2010 Press Releases
Striking new research about health benefits of organic to be featured
OTA’s educational track at Natural Products Expo East will provide thought-provoking session
Contact: Barbara Haumann (bhaumann@ota.com; 413-376-1220)
BOSTON, Mass. (Oct. 7, 2010)—Fifteen sessions offered through the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA’s) organic conference track at Natural Products Expo East at the Boston Convention Center here Oct. 14-16 will provide a unique educational experience not available at any other industry event. From new market data to face time with top media outlets to direct updates from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials, this will be the place where the organic community comes together to learn.
“OTA’s conference program will provide invaluable timely and strategic information and discussion about critical topics related to organic agriculture and trade,” says Christine Bushway, OTA’s Executive Director and CEO. “We look forward to meeting with industry representatives for this important interchange.”
Among the exciting offerings will be a scientific panel focusing on the health benefits of organic. This panel will spotlight major study findings released this year that recommend avoiding foods produced with the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, and growth hormones to reduce the risk of cancer and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and that show organic produce offers extra benefits. Panelist in the session, entitled “Health Benefits of Organic—More than Eating Well,” will feature Dr. Chensheng Lu, Professor of Environmental Exposure Biology at Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Asa Bradman, Environmental Health Scientist at the University of California—Berkeley School of Public Health, and Dr. John Reganold, Regents Professor of Soil Science at Washington State University. This session will be held Thursday, Oct. 14, at 3:30 p.m.
“Organic Markets 2010,” “Organic and Natural: Finding the way forward,” and sessions on organic private label and organic personal care products presented in other program slots during the three-day conference also are expected to generate much interest and discussion.
The complete listing of sessions and speakers is available online (http://ota.com/allthingsorganic/conference_schedule.html)
Meanwhile, OTA will honor Theresa Marquez of Organic Valley and Bob Quinn of Kamut® International with its prestigious Organic Leadership Awards for 2010 at the its Annual Dinner and Dance Friday, Oct. 15. Marquez, Chief Marketing Executive of Organic Valley, will receive the OTA Organic Leadership Award in the “Growing the Organic Industry” category, while Quinn, President of Kamut® International, will receive the award in the “Growing Organic Agriculture” category. This event will take place from 7 to 11 p.m. on Friday at the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama.
Other OTA Member Days activities will include OTA’s Annual Meeting slated for 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14. The theme for this year’s meeting will be “Cheers to OTA’s 25th Anniversary.” In addition, OTA’s Hospitality Lounge on the show floor will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and again from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
In addition, OTA will provide four film screenings, three of which will be presented in its Hospitality Lounge on the show floor. The first screening, featuring Fair Food: Field to Table, will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15, with Research and Project Coordinator Alida Cantor on hand to lead a discussion with the audience concerning fair labor conditions in American agriculture. This will be followed by a screening of What’s Organic About Organic? at 4 p.m. Friday. For this screening, filmmaker Shelley Rogers and former OTA Board member Marty Mesh will be on hand after the screening to discuss the film, which examines how organic farming has evolved in recent years. On Saturday, Oct. 16, a screening and facilitated discussion of Sandra Steingraber’s acclaimed documentary Living Downstream about the link between environmental contamination and cancer incidence will be presented at noon. The fourth screening, to be held in Room 208 of the convention center, will feature an informational film on the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) at 1 p.m. Saturday.
OTA will be staffing Booth 3843 as part of the All Things Organic™ branded pavilion on the show floor. There, attendees can learn more about this membership-based business association and have access to resources concerning organic agriculture and products.
Many of OTA’s member communities are also gathering as part of OTA Member Days. Forum participants will come together to share ideas on everything from U.S. government affairs to international trade. Some OTA task force volunteers will also meet for updates and working sessions.
OTA will have photographs available after the show. Members of the press may obtain these by contacting bhaumann@ota.com.
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).
