2007 Press Releases
The Organic Trade Association to honor organic leaders in May
For more information, contact:
Barbara Haumann (413) 774-7511, Ext. 20)
The Organic Trade Association to honor organic leaders in May
Larry Jacobs, Sandra Belin and Howard-Yana Shapiro recognized for outstanding contributions to the organic community
GREENFIELD, Mass. (April 12, 2007)-The Organic Trade Association (OTA) will recognize three organic industry leaders May 7 during OTA's Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the 2007 All Things OrganicTM Conference and Trade Show in Chicago, IL. Larry Jacobs and Sandra Belin of Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo and Howard-Yana Shapiro of Mars Incorporated/Seeds of Change will receive OTA's Organic Leadership Awards for their remarkable contributions to the organic industry.
Jacobs and Belin have been selected to receive OTA's 2007 Organic Farming Leadership Award, and Shapiro will receive OTA's 2007 Organic Leadership Award. They were selected for their innovation in farming practices, their extensive work to educate farmers on organic conversion, and for being pioneers in their fields. Their commitment to the organic community and tireless efforts have positively influenced many people and organizations beyond their individual company or business.
Jacobs and Belin are founders of Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo in Pescadero, CA. Larry and his wife, Sandy, were inspired to enter organic farming after serving an internship with Helen and Scott Nearing in Maine. Originally trained in conventional farming techniques with a degree in soil science, Larry had previously practiced conventional farming but sought a better way of farming after he had a seriously adverse reaction to a pesticide application.
"Larry and Sandy have been tirelessly involved since the very beginning in establishing a viable and dynamic organic production operation based on collaborating with small-scale growers, and they continue today to be an integral part of the enterprise, offering their wealth of experience, dedication and vision," according to John F. Graham, certification coordinator at Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo, in his nominating letter.
Also supporting the nomination, Bob Scowcroft, executive director of the Organic Farming Research Foundation, wrote, "Larry and Sandra's commitment to organic expanded far beyond their operation in San Mateo County. They are most widely known as innovators of organic production in the Baja California area of Mexico. Combining a keen sense of the marketplace (winter vegetables!!!), with a sense of social change, the collaboration of small growers and a North American marketplace hungry for organic products resulted in the formation of a now legendary company."
Howard-Yana Shapiro is global director of plant science at Mars, Inc., and vice president of agriculture/research and development at Seeds of Change. In his role, Shapiro is responsible for plant genetics, water conservation, the sustainability/production models for agroecology, agroforestry and agroeconomics of cacao and other key crops. Outside of his role at Mars, Inc./Seeds of Change, he sits on numerous boards and currently has ongoing sustainability projects in Brazil, Ghana, Vietnam and Indonesia concerning cacao agroforestry, agroecology, agroeconomics, water utilization, and landscape issues in the neotropics.
"Howard is tireless in advocating for organic production without regard to scale. He has led a seed company to supply organic seed for farmers, taught farmers how to farm organically and given them markets for seed crops, written books which are widely read, and has been in the forefront of advancing the industry even when folks did not believe organic seeds could ever have been grown on a large enough basis to serve the growing organic industry," wrote Marty Mesh, executive director of Florida Organic Growers/Quality Certification Services, in his nominating letter.
Mesh added, "During a transition time for farmers, he was looked on with doubts, almost a persona non grata even from organic farmers, when he was talking about organic seeds....Howard felt like having organic seed was really the only way to make a 100 percent organic claim at a time when most organic farmers were using seeds produced in a chemical-intensive seed industry and which were treated with fungicides."
Also nominating Shapiro, George Kalogridis of Organic Partners International LLC wrote, "Howard is recognized around the world as one of the foremost experts on organic plants, seeds and farming. The simple act of contracting with small farmers to propagate organic seeds kept many a farmer from going under in the early days. The growth of the company now supports farmers, small and large, around the world." He added, "He is easily accepted as an equal to native farmers in Asia, a PhD working on complex seed breeding, or policy leaders at the World Bank."
"OTA is pleased to honor these three leaders who have gone above and beyond to share their honor and respect for organic agriculture and practices, and to spread their vision to others," said Caren Wilcox, OTA's Executive Director. "It is most appropriate to pay them homage at a time when OTA seeks to advance organic agriculture by gaining further provisions for this agricultural sector in the upcoming U.S. Farm Bill."
OTA's Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony will take place Monday, May 7, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
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.
Headquarters: P.O. Box 547, Greenfield, MA 01302 USA (413) 774-7511 ( fax: (413) 774-6432 www.ota.com
Canadian Office: 323 Chapel Street, Ottawa, On K1N 7Z2 (613) 787-2003
Washington, D.C., office: (202) 338-2900
