USA: Women now lead four key organic food and farm groups

2011 is a historic year in the organic food and farming movement, On the Mark PR reports. With Maureen Wilmot (picture to the left) named to the executive directorship of the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) in January, four leading organic food and farming advocacy organizations in the USA are now headed by women for the first time. Joan Boykin is the executive director of The Organic Center, Christine Bushway is the executive director of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), and Peggy Miars is the executive director of the Organic Materials Review Institute.

The four women will celebrate the continuing rise of women in organic leadership at OFRF’s 14th annual luncheon on 10 March 2011 at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California. During the program, Wilmot will acknowledge the historical significance of this moment by calling Boykin, Bushway, and Miars to the stage. The women plan to meet following the luncheon to discuss emerging issues in the organic community and on-going collaboration. 
 
Having women in leadership positions in the organic agriculture sector is only natural given the significant role women have in the farm and food economy in the USA, On the Mark PR reports. Today, the majority of food purchases are made by women and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that 22 % of all organic farmers are women. The quartet of women in leadership positions comes at a time when women have made significant advances in other national organic farming institutions as well. Kathleen Merrigan, a former OFRF board member and lead author of the Organic Foods Production Act, is now deputy secretary of agriculture at the USDA and LaRhea Pepper is co-founder and senior director of Textile Exchange (formerly Organic Exchange). In addition, board presidents at both OFRF (Deirdre Birmingham) and OTA (Julia Sabin) are women. (Picture from left to right: Peggy Miars, Executive Director at the Organic Materials Review Institute, Maureen Wilmot, Executive Director at Organic Farming Research Foundation, Christine Bushway, Executive Director at the Organic Trade Association and Joan Boykin, Executive Director at the Organic Center)