OTA Seeks Suggestions for Voluntary Check-Off Program

The Organic Trade Association is inviting stakeholders to offer their best ideas on how to collaboratively design and implement a voluntary industry-backed “check-off” type of program for the organic sector.

The Washington, D.C.-based trade group has officially opened a six-month period, loosely based on the advance-notice-of-proposed-rulemaking format used by government agencies, for those interested to answer key questions on the private-sector initiative, dubbed GRO Organic (short for Generate Results and Opportunity for Organic). The questions focus on five specific concerns of a voluntary program: participation, funding, decision making, programming and general issues. Contributors must file their submissions electronically, with the submissions embedded or attached.

According to OTA, this period “is an important opportunity to weigh in and help shape this voluntary program at the start of the process.” 

In September, the organization unveiled a plan for a voluntary private-sector funded program to promote the organic brand, raise funds for organic research and consumer education, and foster more organic agriculture in the United States, forming a steering committee to coordinate and lead the efforts. The official invitation for ideas from stakeholders is the next step in the process.

“We want GRO Organic to be a bold and engaged opt-in program that pools resources from everyone who can contribute so that we can collectively address critical needs across the organic sector,” explained OTA Executive Director and CEO Laura Batcha. “The need for more investment in organic is widely agreed upon — how we solve for it is what we must now work together to determine.” 

“Given today’s changing markets and government policies, it is imperative that the organic industry work together to support research, education and awareness of certified organic food,” added Grant Lundberg, CEO of Richvale, Calif.-based Lundberg Family Farms and a member of the GRO Steering Committee. “The GRO process gives us the opportunity to provide the additional support our industry needs to help grow our organic certified supply and demand.”

The association has already set up four prototype programs that will roll out in January to enable investment in critical needs when a formal voluntary program is introduced. 

OTA submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in May 2015 to consider implementing a federally mandated organic check-off program, but in May 2018, more than a year after the comment period, USDA ended the rulemaking process without bringing the check-off vote to an industry referendum.  

Among other actions, OTA teamed with Organic Voices and the organization's It's Not Complicated on a national campaign to lessen confusion about organics, with a goal of raising at least $1 million for each of the next two years, and is conducting in-depth consumer research on the most effective ways to reinforce the organic brand. 

OTA represents more than 9,500 organic businesses across 50 states. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants and retailers.