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Cathy Calfo has been a guiding force at CCOF, serving as the Executive Director/CEO since 2011. She will be leaving the organization in March to reconnect with friends and family.
OPN had the privilege to speak with Cathy about her work at CCOF, her commitment to organic and her vision for the future.
OPN Connect: CCOF’s mission is to advance organic agriculture for a healthy world. How did your work help further that mission?
CC: “Ag is one of the leading sectors of the California economy. If we can grow healthy food in a more sustainable way while creating jobs and economic wellbeing, then we are fulfilling CCOF’s mission.
I also feel an affinity to CCOF as a member-driven organization. I believe in the democratic process and in bringing diverse constituencies together to advance a common agenda - that’s what we do at CCOF.
The results have been some big accomplishments, like updating the State Organic Program. We were able to streamline the program, cap fees and broaden the program advisory committee’s role to be a real advocate for organic in California.
(Left to Right) Matt Seeley, Allen Harthorn, Tonya Antle, and Cathy Calfo
We’ve also brought people together to grow the CCOF Foundation and to think strategically about how to make itself-supporting over the long run. By using CCOF organizational funds we could leverage partnerships to build programs with the goal of advancing organic. We wanted programs that weren’t duplicative of what others were already doing, and that could make a real difference.”
OPN Connect: Tell us more about the CCOF Foundation and what it has accomplished since you joined the organization.
CC: “The Foundation set four program priorities that are tied to the barriers of advancing organic agriculture. We didn’t have a lot of money, the CCOF board invested $100K in 2013 to re-start the Foundation.
The first priority is investing in the next generation of organic producers. Not just by investing in students in higher education but through a continuum of students as they go into elementary school learning about organic agriculture and then in high school where they are inspired to go into organic careers.
We developed a program that partnered with existing organizations that do Ag education.
For elementary programs we partnered with ‘Ag In the Classroom’ and offered grants of $1000 to teachers who would teach organic focused lesson plans. For high school student we partnered with FFA and gave grants through their supervised agricultural experience program.
Cathy Calfo Teaching Children About Organics
With higher education and vocational programs, we gave direct grants to students pursuing studies in organic agriculture.
The second area we saw is the need for technical assistance geared towards organic production. We partnered with existing organizations to do workshops and webinars in areas already being done but with an organic focus.
The third area is educating consumers- we developed a “why buy organic” consumer education card which we distribute in farmers markets. Costco distributed 150,000 of them in the stores.
The fourth area is a hardship assistance program for growers who have suffered a weather or health hardship or emergency. Since the inception we have given $170,000 to support producers.
Over the last 6 years the Foundation has invested over three million dollars into the organic sector to achieve these goals and that will only continue to grow. Yet three million in a $50 billion organic sector is small. We wanted to look at the bigger picture - how do we raise the bar to push the sector further? We launched a project this year called “The Roadmap to an Organic California”.
The first phase documents what the environmental, economic and social benefits would be in California if we increase organic acreage from four to ten percent by 2030. It goes on to look at what those benefits would be if it was 100 percent.
The reason this report is significant is that it will represent the most current compilation of peer reviewed research on the benefits of organic. By documenting those benefits in a credible way, we will inspire the community and policy makers to do more to advance organic agriculture.
What happens in California influences the rest of the county. We need to think a differently about food and agriculture policy.”
Cathy Calfo and Melody Meyer
OPN Connect: As you leave the organization what is your vision for CCOF and the future for organic.
CC: “The question is front of us every day is how can the demand for organic be as strong we know it is and the opportunities so vast, yet the amount of acreage remains so low. Addressing that disconnect is the fundamental challenge for organic as we move forward.”
