WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 19, 2025) -- The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is pleased to announce it has received a total of $1,042,035 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market Access Program (MAP) to promote U.S. organic products around the world in 2025.  

This funding includes $971,393 in new allocations and $70,642 in carryover funds. The award comes alongside the additional $2.5 million received at the end of 2024 from the second tranche of the Regional Agricultural Promotional Program (RAPP). This $5 million in RAPP funding paired with the new MAP funding offers critical support to bring U.S. organic companies to trade activities globally and continue to open foreign markets.  

“Consumers around the world are choosing organic,” says Sarah Gorman, Manager of International Trade for OTA. “Our activities showcase and educate key markets on the quality, integrity, and variety of USDA certified organic products available for export. This year’s activities are taking place in a wide range of markets – from our more established trading partners to new untapped markets.”  

“Since 1999, OTA has been participating in USDA’s Market Access Program and bringing the U.S. organic industry to markets throughout the globe. We’ve created new opportunities for organic businesses through international promotions, organic exporter education and business to business connections. These opportunities don’t just help organic farmers – they also create jobs and economic opportunities across all sectors,” says OTA co-CEO Tom Chapman.  

Global demand for U.S. organic continues to strengthen as American exporters introduce new products annually to consumers overseas. USDA statistics show an 18 percent increase in exports over the last year. Canada and Mexico remain the primary export destination for U.S. organic products by a wide margin, though Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates are also strong export markets. Within the last couple of years, Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, and India have also edged into the top 10 export destinations.

The USDA has estimated that for each $1 invested in export market development, U.S. agricultural exports have increased by more than $24. The department is providing a total of $172.3 million through MAP for fiscal year 2025 to 70 Market Development Program Cooperators.  

A host of OTA international activities in 2025

OTA is showcasing American-produced organic products to a wide and diverse global audience this year, from the world’s biggest organic trade fair in Germany to trade shows and missions stretching across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The year’s activities have already kicked off in a big and successful way. OTA hosted its largest pavilion ever with 18 U.S. organic companies at Biofach in Nuremberg, Germany, in early February. Biofach is the world’s largest trade fair devoted to organic, attracting thousands of international visitors. Following Germany, OTA sponsored five organic brands to the sprawling Gulfood show in Dubai, the largest food and beverage trade show in the MidEast. Next it was the big 50th FoodEx in Tokyo, where OTA showcased six organic companies. Other 2025 trade promotion activities on the calendar are Food & Hotel Asia in Singapore, Thaifex in Bangkok, Anuga in Germany, and FiE in Paris.

With this robust 2025 funding, OTA plans to continue its consumer promotion activities in Japan, Canada, and Hong Kong, along with launching new promotions in Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

The Regional Agricultural Promotional Program (RAPP) was launched in 2023 by USDA to diversify and expand market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products into new markets in parts of the world where the middle class is growing and the desire for high-quality food and farm products is increasing. Activities have focused on boosting U.S. organic exports to Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean. The newest allocation includes the EU, where OTA is planning a new consumer promotion campaign, as well as support for its traditional trade promotion programming.

RAPP funding allowed for OTA’s first engagement in Africa in 2024, where OTA sponsored four U.S. organic companies in a USDA Agriculture Trade Mission to Casablanca, Morocco to initially explore and open the markets of Morocco and West Africa for U.S. organic exports. This mission created key partnerships with local buyers, the American Chamber of Commerce in Morocco, and other cooperators attending the mission. Participating companies learned more about this still niche market and consumer preferences, and took an important first step into exploring the region and creating future opportunities.

OTA’s member companies provide the bulk of all U.S. organic exports. The market promotion activities administered by the association are open to the entire organic industry, however, not just members. For more information or to sign up for activities, visit OTA’s website. 

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About the Organic Trade Association
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing organic businesses and producers across the nation. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, brands, retailers and others. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.

Washington, D.C. (March 17, 2025) — The Organic Trade Association (OTA) continues to urge Congress to invest in organic agriculture. The OTA believes it is vital to enable the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue operating for the benefit of our farmers and other OTA business members, however, the budget as approved falls far short in certain areas and must be reconsidered– mainly, the full-year Continuing Resolution (CR) provides no additional resources for the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the National Organic Program (NOP) despite organic food sales continuing to grow at twice the rate of total retail sales.  

