Organic Trade Association

The Organic Trade Association this week announced the development of three online training courses to bolster its Organic Fraud Prevention Solutions program.  The training courses are designed for organic businesses, accredited certifiers and organic inspectors, with one of the courses a pre-requisite for businesses pre-enrolled in the program.The ...

The Organic Trade Association is looking for the “best and brightest ideas” from organic stakeholders on how to put together a voluntary “checkoff-like” program for the organic sector.  Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue decided last May that the USDA wouldn’t move forward on a mandatory checkoff for the organic industry.  As a result, the private sector initi...

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia last week agreed to hear a challenge by the Organic Trade Association against the Department of Agriculture.  OTA is challenging the agencies decision and process to withdraw organic livestock standards.  USDA in...

The Organic Trade Association announced a plan to move the industry toward a voluntary industry-invested organic research, promotion, and education checkoff program.  It will be put together and in place by stakeholders across the organic supply chain.   ...

The USDA recently withdrew its organic livestock and checkoff rules, which signals that the agency likely won’t be setting any higher standards for the organic seal. Laura Batcha, CEO of the Organic Trade Association, said it’s up to the industry to take over from here.  At the OT...

More of America’s grocery carts were filled with organic products in 2017. The Organic Trade Association’s 2018 Industry Survey shows consumers were buying everything from organic produce and organic ice cream to organic fresh juices and organic dried beans.  U.S. orga...

The Organic Trade Association welcomed a move by the USDA aimed at stopping fraudulent organic products from entering the United States.  USDA this week revoked the organic certificate for a Turkish firm for shipping nonorganic ingredients to the United States labeled as organic, according to the Hagstrom Report.  ...