policy priorities.
Organic Week is a place of discovery, collaboration, and advocacy for farmers to retailers and everyone in between looking to help shape decisions that impact organic.
Register Here
Organic Week Day 1 | Tuesday, May 14, 2024
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM │ Welcome Breakfast
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➜ Sowing the Seeds for Sustainable Growth
Organic is now a $67 billion industry, hitting another high-level mark for the resilient sector. With this growth comes new questions about how to effectively sustain the momentum of the movement. In order to address bottlenecks in domestic production, USDA is investing in growth strategies by awarding new Organic Market Development Grants (OMDG) to build domestic supply and ensure the industry is equipped to meet consumer demand . Join USDA officials and OMDG program participants to learn more about how the grants will increase the production capacity and demand for domestically produced organic agricultural products and address the critical need for additional paths to market.
➜ Organic Market Trends & Consumer Insights
The organic market continues to grow despite challenging headwinds. Consumers 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. This interest and willingness to pay for the beneficial attributes of organic continues to foster industry growth. Join this session for a deeper dive into organic consumer data, hear challenges and opportunities across all product categories, and gain insight into the purchasing patterns and drivers of organic shoppers.
10:15 AM - 10:30 AM │ Break
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➜ Ambitious Goals: Learning from Europe’s Organic Action Plan
As a part of Europe’s ambitious green deal, they have committed to converting 25% of agricultural land to organic by 2030, up from the current 8.5%. The EU is employing a comprehensive strategy and policy, investing to grow both production and consumption to hit these targets. What success has Europe had and what challenges do they still face? What insights can the United States gain from these European experiences and strategies?
➜ Organic Market Opportunity
As the global economy fluctuates and consumers chase trends, organic systems are vulnerable to real challenges that impact every segment of the industry, but opportunity is still ripe. Hear from an organic leader with his eyes set on brighter horizons on how the industry can amplify the value of the organic premium and expand access to more households.
➜ Organic Roots Remain Relevant
While the original motivations for developing organic markets varied, many advocates saw organic as a vehicle for creating resilient regional farm and food economies. This session will explore how CSAs, farmers markets, regional food hubs, grower groups and small holder cooperatives – all remain relevant to the ongoing success of our sector and provide value for our consumers.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM │ Networking Lunch
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➜ Organic Agricultural Outlook Sessions
Delve into an array of breakout sessions designed specifically for businesses and farmers navigating the organic market's evolving landscape. Our comprehensive and diverse program will explore vital subjects at the sector level (grains/oilseeds, produce, sweeteners, diary, etc). Industry leaders, analysts, academics, and policymakers will share the latest insights and data on organic market dynamics, the organic farming economy, global organic trade issues, and emerging and current policy issues. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the field, these sessions offer valuable knowledge to enhance your understanding of the market and policy dynamics affecting organic supply and demand in your sector.
3:45 PM - 4:00 PM │ Break
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➜ Organic Trade Association Annual Membership Meeting
The Organic Trade Association Board of Directors invites all OTA Members to the Annual OTA Membership Meeting. Whether you’re a seasoned member or a first-time Organic Week attendee, this is a can’t miss session to hear the latest trade association updates directly from the leadership team. You’ll learn about new board members, key trade association priorities, member community updates, and other opportunities for membership engagement. The OTA Board of Directors is excited to celebrate these successes.
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Leadership Awards Reception
After a productive day of conference programming, you won’t have to go far for this official conference welcome reception to celebrate and honor the organic community. The Organic Trade Association will present it’s Annual Organic Leadership Awards recognizing individuals who have shown leadership and vision in furthering the goals of the organic movement. We’ll share a toast to honor everyone along the value chain who works to advance organic.
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➜ Organic on the Hill – Farm Bill Policy Priorities
OTA’s Farm Bill policy priorities are centered around ensuring organic standards keep pace with marketplace demands and provide supportive research and risk management tools to organic farmers. We’re calling for conservation and climate-smart programs to acknowledge the contributions of organic farming practices in protecting natural resources, and policies that strengthen the resiliency of the organic supply chain. This session will demonstrate OTA’s consistent presence in policy discussions on year-round and prepare Organic Week attendees for meetings on Capitol Hill during Advocacy Day.
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM │ Break
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➜Label Claims & Impact Reporting
“Organic” is a term that has been used for over thirty years to demonstrate the prioritization of sustainable business practices, accountability, trust, and transparency to consumers. But diverse label claims that are stacking up on the front panel of many products are catching shoppers’ attention. The proliferation of eco labels and other claims in B2B discussions and on consumer-facing labels, promotes a wholistic change to agricultural systems but many of these claims have no universal or regulatory definition and they have varying degrees of verification. What do these trends in impact reporting mean for the organic sector, and what are the best methods for protecting the value and integrity of the organic label and promoting the benefits of organic practices in this competitive environment?
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM │ Break
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12:00 PM - 1:00 PM │ Networking Lunch
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➜Ask Me Anything Breakouts
Take advantage of these Ask Me Anything office hours to connect with OTA and local D.C. agency staff to network and ask questions. Has Organic Week programming sparked a new idea that you’d like to brainstorm with others? Have a question about your hill visit meetings? Wondering what regulatory topics are on the NOSB agenda? Interested in utilizing OTA toolkits to help market organic products? All these questions and more are welcome during Ask Me Anything Breakouts.
1:45 PM - 2:00 PM │ Break
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➜Organic Research Past, Present, Future
These is a solid foundation of science showing that organic protects people and the planet. Continued research is needed to support projects and practices that protect farmers and farmworkers from health-harming agriculture chemicals, combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria to protect public health, increase biodiversity, protect the environment, and so much more. Join this session to take stock of organic research investments and hear about future research priorities designed to help drive organic industry growth and continuous improvement.
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM │ Break
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➜ Nutrition Density
The nutritional quality of food depends on a complex array of factors, including crop genetics, growing techniques, environment, and post-harvest handling and processing post-harvest. Panelists will discuss the increasing interest in “sustainable nutrition” and the potential of organic farming.
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Organic PAC Fundraiser
PAC supporters are invited to attend our Organic PAC fundraising on Wednesday night. Organic PAC is the only political action committee devoted to advancing organic’s voice with policymakers in our nation’s capital. Become a PAC supporter today.
Advocacy Day | Thursday, May 16, 2024
With the Farm Bill back on the Congressional agenda, this year’s Advocacy Day and hill visits are critical to the advancement of organic. Members will work in small teams to attend hundreds of pre-scheduled meetings across Capitol Hill advocating for our organic policy priorities to ensure responsive organic standards, thriving American farmers, and resilient supply chains. If you are attending Organic Week and have not yet signed up for Hill Visits, please contact Laura Holm to get involved.
7:00 AM - 9:00 AM | Breakfast & Hill Prep Office Hours
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➜ Attendees leave for Capitol Hill
Participating in Hill Visits is one of the most impactful ways a member can make a difference on behalf of the entire industry. Hill Visits is that direct link from membership to the elected officials and only happens once a year. By telling your story to Representatives and Senators, you can personally share how and why they should support organic. Knowing that making changes can improve the success and lives of their constituents is a key to winning support – and that only happens if you show up.
Customized meeting schedules are only guaranteed for those who register prior to April 5, 2024. If you register after this date, we will try our best to schedule meetings for you but cannot guarantee participation in Hill Visits.
Please stay tuned for more info on morning breakfast programming taking place before departing for the Hill.
Click here to learn more about OTA’s policy priorities.