The national board responsible for advising the Secretary of Agriculture regarding organic food standards in the U.S. today added a new representative from Oregon, a state recognized for its organic and sustainable agriculture leadership.

Tracy Miedema, an organic food and farming advocate with deep roots in organic issues and education, today begins her appointment to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). Miedema will serve a five-year term as a consumer/public interest representative ending Jan. 24, 2012. She will be responsible for advocating on behalf of consumers on organic program issues brought before the board.

"Consumer demand for organics will only increase during the next five years driving considerable transformation of the organic food industry," said Miedema. "My goals as a representative of public interest are to strive to provide consumers with the knowledge and tools to be educated organic buyers, and to strengthen access and trust in the organic product market."

Miedema is national sales and marketing manager at Stahlbush Island Farms, an organic family farm that grows and processes certified organic and certified sustainable fruits and vegetables Miedema leads new product development and sales for the company.

New Board Member Brings Strong Consumer Connection

As an adjunct faculty member at Western Washington University, Miedema instructed students in marketing principals and consumer behavior classes. She also led classes in green marketing and helped students better understand the impact of their choices as consumers on the environment. Her own graduate work centered on knowledge management in the organic foods industry.

As a project manager for Small Planet Foods, makers of Cascadian Farm(R) and Muir Glen, she created "Small Planet Foods University," an organic learning center for retailers and stakeholders in the industry. The project involved extensive interviews with the pioneers of organic food industry which inspired the development of six courses taught by leading organic industry consultants. The program, created in 2002, is still used today to teach retailers and consumers about the organic industry.

"Tracy and I first worked together while she was building a center to educate the industry about organics. Her broad understanding of the certification process, industry issues and need for better retail and consumer understanding left a very positive impression on me," said John Foster, inspector for Oregon Tilth Certified Organic, the state's leading nonprofit dedicated to organic and socially equitable agriculture. "The National Organic Standards Board is going to benefit greatly from her knowledge, perspective and insight."

The National Organic Standards Board represents the diverse sectors and interests of the organic industry including production, handling, and consumption. It includes 15 members represented by four producers, two handlers, one retailer, three environmentalists, three consumers, one scientist and one certifying agent.

The board is authorized by the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and makes recommendations regarding the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances for organic operations. The NOSB also may provide advice on other aspects of the organic program. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service oversees the National Organic Program and the work of the NOSB.