We need Congress to find a long-term budget agreement to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted functioning of our government and to turn its focus to updating and bolstering key programs in the future Farm Bill, which is vital to support organic regulation and prevent fraud, provide important research and risk management tools for farmers, and implement policies that strengthen the resiliency of domestic organic supply chain. Funding is also critically important for certain key organic “orphan programs” that ensure the integrity of imported organic goods, support organic farmers in making planting and marketing decisions, and provide financial assistance to farmers obtaining or renewing their organic certification.  OTA urges Congress to include these vital programs in a long-term spending bill to ensure stability and support for organic farmers and the consumers who rely on domestically grown and produced organic products.

For an interview with OTA leadership on this issue, contact Sandy Pfaff at spfaff@ota.com.

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About the Organic Trade Association
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing organic businesses and producers across the nation. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, brands, retailers and others. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.

As the foremost voice of the $70 billion organic industry, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) will have a big presence at the Natural Products Expo West 2025 trade show March 4-7, in Anaheim, California.  In addition to hosting a booth at the event, OTA will be leading a series of insightful education sessions on trends in consumer behavior and perception towards organic and competing claims, marketing discussions to help organic continue to grow and thrive, opportunities to advance organic in school procurement, and policy updates from Washington, DC that impact organic, including tariffs.

Here’s How to Connect with the Organic Trade Association at Expo West 2025:

• Engage with OTA at Booth 1735 - Get the latest updates on critical issues impacting the organic industry, explore the resources OTA offers, and dive into how OTA is advocating for organic on Capitol Hill.
• Schedule one-on-one meetings with Matt Landi, OTA VP of Industry Relations to discuss how to tackle challenges, build opportunities, or strategize for growth in the organic marketplace.
• Attend OTA-led education sessions throughout Expo, including:

1. State of Organic: From Consumer Behavior to Policy Impact – A Comprehensive Market Update
Wednesday March 5th, 10:00 – 11:30am PT | Marriott Grand Ballroom E 
The first half of this session will dive into data, trends and relevant insights from the Organic Trade Association’s just-released consumer research study. Discussion will include how USDA Organic compares to other popular claims and certifications in the marketplace. The second half of this session will focus on government affairs and the current political landscape for organic in D.C., including discussion of OTA’s advocacy strategy for the organic industry on Capitol Hill.

• Speakers:
  • Industry Data and Trends – Tom Chapman, co-CEO, Organic Trade Association; Heidi Diestel, Diestel Family Ranch; Sandy Pfaff, Media Relations, Organic Trade Association
  • Government Affairs – Matthew Dillon, co-CEO, Organic Trade Association; Adam Warthesen, Vice President, Government and Industry Affairs, Organic Valley; Ivanna Yang, Vice President, Government Affairs, Organic Trade Association

2. U.S. Organic Trade: International Market Opportunities & Trade Policy Updates
Wednesday, March 5th, 11:30 – 12:30pm PT | Anaheim Convention Center Room 204C
OTA will provide an analysis of the U.S. organic market, including industry size,     trending consumer categories, resources for international buyers and tools for accessing information and connecting with suppliers.

• Speaker: Scott Rice, Sr. Director of Regulatory at OTA

3. Tapping into Schools: A Growing Organic Market Opportunity
Thursday, March 6th 2:30pm – 3:30pm | Marriott Grand Ballroom E 
This session will explore market opportunities to work with school districts, as many organic brands are stepping up to the challenge of ensuring all students have access to nutritious, healthy food. 

• Speakers:
  • Matt Landi, Vice President of Industry Relations at OTA
  • Judi Shils, Founder & Executive Director, Conscious Kitchen
  • Barbara Jellison, Executive Director of Food Service at the West Contra Costa Unified School District
  • Sasha Bricel, Director of Marketing Services at Nature's Path
  • Albert Straus, Founder & Executive Chair at Straus Family Creamery

4. Inside Organic Workshop: Elevate, Educate, Communicate—What’s Your Organic Message? 
Friday, March 7th 11:00am–12:00pm | Marriott Grand Ballroom F
This collaborative workshop-style roundtable discussion will focus on compelling messaging of organic attributes and expansion of educational resources to help the industry continue to grow and thrive. 

