OTA given $817K to boost trade in organic goods

The Organic Trade Association has been awarded almost $817,000 in funding through the USDA Market Access Program for the 2021 calendar year, teeing up an innovative international activity calendar for the new year.

“Our international development activities have been robust and creative this year, despite the challenges of COVID-19, and we look forward to another year of innovative initiatives. We thank USDA for appreciating our hard work and enabling us to continue to create new markets for American organic businesses,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association.

While much uncertainty remains about the possibility of travel going into the new year, the Organic Trade Association will continue with its successful Virtual Trade Missions, and is making preparations for international travel as well.

A virtual edition of the world’s largest trade fair for organic, Biofach, will lead off the new year from February 17-19, with more details still to come on the extent of virtual activities available. The trade association will hold a handful of virtual trade missions next spring, the first focused specifically on export opportunities for organic ingredients, to take place in March. Another virtual trade mission centered on Australia and New Zealand will take place in the first half of the year.

Although travel for trade shows and other in-person events is to be confirmed, the Organic Trade Association has tentative plans to exhibit at Gulfood, FoodEx Japan, Food and Hotel Asia, and Anuga, as well as trade missions planned for the UK, Amsterdam and Taiwan.

The Organic Trade Association has been an official cooperator in USDA’s Market Access Program for almost 20 years now – investing in the promotion of American organic agricultural products in global markets and connecting buyers and sellers to create new organic customers around the world.

The membership of the Organic Trade Associations provides the bulk of U.S. organic exports. The market promotion activities administered by the association are open to the entire organic industry, not just association members. For more information or to sign up for activities, visit its website.

For more information on the association’s international activities, contact Alexis Carey.

Above, a container ship moves into the Savannah, Georgia, harbor, during the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference at Savannah in January 2020. Photo: Stephen Kloosterman