The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is honoring outstanding organic visionaries with its 2022 Organic Leadership Awards, across four classifications, and one of the award recipients falls into the tea category with one of its product offerings.
Recognizing their commitment and stewardship to supporting and advocating for organic on their farms and in their communities, advancing organic solutions to fight climate change, and addressing social needs and responsibilities, OTA will celebrate these exemplary individuals during Organic Week next month.
The Leadership Award winners will be hosted at an official reception on May 9, the opening day of OTA’s Organic Week in Washington, D.C.
Organic Week takes place May 9-11, and is an important opportunity for farmers, retailers and the entire organic supply chain to gather and collaborate for 72 hours and help shape decisions that impact the future of organic. Registration for Organic Week is open now.
The Organic Trade Association first established its Organic Leadership Award in 1997 and awards have been given annually since. Awardees are nominated by their peers and chosen unanimously by the association’s Board of Directors.
The 2022 Organic Leadership Award Honorees include:
- Social Impact Award Recipient: Seth Goldman of Eat the Change, which offers the organic and Fair Trade Certified Just Ice Tea ready-to-drink line
- Organic Groundbreaker Award Recipient: David Oien of Timeless Seeds
- Organic Farmer of the Year Award Recipient: April Jones Thatcher of April Joy Farm
- Organic Climate Action Award Recipient: Nicole Rakobitsch of CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley
Seth Goldman of Eat the Change and Just Ice Tea Receives ‘Social Impact’ Honor
The Social Impact Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding efforts to be a source of positivity and stability for customers and organic community members during the pandemic and beyond. The winner of this year’s award is Seth Goldman, co-founder of Eat the Change and its recently launched brand, Just Ice Tea.
Goldman is an activist entrepreneur who has committed his career to bringing organic, environmentally-friendly food to the public, and to ensuring livable wages and healthy working conditions for his employees and the farmers who grow his products.
Goldman began his career when he co-founded Honest Tea in 1998, the country’s first organic, Fair Trade Certified tea. In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, Goldman co-founded Eat the Change, focusing on nutrient-dense, plant-based products that prioritize organic ingredients and are kind to the planet.
The Eat the Change Impact Grant Fund was then quickly established, which donated more than one million dollars to nonprofit groups providing access to climate-friendly foods.
In the fall of 2022, Just Ice Tea was launched after Coca-Cola – which had acquired Honest Tea in 2011 – unexpectedly discontinued the line. Rather than deserting the farmers and growers with whom the company had worked for decades, Goldman and his partners launched a new organic and Fair Trade Certified bottled tea line in just three short months.
“I am so honored to receive this award because the organic farming community is what inspires me to do this work,” noted Goldman. “We are determined to democratize organics – to make them available to everyone. I have always considered myself an activist, so our work to spread the adoption of organic food and drink is at the center of my climate change efforts. Organic must be at the core of any efforts to improve human health or planet health.”
The Organic Trade Association is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is a leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing more than 10,000 organic businesses through membership and its Farmers Advisory Council. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others.
To learn more about the Organic Trade Association, visit OTA.com.
Plan to Attend or Participate in the
World Tea Conference + Expo, March 18-20, 2024
To learn about other key developments, trends, issues, hot topics and products within the global tea community, plan to attend the World Tea Conference + Expo, March 18-20, 2024 in Las Vegas, co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo. Visit WorldTeaExpo.com.To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the World Tea Conference + Expo, or to enquire about advertising and sponsorship opportunities at World Tea News, contact:
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