Growing Organic Certification with Jessica Beckett Parr of CCOF

Written By Modern Species

The California Certified Organic Farmers, or CCOF, extends across the US and certifies more operations than any other organic certification company or organization in the country. 

This week we get together with Jessica Beckett Parr to discuss her work as director of the CCOF Foundation, her expansive knowledge on the many benefits of organic and why it has such an important role to play in combating climate change.  

We hear her elaborate on the expansive scientific data available on the benefits and effects of organic farming and how laypeople can access it. Also, Jessica interrogates how taboos around organic are changing and reflects on the individuals who give her hope for the future. Tune in today for this inspiring discussion on organic farming, the CCOF, and much more!

Key Points From This Episode:

  • How Jessica developed her love for agriculture.

  • More about her career path and how she came to be the director of the CCOF Foundation.

  • How Jessica worked with Deborah Koons Garcia on her movies The Future of Food and Symphony of Soil.

  • What inspired Jessica to go back to school to earn a Master's in Science and Community Development.

  • How CCOF was founded in 1973.

  • The history of organic certification and how it has changed over the past fifty years.

  • How CCOF was involved in creating a national standard for organic by petitioning the government.

  • How certifiers are routinely audited by the government to maintain the standards for certification.

  • The three legal entities of CCOF and their purpose, namely the Certification entity, their lobbying organization, and their foundation.

  • How the CCOF foundation focuses on education and training.

  • How they raise money to support students who want to pursue organic education.

  • How the foundation supports farmers who want to transition to organic.

  • The Benefits Report and how it has affected political engagement with organic agriculture.

  • The processing bottleneck with certifying meat as organic.

  • The importance of understanding your local habitat.

  • Jessica’s thoughts on the future of organic and the young people and individuals inspiring her.

Tweetables:

“We certify more operations than any other organic certification company or organization in thecountry.” — Jessica Beckett Parr [0:20:20]

“All these different groups from across the country petition to the USDA, to create a regulatory agency to govern organic. I want you to think about what other industry has gone to the US government and said we want you to create a standard and then regulate us.” — Jessica Beckett Parr [0:23:11]

“As people see the economic benefits of it, the climate change benefits of it, the possibility to transform agricultural systems in California, it starts to become less taboo.” — Jessica Beckett Parr [0:35:48]

“We must acknowledge our impact on the land and steward appropriately.” — Jessica Beckett Parr [0:41:30]

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Modern Species

A sustainable brand design agency helping better-for-the-world brand launch, evolve, and grow to scale their impact.

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