For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s All About Organics page and our Genetic Engineering page.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) was hit with accusations of corruption last week in a short documentary released by an anonymous group calling themselves Organic Spies. The OTA has responded to specific parts of the allegations, especially around their stance on labeling of GE foods in North America.

What the OTA hasn’t responded to is the broader issue of conflict-of-interest on it’s board.

Organic Spies and others are suggesting is that it’s impossible for representatives of multi-national food companies to be free from conflict sitting as OTA board members while their parent companies earn a vast majority of their revenue from GE and conventional products. Organic Spies suggests a solution.

• Small farmers and product companies must be on the OTA board with business executives that are committed to improving the abysmal health of this country and not just sell organic food that is highly processed with excess cane sugar and salt. The rank and file staff at the OTA and the organic movement deserve better than these board members. Our goal is to ensure that the OTA finds new board members, so the OTA staff will be more successful and not worry about competing conflict of interests when implementing policy that board members do not support. A continuation of the same policy and strategy on the GE crisis is no longer acceptable.