1. Art and Diseño

ISSUE
2013
Staff
Katherine DiMatteo
Executive Director
Board of Directors
President
Nate Morr
Belcampo Group, Inc.
Vice President
Cecil Wright
Organic Valley
Secretaries
Natalie Reitman-White
Organically Grown Company
Rebecca Thistlethwaite
Sustain Consulting
Treasurer
Jason Boyce
Nature’s Path
Diana Chapman
PCC Natural Markets
Britt Lundgren
Stonyfield Farm
Jim Pierce
Oregon Tilth
Isabelle Reining
Straus Family Creamery
Shauna Sadowski
Annie’s, Inc.
Brionne Saseen
Chico Natural Foods
Sustainable Food Trade Association
Annual Report
The Sustainable Food Trade Association is a
non-profit trade association that represents
North American organic food companies. Our
members are a diverse mix of organic
producers, processors, manufacturers,
distributors and retailers. We support our
members in implementing innovative
sustainable business practices throughout the
supply chain from farm to retail.
SFTA Declaration of Sustainability
As growers, processors, handlers, brokers, certifiers and retailers in the organic food
trade, we are deeply concerned about the unprecedented scale and speed of
environmental pollution and degradation, climate change, and depletion of natural and
human resources that our business practices may cause. We believe urgent actions are
needed to address these fundamental problems and reverse these trends.
Mission
Build the capacity of the organic food trade to transition to sustainable business models.
Vision
Our vision is to conduct our businesses in a way that meets the needs of the present
generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs. We recognize that ecology, human communities and economy are interwoven
into a seamless net of causes and effects. Therefore we embrace the challenge to move
our operations and actions toward sustainable models where the management of
resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of development, and the evolution
of the organic food trade becomes consistent with the principles of sustainability.
We agree to strive for continuous improvement and to practice transparency in annually
auditing our organizations in the following areas:
Organic  Distribution  Energy  Climate Change  Water  Waste  Packaging 
Labor  Animal Care  Education  Governance
2013 Sponsors
2013
Sustainable Food Trade Association
Annual Report
Letter from the Executive Director
“It was not until we saw the picture of the earth, from the moon,
that we realized how small and how helpless this planet is –
something that we must hold in our arms and care for.”
- Margaret Mead
I am very excited to begin this new journey as Executive Director of the Sustainable
Food Trade Association (SFTA) and to work with the members and friends of the
association to advance the organic sector as a model of sustainability.
The SFTA founders set the groundwork of leadership by recognizing that, as organic
businesses, complying with organic food production standards was only one step on
the path to sustainability. Since its founding, the Board, staff, and members have
masterfully demonstrated how collaboration can serve individual business, as well as
collective goals, through the development of metrics, public reporting on progress,
and peer networking and information sharing. This year, SFTA has published several
exciting case studies of sustainable initiatives our members have undertaken that we
hope will inspire and provide an incentive to all who read them.
Many thanks go to Nate Schlachter and Nicole Bassett for providing excellent service
and leadership to the members and the larger community. Nate and Nicole made my
transition smooth and seamless by remaining actively involved until the end of
December, 2013.
2014 will bring a full suite of webinars and workshops, including an opportunity to
bring a SFTA presentation and workshop to your company to support your efforts in
building awareness and engaging everyone in sustainability. I am eager to hear from
you about how SFTA can best serve your needs, suggestions for webinar or
workshop topics that will aid you in understanding or setting a course or achieving
sustainability goals, and/or new initiatives you would like us to take on. I invite you to
contact me – [email protected].
Katherine DiMatteo
Sustainable Food Trade Association Executive Director
02
2013
Sustainable Food Trade Association
Annual Report
Membership
Full Members (43)
Associate Members (7)
Friends of SFTA (13)
Amy’s Kitchen
Down to Earth Foods
California Certified Organic Farmers
Annie's, Inc.
Eco Teas
Global ID Group
Ashland Food Cooperative
Frontier Natural Products Co-op
Independent Natural Food Retailers Assoc.
Awe Sum Organics
Homegrown Organics
National Cooperative Grocers Assoc.
Bluff Country Co-op
Organics Unlimited
One PacificCoast Bank
Bridges Produce
Plum Organics
Organic Trade Association
Cascadian Farms and Muir Glen
United Natural Foods Inc. /
Oregon Tilth
Central Co-op
Albert’s Organics
Provender Alliance
Chico Natural Foods Coop
Pure Strategies
Ciranda
Quality Assurance International
Clif Bar
Sustainable Dynamics
Community Food Coop
WISErg Corporation
Earl’s Organic Produce
Wolf, DiMatteo + Associates
Earthbound Farm
The Food Coop Port Townsend
Full Circle
GloryBee Foods
Membership by Region
Guayaki, Inc.
Southwest
East Coast
Hanover Consumer Co-op
2%
14%
Heath and Lejeune
Hummingbird Wholesale
Canada
2%
LifeSource Natural Foods
Lundberg Family Farms
Mom’s Organic Market
West
Nature’s Path Foods
Coast
New Pioneer Coop
61%
Midwest
Nielsen Massey Vanillas Inc.
21%
Organic Produce Warehouse
Organic Valley/CROPP
Organically Grown Company
Organics Unlimited
Outside
Membership by Industry Sector
Industry
Outpost Natural Foods
Distribution
Partner
Pacific Natural Foods
18%
6%
PCC Natural Markets
So Delicious Dairy Free
NGO/industry
Stonyfield Farm
partner
Straus Family Creamery
15%
Sundance Natural Foods
Retailer
18%
Grower
SunOpta Inc.
