This Story needs deeper research,
Organic Spies and Lies Story on OTA needs
a deeper look. OTA has done a lot of good
over the years, and Julia Sabin has been standing
up for organic since I first met her more than
a decade ago. Kelly Shea an an major organic
advocate. These are two women strategists
for the organic movement that have won
my support.
Date: 6/3/2011 1:08:07 PM ( 13 y ) ... viewed 23447 times
&feature
THIS IS A DRAFT....
I will refine these ideas....
5:48 pm
June 3, 2011
MY PERSPECTIVE
This are Shifting Times, Dear Cuke!
The higher up the ladder of food we go,
the less demarcation we find between Yin and Yang,
the Good Guys and those we can call the less
than good guys.
Take for instance the case of
Aramark, one of the largest food purveyors
in the nation and the company that has the contract
with the Anaheim Convention Center, site
of the Annual Natural Product Expo West.
JIM TRIPP, GENERAL MANAGER
I met Jim Tripp, General Manager
of the Anaheim Convention Kitchen
about ten years ago.
I was the OTA photographer in those days,
as well as for one OTA reception brought organic strawberries from local
San Diego Farmer JR Organic into the Anaheim Convention Center kitchen.
I met Jim Tripp, General Manager, right at the beginning
of his te- year tenure.
Tripp describes what was a cross pollination
and an immense influence.
The many Organic center food sponsors flooded
the kitchen with boxes and boxes of the finest quality
organic foods.
Tripp says today, June 3, 2011:
" i accepted their way of thinking,
it led us to integrate what we did at one convention
into the day to day operation.
It was thestart of our sustainability program.
THIS IS WHERE RUBBING SHOULDERS
CAN GO
Julia Sabin is one of the finest business women
on the planet. That is why she is head VP of Smuckers.
Stand back. Take the longer view.
She also works for Knundsen that has an organic line.
Many of the smaller organic companies are now owned
by the bigger companies. It is not too big a stretch
of the imagination to see that when smaller companies
are purchased by larger companies, who may have vested
interested beyond organic that the leadership will be given
stock shares, or buy into the bigger size company.
All this is yet to be revealed.
The bigger companies are invested where the money
is going.
I am betting on it going organic!
Rather than call out names, educate,
and get educated on a good strategy for
converting the larger players to organic.
Look back 1000 years from now.
The world will be once again organically grown
if we are to have a world.
Do you imagine that as the organic movement grows,
it is not going to be funded by the bigger companies
who will come over to organic?
Look at the case of the Anaheim Convention Center.
Ten years ago, it has no idea what organic was.
Jim Tripp was just becoming General Manager of the kitchen's Food
services.
Today, they have an entire program.
Last march, the entire luncheon for the Organic Farming
Research Foundation that was organically grown, came
out of that kitchen! The kitchen workers now know
what organic is!
You can thank people like OTA and its leaders,
leaders like Julia Sabin and Kelly Shea for that kind of
transformation. These are women in top organic leadership
positions that know the end game.
They support organic and know what it is about.
TO GET A GLIMPSE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS
VIDEO I MADE WITH KELLY SHEA IN MARCH 2011
AT THE NATURAL PRODUCT EXPO WEST
The following transformations at the
Anaheim Convention Center have been directly
traced to the Organic presence of the Organic Trade Association
and Organic Farmer Research Foundation (OFRF) presence
at the Natural Product Expo West over the last decade.
Although Aramark, does not directly mention the word
"Organic" here, on March 10, I experienced a full
organic luncheon at the OFRF, produced by our very
own organic chefs and served by Aramark Staff.
If requested, the center can now produce
Organic an organic bill of faire. The Anaheim
Hilton as well produced a 100% organic meal
March 11 for the Organic Center Reunion dinner.
"Thanks to the Organic Spies, we now know why the Organic Trade Association (the largest policy and lobbying organization of the entire organic industry) has been mute on the GMO Labeling issue - their board of directors is in the pocket of big Ag and big business. Check out this amazing expose on the real driving force behind the OTA. (Hint: it's green, but it's not organic.)"
Entertaining new Star Wars spoof debuts on the Web, touting organic food and shining a light on the "Dark Side of the Farm"
A Supermarket Far, Far Away (May 10, 2005)—The Organic Trade Association (OTA) and Free Range Studios today launched a sci-fi supermarket saga, "Store Wars: The Organic Rebellion" (www.storewars.org), on the Internet. The five-minute movie features Cuke Skywalker, Princess Lettuce, Chewbroccoli and other organic rebels-played by real vegetables dressed as Star Wars characters-battling it out with Darth Tader, the evil lord of the Dark Side of the Farm.
