Dear CCOF Members and Supporters,
Congratulations on 50 years of advancing organic agriculture for a healthy world!
CCOF started as a humble, grassroots organization in the early 1970s. Organized by regional chapters, local farmers would gather to set standards, review materials, and inspect each other’s operations.
In the early days, organic farmers couldn’t count on traditional agricultural resources for information, funding, and support. Instead, organic producers gathered at regional CCOF chapter meetings to exchange information, and they created their own grant and education programs to support the organic community. They also advocated for organic regulations, policies, and funding. From the very beginning, CCOF worked to advance organic agriculture from all angles – pooling resources, expertise, and passion to build strong and resilient organic food systems.
Today, CCOF continues to advance organic agriculture for a healthy world through certification, education, advocacy, and promotion. Separate CCOF entities work in partnership to protect organic integrity and support organic producers. This unique structure ensures the utmost impartiality in managing certification programs while also maximizing resources for the organic community and uplifting the voice of the organic producer.
CCOF Certification Services, LLC now certifies over 4,400 diverse operations throughout North America. We have expanded our certification programs to include food safety, regenerative organic certification, and OCal cannabis certification because we know our clients benefit from reliable, accessible services and expert inspectors who understand their organic systems.
CCOF legacy farmers founded the CCOF Foundation as a separate nonprofit organization to support farmers experiencing hardship and to help train the next generation of organic professionals. They started the Foundation with a modest $300,000 investment, and in 2023 alone, the CCOF Foundation granted over $1 million dollars to aspiring and struggling organic producers, with significant funds directed to organic dairy farmers who have been managing through crises caused by drought.
CCOF, Inc. continues to operate as our umbrella organization. It provides critical, cost-effective infrastructure services like Information Technology, Human Resources, and Operations to CCOF Certification Services and the CCOF Foundation. CCOF, Inc. also continues our rich history of organic advocacy in California while also working in partnership with other organic advocacy organizations to advance federal priorities. We are also expanding our consumer education and market development programs.
Fifty years ago, people were skeptical that organic would be anything but a small, niche specialty category. Today, organic is nearly $70 billion dollars of the U.S. food economy because American shoppers know that they can count on the USDA organic seal, and they value the principles that started this movement.
It is CCOF’s privilege to continue to advance organic agriculture for a healthy world and remain rooted in our core values of integrity, courage, community, and representation of and for organic producers. Here’s to the next 50 years and beyond!
In partnership,
Kelly Damewood
CCOF, Inc. CEO