FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Organic & Natural Health Association’s 11th annual conference, “The United States of Health: Building Bridges to Opportunity,” concluded Jan. 22 with a celebration of industry and a clear message: the future of natural health depends on independent retailers, credible science and modernized policy grounded in transparency and consumer protection.
The conference convened Organic & Natural Health members, board leaders, and industry stakeholders from across the supply chain. It opened with a keynote from Debra Short, executive director of SENPA, who reflected on the organization’s history and reinforced the critical role independent retailers play as the frontline for consumer education and access. During the event, SENPA and Short were presented with the Organic & Natural Health Association Champion Award, honoring a longstanding commitment to advocacy, education, and compassion in support of independent natural products retailers.
“This recognition belongs to the independent retailers who serve their communities every day,” Short said. “Advocacy and education are critical to SENPA’s future and to protecting the consumers those retailers serve.”
The award presentation recognized Short’s decades of leadership and underscored the independent retailer as the heartbeat of the natural health industry, highlighting how advocacy, education, and community engagement fuel both retailer success and consumer trust.
“In a time of disruption and uncertainty, the industry’s strength comes from collaboration and shared purpose,” said Karen Howard, CEO and executive director of Organic & Natural Health. “This conference brought together the right voices to protect consumers, empower retailers, and advance policies that support a resilient future for natural health.”
The program examined science, policy, and business in equal measure. Stephen Van Vliet, Ph.D., assistant professor of nutrition science at Utah State University, presented research demonstrating how agricultural inputs can measurably influence nutrient density in animal-based foods, with implications for public health policy. Travis McCormick, a primary architect of the “Make Texans Healthy Again” initiative, inspired attendees with legislative successes that are incrementally reshaping health care in Texas. Representatives from My Health Alliance furthered the policy discussion by outlining political objectives for 2026, which attendees used to workshop potential outcomes with artificial intelligence.
Todd Harrison, a founding board member at Organic & Natural Health and partner at Venable, called for a bold, next-generation reset of dietary supplement and cosmeceutical health regulation, arguing that incremental updates to a decades-old framework has not kept pace with today’s global, digital marketplace and advances in nutritional and biosciences. He outlined a framework to replace regulatory ambiguity with clear rules that strengthen post-market transparency, clarify U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority, and focus enforcement on real public health risks, while preserving dietary supplements’ post-market status and avoiding drug-like premarket regulation.
Global perspectives rounded out the program. Matts Johansen, CEO of Aker BioMarine, addressed challenges related to international trade and supply chains, followed by a panel discussion examining their impact on product quality, cost, and sourcing. Informa market research analyst Erika Craft presented the latest consumer trend data. The conference concluded with a session led by Organic & Natural Health scientific advisory member Dr. Dana Cohan, who convened leading brands for a Consumer Packaged Goods Council discussion. Participants included Brian Terry of Nordic Naturals, Stephanie Redmond, Pharm.D, founder of Dr. Stephanie’s, and Michael T. Murray, naturopathic doctor and chief scientific advisor at iHerb, who discussed transparency, efficacy, and the priorities shaping today’s natural health consumers.
Looking ahead, Organic & Natural Health will continue its “United States of Health: Building Bridges to Opportunity” salon dinners, a year-round series of intimate, strategy-driven roundtables that unite leaders from business, policy, and science. Each gathering is designed to foster actionable insights, collaborative problem-solving, and partnerships that advance the natural health industry. The Organic & Natural Health 2026 conference was supported by sponsors: Informa, Anagenix and Venable. Get involved at https://organicandnatural.org.
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