Organic farming expanded by roughly 20 percent last year, making it the fastest growing segment of U.S. agriculture. Experts expect this trend to continue, increasing the organic industry's share of U.S. food spending above the 2006 level of three percent. However, this rapid growth has not kept pace with consumer demand, forcing the U.S. to become a net importer of organic products for the first time. To scale up production, organic farmers are now looking to the U.S. government for increased research investment and farmer support.
Top Ten States in Organic Production (2005)
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2007
Organic Certification in the U.S.
In 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture established a set of national standards for organic products. These criteria must be met by both domestic and imported products, and exclude the use of antibiotics, steroids, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and genetically engineered seeds or animals. Historically, organic farms have been family-run with their products only available in small stores or farmers' markets. With the increasing popularity of organics in the U.S. and around the world, organic products are increasingly available in mainstream retailers, which now account for 46 percent of all sales.
Area under Organic Management, Share per Continent (2005/06)
Source: EarthTrends 2007, using data from International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, 2006
Challenges for Organic Farmers
Despite rapidly growing demand for organic products, adoption of organic farming systems among U.S. farmers remains relatively low. In 2005, organic farmland accounted for only four million acres, or about 0.5 percent of total crop and pasture land. The reasons for this include the high managerial costs and risks of shifting to new farming systems and lack of awareness among farmers.
For example, a field must be free of chemicals for three years before its crops can be certified as organic, meaning that farmers will likely encounter reduced profits during the conversion process. Organic advocates are lobbying the U.S. government to support farmers during this transition period, similar to the "green payments" already used in the European Union. With the U.S. Farm Bill up for revision this year, there is now potential for this and other organic farming research and outreach policies to be realized.
RELATED LINKS:
"U.S. has huge appetite for organic food" (Scientific American, 2007)
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
Organic Agriculture at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
USDA Organic Agriculture Data Tables
EarthTrends Organic Farming Datasets
Organic land area as a percent of total land agricultural area
