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Action by U.S. Department of Agriculture recognizes unique needs of organic industry
December 16, 2014

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) announcement today of a proposed rule to exempt more organic farmers and handlers from paying into conventional commodity check-off programs, saying this is an important step that recognizes the organic industry’s unique needs, and lets the industry decide where its dollars are best spent.

Organic Trade Association shares how working together strengthens organic voice
December 5, 2014

Jesse Laflamme says his family's egg business was saved the first time by going organic, and then rescued again when the operation joined forces with the Organic Trade Association (OTA) to fight a regulation that would have had dire implications for its future.

USDA awards OTA $785,000 in market promotion funds for 2015
December 3, 2014

If Taka Yamaguchi has his way, athletes competing in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will be eating organic—an ambitious plan that more than 100 of Japan's top grocery retailers, food importers and distributors learned about at a recent Organic Trade Association (OTA) sponsored seminar in Japan.

OTA says petitions to USDA will continue trend of reducing synthetics in organic food
November 6, 2014

Acting on extensive feedback and input from its members, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) on Thursday filed two petitions with the National Organic Program to amend the National List of substances that can be used in organic production and processing – in one case strengthening the requirement for organic ingredients and in the other, removing a non-organic substance from the list.

OTA launches new Farmstead Membership category
October 21, 2014

The Franklin family has been farming in southern Vermont for nine generations. A family operation with one son helping full-time and two others pitching in on weekends, the certified organic dairy farm stays busy raising and milking some 52 dairy cows, along with producing fresh organic eggs and farm-raised organic beef, and some of the best-tasting organic maple syrup in Vermont.

The Organic Center trustees hear updates on health, soil projects
October 2, 2014

Members of The Organic Center's Board of Trustees gathered at Harvard University this week for their annual retreat and for scientific briefings on collaborative research on organic's impact on the health of humans and the environment.

Success of OTA event demonstrates huge interest in organic
September 26, 2014

A mom shared a picture of her toddler watering their organic vegetable garden, a college student asked about the stringency of organic standards, a diabetic adhering to a gluten-free diet appreciated the organic recipes and an influential Capitol Hill reporter tweeted to her thousands of followers about Organic Palooza.

TOC is leading the effort to find organic solutions for all growers
September 25, 2014

Thanks to donations ranging from $5 to as large as $5,000, The Organic Center has raised $20,417 through its first-ever crowdfunding drive – easily exceeding its goal of $15,000—as part of a major campaign to fund The Center’s research effort to find organic solutions to a devastating disease threatening the nation’s citrus industry.

September 23, 2014

After intensive discussions between the Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Japan and Canada have agreed on an equivalency in organic products.

Feedback from the organic sector has a meaningful impact
September 19, 2014

Encouraged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) revised language for its new rules implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the Organic Trade Association (OTA) said on Friday that the revisions clearly indicate that FDA listened to the feedback from organic producers and handlers and responded to the unique requirements of the organic system.

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