2007 Press Releases
OTA 2007 fund campaign raises over $500,000
News Release For more information, contact:
For Immediate Release Barbara Haumann (413-774-7511)
GREENFIELD, Mass. (April 4, 2007) –The Organic Trade Association (OTA)’s 2007 Annual Fund campaign has raised $528,000 for its public policy, media relations and advocacy work for the year. The theme for this year’s fund campaign was “Today. Tomorrow. Together. Organic,” reflecting OTA’s vision to bring organic to the next level of growth and sustainability by industry members working together on issues and goals.
OTA’s key initiatives for 2007 include gaining comprehensive organic provisions in the U.S. Farm Bill, and, in Canada, helping to implement new national organic standards.
“Organic businesses know the importance of OTA’s public policy and advocacy work. They understand that working together with OTA we can advance an agenda that benefits organic farmers and a healthy organic marketplace,” said Eric Newman (Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative, Inc.), co-chair of the
OTA 2007 Host Committee.
“OTA’s work is vital, and the success of this campaign reflects the organic business community’s overwhelming support for the trade association,” added campaign co-chair Julia Sabin (Smucker Quality Beverages, Inc.). “OTA members and non-members alike were motivated to give this year knowing OTA’s priorities for the Farm Bill and Canadian Organic Standards are critical to seeing more growth for organic.”
In the OTA 2007 campaign, more than 215 companies pledged funds to support OTA’s work. OTA has approximately 1,550 members, the majority of which are small businesses. In fact, 60 percent of OTA’s members reported less than $100,000 in annual revenue from organic sales in fiscal year 2006.
“OTA has an ambitious agenda for 2007, and these funds will make a huge difference toward achieving that agenda. All investments, big and small, make this campaign a success,” said Caren Wilcox, OTA’s executive director, in praising the all-volunteer Host Committee for its key role in the campaign.
In addition to pursuing an ambitious and ground-breaking Farm Bill plan for organic and watch dogging implementation of the new Canadian national standards, OTA is advancing measures to increase the domestic supply of raw materials, and to promote and market the certified organic label, particularly to consumers. Annual Fund contributions from companies in Canada are earmarked for the work of OTA in Canada.
Top investors, named to the Leadership Circle, are:
·Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms (Lamont, CA), farms over 60 different organic vegetable crops year round and continues to be on the forefront of innovative farming methods and technologies that help reduce the amount of environmentally harmful materials in soils—and is always ‘Farming with Pride and Integrity.’
·Nature’s Best (Brea, CA), The Natural Products Distributor®, provides a full line of certified organic, natural and specialty products to retail, supermarket, and foodservice customers throughout the entire western U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, and Asia. Product categories include a full selection of certified organic and natural lines in grocery, refrigerated, frozen, bulk, supplements, personal care, herbs and pet products.
·Organic Valley (La Farge, WI) is a cooperative of 917 family farms in regions across America, marketing certified organic milk, butter, cheese, cultured products, juice, eggs, meats, produce, and soy beverages under the Organic Valley® and Organic Prairie® brands.
·Seeds of Change (Santa Fe, NM) offers a savory selection of organic pasta sauces, frozen entrees, simmer sauces, chocolate, salad dressings and rice & grain side dishes along with extensive varieties of organic seed and garden products.
·Small Planet Foods (Sedro-Woolley, WA) manufactures a variety of organic foods—from frozen fruits and vegetables and canned tomato products to cereals and granola bars—under the Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen brands.
·Smucker Quality Beverages (Chico, CA) is the nation’s leading producer of natural and organic beverages, offering high quality products under the R.W. Knudsen Family, Santa Cruz Organic, After The Fall, and Natural Brew brands.
·Stonyfield Farm (Londonderry, NH) manufactures organic yogurts, yogurt smoothies, ice cream, frozen yogurt and milk.
·SunOpta Inc. (Norval, ON, Canada) is a vertically integrated natural, organic and specialty food processing and distributing company focusing on environmental responsibility and the health and well being of its communities.
·Tree of Life, Inc., (St. Augustine, FL) is a certified organic distributor, offering a vast assortment of organic, natural and premium taste foods, serving customers across North America.
·United Natural Foods, Inc., (Dayville, CT) carries and distributes more than 40,000 products to more than 18,000 customers nationwide. It was ranked by Forbes as one of the "Best Managed Companies in America” 2005, as one of its “Most Admired Companies” 2006 & 2007, and by Business Ethics as one of its “100 Best Corporate Citizens for 2006.”
·WhiteWave Foods (Boulder, CO) is the maker of leading certified organic brands, which include Silk® Soymilk, the nation’s first refrigerated soymilk, and Horizon Organic® dairy products.
·Whole Foods Market, Inc., (Austin, TX) is a retailer of natural and organic foods, with 182 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
·Wholesome Sweeteners (Sugar Land, TX), is the U.S. market leading supplier of organic and Fair Trade Certified(TM) cane sugars, organic molasses, organic blue agave and organic light corn syrups for retailers and food manufacturers.
Led by campaign co-chairs Newman and Sabin, the volunteer host committee members included Hélène Bouvier (Organic Ranchers/MOMA Trade Pool, Inc.), Bob Burke (Natural Products Consulting Institute), Janet DiGiovanna and Danny Rubenstein (DASH), Tony Faudel (United Natural Foods, Inc.), Dave Gagnon (Organic Trade Association), Nancy Hirshberg (Stonyfield Farm, Inc.), Dale Kamibayashi (Ceres Organics), Todd Linsky (Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms), Gene Louden (Dovex Marketing Company, LLC), Matt McLean (Uncle Matt’s Organic), Rick Moller (Tree of Life, Inc.), Kelly Monaghan (Ash Street Enterprises), and Jeff Rakity (Moore Ingredients).
OTA’s many 2007 investors are posted on OTA’s web site and will be listed in the July edition of The Organic Report, OTA’s membership news magazine. To view a list of Annual Fund investors, go to http://www.ota.com/about.2007investors.html.
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the business association representing the organic agriculture industry in North America. Its more than 1,550 members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA encourages global sustainability through promoting and protecting the growth of diverse organic trade.