• Speakers:
  • Tom Chapman, co-CEO, Organic Trade Association
  • Nancy Coulter-Parker, Director, Content Marketing, New Hope Network
  • Simon Cutts, Sr. Director, Retail Partners, SPINS

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About the Organic Trade Association
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing organic businesses and producers across the nation. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, brands, retailers and others. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.

Washington, D.C. (February 24, 2025) — Almost a year ago, the biggest changes in organic regulations since the creation of USDA’s National Organic Program went into effect with the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule. The Organic Trade Association (OTA) led the advocacy efforts for the sweeping new rules, and at this week’s USDA Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, Scott Rice, OTA’s Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs. will update on how the $70-billion organic sector has adjusted.

Speaking at the forum’s Organic Outlook session on Friday, Feb 28, Rice will talk about what’s been working and hasn’t been working. In his presentation “Strengthening Organic Enforcement, One Year On: Successes, Challenges and Opportunities,” he will explain the need for SOE, what SOE covers and the industry reception to SOE.  

The SOE requires USDA certification of nearly all operations in the organic supply chain, the use of import certificates for all organic product brought into the U.S., and the incorporation of supply chain traceability and organic fraud prevention into operation practices. These changes have introduced greater transparency, some industry challenges, and opportunities for growth.

Other panelists in the session will provide an organic market outlook, the global trends in organic, and an overview of the federal programs for organic farmers.  

Media interested in interviewing Rice at the event should contact Maggie McNeil at mmcneil@ota.com

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About the Organic Trade Association
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing organic businesses and producers across the nation. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, brands, retailers and others. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A $70-billion market now, organic may be maturing, but younger consumers --including new parents and their babies -- are eating it up. A survey released by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) finds that organic’s benefits to personal health and nutrition are resonating deeply with Millennials and Gen Zer's, making them the most committed organic consumers of any generation.   

In its new “Consumer Perception of USDA Organic and Competing Label Claims,” OTA partnered with Euromonitor International to survey over 2,500 consumers across the country in October 2024. Survey participants were asked about their familiarity with organic and other food label claims, their priorities in making food choices, how often they bought organic, and how willing they were to pay a premium for the organic label. 

The results showed that not only do members of the Millennial and Gen Z generations buy the most organic, but that the USDA Organic label garners the deepest trust from consumers of all ages and is synonymous with health in the minds of most shoppers. Organic’s benefits to personal health outrank its benefits to environmental health in purchase decisions, especially with younger consumers, and the sometimes-higher prices of organic products are not an obstacle to those health-conscious individuals. 

While older demographics may worry about the affordability of organic, the younger consumer – at every income level -- is more willing to pay a premium for organic. The Gen Z generation (those between the ages of 13 and 28) in particular is leading the way in prioritizing organic, with nearly 90 percent of consumers surveyed in that age group already either a committed or relatively new consumer of organic. As this generation matures, has families, and advances professionally, all signs point to the Gen Zer’s being the drivers of organic into the future. 

“There’s lots of good news in this report: younger consumers are embracing organic; consumers of all ages value the Organic label more than any other food label or claim,” said Tom Chapman, Co-CEO of the OTA. “The challenge to the organic sector is to demonstrate the distinct value of the USDA Organic label and break through the noise of all the other health, nutrition and sustainability claims in the marketplace.”   

“Free from” and health-first  

Consumers surveyed want their food to be clean and safe. That means free from toxic pesticides and chemicals, free from GMO’s, and produced without synthetic hormones and the heavy use of antibiotics. When sorting through the multitude of labels and claims in the grocery aisles, the survey found that while the big labels like organic, natural and local are familiar to today’s shopper, the “free from” or single attribute claims like no added hormones and raised without antibiotics carry greater weight in what finally lands in the shopping cart.  

The sticking point here for organic, according to the survey findings, is that shoppers frequently do not realize that organic certification inherently meets all these "free-from" expectations. The USDA Organic label is backed up by strict government standards that ban the use of toxic pesticides and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, antibiotics, synthetic hormones, and GMO’s. The survey results showed there is an untapped opportunity to more clearly inform consumers, especially the younger ones, about the full scope of what that Organic label stands for. 

