Organic Trade Association

Viewpoint: Do organic farms really produce ‘chemical free, healthier food’?
The multi-billion-dollar organic industry is thriving in large part because of dishonesty ...

Viewpoint: How the Organic Trade Association flunked Science 101—No, organics are not ‘chemical free’
I recently had an encounter on Twitter with the CEO of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), Laura Batcha. The OTA ...

Organic farming in US doubles as organic food sales reach $7.6 billion annually
There were more than 14,000 certified organic farms in the United States in 2016, according to the latest available data ...

Organic trade group suit challenging Trump’s withdrawal of animal guidelines will go forward
A ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia will allow a lawsuit by the Organic Trade ...

Organic industry pushes back after allegations of deceptive marketing
The Organic Trade Association took out a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal Sept. 12 pushing back against ...

Industry group ‘resurrects’ USDA’s canceled organic food research program
Three months after the U.S. Department of Agriculture pulled the plug on a plan to establish a national organic promotion ...

Organic industry splinters as USDA ‘bioengineered’ labeling initiative progresses
Richmond-based Nature's Path Foods, a leading organic breakfast company in North America, has recently announced its resignation from the Organic ...

As USDA pushes deregulation, organic food producers invent their own quality standards to protect profits
Stringent regulations are crucial to maintaining consumer confidence in the organic label that the U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees, according ...

Cancer screening could be revolutionized by new cell sorting method
The field of cytometry, or cell measurement—which helps doctors diagnose problems including cancer, in which cells morph into unusual forms—has ...

Viewpoint: Examining the science denial behind IFOAM—Organics International
The true-believers in organic agriculture, such as the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM—Organics International), are as deluded as ...

Is organic farming sustainable? 5 carbon footprint challenges
Along with unsubstantiated claims of better nutrition and safety, supporters of organic farming often cite its lower carbon footprint as ...

Viewpoint: Should US be subsidizing organic farming when label seems increasingly meaningless?
Congress is considering tripling the budget for the USDA's organics program. Should we be asking for more answers from regulators ...

Viewpoint: ‘Blistering’ USDA organic report suggests ‘movement’ needs major reforms
The USDA report detailing poor oversight by the agency’s National Organic Program challenges the belief that consumers can trust organic ...

US farmers skeptical of organic industry ‘task force’ cracking down on fraudulent imports
[May 2017], The Post reported that three enormous shipments of “organic” corn and soybeans - large enough to constitute a ...

Organic industry forms ‘anti-fraud task force’ following discovery of ‘contaminated’ USDA-certified imports
A task force convened by the Organic Trade Association will get to work [June 2017] on developing a best-practices guide for ...

Conflict of interest? Mother Jones’ Tom Philpott’s connections to organic industry raise concerns
Journalist Tom Philpott, who covers food and farming issues at Mother Jones, was recently the keynote speaker at a fundraising ...

Should Trump scrap USDA’s National Organic Program?
Federal subsidizing of organics has health as well as economic consequences. Many consumers now believe that organic food is healthier, ...

How 2016 Transformed The GMO Debate And Paved The Way For Consumer Acceptance
The debate over GMO food safety is over, although diehard opponents of farming innovations may not acknowledge it. Consumers want ...

USDA to certify farmland switching from conventional to help increase production of organic food
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on [Jan. 11] took a step toward increasing the production of organic foods — which has not ...

Viewpoint: Will the Trump administration usher in an era of less cronyism and pay-to-play?
This article originally ran at Forbes and has been republished here with permission. “You know I am your chief lobbyist ...
Millennials’ demand for organics ripples through supply chain
Co-packers should be concerned, along with distributors, farmers and even, heck, grain elevator operators. Their worlds are incrementally turning upside ...

Regulators to discuss whether gene edited crops should be allowed under organic label
[Editors note: Melody Meyer is the Vice President of Policy and Industry Relations for United Natural Foods(UNFI), a is a distributor of ...

‘Organic’ label on non-food products is meaningless
...The Organic Trade Association has asked the government to start regulating non-food products that boast organic marketing claims with the same rigor ...

Viewpoint: ‘Advocacy research’ discredits science and aids unprincipled activism
This article originally appeared at Forbes and has been republished here with permission of the author. The scientific research enterprise ...
Is organic industry’s messaging shifting away from fear mongering?
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. At the inaugural Organic Produce ...

GMO labeling deal sparks organic industry infighting
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. The blame-game was in ...

Organic Trade Association: Senate GMO labeling protects “core values” of organic label
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. . . .OTA has ...

Senate Ag. Committee agrees on GMO labeling bill that would pre-empt VT law
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. A landmark Senate agreement ...