Washington, D.C.—Organic industry members will gather to share knowledge and collaborate during Organic Week 2023 on May 9-11, 2023. The event, hosted by the Organic Trade Association (OTA), focuses on policy-making in the organic sector, and creates a space to discuss crucial issues and opportunities. Organic week will provide stakeholders a chance to set the agenda for the future. During Organic Week, organic farmers, processors, shippers, certifiers, retailers, organic specialists and policy officials will work on solutions for the complex issues surrounding organic food and farming. Participants will focus on continuous improvement in organic, celebrate organic leaders, and work together to advance organic policy priorities.
3 Days of Collaboration, Discovery, Advocacy on Organic
Confluences Day | Tuesday, May 9
For Organic Week 2023, OTA is partnering with The Organic Center to present the 2023 Organic Confluences: Reducing Plastics Along the Entire Organic Supply Chain. It will include panel discussions to help businesses reduce plastics and create a more sustainable future for organic. Farmers will share their needs, priorities, and experiences with plastic and alternatives; researchers and plastic-alternative innovators will offer potential solutions; and policy experts will guide the discussion in the context of current National Organic Program (NOP) requirements and future direction. In addition, the official conference welcome reception that evening will honor this year’s Organic Leadership Awards Recipients.
Conference Day | Wednesday, May 10
Conference Day will begin with the remaining Organic Confluences sessions focusing on reducing plastics along the organic supply chain, followed by the Organic Policy Conference, highlighting critical organic issues and policy updates, heading into the 2023 Farm Bill cycle. Conference Day will feature keynote presentations and in-depth panel discussions around organic issues, including organic priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill. In addition, it will cover supply-chain challenges, untapped growth areas for the organic sector, climate-smart agricultural practices, nutrition equity, and ways to support more diverse business partners, according to OTA.
Advocacy Day│Thursday, May 11
On Advocacy Day, members will work in groups to attend hundreds of pre-scheduled meetings across Capitol Hill, advocating for the 2023 organic policy priorities to ensure organic standards, assist American farmers, and boost supply chains.
Organic Industry Survey Released
Top findings of the trade association’s annual Organic Industry Survey will be released during Organic Week.
New Farm Bill Underway to Tackle Inflation, Growth
A new Farm Bill is in progress that will help shape the direction of organic, keying in on inflation and other issues affecting consumers, farmers, and businesses. Further, the need to sustain organic’s growth and expand its benefits has never been greater, OTA stresses, and this will be a key talking point.
“Organic has seen some amazing policy advances over the past year that we hope will continue in the future, but we’ve also faced some strong headwinds from other directions,” said Tom Chapman, OTA CEO, in the press release. “Organic Week is coming at an opportune time for organic stakeholders to gather, learn, share ideas, hear from the experts and join forces to keep organic advancing.”
