The Organic Federation of Australia
holds an annual
Organic Fortnight Australia

2010 Keynote Speaker

Katherine DiMatteo, President IFOAM

Katherine DiMatteo was the keynote speaker for OFA's 2010 Fortnight, entitled 'Trust Organic'. It is not often you get an opportunity to hear such an international industry expert as Katherine speak. Katherine featured as a speaker at several events.

As well as being the President of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the international peak body with more than 800 member organizations in 108 countries, Katherine was the Executive Director of the US Organic Trade Association (OTA) from 1990 - 2006.

During this period the OTA was instrumental in the development of the US organic industry to become the second largest organic market in the world. This period saw its expansion from a cottage industry to a multi-billion dollar professional industry.

Katherine was instrumental in shaping the outcome of the U.S. National Organic Program (NOP) Standards and the UN Codex Guidelines for Organic Products. She led advocacy efforts to gain Congressional support for organic production and the NOP. She advised the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade. She is a founding member and Secretary of the Board of The Organic Center whose mission is to generate credible, peer reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organic farming and products to society.

The Australian organic industry has benefitted from Katherine's extensive experience and knowledge of organic industry development. The OFA thanks QANTAS and NASAA for sponsoring Katherine's visit.