For Immediate Release Contact:
Holly Givens
May 21, 1999
Organic Trade Association
Phone: 413/774-7511
Greenfield, MA—A draft of the American Organic Standards developed by the
Organic Trade Association (OTA) will be available for comment June 1 through
June 30. Growers, manufacturers, brokers, distributors, certifiers,
inspectors, retailers and others who produce, handle or sell organic
products, as well as environmental, public interest and consumer groups are
urged to read the standards at the Organic Trade Association web site
(www.ota.com) and submit comments.
Initiated by the OTA’s Certifiers Council and developed in cooperation with
the Quality Assurance Committee of the Organic Trade Association, the
American Organic Standards project is designed to update OTA’s organic
industry guidelines and to build consensus in preparation for the release of
federal organic regulations. The draft standards have been compiled by Jim
Riddle, Emily Brown-Rosen and Lynn Coody.
“Commenting on the Draft of the American Organic Standards is one way that
the organic community can participate in updating the organic industry’s
existing stringent standards,” said Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of
the Organic Trade Association. “The work going into the American Organic
Standards Project will also be used to guide the industry through the next
comment period on regulations proposed by the United States Department of
Agriculture.”
Comments from within every sector of the organic community will be analyzed
and used in subsequent drafts of the standards. The American Organic
Standards second draft is slated to go through a second public comment period
in August, and the final draft will be completed by the end of October.
Funding to complete the project is still needed. Businesses or individuals
interested in contributing to the project can make payments available to:
Organic Excellence Fund, c/o Oregon Tilth, 1860 Hawthorne NE, Suite 200,
Salem, OR 97303.
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the business association representing
the organic agriculture industry in North America. Its 1000 members include
growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations,
distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA's
industry advisory boards, which include Organic Certifiers Council, Organic
Fiber Council, and Organic Suppliers Advisory Council, focus attention on and
recommend service for their particular sectors of the organic industry.
Founded in 1985, OTA's mission is to encourage global sustainability through
promoting and protecting the growth of diverse organic trade.
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