Organic Private Label Beyond the Recession

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM   ::   Room 254A

One of the big winners early in the Great Recession was organic private label. As health-conscious consumers work harder to stretch their dollars, organic private label products have been very successful. Now, as the economy begins to recover, the organic private label market appears to be softening in some retail and product segments. Retailers and manufacturers can get the in-depth quantitative data presented in this session, from OTA and SPINS, and hear the perspective of companies who do business in both branded and private label as you consider whether to get into the game of commit more resources to your PL line.

Speakers:   

• Mike Movitz, VP of Business Development, SPINS
• Patrick Rea, Publisher & Editorial Director, Nutrition Business Journal

Moderator:

• Tony Bedard, Chief Executive Officer, Frontier Natural Products Cooperative

Organic Personal Care Products: A Lay of the Land

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM   ::   Room 254B

What's organic about organic personal care products? Stay on top of the ever-evolving landscape of these products that aren't currently covered by the NOP Final Rule. Panelists will bring you up to speed on both public and private sector efforts at regulation, U.S. marketplace initiatives, and international developments.

Speakers:

• Joe Smillie, Senior V.P., QAI
• Laura Stravino, Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives, Organic Trade Association
• Francis Blake, Policy Advisor, Soil Association

Moderator:

• Sarah Bird, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Annie's, Inc.

Organic Integrity: A Global Look at the Public-Private Partnership

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM   ::   Room 254A

What role does your company play in maintaining the integrity of the organic label claim? The National Organic Program's "Era of Enforcement" is just one part of what must be a international public-private partnership throughout all levels of the supply chain. This session will take a global look at organic integrity, examining issues such as grower group certification in Latin America and sourcing from China, in an on-going effort to explore the business community's responsibility in upholding the organic claim.

Speakers: 

• Jake Lewin, Chief Certification Officer, CCOF
• Miles McEvoy, Deputy Administrator, USDA's National Organic Program
• Brenda Book, Organic Certification Manager, Washington State Dept. of Agriculture
• Francis Blake, Policy Advisor, Soil Association
• Ken Commins, Executive Director, International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS)

Moderator:

• Laura Batcha, Chief of Policy & External Relations, Organic Trade Association

Members Only: Live Media Pitch Slam -
Do’s and Don’ts for Reaching Eco-Moms Through the Press

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM   ::   Room 208

This is an OTA members-only opportunity you don't want to miss! OTA will bring national editors and reporters from top media outlets together to hear your best story and product pitches. You’ll get firsthand advice on how to reach today’s journalists and what their readers really care about.  Start practicing your 60-second pitch for editors from top magazines and daily newspapers.

Speakers:

• Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, Senior Food & Nutrition Editor, Health Magazine
• Karen Cicero, Special Projects Editor, Parent's Magazine
• Lisa Gosselin, Executive Editor, Eating Well

Moderator:

• Sylvia Tawse, Chief Fresh Officer, Fresh Ideas Group

Cross Agency Integration: An Update from NOP and USDA

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM   ::   Room 254A

Under the guidance of the Obama administration, USDA has incorporated organic into its program areas beyond just the regulatory arena. NOP will address the fine balance between enforcement and market stability that is so critical for organic businesses, as well as market surveillance, labeling, and the 'made with' category. Then, as the nascent national organic farming plan and efforts to integrate organic throughout USDA take shape especially through the efforts of panelist Mark Lipson in the Office of the Secretary, co-panelists Cathy Greene, Kelly Strzelecki, and Miles McEvoy will present their views as well on opportunities for cross-agency integration in economics, trade, and regulation. This update is specifically tailored to the organic manufacturer, processor, and handler audience at Expo East.

Speakers:

• Miles McEvoy, Deputy Administrator, USDA's National Organic Program
• Mark Lipson, Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Policy Advisor, USDA-OSEC-MRP
• Invited: Kelly Strzelecki, Agricultural Economist, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service
• Invited: Cathy Greene, Agricultural Economist, USDA's Economic Research Service

Moderator:

• Tom Hutcheson, Regulatory & Policy Manager, Organic Trade Association

Health Benefits of Organic - More than Eating Well

Two major studies released this summer recommend avoiding foods produced with the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, and growth hormones to reduce the risk of cancer and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Choosing organic is, of course, the only way to ensure that the foods you choose are certified to be produced without the use of these substances. A third break-through study analyzed chemical and biological soil properties, soil DNA, and the taste, nutrition and quality of California strawberries and found that organic farms produced more flavorful and nutritious berries while promoting healthier and more genetically diverse soils. This session is the only place you can get a front row seat to a discussion with researchers from the organophosphate study published in Pediatrics, the original organophosphorus study from 2006, and the berry study from the online journal PLoS One. Come gather the information you need to leverage this research for the benefit of your organic business.

Speakers:

• Dr. Chensheng (Alex) Lu, Professor of Environmental Exposure Biology, Harvard School of Public Health
• Asa Bradman, Scientist, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
• Dr. John Reganold, Regents Professor of Soil Science, Washington State University

Moderator:

• Christine Bushway, Executive Director, Organic Trade Association