“This latest survey shows a great opportunity for organic,” said Matthew Dillon, Co-CEO of OTA. “Today’s younger consumers who are driving organic’s growth pay close attention to claims and want to know more about the products they’re buying. At times they don’t realize that organic encompasses the single attribute claims they value, like no antibiotics or growth hormones. We have an opening here to educate consumers, about the broad sweep of value and the attributes organic offers.” 

Another revealing finding was that claims tied to the health and nutritional benefits of organic are more important to younger consumers in their purchasing decisions than broader environmental claims. That said, the survey shows that a consumer shift could be beginning, with younger generations increasingly considering the social and environmental impacts of their buying patterns. So, while the “secondary” environmental benefits of organic may not yet tip the scales for organic, it is a key part of the organic promise.  

Regenerative claim not yet clearly understood or valued 
The survey looked at 11 different food and beverage claims and certifications to see how organic stacked up. The food and beverage claims included in the survey were organic, natural, local, raised without antibiotics, non-GMO, no added hormones, free range, pasture raised, humanely raised, fair trade and regenerative. 

Organic, local and natural were the claims consumers said they knew the best, with 90 percent of those surveyed familiar with organic. The regenerative claim, while increasingly part of the food industry lexicon, does not appear to have hit home yet with most consumers. Over 40 percent of consumers surveyed said they were unsure about what regenerative means, only about 25 percent found the regenerative claim important, and only 10 percent said they are willing to pay more for a product labeled regenerative.  

Careful choices by young minds 

Younger generations are reading the labels of their food closely. OTA’s survey found that food claims like organic, vegan and allergen-free are almost 40 percent more important to Millennials and Gen Zer’s than to older generations.  

The USDA Organic label is particularly important for younger consumers, with over two-thirds seeking out the organic label in almost every food purchase. The Organic label was most valued in fresh food categories like fruits, vegetables, meat/poultry, baby food, eggs and dairy, and these items were the most likely products to be purchased as organic over the last 12 months.  

More than half of U.S. consumers bought an organic fruit or vegetable in the last year. Consumers surveyed bought more bread in the last 6 months than any other food item, and 27 percent said they chose organic bread. For those surveyed consumers buying baby food, a whopping 93 percent chose organic.  

“In just a little over two decades, the USDA Organic label has earned deep trust among consumers and has become one of the most identifiable food labels in our grocery stores,” said OTA’s Dillon. “The Gen Z consumer is now making its presence known, and this survey shows it puts a high value on organic. By continuing to reach out to this generation, and to all consumers, organic can establish a foundation for sustained growth across future generations.” 

Media interested in obtaining the Executive Summary of the survey can contact Sandy Pfaff.  

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About the Organic Trade Association
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing organic businesses and producers across the nation. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, brands, retailers and others. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA), our business members, and the nonprofits with whom we work are deeply concerned with the January 27th OMB memorandum on the “Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs” and any associated communication post-recissions of the broad freezing of funds for already obligated federal grants. Many farms and businesses have already spent dollars and are awaiting reimbursement from these government programs. Farm businesses and organizations have made financial decisions, signed contracts, and otherwise obligated themselves and exposed themselves to financial risk based on the belief that they had a legal and binding agreement with the federal government. Funds must be dispersed for any grants or contracts that have already been executed with American businesses.

Within our membership, there are awardees for grants for on-farm infrastructure or equipment, expanding manufacturing capacity, technical assistance to farmers, dairy business innovation, and overseas market development. A pause for any length of would be extremely challenging and disrupt investments for American farms, rural communities, and businesses. We urge Congress to work with the administration to quickly resolve the confusion and broad blanketing of such important investments in American agriculture.

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About the Organic Trade Association

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing organic businesses and producers across the nation. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, brands. retailers and others. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.

Washington, D.C. — The Organic Trade Association is pleased to announce the expansion of its leadership team with the hiring of two new vice presidents in key strategic and growth roles.  Joining the association as Vice President of Government Affairs is Ivanna Yang, and as Vice President of Industry Relations is Matt Landi. 

