This week I attended IAFP and learned of the tragic passing of someone I called a friend. I first met Will on the other side of a horrible E. coli outbreak and tragedy. I came to respect his kindness, humanity and honesty. Thank you CCOF for posting this.
The CCOF community is saddened to hear of the passing of Will Daniels, a champion of the organic movement and an inspiration to many in the organic agriculture field with his passion, vision and leadership. Will served as Chairman of the CCOF Board of Directors for 13 years from 2001 to 2014.
John Foster, former director of supply chain strategy at Earthbound Farms (Will recruited John for that role), recalls his time working with Will: “Will was one of the key people who led Earthbound Farm’s survival and resurgence after the E. coli outbreak in 2006. Without that team, including Will, Earthbound Farm would not have resurfaced. Most companies that have had food safety issues that garner national attention would not survive. Will was one of the reasons we did.”
Will was instrumental in developing the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA), which was established as the current standard for food safety for leafy greens after the spinach outbreak. Will’s involvement with the LGMA has taken food safety to a new level in the cut vegetable industry.
“Will took a scientific yet humane approach to the problem,” John recalls. “He was adamant about using testing not just to prove safety but to validate processes. He codified a program that produced data-driven results. He brought a programmatic approach to leafy greens food safety. Now nearly 20 years later, it’s become so part of the fabric of the industry that it’s hard to imagine it wasn’t there all this time.”
John says, “Will is a great role model for me in terms of pure leadership ability. I don’t think he gets enough credit for that because he was so highly regarded in a more technical field. He launched and developed the careers of hundreds of people in the organic produce and food safety industries. He judged people fairly and spoke to them with respect. He embodied the best leadership qualities: doing the right thing for the right reasons. My time working with him was a gift to me. He was so humble, and that made him an even better leader. Many who worked with Will are devastated by this loss.”
In one example, John recalls, Earthbound Firm conducted a large, detailed exercise to test its response system in case a recall was issued and the CEO was not available. “There were more than a dozen people in the conference room. [randomly timed mock emergency] The call came. Will instantly became the leader in that room, without argument or fight. He didn’t ask for it. Everyone knew it. In the hours and days that followed, we each played our roles well, but Will was at the helm. In that moment, I thought, ‘That’s leadership.’ Will’s passing is a great loss, but I take some solace in knowing he leaves behind a legacy that is firmly rooted and a long list of us who have inspired him to be agents of positive change in produce, food safety, organic and many other areas.”
Cathy Calfo, former CEO of CCOF, recalls her time working with Will, “When I joined CCOF in 2011, Will had been a board member and chairman for over 10 years. He helped us navigate the cumbersome implementation of the National Organic Program rules. But more importantly, under Will’s leadership, CCOF reached a moment where it became the largest organic certifier in the United States while maintaining a strong connection to our farmer-based membership.”
“Will believed, as we all do, that organic was the answer to building a better planet. Sharing his deep understanding of the organic process and injecting patience, kindness and vision along the way, Will was the leader CCOF needed at a critical time. We wouldn’t be who we are today without him, and as an organic community, we will miss him.”
John McKeon, Director of Organic Integrity and Compliance at Taylor Farms, recalls the first time he met Will. It was John’s first inspection of Plymouth GFS as an organic inspector. “As a trainee inspector at the time, meeting a big name in the organic industry was a big deal for me. Earthbound Farms was already quite large, even around 2001. I never expected to work for him seven years later. I was especially intrigued because as we were driving around the facility, Will pulled up in a red Subaru with a Grateful Dead sticker on it. I thought that would be the perfect car for an organic inspection.”
“Will was a presence. He was very logical and transparent in everything he did. When the spinach crisis happened, Will stepped into the larger industry as head of food safety, and I got to see his pragmatic, scientific approach to problem-solving. It was really great working for Will, where I learned how to balance food safety with organic, regenerative, sustainable practices – trying to use production methods that work with the earth, not dominate it.”
“Not only that, he was someone you could meet in the office or run into at a restaurant or just sit and talk or just goof around. He was human. That’s what helped our Earthbound Farms division unify around him. His ‘we’re all in this together’ spirit moved a lot of people forward. He was the foundation for a lot of people who are now pushing for quality, food safety and integrity in organic farming, and he enabled them to move forward.”
“I really enjoyed spending time with him. I miss him dearly.”
If you would like to help Will’s family, please visit GoFundMe.
