2008 Press Releases
OTA 2008 fund campaign raises over $630,000
News Release
Contact: Barbara Haumann (413-774-7511, Ext. 20)
GREENFIELD, Mass. (April 2, 2008)-The Organic Trade Association's (OTA's) 2008 Annual Fund campaign surpassed its goal of $600,000, raising more than $630,000 to help fund OTA's public policy, marketing and public relations efforts planned for 2008. 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.
"We had a record year," said Julia Sabin (Smucker Quality Beverages), co-chair of the OTA 2008 Annual Fund Host Committee and OTA Board Vice President - U.S. "OTA is engaged in promoting and protecting organic agriculture and trade on so many fronts, and our supporters know how important OTA is to their businesses. Working together through OTA, we can have a greater, more positive impact on the future of our industry."
"I think word of OTA's successes continues to spread throughout the organic business community," added Host Committee Co-Chair Tony Faudel (United Natural Foods). "OTA members and non-members alike were motivated to give knowing OTA's priorities for the Farm Bill, Canadian Organic Standards, and new marketing initiatives are critical to seeing more growth for organic."
In the OTA 2008 campaign, more than 225 companies pledged funds to support OTA's work. OTA has approximately 1,665 members, the majority of which are small businesses. In fact, over 40 percent of OTA's current members report less than $100,000 in annual revenue from organic sales. Over 60 percent of OTA members report less than $1 million in annual organic sales.
"These funds will be crucial as OTA continues its ambitious agenda for the year. 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 reaching a record achievement for the campaign.
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.'
The Elan Group (Newark, NJ) is an affiliation of companies with a deep commitment to the organic industry. Manufacturing and marketing certified organic flavor products since the mid-nineties, they continue to be market leaders in their categories. The group consists of Elan Vanilla, Natural Flavors, Elan Extracts and Flavorganics.
Horizon Organic®/Silk® (Boulder, CO) are leaders in the organic industry. Silk® Soymilk was the nation's first refrigerated soymilk, and Horizon Organic® is the leading national brand of certified organic dairy products.
O OrganicsTM (Pleasanton, CA) is a brand that strives to make organic food accessible to everyone everywhere. The product line consists of over 300 USDA certified organic products in a wide variety of categories, and is marketed as good for people and good for the planet, too.
Organic Valley/Organic Prairie Family of Farms (La Farge, WI) is a cooperative of 1,205 family farms in 34 states across the nation. Its mission is to support rural communities by keeping family farmers on the land farming. Founded in 1988, it is celebrating 20 years of farmer-determined stable pricing for organic family farmers.
R.W. Knudsen Family/Santa Cruz Organic (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.
Small Planet Foods/Cascadian Farm/Muir Glen (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.
Stonyfield Farm (Londonderry, NH), celebrating its 25th year, is the world's leading organic yogurt maker, and manufacturer of a host of other dairy products. The company donates to environmental causes, offsets 100 percent of its CO2 emissions, uses solar power for its production plant, and advocates that healthy food can only come from a healthy planet.
SunOpta, Inc., (Brampton, ON, Canada) is a rapidly growing, vertically integrated healthy products company involved in sourcing, processing, packaging and distributing organic, natural and specialty foods, and natural health care products. SunOpta is committed to environmental responsibility and the health and well-being of its communities through all facets of its business.
Tree of Life, Inc., (St. Augustine, FL) is a certified organic distributor, dedicated to the success of organic and natural food retailers for over 35 years. Tree of Life offers a complete assortment of organic, natural, and specialty food products nationally.
United Natural Foods (Dayville, CT) carries and distributes more than 40,000 products to over 17,000 customers nationwide. UNFI was ranked by Forbes in 2005 as one of the "Best Managed Companies in America," by Fortune in 2006 & 2007 as one of its "Most Admired Companies," and by Business Ethics as one of its "100 Best Corporate Citizens for 2006."
Whole Foods Market, Inc., (Austin, TX) is a retailer of natural and organic foods, with 270 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 CertifiedTM cane sugars, honeys, molasses, blue agave nectars and organic light corn syrups for retailers and food manufacturers.
Led by campaign co-chairs Faudel and Sabin, the volunteer Annual Fund host committee members included Tony Bedard (Frontier Natural Products Co-op), Hélène Bouvier (Organic Ranchers), Bob Burke (Natural Products Consulting Institute), Nancy Ciancibello (Plen Organics), Jason Cumming (Organic Valley Family of Farms), Dave Gagnon (Organic Trade Association), Steve Harrold (Caito Foods), Dale Kamibayashi (Vantage Organics), Todd Linsky (Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms), Matt McLean (Uncle Matt's Organic), Rick Moller (Tree of Life, Inc.), Kelly Monaghan (Ash Street Enterprises), Jeff Rakity (Elan and Natural Flavors), and Gunta Vitins (SunOpta, Inc.).
OTA's many 2008 investors are posted on OTA's web site and will be listed in the April edition of The Organic Report, OTA's membership news magazine. To view a list of Annual Fund investors, go to www.ota.com/about/2008investors.html
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the business association representing the organic agriculture industry in North America. Its more than 1,650 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: PO Box 547, Greenfield, MA 01302 USA • (413) 774-7511 • fax: (413) 774-6432 • www.ota.com
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