GOPEX sets education program
The Packer’s Global Organic Produce Expo, Jan. 25-27 in Hollywood, Fla., has finalized its education program.
The program is a partnership with the Organic Trade Association. Its emcee will be Editor Greg Johnson and it will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26.
“The sessions will have a good mix of private industry, association and government speakers, and we’ll hear some new data from OTA, USDA and The Packer’s Fresh Trends consumer survey,” Johnson said. The sessions and speakers:
Organic 101 —
> Greg Johnson, editor of The Packer (moderator)
> Erica Renaud, regional business manager of Vitalis Organic Seed
> Ramkrishnan Balasubramanian, chief operating officer of Quality Certification Services
> Dee Dee Digby, procurement for InterNatural Marketing
> Jeff Huckaby, president of Grimmway Farms (invited)
Making Organic Mainstream —
> Angela Jagiello, associate director of conference and product development for the Organic Trade Association (moderator)
> Rudy Amador, director of environmental affairs for Dole
> Patrick Knight, director of consumer insights for SPINS
> Chris Bell, president of Internatural Marketing
> Nathalie Fontanilla, vice president of customer development, research and innovation for Earthbound Farm
Keeping Organic Cutting Edge —
> Pamela Riemenschneider, Produce Retailer editor (moderator)
> Nate Lewis, farm policy director, OTA
> Michela Calabrese, vice president of business development at Interrupcion
> Matthew Sommers, vice president of finance and supply chain at Green Chef
Sourcing Organic Overseas —
> Monique Marez, director of international trade for the OTA
> David Posner, president and CEO of Awe Sum Organics
> Theojary Crisantes, president of the board at Wholesum Family Farms
> Sabina Neumann of the U.S. International Trade Commission
> Gabriel Bernal, vice president of operations and logistics at Seasons Farm Fresh Inc.
Global Organic Update —
> Greg Johnson, The Packer (moderator)
> Monique Marez, director of international trade for the OTA
> Kelly Strzelecki, senior trade advisor for the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
> Terry Long, division director for the USDA Market News.
