The Association is working to educate the public on organic food benefits, and its members on new first-time Canadian regulations.
By David Weldon
Every five years, Congress takes a renewed look at the so-called Farm Bill, and makes changes or modifications which it hopes will improve the fate of farmers, and the food bought by consumers.
And every five years, those in the agriculture sector watch closely to see how changes to the Bill will affect them. Among the most closely watched actions are the amounts of federal funding that will be earmarked for various segments of the industry.
This year is one of those renewal years. And among those keeping a close eye on the proceedings is the Organic Trade Association — to make sure that the government’s support of organic farming and organic production certification don’t slip.
Formed in 1985, when organic farming first started to really register in the nation’s conscious, the Organic Trade Association is a 1,600-member education and advocacy group. According to Holly Givens, public affairs advisor for the Organic Trade Association in Greenfield, Mass., the group was formed out of the desire to have a common agreement and understanding of what organic farming really means.
Givens notes that there is some confusion in the general public about what organic food products are, since the term refers to the treatment of the soil they grow in, not the food that comes out of it.
“Organic refers to the agricultural process — what happens on the farm, and the ecocologically-sound way in which soil is managed, without pesticides, or chemical fertilizers,” Givens explains.
Most of the members in the association are small, “or very small,” businesses, Givens says, including family farms, food distributors, retailers, organic certifiers, etc. — “basically, anyone that touches on it in a business capacity.”
While the public is certainly familiar with the role of growers, distributors and retailers, organic certifiers may be less well known.
In order for food to be labeled as organic, it is required by federal regulations to be certified at the source to meet specific criteria in how the soil is managed. That includes foreign sources, if the food is to be sold in the United States as organically-grown.
“The certification is done by groups that have been approved by the FDA,” Givens says. “We don’t do that, but some of our members do.”
Imported food is given the same scrutiny as domestically-grown food, Givens explains, and if an importer wants to be able to use the organic label, they must make arrangements for U.S. inspectors to visit the foreign farms where the food comes from.
In addition to serving in an advocacy role for members, the association also provides training programs to members, and produces an annual All Things Organic trade show. The next event is scheduled for April, 2008, in Chicago.
Though the annual show is not far off, attention right now for the association is more directly focused on the Farm Bill in the U.S., and on recently-enacted legislation in Canada.
The U.S. House of Representatives has recently completed work on their version of the Farm Bill update, and it is scheduled to go to the U.S. Senate next month for final passage.
Strong interest in the bill by the association is due to anxiety that the organic trade industry will be recognized again in the Farm Bill, with appropriate funding for research and incentives in that area. The current version of the Farm Bill was the first to mention the organic trade, Givens explains, so the group is looking for that same support this time around.
“We want to be sure the appropriate amount of money is made available to organizations,” she says.
The greatest role that the government can play in assisting the organic trade industry, Givens says, is to make funds available to help farmers while they move more into the organic farming mode.
By federal regulations, a farm must use organic planting practices for three consecutive years before they can receive certification that their food is indeed organic. During that three year period, although the farmer is indeed growing organic food, they can’t market it as such.
“That can be a real challenge for them,” Givens notes. “The certification is an added expense, and while they’re making the transition, they aren’t getting the benefit.”
The other major issue the association is watching is the impact of new organic regulations in Canada.
This is the first year that Canada has had mandatory regulations, Givens says. Previously, “they had voluntary guidelines, but not formal regulations.”
While the association does have some grower or retailer members in Canada, many of its U.S. members also work closely with Canadian partners. There is therefore a great need for members to have information on the new Canadian regulations, and how they may be impacted.
Givens says the implementation of these new Canadian regulations over the next 24 months will probably take center stage for the association’s attention.
Also on the horizon, Givens forecasts slow and steady growth in membership for the next couple of years, and an expansion of where organic certification regulations are desired, such as in food service facilities and institutions.
On the consumer level, the association is also working to better educate the public on what organically grown food really is, and what the health benefits are of it. That educational role has been more important, as more retailers carry organic products, and they become much more available to consumers.
“As people learn more about how the food is grown and processed, they find that organic foods fit in nicely with their values, and this is making them more popular,” Givens concludes.