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OTA’s Mission Possible: Spreading the Sustainable Word
Caren Wilcox has served as Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) since March 1, 2006. She brings to the OTA a wealth of experience in the world of agriculture. Experienced at managing domestic and international programs, she has served in both the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government. She has handled food safety and quality issues, rural development matters, and environmental issues throughout her career. Wilcox has worked with a diverse cross-section of individuals from the agriculture, business and academic sectors, as well as with local, state and federal elected and appointed officials, and their respective offices.

Q. How is the OTA related to today's issues of sustainability and the environment?
A. The Organic Trade Association's mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public, and the economy. Working toward sustainability, especially environmental sustainability, is an inherent part of this mission. The OTA sees organic agriculture as the gold standard for agriculture and its products. Organic farmers and producers are pleased that their decades-old concern for the environment is now more widely shared. Sometimes the media forget that the organic standards were outlined in a federal law supported by the OTA's predecessor organization and many others in the organic community way back in 1990.

Q. There are so many monikers being tossed about in the media today, how do retailers provide a message of sustainability to their customers?
A. Shoppers see lots of different product labels. Retailers can help by continuing to educate their employees about those labels, and providing information to customers. One great advantage of organic products is that organic is a regulated term on food and beverages, and it is used to describe agricultural components of other products. This is because they are terms covered by the federal law, Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. Organic standards address what happens on the farm, and how food and beverage products are processed. The basis of the standards is building healthy soil without damage to the farm and the environmental systems that interact with the farm. No matter where organic foods, beverages and ingredients are grown and processed, they must meet or exceed U.S. standards in order to be sold in the United States. Those standards require annual third-party inspections - which must be conducted by certification agencies accredited by the USDA - of farms and processors that sell over $5,000 worth of organic goods. So when consumers see the USDA Organic seal, they know that it is not just a statement by the producer, but rather that an entire system of environmentally sensitive production lies behind that seal; and that this system is overseen by the U.S. government.

For stores that want to learn more, find new organic products and discover tools to help them improve their organic business, the OTA's annual All Things Organic Conference and Trade Show in Chicago is a great experience. Co-located with the NASFT's Fancy Food Show and NASDA's U.S. Food Export Showcase in the "Global Food & Style Expo 2008," All Things Organic this year will feature conference sessions and meetings April 26-29, and a trade show running April 27-29.

All Things Organic provides your company with the opportunity to network and link up with domestic and international suppliers, to learn, and grow your sales. I would encourage you to check out the All Things Organic Web site (www.organicexpo.com) and make sure to be a part of this exciting program.

Your store might also find the Go Organic! for Earth Day campaign that runs the month of April helpful as a resource for shoppers. Details are available at www.OrganicEarthDay.org.

Also, the OTA partners with Taste for Life for two buyorganic! editions - an Earth Day Edition in April and an Organic Harvest Edition in September - designed to educate consumers about organic products. Taste for Life representatives Veronica Vanni (603-924-7271, ext. 125) or Jason Kelley (603-924-7271, ext. 158) can help you explore how you can use this publication in your store.

Q. Is the concept of being "Green" a fad created by the media or do you see this as a long-standing effort?
A. Based on continuing double-digit growth in sales of organic products during the last decade, it seems that organic, at least, is here to stay. The OTA's members are predicting strong continued growth overall through 2010, and the key category for those new to organic products - fruits and vegetables - is also anticipating double-digit growth during that time, which bodes well for other product categories down the line.

Q. What are the major issues facing the Organic Trade Association and the organic community in the next five years?
A. One of the major issues is building additional supply of organic products. Since it takes three years from the last use on farmland of a prohibited substance before farm products can be sold as organic, building additional acres of organic farmland is not an instant process. To help farms and other businesses become familiar with the steps to take to add organic products, or to start an organic business, the OTA developed a clearinghouse Web site, www.HowToGoOrganic.com. Retailers who want their current vendors to offer more organic products could refer them to this site for links to information that could help them develop organic products.

Comments? mmoran@gourmetretailer.com