The Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association 

 

 

The Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) is a national non-profit membership organization committed to protecting, promoting, and developing the organic seed trade and its growers, thereby assuring that the organic community has access to excellent quality organic seed, free of genetic contaminants and adapted to the diverse needs of local organic agriculture. It's founder, Jim Gerritsen, runs a small organic farm in Maine. In addition to doing his daily chores, he spearheaded a lawsuit against corporate agriculture giant Monsanto, filed in 2011 on behalf of 270,000 family farmers, gardeners, and consumers who sued to keep some food crops free of genetic modification. He was named as an Utne Reader Visionary in the same year. In 2014 he spoke at the UN about organic farming. He is part of the Agrarian Elders, who met in 2014 to assess the state of organic farming in America.

 

 

The OSGATA issued the following statement in October, 2015:

 

The Board of Directors of Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA), the farmer-run national trade  organization, supports opposition to hydroponics in Certified Organic production.  It is absolutely clear organic production traditionally has been, and must be, soil-based.  OSGATA urges resistance to the concept of hydroponics in Certified Organic production.  OSGATA will provide both written and oral comments on this issue at the NOSB upcoming meeting in Stowe, Vermont.