The release of Store Wars is timed to ride on the frenzied anticipation of Star Wars fans for the May 19 debut of "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."
The Organic Trade Association has called for a moratorium on the use of genetically engineered (GE) organisms in all agricultural production, and for mandatory labeling of GMO foods since 2000. Read OTA’s official position here.
To address the challenges posed by the growing threat from GE crops, OTA formed a GMO task force, in January 2011, to help shape a new comprehensive GMO policy for OTA. Among the safeguards that OTA believes need to be seriously addressed include assignment of liability and a system for compensation for losses due to inadvertent contamination; compensation for the organic industry’s costs of testing and commingling prevention throughout the supply chain; preservation of seed stock supply and genetic diversity; comprehensive environmental, public health and socio-economic assessments prior to deregulation; retention of regulatory authority by USDA after deregulation of GE crops, and labeling of GE crops and product ingredients.
The GMO Task force is currently working to inform OTA’s developing White Paper on the impact of deregulated GM crops on organic agriculture and to inform OTA’s drafting of an updated official GE policy for review and adoption by the Board of Directors.
OTA = Organic = non-GMO - Do the math. Conveniently missing from this piece is a nod to the work that the OTA HAS done in defending organic farmers from GMO drift and supporting the right to label RBGH dairy products. We need to see balanced views presented and are summarily gruntled by one-sided attacks.
Julia Sabin
on stage at an OTA
Fund Raiser at the Natural Product Expo West
around 2000 or earlier.
QUOTE FROM JULIA SABIN 2008
at the Organic Summit
Speaking at The Organic Summit in June 2008,
Julia Sabin, OTA's Current president, noted that there are distinct
benefits that arise from the diverse constituencies making up the organic
industry, "It is important to see our differences of perspectives as patches
in the quit that isthe organic community, with each square reflecting its
unique perspective but ultimately harmonizing in a shared objective
and core values," Sabin Said.
Still, opposiiton is not likely to end anytime soon, meaning that the organic
industry as a while is likely to continue to content with the challenges it
creates..
Julia L. Sabin
Knudson & Sons
For 11 years, Julia Sabin has served as the Vice President and General Manager for Smucker Quality Beverages, Inc., a division of the J.M. Smucker Company. Julia oversees and manages the manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution of R.W. Knudsen Family and Santa Cruz Organic Brands.
Julia has been employed by Smucker Quality Beverages, Inc. for 24 years and has worked in many areas including Research and Development, Quality Assurance and Plant Management. Growing up in Chico, Julia attended Chico High School and earned a degree in biochemistry from UCLA. When she moved back to Chico, Julia chose to attend Butte College because of its “flexible evening classes.”
“It was a great experience and the instructors were great. It was an ideal way to take prerequisite classes needed. The quality of instruction was just as good as any four year university, such as UCLA,” remarked Julia. “Butte College is a great place to attend college and it’s an honor to be recognized for this award.” Julia took classes in business, economics and management which helped her professionally.
Among other professional and volunteer activities, Julia serves as chair of the Chico Chamber Board of Commerce, along with the Board for the Organic Trade Association. Julia resides in Chico with her husband Darryl and two children.
RADIO SHOW
Jason Freeman: Natural vs Organic -Why The Organic Industry Serves Two Masters - Mar 25,2011
Download
Ever wonder why there is so much confusion with organics? Consumers are being told that they should buy organic, then are told to buy local without emphasizing the fact that it should be locally grown organic. Even the definition of organic is still very loose. There is so much confusion that most people still have no idea what they should buy and why. With the leadership in the organic industry succumbing to the intense pressures by the Big Agro Chemical companies to find a way to co-exist, agricultural activists, organic purists and farmers have been up in arms. There is a great need to reclaim the integrity of organics, while also insuring that the farmers are actually paid a decent wage. This also lends a hand to the importance of how fair trade intersects with organics. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Jason Freeman who is a founding member and General Manager of Farmer Direct Co-operative Ltd. Farmer Direct Co-operative is a farmer owned business of 63 Certified Organic, Certified Fair Trade family farms with a land base 120,000 acres of farmland. FDC produces high quality, Organic and Fair Trade grains, oilseeds, pulses and meats for food manufacturers, distributors, and food service providers in Canada, the United States, the European Union and Japan. FDC is a bulk supplier of organic grains specializing in containers, truckloads, rail cars and 25lb bags of grain for retailers' bulk bins. In March of 2010 Farmer Direct Co-op became the first organization in North America to receive domestic fair trade certification. At ExpoWest this March FDC launched the first Farmer-Owned, Certified Organic, Certified Fair Trade food brand. FDC is a founding member of the domestic fair trade association. Stay tuned!
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