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FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky’s organic program coordinator will join several nationally known presenters at the North American Summit on Organic Production and Marketing May 6-9 in Chicago.
Jake Schmitz of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture will help lead a session on state and federal programs. The session will explore how governments can support the organic industry through research and promotion. Schmitz will join Mark Bradley, associate deputy administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program, and Miles McEvoy, organic program manager of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, as guest speakers at the program. Ray Green, organic program supervisor for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, will moderate the session.
The program, titled “We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby, But Are We There Yet: A Look at Organic From the U.S. Government’s Perspective,” will begin at 11 a.m. CDT May 7 at McCormick Place.
Other sessions will examine USDA organic programs, organic production in Mexico, proposed organic regulations in Canada, organic agriculture research, emerging organic products, global trade in organic products and the 2007 Farm Bill. Organic agriculture leaders will explore the future of the industry in a May 9 session.
Featured speakers will include former “Nightline” host Ted Koppel (May 7, 8:15 a.m.); Steve Levitt, author of “Freakonomics” (May 8, 8:30 a.m.), and Carol Moseley Braun, founder and CEO of Good Food Organics and a former U.S. senator and ambassador (May 9, 8:30 a.m.).
The organic industry is the fastest growing segment of U.S. agriculture with a growth rate of 20 percent a year, according to USDA. The U.S. market is expected to exceed $30 billion in 2007.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is one of 57 agencies in the United States that are accredited to certify producers as organic.
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