Natural products have a major economic impact on consumer choices, from foods and supplements to household and personal care products, making our industry more visible than ever before. We’re beginning to see the potential for some serious roadblocks in 2014, and it’s important that we act now to control the direction of our future; ensure consumers continue to have access to healthy natural products; and preserve the rights of suppliers and retailers to sell them.

The rapid growth of the natural products industry is attracting the attention of influential forces that are putting pressure on federal regulators to change the definition of natural in a way that would not serve the best interests of natural products industry stakeholders or consumers. What’s more, at the end of last year, a surge of negative reports in the mainstream media regarding nutritional supplements has the potential to increase pressure on politicians to reopen the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), and create costly new regulations that reduce access to legitimate natural products.

Now is the time for us to tell our powerful, positive story. Please join me in helping shape our future by making sure NPA is focused on the issues most important to you. Ensure we hear your voice by taking an important survey that NPA has developed to capture your thoughts on these matters. We are looking for very valuable input from all industry retailers and suppliers, both NPA members and non-members. Please note the survey closes Friday, Feb. 14. We appreciate all you do for the natural products industry, and can’t wait to hear what you have to say.

NPA survey for member retailers can be found here.

NPA survey for member suppliers can be found here.

NPA survey for non-member retailers can be found here.

NPA survey for non-member suppliers can be found here.

Roxanne Green is the new president of the Natural Products Association and HBC coordinator at PCC Natural Markets in Seattle.