Question: You’ve been involved in organics before the word ‘organic’ was legally defined. Are we any better off today with the official seal than before?

Answer: I think today the industry is much better off with the organic seal. There is no doubt that having established standards and the US Department of Agriculture seal is critically important to the consumers’ confidence in organic food products. And, from an industry standpoint, it is critical that we live up to those standards at every critical control point around the globe without compromise. I am proud to say the industry as a whole has done a very good job reinforcing this.

Question: Recent news reports have said the Food and Drug Administration is now looking at how to define natural. Is it too soon for that? Do we need to put more emphasis on proving the organic benefit first?

Answer: We absolutely need to put more emphasis on organic and the benefits of organic. The situation we were in with organic a few years ago, only being in around two percent of our food supply, was having no major money to support this effort. That’s why The Organic Center was formed in 2003—to fund research to substantiate health claims for organic and get the word out to consumers. The amazing thing is, evidence is mounting on the health benefits of organic.

Research funded fully or partially by The Organic Center has resulted in 10 published peer-reviewed articles on the benefits of organic food. Over the next year, its research will be used in approximately 15 published peer-reviewed articles. The results of these studies have surpassed our expectation. And with big issues like proving organic fruits and vegetables can increase antioxidant intakes by about 30 percent compared to its conventional counterpart, organic consumption is now at three percent and growing. We must keep doing these studies to prove the organic benefit and push the needle even further.

Question: As the new board chair for The Organic Center, what will your role be in helping to get new science on organic here in the US?

Answer: My belief is that we are all connected and that harmony and balance are key and the organic agriculture is a part of that total balance. With that said, an organic study anywhere in the world is a study for organic. At The Center, one thing we are doing is collaborating everywhere in the world so the science can be used. For example, if a study in the UK says organic milk has more omega-3s, then you can rest assured that US organic milk will have similar characteristics. This is a movement that will heal soil everywhere in the world. At The Organic Center we want to be active in communicating this benefit. My goal is to make sure we widen the circle of The Organic Center. I was one of the original founders who wrote the charter for The Center and the one thing we want to be is inclusive—all newcomers, all farms, all retailers and so on. Wal-Mart and Safeway making such a big stand on organic is very exciting. The Center wants to collaborate on the research, fund the research and communicate the benefits so we can get more acres of organic.

Question: You helped create Mission Organic 2010. What is the focus of that program for retail stores? Manufacturers and distributors?  

Answer: The focus of Mission Organic 2010 is to get the message of the organic benefit out to all tiers of consumers—from the “MySpace” generation to new families and our aging Baby Boomer population. Our goal is to reach 10 percent organic food consumption by the year 2010 (doubling the current projected figure of five percent). Mission Organic 2010 provides a platform for retailers and manufacturers to talk about the organic benefit to consumers, giving them a reason to buy it. This will help drive sales of organic products, but it also provides a way for the consumer to actively participate in the mission and be part of the change in the world that the industry is so passionate about. OPR

Anthony Zolezzi
121 Geneva Walk
Long Beach, CA 90803
anthony_zolezzi@yahoo.com