Mr. Foster is an experienced professional with a track record of measurable impact in certified organic and sustainable food & agricultural projects, business, and initiatives. His 30 years in corporate, small- scale, and non-profit enterprise environments has earned him national recognition in organic certification & policy, as well as business strategy, growth management, and strategic planning, all focused developing and growing the organic sector.

John’s educational background in diverse fields such as Environmental Studies, Literature, Ecological Horticulture, and Leadership Development. John spent over a decade a technical reviewer and organic inspector throughout North America, specializing in complex, global supply chains and food processing environments. For over ten years, he managed organic compliance at Earthbound Farm and then under White Wave Foods and Danone NA ownership of the Earthbound Farm BU, he served as Director of Supply Chain Strategy, being responsible for compliance with all customer and regulatory mandates for all field, co-manufacturer, and processing operations. John has consulted for over a decade in all aspects of the organic sector including certification management, business development, compliance, strategy, and change management.

John has served on many industry boards and committees providing guidance and leadership for the organic community, for example, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) – Handler Representative 2010-2015, California Organic Products Advisory Committee (COPAC) 2007-2013, and the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) Board of Directors 2000-2006. John currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA).

John is experienced in the development, implementation, and monitoring of National Organic Program standards for crop production, livestock, processing, wholesale, distribution, and retail operations. For the last two years, John and Wolf & Associates has focused on solving compliance problems and challenges for their clients related to new regulations under the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) initiative, speaking widely on the subject to numerous private and public sector audiences in the U.S. and abroad.

Mr. Foster, Chief Operating Officer, is passionate about all things organic. His experiences over 30 years in the organic sector are as diverse as the organic industry itself—farming in Oregon, serving on the National Organic Standards Board, organic inspection and certification management, organic business development, supply chain strategy, and change management, among others. John works across all areas of the agency and especially relishes working with innovative ideas and long-term strategic initiatives, bringing positive change through enterprising, impactful, and creative problem solving. A current focus area is expanding W&A’s advisory capacity to best serve all facets of the organic community, addressing near-term demands as well as long-term aspirations.