California Secretary of Agriculture Addresses CCOF Members at Annual Gathering
(Feb. 11, 2015) Sacramento, CA – CCOF—the nation’s leader in organic certification, advocacy, and education—ascends upon Sacramento today to meet with elected officials about California’s unique position in the organic movement. The sold out 2015 CCOF Annual Meeting and Policy Day centers on California: The Capital of Organic.
In 2013, sales of organic products increased by almost 12% while other food sales increased by only 3% and consumer sales of organic products reached $35.1 billion. Organic is a strong sector of the nation’s economy and creates an estimated 980,000 jobs in the United States—from farms to national retailers and even certifying agencies.
California is the leader in this flourishing sector with 190,400 organic industry jobs. Additionally, California grows more organic products than any other U.S. state with the highest number of organic farms and exclusive organic crops such as almonds. The state’s organic product sales total about $8.2 billion annually. That’s $6.8 billion in processed products and $1.4 billion in organic commodities including vegetables, fruits, dairy, eggs, and beef.
While California is leading the way in U.S. organic production, jobs, and revenue, the demand for organic continues to outpace the supply. It is necessary to find ways to expand production to meet that growing demand.
At the CCOF Annual Meeting, Keynote Speaker Karen Ross, the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, will speak about California’s leadership in organic production and help set the stage for a day of meetings with elected representatives at the California State Capitol. Then CCOF-certified growers and handlers will head to the capitol building to meet face-to-face with elected representatives to discuss how organic contributes to California’s economy and environmental quality.
“For over forty years CCOF’s grassroots advocacy and participation from members has helped shaped the strong organic agricultural economy that exists in California today,” said Cathy Calfo, CCOF’s executive director/CEO. “We are bringing the collective strength of our membership to the officials they elected into office to ask for their commitment to organic production in California. The marketplace is ripe and our contribution to the economy and environment is a proven success.”
About CCOF
CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers), a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1973 and is one of the nation’s oldest and largest third-party organic certifying agencies. CCOF certifies, educates, advocates, and promotes organic through:
· A premier organic certification program for growers, processors, handlers, and retailers
· Programs to increase awareness of and demand for certified organic product and to expand public support for organic agriculture
· Advocacy for governmental policies that protect and encourage organic agriculture
· A dynamic foundation dedicated to investing in the future of the organic movement
CCOF certifies more than 2,700 organic operations in 41 states and four countries.
For further information on CCOF visit: www.ccof.org
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