Ever wonder why there is so much confusion with organics? Consumers are being told that they should buy organic, then are told to buy local without emphasizing the fact that it should be locally grown organic. Even the definition of organic is still very loose. There is so much confusion that most people still have no idea what they should buy and why. With the leadership in the organic industry succumbing to the intense pressures by the Big Agro Chemical companies to find a way to co-exist, agricultural activists, organic purists and farmers have been up in arms. There is a great need to reclaim the integrity of organics, while also insuring that the farmers are actually paid a decent wage. This also lends a hand to the importance of how fair trade intersects with organics. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Jason Freeman who is a founding member and General Manager of Farmer Direct Co-operative Ltd. Farmer Direct Co-operative is a farmer owned business of 63 Certified Organic, Certified Fair Trade family farms with a land base 120,000 acres of farmland. FDC produces high quality, Organic and Fair Trade grains, oilseeds, pulses and meats for food manufacturers, distributors, and food service providers in Canada, the United States, the European Union and Japan. FDC is a bulk supplier of organic grains specializing in containers, truckloads, rail cars and 25lb bags of grain for retailers' bulk bins. In March of 2010 Farmer Direct Co-op became the first organization in North America to receive domestic fair trade certification. At ExpoWest this March FDC launched the first Farmer-Owned, Certified Organic, Certified Fair Trade food brand. FDC is a founding member of the domestic fair trade association. Stay tuned!