FreeThink: May 2007

FreeThink: a blog published by Maxwell PR

Kitchen07: Evidence

In case these titillating posts don't paint a perfect picture of our conference for you...here are some photos:

Joshua Onysko of Pangea Organics and Jennifer Hauge from Kettle Foods chatting.

Gary Hirsch of On Your Feet getting us, um, on our feet.

That's Crispy journalist Cameron Barrett talking with Maxwell PR's Sarah Lowles. Check out Cameron's story on Kitchen07!

Me, classily laughing my head off.

- Erica

posted on May 01, 2007

Kitchen07: Keynote - Organic 2.0 - Predicting the Future of Organics

So I think many, like myself, were a little doubtful about the idea of hearing an attorney speak at 8:00 a.m. Kicking off the second day of Kitchen 07 - William "Jay" Friedman with Convington & Burling LLP led an informative and interesting discussion about the history of the legal environment for organic claims as well as what to expect now and in the years to come. At first glance some in the audience may have been nervous - here in a conference where everyone else is dressed in what only can be called West Coast "business casual," comes the lawyer from D.C. decked out in a suit. But by the end I don't think anyone was thinking he fit the stereotype for a D.C. attorney...and if you looked closely he WAS wearing clogs.

Jay's story is the kind that's fun to hear. He's a guy who went from writing a paper on regulating organics in his college dorm room to becoming a national expert on organics in a matter of days. The year was 1988 and Jay Friedman was just a young law student who believed in something. Next thing he knew, the governor of New Mexico was calling and appointing him to the New Mexico Organics Commission which today ranks as the fourth largest in the nation. Moving ahead to the early 1990's came the creation of a National Organic Standards Board where Jay served as vice-chair. It seemed like things were moving in the right direction but then it took twelve long years before the first formal bill was approved. In 2002 it wasn't a government official or organics expert who ultimately launched the industry into what Jay referred to as Organics 2.0 but a blueberry farmer in Vermont.

Now, largely thanks to the Internet, everything has changed with how the organic industry is handled. Consumers are empowered - they influence the choices companies make through their purchases. Consumers demand more information on each component of the "seed to table chain" and companies have to respond. There's no room for secrecy - companies must be transparent in their marketing. Organics used to be all about pesticides but that's no longer true - now organic is a lifestyle and consumer purchases can impact legal policies.

Jay's hour long discussion was a fast-paced, enlightening session. China went from having zero organic acres in 2000 to having the greatest number of acres in world in 2006. As China transforms to a capitalist economy, Jay predicts that more resources will be poured into the organic industry - providing jobs in rural areas where none currently exist. He feels that as organics continue to boom, China is one to watch and a force to reckon with.

Something that really surprised me was his explanation of country of origin labeling. Did you know you can buy orange juice that says it comes from Florida when it really originates in China?

Based on the number of questions that were thrown Jay's way, it was easy to see that I wasn't the only one who was interested and learning something. It just goes to show you can't judge a book, or in this case a suit, by its cover.

- Katy

posted on

	This spirited, open forum by Maxwell PR staff members, studio mates and colleagues features people who are, in our opinion, doing the right things to get people talking. You'll see us rave about organizations building communities and rant about those who are missing obvious opportunities. We sprinkle in a little marketing and PR rhetoric from time to time for extra vigor and enthusiasm, and will share observations and insight based on our own experience honing our craft every day.

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