*Ted’s note – I will return next week to my series on animals. I wanted to share with you some news from within the organic industry. You can learn more about the event I am writing about here and you can learn about the controversy here.
This past Wednesday, I traveled to Colorado to participate in the Organic Summit, a conference dedicated to “renewing the organic conversation”. This first-of-its-kind conference included some true organic pioneers and visionaries, many of whom I have grown up watching and learning from. It was a fantastic opportunity to catch up and discuss the future of the organic industry.
Before I cover the event, however, I want to make sure to give a quick shout out to my friends over at Allegro Coffee. I made a quick stop in on thursday morning to say hi and was greeted with single origin 76% Costa Rican hot chocolate. If you haven’t tried this product, do yourself a favor and pick some up. It is the best hot chocolate on earth.
Once arriving in Boulder, I walked into a conference that was already in full motion. Steve Demos, the founder of Silk Soymilk, had delivered a powerful speech about how organics, like it or not, are now big business. He argued that the best thing that could happen in the organic industry is to grow larger, make more money, and figure out the most ethical and moral ways to grow.
The next keynote speaker was Fred Kirschenmann, a distinguished and well-spoken leader in organic agriculture. Fred’s talk focused on how there is a central tension between organic principles and the marketplace trying to sell organic products. He also argued that we have been living in a dream about the realities of our environment, and the best opportunity we have to reverse the damage that has been done is through true organic production and a return to the principles of where the industry started.
The Organic Summit – Boulder, CO
The final Keynote was from my dad. As the current Co-President and COO of Whole Foods Market, he represented a very interesting point of view, as WFM is the largest player in the organic and natural marketplace*. His speech was about how organics are inherently positive by definition. However, in the market today, organics are considered much more negatively. Consumers buy organic based on what is not in them (pesticides, etc…), instead of what is (health, nutrients, environment, etc…). His request was that we return to a more positive organics where the industry is unified and working together to spread the “love” that was originally there.
The funny thing is that even though the spirit of the event was very positive, the divide or tension as described in Fred’s talk was all too evident. On my ride up to Boulder on Thursday morning I had learned about a letter from another organic summit that was held the same week as the event in Boulder. According to their letter, sent to organizers of the Organic Summit, they felt the event was too exclusive, and far away from the “center” of organic production and that it only represented a select few from within the industry.
Initially, I sided with the complaint that the event was too elite. After all, the registration fee was expensive, and the hotel was very nice indeed. How could farmers afford to come and take part? But the more I thought about it, and talked to others about it, the more I realized this is exactly what is happening in organics today. The group that sent the letter could just as easily have directed their energy into a more positive channel and made an effort to take part. Too expensive? Then everyone chip in and send one person who represents the groups view, blogs each day about the discussions, and brings home a recap of the whole event. Why create more division within the image of organics?
I have grown up around many of the people at the event. I have seen my fair share of “sketchy” things within the organic industry, but I can tell you that most of the people involved are honest, hard-working, ethical warriors that are committed to moving the world forward. I don’t think anyone at the event in Boulder was interested in being elitist, in fact quite the opposite. The energy I felt was positive, hopeful, and much more representative of where the industry started.
Those of us that represent the next generation of organics have a responsibility to work on bringing this thing back to the positive. Whether we work in organics or just simply buy them, I think it’s important that we stay on the same page about what they mean to each of us.
Now it’s your turn to talk. What do you think about organics? Are they important to you? What do they mean to you? See the little comment button below? Click it, and share your knowledge with us. We really want to know what you think.
* The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily represent the views of Whole Foods Market or any of its subsidiaries.
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