Humberto Maldonado is the Safety & Compliance Manager at Organically Grown Company. He serves on the CCOF Certification Services, LLC Management Committee, the governing body for CCOF Certification Services, LLC.
Humberto Maldonado started his career with SENASICA, Mexico’s national agency overseeing organic regulations. At the time, Mexico’s organic sector was just beginning to take shape, and Humberto took a special interest in learning about it.
“At that time, the Mexican government was focused mainly on coffee growers; that was where they saw the importance of organic, fulfilling the European regulations. Later, it grew into a big focus on organic produce,” Humberto recalls. “That was my first contact.”
Later in his career, Humberto moved to a position with Driscoll’s, a long-time CCOF partner. “I was in charge of the organic integrity program,” he explains. “At the time, all the growers in Mexico were certified by CCOF. I helped growers fill out organic system plans and helped them to achieve certification. I also conducted trials to improve organic production in Mexico.”
Part of Humberto’s work at Driscoll’s was strengthening relationships between organic farmers and government agencies. “At the time, CCOF was trying to establish a relationship with SENASICA, and I traveled to Mexico City to connect CCOF with the organic program there,” he says. “This is something I’m very happy to be a part of.”
Since 2021, Humberto has been leading food safety and organic integrity efforts at Organically Grown Company, the largest organic produce distributor in the Pacific Northwest and a well-known advocate for the organic movement since 1978.
In addition to his work supporting organic agriculture, Humberto has firsthand experience as a small organic grower himself. For about five years, he farmed seven acres of organic blackberries. “It was my decision to go into organic because I believe in the certification program,” he says. “I was certified organic by CCOF. I have been very connected with CCOF for a long time.”
When the CCOF Certification Services, LLC Management Committee needed an expert on food safety, Humberto’s name naturally came up as a recommendation and he joined the team. “It’s very aligned with what I’m looking for,” he says. “I’m with a company that’s very focused on organic and my focus has always been food safety. I love connecting both disciplines and things I’m passionate about.”
“I really think that organic is the best option in agriculture,” Humberto says. “It addresses my concerns about the environment and health, about diminishing the use of pesticides, looking for other options of integrated pest management, and enriching the soil. Those kinds of things resonate with me.”