The Organic Center is pleased to announce the election of new members to join its Board of Directors.
 
Joining The Organic Center in its mission to advance peer-reviewed scientific research and information behind the health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming—and to communicate those benefits to the public—are organic, healthy living and environmental TV host Sara Snow of Discovery Channel’s Get Fresh with Sara Snow; Environmental Working Group President Ken Cook; Timothy Escamilla, VP of Procurement and Supply Chain for Ready Pac; and Margaret Wittenberg, Global VP of Quality Standards and Public Affairs for Whole Foods Market.
 
Snow, Cook, Escamilla and Wittenberg will be working together with existing board members including Alan Greene, M.D., Clinical Professor of Stanford University Children’s Hospital; Kathleen Merrigan, Ph.D., Director of the Agriculture, Food and Environment Program, Tufts University; David Pimentel, Ph.D., Professor, Cornell University; George Siemon, CEO of Organic Valley; Mark Retzloff, President, Aurora Organic Dairy; Sheryl Lamb, organic advocate; James White, Senior VP, Consumer Brands, Safeway; Anthony Zolezzi, President, Zolezzi Consulting; David Gagnon, Interim Executive Director, Organic Trade Association; and Michelle Goolsby, former EVP of Development, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs, Dean Foods Inc.
 
Additionally, The Organic Center has formed a group of Advisory Directors as special counsel to the board and the organization. Appointed to this new group are former Organic Center board members Andrew Weil, M.D., author and founder of Weil Lifestyle; Walter Robb, Co-President and COO of Whole Foods Market; and Katherine DiMatteo, Partner of Wolf, DiMatteo and Associates and current President of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).
 
“We are so pleased with not only bringing in new distinguished members to our Board of Directors, but also in creating a new Advisory Director group,” says Alan Greene, M.D., Chair of The Organic Center. “The diverse skills, talents and energies these individuals bring to the table will be a welcome addition to the Center. As strong supporters of our work in the past, they have already made a significant contribution, and now, as they join the board, we are excited by what we can accomplish together in advancing and communicating the science behind the organic benefit—and in raising much-needed funding for the work of The Organic Center.”
 
About The Organic Center
The Organic Center, based in Boulder, CO, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 to generate and advance credible, peer-reviewed scientific research and information on the health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming – and to communicate those benefits to the public through education, resources and information. By doing so, it helps promote the conversion of more farmland to organic methods, improve public health, and work to restore our natural world through more sustainable and ecological practices. All of The Organic Center’s research reports and publications are available free download at www.organic-center.org. Individuals can also sign up for our free monthly e-newsletter, The Scoop. Additionally, consumers can download a free pocket guide, Organic Essentials, access our educational video, or visit our new blog at www.organic-center.org. For information about The Organic Center, its current programs and scientific reports please visit www.organic-center.org or call 303.499.1840.
 
Among The Organic Center’s Key Findings
• Nutrition - “Average levels of 11 key nutrients are 25% higher in organic foods compared to conventional foods, based on 236 scientifically valid comparisons.” Source: New Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Plant-based Organic Foods, State of Science Review, March 2008.
• Antioxidants - “Eating organic produce and organic processed fruits and vegetables will increase your antioxidant intake by about 30 percent over conventionally grown produce.” Source: Elevating Antioxidant Levels in Food through Organic Farming and Food Processing, State of Science Review, January 2005.
• Taste – “Organic produce is often judged tastier…than conventional produce. Organic apples store better and are tastier than conventional apples.” Source: “Do Organic Fruits and Vegetables Taste Better than Conventional Fruits and Vegetables, State of Science Review, December 2006.
• Pesticides - “The average child in America is exposed to five pesticides daily in their food and drinking water. In fact, switching to an organic diet for just five days virtually eliminates any sign of exposure to organophosphate insecticides among school-age children.” Source: Successes and Lost Opportunities to Reduce Children’s Exposure to Pesticides Since the Mid-1990s,” Critical Issues Report, August 2006.
• Energy - “Organic corn production requires 30 percent less energy per bushel harvested, compared to conventional agriculture.” Source: Impacts of Organic Farming on the Efficiency of Energy Use in Agriculture, State of Science Review, September 2006.

Information Resources Available
• Download all of our scientific studies at no cost at www.organic-center.org <http://www.organic-center.org> .
• Subscribe to our free e-newsletter, The Scoop, a monthly digest of the latest global organic research.
• Read Core Truths, an illustrated coffee-table book and compendium of research conducted by the Center.
• Download a free Pocket Guide, Organic Essentials, to learn how to reduce dietary exposure to toxic pesticides.
• View our new educational video, Serious Science, Serious Benefits, at www.youtube.com/theorganiccenter

• Visit our new blog at www.organic-center.org/blog

Why Support The Organic Center?
As a nonprofit, tax-deductible 501c3 organization, The Organic Center relies on the financial support of individuals, businesses and foundations. As such, we appeal to you for your financial contribution. To make a donation, please visit www.organic-center.org <http://www.organic-center.org> , or contact Steven Hoffman, tel 303.499.1840, shoffman@organic-center.org <mailto:shoffman@organic-center.org>