Yang will spearhead OTA’s legislative advocacy efforts in achieving organic priorities in appropriations, the farm bill, and tax and trade policies. She will work with OTA’s DC coalition partners and other agriculture associations, as well as with lawmakers and policy makers to advance and grow organic agriculture. 

Yang is an accomplished government affairs manager and coalition builder on both the state and federal level. She most recently led the government affairs program for Geno, a leader in the technology of replacing fossil fuels with plant-based feedstocks to accelerate the transition to sustainable materials. Yang has been at the forefront of successful and innovative manufacturing and consumer protection campaigns at every level of government.    

“I look forward to working with the new Congress and Administration to ensure that the organic industry and our members have a seat at the table and a hand in crafting legislation to strengthen and transform our food systems. As an avid consumer of organic products, I am thrilled to represent an industry that touches many of our lives every day,” said Yang.  

As Vice President of Industry Relations, Landi will lead a department that includes membership engagement, events, and membership-related communications and marketing. This will include the team that guides OTA’s sector councils such as Produce, Fiber, Dairy, Grains, Dietary Supplements, and Wine, with a new Poultry Council on the way.  

Landi brings to his new position over two decades in the organic food and agricultural trade in a number of different leadership roles in California, the Pacific Northwest and New England. His career has included stints in retail, wholesale distribution, international trade and more recently leading a regional start up brand in Vermont. Landi has also served as board chair for OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) and board president for the SFTA (Sustainable Food Trade Association). 

"I’m grateful to have found purposeful and fulfilling livelihood in advancing organic agriculture over the last 20+ years and am honored to take on this new role as part of the amazing OTA team.  There's no place I'd rather put my energy than working on behalf of the organic trade, and I look forward to serving our incredible community of members and stakeholders,” said Landi.   

“Bringing these two outstanding and experienced individuals into our leadership team will greatly enhance our work to advocate for organic farmers and businesses, and to better serve our members. We are thrilled to have Ivanna and Matt on our team,” said Matthew Dillon, Co-CEO of OTA. 

“Organic is facing many challenges and also opportunities in the coming years. Ivanna’s and Matt’s expertise, along with their proven commitment to organic, will help us meet those challenges and take advantage of the opportunities. The OTA team has never been stronger,” said Tom Chapman, Co-CEO of OTA.  

The Organic Trade Association is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing organic businesses and producers across the nation. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, brands. retailers and others. 

 

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) applauds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (ISDA) National Organic Program (NOP) for finalizing the Market Development for Mushrooms and Pet Food rule. OTA supports the development of market opportunities for organic producers, and this final rule aligns directly with our mission to grow the industry. This final rule addresses the unique aspects of mushroom and pet food with the introduction of specific standards and resolves uncertainty and inconsistency in the certification of these product categories. 

While targeted at expanding the mushroom and pet food categories, this rule also opens opportunities for ingredient suppliers to these categories. For example, with the clarification that organic livestock off-cuts may now be included in a high-quality organic pet food diet, organic livestock producers are presented with a market opportunity and potential price premium.  

OTA has long advocated for clear practice standards to support consistency in production, a fair playing field in the marketplace, and a commonly understood definition of organic by the consumer. Publication of this final rule draws on four National Organic Standards Board recommendations dating to 1995 and builds on OTA’s successful advocacy and engagement in moving these backlogged recommendations forward. Keeping USDA organic regulations current and reflective of consumer expectations is essential to maintaining trust and value in the organic label.

With a compliance date of February 2027, the industry has a two-year period to adjust and implement the requirements of this final rule. OTA will use this time to focus on providing the support and resources needed to its members to ensure successful compliance with this significant new rule. 

Washington, D.C. — The Organic Trade Association welcomes the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s continuing support for organic dairy farmers through the Organic Dairy Market Assistance Program (ODMAP). Today’s announcement by USDA that it is making available $58 million in assistance funds to U.S. organic dairies is good news for organic operations, particularly small- and medium-sized operations, who are dealing with sharply increased operating and marketing costs, and organic commodities in short supply.  

