Press Release
For immediate release

Contact: Sandra Marquardt, 301-592-0077
smarquardt@onthemarkpr.com  

    Organic Apparel Walking Tour June 16 on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile
offered at  All Things Organic™
Banana Republic, Gap, H+M, Levi Strauss, Skinstinct on the tour

What:
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) will host an Organic Fiber Walking Tour along Chicago's Magnificent Mile, North Michigan Avenue, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 16. Participants will visit Banana Republic, GAP, H&M, Levi Strauss, and Skinstinct stores selling a wide variety of organic cotton apparel and home products. The Walking Tour is part of the All Things Organic™, Expo Comida Latina and All Asia Food conference and trade shows, which will take place June 16-18 at the Lakeside Center at McCormick Place. The conference sessions also include a seminar on Wednesday, June 17, from 10:30 a.m. to noon on the organic fiber market and standards, with speakers from the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) Working Group, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Organic Exchange, and Oregon Tilth.

When:
Walking tour is Tuesday, June 16, 2009, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where:
The tour will meet at the H&M store at 840 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL and proceed from there. It will include lunch.

How:
To attend, select the Organic Fiber Walking Tour while registering online at http://www.organicexpo.com. Participation is free for the media.

Contact:
Sandra Marquardt, On the Mark Public Relations, cell: 301-512-4781, smarquardt@onthemarkpr.com.

U.S. sales of food and non-food organic products reached $24.6 billion by the end of 2008, growing an impressive 17.1 percent over 2007 sales, according to the OTA’s 2009 Organic Industry Survey.  Organic fiber/linens/clothing in 2008 totaled $472 million, up 65 percent from 2007. This figure mirrors the growth in the international organic fiber market. According to the Organic Exchange Organic Cotton Market Report 2007-2008, global retail sales of organic cotton apparel and home textile products reached an estimated $3.2 billion in 2008 representing a 63 percent increase from the $1.9 billion market in 2007.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA's mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy (www.ota.com).