organic trade assoc

TheOrganicCenter,an independent 501 (c) 3 science research organization,operating under the adminis- trative auspices of theOTA.Our headquarters are in Washington,D.C.,with other offices inVermont,Califor- nia,Washington (state),Oregon,andMassachusetts. “TheOrganicTradeAssociation staff works together to catalyze solutions,formcoalitions,and collabo- rate,whether it be on issues before Congress,or on strengthening the organicmessage andmovement to the public.We represent the diverse programof our members to the government--the needs of the organ- ic sector,organicmarket development and promotion, and strong organic standards and regulations.Address- ing critical issues and growing the organic industryare all part of our work together.” BVM: What does the landscape look like for the industryover the coming decade? Howwill theAssoci- ation continue to be a viable voice for the industry? Batcha: “The organic landscape continues to evolve as it responds to increasing consumer demand for organicproducts,and not just for organic food,but for non-food organicproducts as well. Organicwill continue to becomemore a part of the consumer’s daily life,fromorganic food to organicpersonal care products and organic clothing and textiles. “Organic’s retail landscape has expanded far beyond traditional natural and specialty retailers,into con- ventional grocers andmass-market stores.Organic is nowfirmlyestablished inmainstreamchannels and its presence in these channels will onlyget stronger in the coming years.Newretailer opportunities,al- readyemerging,will likely strengthen over the coming decade,such as convenience stores and traditional pharmacies increasing their ‘healthier-for-you spaces’ and organicofferings.Online retailers will continue THE ORGANIC TRADE ASSOCIATION to expand their offerings of organicproducts.The purchase ofWhole Foods byAmazon this year will almost certainlyboost online organic. “On the production side,organic farmingwill con- tinue to slowly,but steadily,expand into newareas, and into organic crops in high demand,like grain and soycrops used in organic feed grains.Organic urban gardens will continue to proliferate.Organ- icwill continue to attract young and beginning farmers as a viable,profitable,and environmentally friendlyalternative to conventional farming. “TheOrganicTradeAssociationwill staya viable voice for the industrybycontinuing to engagewith itsmembership to respond to the changing needs and challenges of the industry.TheAssociation keeps its finger on the pulse of the industry,and is regarded as the premier source of information about organic.Themorewe knowabout organic, the better we can serve our members.” BVM: In summation,what are the salient points that youwould like our readers to take away from thismessage? Batcha: TheOrganicTradeAssociation’s Core Values Statement,which explains that members of theOrganicTradeAssociation: Have established organic trade on a foundation of common organic standards; work in harmony with the environment,promoting sustainability; recognize the need for organic agriculture to be economicallyviable; work to protect the diversity of life; recognize the interdependence of all parts of the organic community; understand that organic farms are the foundation of the organic indus- try;  seekout and usewhole systemapproaches to agricultural and business practices,and support the human right to knowledge and choice in the marketplace.