11%
Timeless Seeds
Traditional Medicinals
Viva Terra Organic
Manufacturer
Wedge Co-op / Coop Partners
26%
Wholesum Harvest Organics
03
2013
Sustainable Food Trade Association
Annual Report
Education and Events
Education is a core element of SFTA’s work. We provide a variety of educational offerings to
our members and the wider industry. In 2013, SFTA facilitated eight webinars and three fullday workshops. These events are designed to help companies with their sustainability
program and on-going education for sustainability professionals.
Webinars: 8 total
Ensuring Successful Sustainablity
Reports
Setting Sustainability Goals
Animal Care
LCA for Sustainability Decisions
Effective Sustainability Program with
Limited Resources
Defining Sustainability
Cleaning Green
Supply Chain Engagement
New Sustainability Metrics
Conferences attended: 9 total
Sustainable Food Summit - CA
EcoFarm - CA
Fancy Food Show -CA
Organicology - OR
Natural Products Expo West - CA
International Society of Sustainability
Professionals Annual Conference - IL
Organic Trade Association OTA Policy Days WDC
Natural Products Expo East - MD
Provender Alliance Conference - OR
Full-day workshops presented: 3 total
Sustainability 101 - Portland, OR
Sustainability 201 - Berkeley, CA
Sustainability 101 - Petaluma, CA
04
2013
Sustainable Food Trade Association
Annual Report
Resources and Updates
Annual Member Sustainability Report
SFTA released its first annual SFTA Member Sustainability Report documenting the
extensive progress in a variety of areas made by member companies, and garnering
considerable trade and business media attention.
Revised Metrics
In 2013, SFTA staff and members participated in a full review of the association’s
sustainability metrics. The metrics are used by members to write annual sustainability
reports. For the review process members were assembled into four working groups
according to the four sectors of the supply chain: farmers/growers, manufacturers,
distributors, and retailers.
The working groups reviewed every metric in the set and helped create four sets of sector
specific metrics that are unique to each sector and then harmonized into one organic
industry sustainability metrics set. The four unique sets of metrics allow for aggregation of
member data at the sector level. The full metric set also creates an opportunity to
aggregate sustainability data at the industry level. The result of the review is 244 total
metrics with 52 core metrics, which at a minimum every member commits to using. The
review also mapped the SFTA metrics to other sustainability standards and assessments.
Organic Industry Code of Conduct
In 2012, the association and a group of member companies began working on an “Organic
Industry Code of Conduct.” In March of 2013, we publicly released the draft Code for a
period of review and feedback. Following the close of the feedback period the association
and members reviewed all responses, finalized the Code, and presented it to the SFTA
Board of Directors for approval.
The Organic Industry Code of Conduct is based on the International Labour Organization’s
conventions and mirrors the core elements of many codes of conduct for other industries.
With the completion and public release of our Code in 2014, any business in the organic
food trade industry can adopt it and measure themselves against it. This information then
can be shared amongst all customers of that company. This reduces the impact of a
business needing to follow different standards for each customer.
Three New Resources for SFTA Members in 2013:
Benchmarking Toolkit – this toolkit was developed for new members to benchmark where
they are, and to create an action plan to get started in sustainability report writing.
Process Mapping Toolkit – for new and long time members, processing mapping
operations and identifying where sustainability metrics align is critical to implementing a
sustainability strategy.
Introduction to Sustainability & SFTA Presentation – this PowerPoint is the essential goto document for members to facilitate internal trainings on sustainability and our
organization.
05
2013
Sustainable Food Trade Association
Annual Report
Looking ahead to 2014
Workshops: In 2014 SFTA looks forward to offering a variety of one-day sustainability
workshops designed to provide continued education for the sustainability professionals that
we work with and their companies. In 2014 we will be providing customized one-day
workshops specifically for our member companies. These workshops are offered at an
additional cost above annual membership dues and can be utilized as a staff training on
sustainability, a launch of a formal sustainability program, a presentation and training
centered on the company’s annual sustainability report, or customized to meet other
internal needs and goals. For additional information contact Executive Director, Katherine
DiMatteo, [email protected].
Responsible Packaging Project: Look for a call for nominations for the 2014
Responsible Packaging Awards. The annual award recognizes organic and natural
industry companies for achievements in environmentally responsible packaging including
source reduction, extended producer responsibility, innovation, and next-life design. There
are four award categories: Source Reduction, Extended Producer Responsibility,
Innovation and Next-Life. A company can self-nominate or nominate others. For more
information: Responsible Packaging Project
IFOAM Organic World Congress: SFTA representatives will be on two panels in October,
2014 – Making Organic Sustainable, and The Roadmap to Sustainability – at this
international conference. This opportunity will shine the light on the leading work of the
association, in particular our members’ accomplishments in working together on metrics,
reporting on performance and improvement, and case studies of specific initiatives.
http://www.owc2014.org/
And more – SFTA plans a schedule of six public educational webinars nationwide plus
member-only webinars, our personalized Sustainability 101 and 201 workshops, as well as
the ongoing member working groups, call for case studies, and the second Annual
Members Sustainability Report.
And, of course – our exciting updates on Facebook and Twitter, and our monthly e-News
will continue, along with extensive outreach to the media regarding SFTA progress.
05
Sustainable Food Trade Association
2013
Annual Report
Financial Information
Revenue
Memberships:
$80,945
Sponsorships:
$64,105
Workshops/Webinars: $6,566
Workshops/
Webinars
4%
Total Income:
Sponsorship
42%
$151,630
Membership
54%
Conf. &
Workshops
6%
Overhead
3%
Comm. &
Education
13%
Expenses
Personnel
Comm. & Education
Conf. & Workshops
Overhead
$106,267
$17,999
$8,757
$3,948
Total Expenses:
$136,971
Personnel
78%
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