Industry veterans to form new team at Organic Trade Association

Organic industry experts Joelle Mosso and Scott Rice have been hired to form a new technical and regulatory team at the Organic Trade Association.
Organic industry experts Joelle Mosso and Scott Rice have been hired to form a new technical and regulatory team at the Organic Trade Association.
(Photo: Totojang, 1977, Adobe Stock)

The Organic Trade Association has added a pair of veteran organic experts to its staff to form a new technical and regulatory team. 

Joelle Mosso is joining OTA as senior director of technical and regulatory affairs, and Scott Rice is coming on board as director of regulatory affairs, according to a news release.  

“We are extremely fortunate to have Joelle and Scott join the OTA team,” association CEO Tom Chapman said in the release. “We are confident that their solid experience and in-depth knowledge of organic will enable us to keep pushing organic forward in these challenging times and be a vital source of support for our members looking to grow their businesses or navigate increasingly complex organic regulations.” 

Related news: Fresh Trends 2023 explores reasons behind organic demand

Headshot
Joelle Mosso (Photo courtesy OTA)

Mosso has experience in the organic produce industry, along with a deep technical microbiology expertise, testing background and entrepreneurial spirit, the release said. She was most recently chief scientific officer for the produce segment of international analytical testing services company Eurofins Scientific. Prior to Eurofins, she was a leader in the quality management team at Earthbound Farm, the world’s largest organic produce company.

Mosso currently sits on the Center for Produce Safety Technical Committee, the International Fresh Produce Association Food Safety Council and the USDA National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods, and she has served on the USDA National Organic Standards Board.  

“Organic food production and regulation are my personal and professional passions, and I am thrilled to be joining OTA and continuing to directly support the organic community and contribute to its ongoing growth and success,” Mosso said in the release. 

Rice has over 20 years of experience in the organic space, most recently from the Washington State Department of Agriculture Organic Program, where he oversaw outreach and external affairs, according to the release. During his time there he worked in many aspects of organic certification, conducted input material reviews for the program’s nationally recognized input list, coordinated the program’s USDA accreditation and aided certified businesses in navigating international trade challenges.

Rice also served on the executive committee of the USDA National Organic Standards Board and was chair of the Accredited Certifiers Association.  

Headshot
Scott Rice (Photo courtesy OTA​​​​)

“I am looking forward to building on OTA’s strong history of regulatory engagement and advocacy on behalf of its members, many of whom I’ve enjoyed working with across my career,” Rice said in the release. 

Gwendolyn Wyard, currently vice president of regulatory and technical affairs for OTA, will be departing in June to form a new business, called Strengthening Organic Systems, according to the release. Strengthening Organic Systems was founded to improve the resilience and overall integrity of global organic supply chains. 

“We are deeply grateful to Gwen for her more than a decade of service for OTA and her incredible contributions to the organic industry,” Chapman said in the release. “We wish her great success in her new adventure.” 

 

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