OTA also commends USDA for making notable improvements for farmers applying for ODMAP assistance. USDA is using organic-specific pricing to make their financial assistance calculations, which will result in more realistic aid levels for organic dairy operators. The agency has increased its payment rate to $1.68 per cwt from last year’s rate of $1.10 and will provide coverage for 9 million pounds of milk per operation, compared to 5 million pounds in 2023. 

“We applaud USDA for recognizing the unique production and marketing expenses of organic farming and using data from its National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) on organic milk costs to raise the pay price to $1.68,” said Tom Chapman, Co-CEO for OTA. “This targeted support acknowledges organic’s distinct cost structures and will help strengthen American organic dairy farms.” 

Organic dairy operators also welcomed the announcement, saying the financial assistance is critical to struggling organic dairy farmers and processors. 

“USDA’s Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program is stemming the loss of organic dairy farms in the U.S. by helping farmers regain financial stability following the recent and unprecedented period of extremely high animal feed costs,” said Joseph Button, Vice President of Sustainability & Strategic Impact at Strauss Family Creamery, a family-owned dairy in California. “As organic dairy farmers and processors work to adapt to extreme weather challenges and general inflationary pressures, this critical financial assistance from USDA affirms the importance of the organic dairy sector and the nutrient-dense foods it provides for our communities across the U.S.”    

“These resources will make a difference for hundreds of organic dairy farmers in rural communities across the U.S.” said dairy farmer David Hardy of Mohawk, New York, who serves as board chair for Organic Valley dairy cooperative which has over 1,400 organic dairy farm-owners. “There have been a lot of organic dairy farmers who have faced horrific drought and weather conditions this past year, and USDA is right to offer this relief to help offset some of those losses. I know a lot of family farms in our membership that are going to use these funds to buy organic feed and pay off outstanding bills. It can’t come soon enough.” 

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About the Organic Trade Association

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing more than 500 organic businesses across 50 states and 9,500 farmers through its Farmers Advisory Council. 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 ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.

An organic grains farm in Montana offering first-of-a-kind Community Supported Stewardship Agriculture shares to support organic farm practices, a sustainable fashion company producing Billie Eilish T-shirts made from organic cotton being sold in Target stores nationwide, a leading organic certifier launching a financial assistance program that offsets certification costs, an organic granola maker in Canada partnering with food banks to develop organic granola available at cost to customers. 

These are just a few of the creative and transformative organic initiatives underway by members of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) that the association is showcasing in its celebration of Organic Month in September. In its encompassing month-long campaign, OTA will share the stories of its organic champion members, highlight the benefits of choosing organic and raise awareness about organic agriculture.  

“Organic month is a fantastic opportunity to promote the benefits and importance of organic farming and products, and to celebrate our commitment and dedication to organic,” said OTA Co-CEO Matthew Dillon. “We have a host of activities and outreach planned for our members and for any consumer who wants to support a movement that prioritizes health, environmental sustainability and ethical practices.” 

“Our campaign encourages consumers to support organic products by highlighting their benefits for personal health, eco-friendly agriculture, and animal welfare,” said OTA Co-CEO Tom Chapman. “We want to inspire more people to choose organic, and in doing so, join our efforts to expand organic agriculture and organic production, and to make healthy, clean organic food accessible to all.” 

The trade association is kicking off a social media campaign to highlight the innovative programs and practices underway by its members to increase organic production and boost the availability of organic to consumers. The association will be publishing newsletters throughout the month featuring organic initiatives and developments, and is making available to the public its deep library of organic resources, educational guides and promotional toolkits.   

The U.S. organic market is now a nearly $70 billion market, posting a new record in dollar sales in 2023, according to OTA’s 2024 Organic Industry Survey. Organic sales have doubled over the past ten years, and organic food now accounts for six percent of the nation’s total retail food sales. The organic seal has stayed a stand-out with consumers, reflecting a growing consumer focus on personal and family health, sustainability, and a desire for clean products free from antibiotics, hormones, preservatives and dyes.   

For more information on OTA’s activities during Organic Month, go here:  /resources/organic-month

About the Organic Trade Association

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing more than 500 organic businesses across 50 states and 9,500 farmers through its Farmers Advisory Council. 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 ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.