Jan 22, 2019
Chef, consumer activist set for Organic Produce Summit
Award-winning chef and author Dan Barber and organic consumer activist Robyn O’Brien have been confirmed as keynote presenters at the fourth annual Organic Produce Summit (OPS), this coming July in Monterey, California.
Barber and O’Brien will present a pair of TedTalk style presentations which headline an informative and insightful series of educational sessions at OPS 2019, July 10-11 at the Monterey Conference Center. OPS is the only event dedicated exclusivity to bringing together organic fresh produce growers, shippers and processors with retailer and buying organizations from across the globe.
Barber is the chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and the author of The Third Plate (May 2014, The Penguin Press). Barber also co-founded Row 7 Seed Company, a seed company bringing together chefs and plant breeders in the development of new varieties of vegetables and grains. His opinions on food and agricultural policy have appeared in the New York Times, along with many other publications.
Appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, Barber continues the work that he began as a member of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture’s board of directors: to blur the line between the dining experience and the educational, bringing the principles of good farming directly to the table.
Barber has received multiple James Beard awards including Best Chef: New York City (2006) and the country’s Outstanding Chef (2009). In 2009, he was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.
O’Brien is the vice president of rePlant Capital, a financial services firm focused on reversing climate change. She was a founding team member of AIM/Invesco’s first hedge fund of $100+ million and a team member on their $20 billion Constellation Fund. She was an advisor to Paul Hawken’s “Drawdown” (published in April 2017) and has advised startups, banks and multinationals, while working with global CEOs and management teams in the food industry.
O’Brien is also the founder of Do Good, a strategic advisory firm, and AllergyKids Foundation, which serves the 1 in 3 children with allergies, asthma, ADHD and autism. Random House published her book, The Unhealthy Truth, in 2009, and her TEDx talk has been viewed by millions and translated into multiple languages.
“We’re thrilled to have two dynamic and engaging leaders in their fields providing OPS attendees with thought provoking and inspiring content which highlights the growth and opportunities related to organic fresh produce,” said Susan Canales, President of OPS. “Both Robyn and Dan are very excited about the chance to speak to OPS attendees on the importance of the products they are growing and selling that are truly impacting consumer’s lifestyles and eating habits.”
In addition to the pair’s presentations, a Retailer Roundtable featuring three of North America’s most prominent retailers will be included in the Keynote program of OPS 2019. Also, a series of six educational sessions featuring informative and engaging topics and leaders from the organic fresh produce industry are being finalized and will be announced in the coming weeks.
The fourth annual OPS features a sold-out exhibition that will showcase 140 of North America’s organic fresh produce growers, shippers and processors exhibiting their products to over 200 retailers and buyers. Field tours at several of the nation’s leading organic producers are also available for qualified retailers and wholesalers at OPS.
Retailer and general registration for OPS 2018 is available at www.organicproducesummit.com.
Additional information about the event, including schedule, sponsors and a complete list of exhibiting companies is also available on the website.
