Driscolls Strawberry Associates, Inc. | Watsonville, CA

Producer | January, 2012 – January, 2017

Carmela Beck has worked in organic food and farming for 10 years. Currently she works at Driscoll’s as the Organic Program Manager.

In her job at Driscoll’s, Carmela works directly with growers, and handlers to ensure compliance with organic standards. Carmela is involved with the day to day details of compliance including inputs, production practices, plant material, traceability, labeling, and exports. In addition Carmela works with producers and handlers throughout the Americas, from Chile to Mexico, Florida and to the Canadian border.

Prior to joining Driscoll’s, Carmela worked as an Application Review Specialist at Quality Assurance International, a leading organic certification agency. Beck was also an apprentice at the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems Farm and Garden located on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus where she earned a Certificate in Ecological Horticulture.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego and currently resides in Watsonville, California. Carmela is bilingual in English and Spanish. She has completed the International Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) Basic Organic Crop and Basic Organic Handler Inspection Trainings and the Organic Trade Association (OTA) / NSF HACCP for the Organic Professional course. She participates on the OTA Mexico Task Force, the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Government Advisory Committee and locally in Latinas in Agriculture.