Quality Assurance International, San Diego, CA, has appointed organic industry leader Tracy Favre as its new director. A former organic inspector and farmer, Ms. Favre will serve at the helm of QAI’s organic certification programs: the USDA’s National Organic Program and NSF Certified Transitional, as well as international organic programs. QAI, a leader in providing organic certification services and verifying organic integrity throughout the supply chain, is a subsidiary of NSF International, a global independent organization dedicated to protecting human health and safety worldwide for more than 70 years.
 
Ms. Favre was appointed to the National Organic Standards Board in 2012 and currently serves as board chair. The 15-member NOSB advises the USDA’s National Organic Program.
 
Ms. Favre has served on various NOSB subcommittees, including livestock, handling, policy development, and materials and certification accreditation. She has been an organic inspector for the National Organic Program, completing inspections for growers, livestock operations and processing facilities across the U.S. Ms. Favre has 25 years of experience in natural resource management as an environmental engineer followed by various positions in sustainable agriculture.
 
“We are pleased to announce Tracy Favre as the new Director of QAI, Inc.,” said Sarah Krol, global managing director of Food Safety Certification for NSF International. “Tracy brings a great balance of experience, credibility and enthusiasm to the QAI team. Tracy’s technical and business expertise is critical to building consumer trust in the organic label through third-party independent certification.”
 
The addition of Tracy Favre as director reaffirms QAI’s commitment to the integrity of organic certification and underscores QAI’s vital goal of increasing engagement with the organic community. “The organic industry is a fast-changing market growing at an incredible pace.
I look forward to the opportunity to ensure QAI continues to meet high standards while bringing excellent service to our clients,” said Ms. Favre.
 
Ms. Favre has a Master of Science in sustainable development (emphasis in agriculture) from the University of London/Imperial College London and a Bachelor of Science in engineering from Texas A&M University. She also received training as a hazards and critical control point manager through NSF International as well as training in the National Organic Program’s processing standards and livestock and organic inspection. She is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas.