OTA.COM 41 Member Communities Member Community Round-Up By Libby Mucciarone, Associate Director of Education, Technology, and Member Engagement TWO YEARS into the pandemic, there is perhaps no more familiar cultural phrase describing the past year than “You’re on mute.” It immediately conjures memories of a 2021 filled with virtual meetings. At the Organic Trade Association (OTA), many were meetings where members offered their knowledge, industry insights, and time within our member communities’ portfolio. Online meeting platforms provided members a virtual space to connect with familiar friends and new industry partners as our member communities continued taking steps to advance organic this past year. (And of course, these meetings regularly offered someone the chance to remind a friend they were on mute.) We offered more than 20 different member community engagement opportunities in 2021, some which focused on specific policy issues and others which built community among members across various organic sectors. There was much exciting work completed by our members and staff through our sector councils and task forces. As we have found, these communities provide members an opportunity to learn, network, share, teach, and develop leadership skills to help grow organic. The trade association also invites its members to participate in time-bound, task-charged, outcome-focused task forces, which are convened either by the Board of Directors, staff, or members to recommend a course of action or accomplish a specific objective. Some meet a few times only; others are driven by regulatory or legislative agendas such as the Origin of Livestock rulemaking, the Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act, or NOSB petition on ammonia extract. In 2021, over 10 task forces with 130 unique member organizations participated to shape policy recommendations and help to advance organic. Concurrent to this work, our sector councils offer networking, community building, and leadership opportunity to farms and companies that join. In the past year, we added two new Sector Councils: the Sustainable Food Trade Action Council (SFTAC) and the Diversity Council. Our sector councils represent members across the full supply chains of organic dairy, dietary supplements, fiber, grains, produce, and retailer sectors, as well as farmers. We have nearly 200 unique member organizations participating in nine sector councils, all of which meet virtually at least four times a year. Members develop and approve work plans with the guidance of staff liaisons. A look at council wins in 2021: X The Dairy Council continued forward progress on its goals to advocate for clear regulations and consistent enforcement of organic dairy standards, from helping to shape our comments for the NOSB spring proposed rule or closely monitoring the Origin of Livestock rulemaking process. This council also helped in evaluating the impact of Federal Milk Marketing Orders and other proposed changes on the organic dairy sector. This past year also was challenging, with particular attention to the northeastern United States where multiple dairy companies announced non-renewals of contracts for over 135 farms. Meeting time was dedicated to discussing solutions and evaluating how to prevent similar outcomes in the future, resulting in a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack outlining these potential solutions. With members representing farmers, processors, and manufacturers, the group is uniquely positioned to advocate now and in the future for solutions to grow the sector. X The Dietary Supplements Council prioritized its professional development through robust information sharing and networking at its meetings and advocacy for residue testing issues for supplements. Some of the key issues discussed included the impact of supply chain disruptions on industry and the growth and challenges of evolving organic hemp and hemp-derived ingredients. In collaboration with OTA’s Fiber Council, it supported the completion of the association’s Hemp Fact Sheet published at OTA.com/hemp. Since this council’s formation, it has prioritized and valued the education offered from NOSB updates from our Regulatory Team. It grew its membership in 2021, adding two new members, and looks forward to continual growth and education in 2022. XApproved by the Board in June 2021, the Diversity Council held its first meeting in August with over 30 people in attendance. It currently has 26 member companies participating in this newest OTA Council. Since the inaugural meeting, members and staff recruited new OTA members through our Diversity and Entrepreneurship Program, and created a graduate fellowship to support diversity work at The Organic Center. This council is working to highlight engagement, opportunity, and retention in 2022, while fostering an inclusive environment in which diverse groups find their place in the organic movement. X Our Farmers Advisory Council (FAC) provides input from small- and medium-sized organic farmers, ranchers, and growers for organic agriculture’s advancement. FAC members met with 29 members of Congress and five USDA agencies as part of its virtual annual farmer fly-in last February, advocating for the most pressing challenges facing organic farmers and amplifying policy priorities including advancing organic standards, fighting climate change, and ensuring
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Nzc3ODM=