April 20, 2007
LEAD Agricultural Conference
Keynote speech at the University of Delaware
April 12, 2007
International Association for Culinary Professionals
International Conference, Chicago
Plenary Session: Organics Gone Mainstream
March 24, 2007
Goodwin Library in Hadley, Massachusetts
"Your Food, Our Farms, Our Future"
Samuel Fromartz joins Ed Maltby for a discussion about the growth of organic food and how it has affected smaller farms. Maltby, a longtime farmer, is executive director of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance.
February 3, 2007
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
Farming for the Future Conference, State College, PA
"Organic Inc.: At the Crossroads of Idealism and Growth."
January 25, 2007
Ecological Farming Association
Asilomar Conference Center
Plenary address and panel session on Organic Inc.
November 18, 2006
Salem, Oregon
Oregon Tilth Fall Conference
Keynote Address
Speaking Topics
Organic Food: Success Story or Sellout?
The $15 billion Organic food industry has been highly successful, moving from an alternative back-to-the-land movement into the aisles of Wal-Mart in three decades. But has the organic movement realized a larger vision in this evolution or betrayed the very ideals at its heart? In this provocative talk, Fromartz will show the growing tensions between idealism and pragmatism in the organic food movement and industry and discuss how they are shaping the future of green consumption.
Organic Food and the American Consumer
Organic food has been growing at 20 percent a year to reach $15 billion in size. Once the purview of back-to-the-landers, the unlikely mainstreaming of organic food offers new insights into how Americans shop. Although low-cost mass consumer goods are often in the spotlight, values like authenticity, simplicity, health and affordable luxury also matter to shoppers, moving well beyond a fad. Where is this consumer headed in the future? Fromartz will offer answers based on his analysis of what makes this market tick.
email contact: sam[at]fromartz[dot]com
