2009 Press Releases
OTA 2009 fund campaign raises over $520,000
Contact: Barbara Haumann
413-376-1220
GREENFIELD, Mass. (May 13, 2009)—The Organic Trade Association’s (OTA’s) 2009 Annual Fund Campaign raised over $520,000 to help fund OTA’s government affairs programs in the United States and Canada and marketing and public relations work to raise the profile of organic products across all sectors. 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.
“Although this amount falls somewhat short of our ambitious goal of $650,000, the generous support of organic companies in tough economic times is indicative of continued commitment to work together for the good of the organic industry,” said Julia Sabin (Smucker Natural Foods, Inc.), co-chair of the OTA 2009 Annual Fund Host Committee and OTA Board President.
Co-Chair Jeff Rakity (Elan and Natural Flavors) agreed. “It is gratifying to see OTA members and non-members, regardless of size, giving to the annual fund because they identify that OTA’s priorities and initiatives are critical to growing the organic sector.”
In the OTA 2009 campaign, more than 200 companies pledged funds to support OTA’s work. OTA has approximately 1,500 members, the majority of which are small businesses. In fact, nearly two-thirds of OTA members report less than $1 million in annual organic sales.
“I want to thank investors at all levels for their generous donations, as well as the volunteer Host Committee members for the many hours they devoted in making this campaign a success,” said Christine Bushway, OTA’s executive director.
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 and natural industry. Silk® Soymilk was the nation’s first refrigerated soymilk, and Horizon Organic® is the leading national brand of certified organic dairy products.
O Organics™ (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. It is good for people and good for the planet too.
Organic Valley and Organic Prairie Family of Farms (La Farge, WI) is America’s largest cooperative with 1326 organic farmer-owners in 32 states. Our mission is to save family farming through organic agriculture. Founded in 1988, we’re celebrating more than 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, 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 26th year, is the world’s leading organic yogurt maker, and manufacturer of a host of other organic dairy products. The company donates 10 % of its profits to environmental causes, offsets 100% 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.
UNFI (Dayville, CT) carries and distributes more than 60,000 products to over 17,000 customers nationwide. UNFI was named the Winner of the Supermarket News 2008 Sustainability Excellence Award, ranked by Forbes in 2005 as one of the "Best Managed Companies in America," by Fortune from 2005-2008 as one of its "Most Admired Companies," and by Business Ethics as one of its "100 Best Corporate Citizens for 2006."
Wholesome Sweeteners (Sugar Land, TX), is the U.S. market leading supplier of organic and Fair Trade Certified cane sugars, honeys, molasses, blue agave nectars and organic light corn syrups for retailers and food manufacturers.
Led by campaign co-chairs Sabin and Rakity, the volunteer Annual Fund host committee members included Tony Bedard (Frontier Natural Products Co-op), Cynthia Beretta (Beretta Organic Farms), Bob Burke (Natural Products Consulting Institute), Nancy Ciancibello (Plen Organics), Jason Cumming (Organic Valley Family of Farms), David 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.), Gunta Vitins (SunOpta, Inc.), and Javier Zarazua (Casabi Organics).
OTA’s Leadership Circle and other top donors will be recognized at OTA’s Annual Dinner June 17, 2009, in Chicago during the All Things Organic™ Conference and Trade Show. For more information or for tickets, contact Karen Ammann (kammann@ota.com, 413-376-1212).
To view a list of all OTA 2009 Annual Fund investors, go to www.ota.com/about/2009investors.html.
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA's mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy (www.ota.com).
