Organic & Natural Health Association will host its first national conference Jan. 26-27 at the Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village in Florida. The inaugural conference will provide opportunities to network, engage in mission-focused activities and enjoy the natural and lush surroundings of the chosen resort destination.

Organic & Natural’s board meeting will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 26, followed by cocktails and a hosted dinner. On the second day of the retreat, members will breakout for morning business sessions. Topics will include execution of the Organic & Natural research agenda (including tax and legal issues related to research), a presentation by Organic & Natural’s new lab partner Health Research Institute, a discussion on the association’s definition of “natural” and an update on legislative and regulatory activity. Attendees will participate in outside excursions during the afternoon on the more than 400 miles of navigable waterways. Spouses and guests of members are welcome. The AAA Four Diamond resort stands 19 stories tall, offering breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico, Caloosahatchee River and Tarpon Point Marina (www.westincapecoral.com).

Formed a year ago, Organic & Natural is dedicated to creating and promoting transparent business practices that safeguard access to organic and natural food, products and services. The non-profit trade association whose founding board members include Todd Harrison, partner at Venable, LLP, Joe Sandler, partner of the Sandler Reiff Lamb Rosenstein & Birkenstock, PC, and Charles Brown, national counsel for Consumers for Dental Choice, founder and president of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry and former attorney general of West Virginia, have been actively working on initiatives to improve the integrity of the natural products industry while creating a groundswell of support from leading industry companies.

“Our leadership and membership is comprised of first-rate companies and consumer organizations that understand we have to put the integrity of the industry first as part of a long-term strategy,” said Karen Howard, CEO and executive director of Organic & Natural. “It’s the only way we will ultimately win consumer trust and loyalty.”

Board leadership for Organic & Natural also includes Steve Rye, CEO of Mercola Health Resources, Alan Lewis, director of food and agriculture policy at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Todd Norton, vice president of business development at Aker BioMarine, Reid Tracy, president and CEO of Hay House Inc., Dan Lifton, CEO for Quality of Life Labs, Chris Holland, vice president of sales and marketing for Beijing Gingko Group North America (BGG) and Patrick Sullivan, Jr., president and co-founder of Jigsaw Health.

Organic & Natural’s founding members include Aker BioMarine, American Nutrition Association, BGG, Capsugel, Dr. Mercola Premium Supplements, Hay House Inc., International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Jigsaw Health, Organic Consumers Association, Quality of Life Labs and RFI Ingredients. In its first year, Organic & Natural has engaged in some high-profile issues surrounding the natural products industry, including leading the campaign to define “natural.”

To become a member of Organic & Natural Health Association and participate in the national conference, contact Karen Howard at 202-660-1345 or: www.organicandnatural.org.