The 2018 Independent Natural Food Retailers Association (INFRA) Annual Conference will be taking place July 21-24 in Minneapolis, MN. 

Gwendolyn Wyard, the Organic Trade Association's VP of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, will be speaking at two sessions during the Conference. Details below:

Sunday, July 22 | 1:15pm - 2:45pm 

"The Strength of the USDA Label"

In this session, you will learn about critical organic topics, their status, and what’s being done to ensure that our hard-built standards and consumer trust will continue to thrive. Retailers will receive information and resources to help keep you and your shoppers better informed so we can all engage and continue to grow organic. USDA organic is the culmination of over 30 years of work. It was built by a coalition of organic farmers, handlers, consumers, animal welfare and environmental organizations that recognized the need for one common federal standard to ensure consistency, build consumer trust and allow the sector to flourish. To date, the organic label remains the only regulated eco-claim in the marketplace with third-party certification, federal oversight and enforcement and it continues to be the fastest- growing sector in agriculture. But can organic survive in the current era? Amid the Trump Administration’s failure to implement thoroughly vetted organic regulations and a marketplace drawn to shiny new add-on labels, retailers are bound to have questions. Attend this session and learn more! 

Tuesday, July 24th | 9:15am - 10:30am

"Regenerative Agriculture at all Scales"

Learn how General Mills and its family of brands—including Annie’s, Cascadian Farm, and EPIC Provisions—are building on the strong foundational principles of organic to advance regenerative agriculture practices that build soil health, foster above ground biodiversity, and promote resilient farm communities. Seeking to advance the dialogue on the role of farming and food choices, General Mills is partnering with the Climate Collaborative and the Organic Trade Association to generate positive impacts in the food system. This panel forum and the following Q&A session will feature Shauna Sadowski (General Mills), Erin Callahan (Climate Collaborative), and Gwendolyn Wyard (Organic Trade Association). 

Conference Information:

July 21-24, 2018

Minneapolis, MN