Organic Trade Association, The Organic Center awarded USDA Market Development Grant
15 Mayo 2024 - 11:19AM
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) and The Organic Center are
pleased to be the recipients of $2.2 million in Organic Market
Development Grant (OMDG) matching funds from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) to expand organic markets through consumer
education and promotion. The funds provided by USDA match
those provided by the OTA, The Organic Center and Organic Voices
for a three-year project totaling $4.4 million.
The joint project by the
trade association and The Organic Center is designed to stimulate
the demand for and increase the sales of organic products by
promoting the science-backed benefits of USDA certified organic
products and farming to consumers. The project will be done in
collaboration with Organic Voices and an Industry Advisory
Committee.
“We thank USDA for making
this project possible with this important funding. Consumers lack
information about all that the USDA Organic label stands for and
all the benefits it delivers for human health, the environment, and
businesses,” said OTA co-CEO Tom Chapman. “Our project aims to
increase the consumption of organic by giving consumers access to
more credible information about what organic production and
processing means, and the advantages it provides.”
“We want to educate
people about the difference organic makes, and inspire them to
choose organic,” said Dr. Amber Sciligo, Director of Science
Programs for The Organic Center. “This project will highlight
organics’ ability to protect natural resources, sequester carbon
and regenerate soil health, while also providing nutritional
benefits and protecting us from synthetic pesticides,
preservatives, antibiotics and more. The more educated consumers
are about organic, the more likely they will seek out that Organic
label.”
The project will develop
fresh creative content on the regulatory and science-based
environmental, animal and human benefits of organic, focusing on
targeted information to motivate consumers to purchase organic
products, prioritizing organic dairy, grain and fiber. A full-scale
integrated marketing campaign will be launched, and particular
focus will be made to ensure that the promotion reaches beyond
mainstream organic markets into regions and communities where
organic production is not prevalent.
The project will
culminate with a final comprehensive report on effective organic
consumer marketing strategies, content, and messaging which will be
shared with the entire organic industry through the distribution of
printed copies of the report, and availability through social media
channels.
“The longevity of this
project will extend far beyond its 3-year timeframe,” said OTA
co-CEO Matthew Dillon. “The creation of valuable educational
content and marketing resources will continue to benefit organic
producers and brands, while the consumer promotion and education
campaign will yield a lasting impact by expanding the community of
informed organic consumers to create a growing and stable market
for organic.”
The Organic Market
Development Grant Program is part of the USDA Organic Transition
Initiative, a $300-million initiative launched in 2022, to help
existing organic farmers and those transitioning to organic
production and processing.
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About the Organic
Trade Association The Organic Trade Association
(OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic
agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice
for the organic trade in the United States, representing over
10,000 organic businesses across 50 states. Its members include
growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations,
distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and
others. OTA's Board of Directors is democratically elected by its
members. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a
unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from
farm to marketplace.
About The Organic
Center The Organic Center is a nonprofit research and
education organization whose mission is to convene credible,
evidence-based science on the health and environmental impacts of
organic food and farming and to communicate the findings to the
public. The Center works to fill critical industry knowledge gaps
by managing research projects and providing tools and training to
help organic farmers and businesses thrive. Its research projects
focus on climate change mitigation and environmental health, human
health, and building tools and solutions to support organic
operations. The Center operates under the administrative auspices
of the Organic Trade Association.
About Organic
Voices Organic Voices is a nonprofit organization whose
mission is to help consumers better appreciate and eliminate
confusion about all the benefits of Organic. It is dedicated to
educating consumers about the significance of the USDA Organic
seal, ROC certification, and GOTS certification through its Only
Organic campaign. It creates compelling educational content
tailored to inform and engage consumers, using multiple online
channels to reach new audiences through large-scale consumer-facing
campaigns. Partnering with brands, retailers, farmers, and
consumers, Organic Voices strives to amplify the message of the
benefits of organic and establish a unified voice throughout the
organic industry.
Maggie McNeil
Organic Trade Association
(202) 403-8514
mmcneil@ota.com