Organic Industry Event

Retail Innovation Council's Spring 2016 Session will take place at The Cloister, Sea Island, Georgia, from April 21-22, 2016. OTA Director of Membership Derek Mulhern and Associate Director of International Trade Monique Marez will be presenting. To connect with OTA at the event, please contact Derek and Monique.

The Council's mission is to evaluate and determine what new innovative packaging, product, or program would be of added benefit to the consumer and will positively impact the grocery industry by being developed and launched. The Council consists of 11 Retail Executive Board members and 4 non-retail members, all of whom are highly respected experts in the grocery industry. The members meet twice a year to review new and innovative products, packaging, and marketing ideas that may have a significant impact on the grocery industry. 

At this year’s CCOF Annual Meeting and Conference: Bluepring for an Organic World, key public officials, CCOF members, and other organic leaders will come together to draft a plan to create a world where organic is the norm. The conference will take place on February 29, 2016 in Sacramento, CA. 

OTA’s Executive Director/CEO Laura Batcha will facilitate Session #4, “Balancing Supply and Demand: The Case for Organic Transition.” Discussed will be barriers to organic transition, including the challenge of overcoming the financial hardship and risks of the three-year transition period. The panel will make the case for organic transition as it demonstrates that all levels of the supply chain are looking to meet the rising demand for organic through support for transitioning producers. Panelists will include Dennis Hoover of Costco Wholesale, Peter Golbitz of Agromeris, Wendy Larson of Big Tree Organic, and Jake Lewin of CCOF.

OTA will host 14 companies in the U.S. Pavilion and lead educational sessions at BioFach 2016, February 10-13 in Nuremberg, Germany. An all-organic trade show, BioFach offers the chance to showcase products to a worldwide audience of buyers and brokers. Sign-ups are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Monique Marez, OTA’s Associate Director for International Trade, to learn more.

USDA’s 92nd Agricultural Outlook Forum will be held February 25-26, 2016 in Arlington, Virginia. USDA’s outlook forum is attended by thousands of agricultural stakeholders—producers, policymakers, and agricultural officials—from around the world. The theme for this year's forum is "Transforming Agriculture: Blending Technology and Tradition." The challenges and opportunities for agriculture and rural America are changing. In 2015, American farmers persevered in the face of drought and an unprecedented animal disease outbreak. Demographics are also changing in rural America and across farm households. Meanwhile, technology is rapidly opening new applications for producers and throughout the marketing chain, and new markets are emerging for U.S. agricultural products. USDA continues to seek out new and innovative ways to expand opportunity and provide support for America's farming families, and that mission will form the basis for the 92nd Agricultural Outlook Forum.

OTA’s CEO/Executive Director Laura Batcha will moderate the following session as part of the "Transforming the Rural Economy" track:

“The Outlook for Organic Agriculture”  
Thursday, February 25, 1:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
As organic agriculture has grown and become a mainstream part of American agriculture, the need for market information and market outlook has also grown. USDA is increasing its support for organic market news and organic market outlook. This session highlights the outlook for organic producers and the challenges of supplying organic consumer markets. 

To connect with OTA at the forum, please contact Laura.

Recognizing the increasing complexity and diversity of U.S. agriculture, in 2011 USDA established the Committee on Biotechnology and 21^st Century Agriculture, commonly referred to as AC 21, to address managing important issues concerning agricultural coexistence. The committee will meet December 14th and 15th, 2015. The 22 committee members serving on AC 21 include OTA’s Executive Director/CEO Laura Batcha, and OTA members Lynn Clarkson of Clarkson Grain Company, Michael Funk of UNFI, Melissa Hughes of CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley and OTA’s Board President, and Mary-Howell Martens of Lakeview Organic Grain LLC.

Herbruck's Organic Seminar will take place March 9-10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in conjunction with Michigan Organic Food and Farming Association meetings. Nate Lewis, OTA's Senior Crop and Livestock Specialist, will present on organic markets, certification, and regulatory policy updates. To connect with OTA at the seminar, please contact Nate.