Participants to convene for Organic Week 2022

With the farm bill just one year away, the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA) upcoming 2022 Organic Week conference will be a prime opportunity for leaders from across the industry to network, receive the latest news and analysis from national experts, and coordinate policy advocacy.

Organic Week 2022 will take place from March 28-30 at D.C.’s Intercontinental Hotel on the Wharf.

“We talk often about the future of organic, but honestly, the future is now,”  Laura Batcha, OTA’s CEO and executive director, said in a news release. “The health of our planet and our population demand that we get serious about climate issues; as the original climate smart agriculture, organic stands ready to lead. Organic Week is our opportunity to bring industry leaders from every sector together to learn and collaborate on the most important issues facing agriculture today, like advancing the Continuous Improvement & Accountability in Organic (CIAO) Standards Act to ensure that organic remains dynamic and responsive. We’ve got a lot of work to do at this Organic Week – but we’ll be doing plenty of celebrating, too.”

Organic Week 2022 will take place over three days: Member Day, Conference Day, and Advocacy Day. From March 28-30, members will attend working sessions with issue experts, participate in interactive sessions to plan for the next farm bill, and head to the Hill to speak about organic policy priorities with congressional and administrative leadership.

Organic Week 2022 highlights include:

Discussions with national organic leaders including Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt and former USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan.

Climate Action panel featuring USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Programs Robert Bonnie, Textile Exchange Climate + Strategy Director Beth Jensen, and CalCAN Policy Director Jeanne Merrill. Discussion led by Chris Adamo, Vice President of Government Affairs, Policy, and Partnerships at Danone North America.

Discussion on the “Impact of Pesticides on Communities of Color” led by the Organic Trade Association’s Vice President of Administration Stephanie Jerger, followed by a conversation between Founder of Food Tank Dani Nierenberg and Chef Eric Adjepong on the Importance of Representation in Food and an all-organic dinner by Chef Adjepong celebrating OTA’s 2021 Organic Leadership Honorees.

Find full conference details here. For media registration options, please reach out to OTA Director of Public Affairs Reana Kovalcik at rkovalcik@ota.com.