2010 Press Releases
Organic Trade Association celebrates a successful Annual Fund campaign
Contact: Barbara Haumann, 413-376-1220
GREENFIELD, Mass. (June 8, 2010)—The Organic Trade Association’s (OTA’s) 2010 Annual Fund campaign surpassed its $600,000 goal by raising $624,220 to help fund OTA’s government relations, consumer education, and media outreach work in the United States and Canada.
“It is an exciting time for our industry. OTA now has a new office in D.C. that allows us to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities to advance organic at the policy level, and the new Canadian organic standards provide a platform to grow the organic market even further in Canada. Meanwhile, the new ‘Organic. It’s Worth It.’ website is helping to increase consumer understanding of the benefits of organic products. It is truly gratifying to have OTA member companies contribute above and beyond their annual dues to make these important initiatives possible,” said Julia Sabin (Smucker Natural Foods, Inc.), co-chair of the OTA 2010 Annual Fund Host Committee and OTA Board President.
Co-chair Jeff Rakity (Elan and Natural Flavors) agreed. “As OTA marks its 25th anniversary, it is clear that its roles of advocating for organic agriculture on the governmental level and educating consumers about organic products are increasingly important. OTA exceeded its overall campaign goal at a time when the economy is just beginning to recover. I think this shows how relevant and important OTA’s work is, both in the U.S. and Canada.”
In the 2010 campaign, 183 companies pledged funds to support OTA’s work. Of the total pledged, slightly more than $40,850 was raised specifically for OTA in Canada efforts. 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. Its motto: ‘Farming with Pride and Integrity.’
• Earthbound Farm (San Juan Bautista, CA), with 26 years of organic farming experience, 150 dedicated farmers, and 35,000 acres on farms large and small, produces healthy and sustainable organic salads, fruits, and vegetables for people across the country—and keeps more than 11 million pounds of synthetic agricultural chemicals out of our air, water, and food supply each year.
• The Elan Group (Newark, NJ) is an affiliation of companies with a deep commitment to the organic industry. Breaking ground as the first flavor manufacturer to get organic certification in 1997, it continues to be a market leader. The group, consisting of Elan Vanilla, Natural Flavors, and Flavorganics, manufactures and markets certified organic flavor products. It now also offers certified Fair Trade organic vanilla extract and flavors.
• 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.
• Organic Valley and Organic Prairie Family of Farms (La Farge, WI) is America’s largest cooperative, with 1,326 organic farmer-owners in 32 states. Its mission is to save family farming through organic agriculture. Founded in 1988, it is 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) produces 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 27th year, is the world’s leading organic yogurt maker, and manufacturer of a host of other organic dairy products. Its organic ingredient purchases keep over 100,000 farm acres free of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. The company donates 10% of its profits to environmental causes, offsets 100% of its CO2 emissions from its facility energy use, 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., a KeHE Company, (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, Inc., (Providence, RI) carries and distributes more than 60,000 products to more than 17,000 locations nationwide. UNFI serves a wide variety of retail formats including conventional supermarket chains, natural product superstores, independent retail operators and the food service channel. It was ranked by Fortune in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 as one of its “Most Admired Companies,” and recognized by the Nutrition Business Journal for its 2009 Environment and Sustainability Award.
• 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 Certified™ cane sugars, honeys, molasses, blue agave nectars and organic light corn syrups for retailers, food service and food ingredient customers.
Led by campaign co-chairs Sabin and Rakity, the volunteer Annual Fund host committee members included Tony Bedard (Frontier Natural Products Co-op), Hélène Bouvier (Organic Ranchers), Maria Emmer-Aanes (Nature’s Path Foods, Inc.), Jason Cumming (Organic Valley Family of Farms), Linda Fritz-Murphy (UNFI), David Gagnon (Organic Trade Association), Jennifer Grant (Harmony Whole Foods Market), Dale Kamibayashi (Vantage Organics), Todd Linsky (Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms), Matt McLean (Uncle Matt’s Organic), Rick Moller (Tree of Life, Inc.), Robyn Nick (WhiteWave Foods), Michael I. Sencer (Hidden Villa Ranch), Tracie Sinks (UNFI) and Gunta Vitins (SunOpta, Inc.).
Of note: In an unprecedented move, Small Planet Foods has made a five-year pledge at the Leadership Circle level, thus giving next year’s campaign—and those following—an early and strong start.
OTA’s Leadership Circle and other top donors will be recognized at OTA’s Annual Dinner October 15, 2010, in Boston during the All Things Organic™ co-located with the Natural Products Expo East. For more information or for tickets, contact Karen Ammann (kammann@ota.com, 413-376-1212).
To view a list of all OTA 2010 Annual Fund investors, go to www.ota.com/about/2010investors.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 Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. 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).
