Survey says: Most familiar + high trust = Organic
Previewing his path forward for organic and pledging to elevate the significance and importance of organic agriculture at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off the Annual Membership Meeting of the Organic Trade Association on Wednesday.
The Organic Trade Association honored the non-profit organization Georgia Organics with its prestigious Member of the Year Award at the association’s 2021 Annual Meeting held virtually June 16. Georgia Organics has for almost 25 years been devoted to promoting sustainable foods and organic farms in Georgia.
U.S. organic sales soared to new highs in 2020, jumping by a record 12.4 percent to $61.9 billion. It marked the first time that total sales of organic food and non-food products have surpassed the $60 billion mark, and reflected a growth rate more than twice the 2019 pace of 5 percent, according to the 2021 Organic Industry Survey released Tuesday by the Organic Trade Association.
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) on Friday expressed unanimous support for the recently introduced Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act (CIAO), saying the legislation respects the work of the NOSB in clarifying and updating national organic standards.
The Organic Trade Association on Friday applauded the introduction of legislation that puts in place an improved federal process for the oversight of organic that will bring the government up to speed with the modern organic sector, and will enable organic’s improvement and advancement to continue to forge ahead into the future.
The organic sector has shown determination and resilience in moving forward against some strong headwinds this past year. Throughout the organic chain, individuals and businesses are working every day to produce healthy organic food, to protect the health of our planet, and to support communities and families in need during the global pandemic.
The Organic Trade Association’s Sustainable Food Trade Action (SFTA) Council is bringing organic’s unique voice to a ground-breaking global conversation on May 10 on how to achieve a sustainable and just food system.
The Organic Trade Association on Thursday honored Kelly Strzelecki, Senior Trade Advisor for the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, with its 2021 Organic Public Servant Award in recognition of her outstanding efforts to promote and facilitate a meaningful public-private partnership for the organic industry through trade during her many years at USDA.
From their home offices, kitchens, fields or tractor cabs, a diverse group of organic farmers from across the country will meet with members of Congress and USDA policymakers on Feb. 23 and 24 to brief the new administration on the array of challenges facing the organic sector and how to keep organic agriculture advancing.
People don’t always think about organic when it comes to the clothes we wear, the sheets and mattresses we sleep on, the personal care items we use, and the face masks we wear. But organic cotton is one of the most important choices we can make for the environment because it supports a healthy ecosystem and prevents the use of toxic synthetic chemicals.