U.S. Organic Farm Sector Continues to Expand
Catherine
Greene
Most segments of the U.S. organic
farm sector have expanded since USDA set uniform
organic standards in 2000. About 50 organic certification
programs—State and private—are currently
accredited by USDA to certify U.S. farmers, ranchers,
and processors, about the same as before USDA made
certification mandatory. USDA’s organic rules
also streamlined organic import procedures, and
over 40 foreign programs are now accredited to U.S.
standards.
Certified organic crop acreage increased 11 percent
between 2001 and 2003, with large increases for
fruits and vegetables and for hay crops used in
dairy. Overall, certified organic acreage declined
slightly in 2002 from the previous year, as USDA
implemented national organic rules, but rebounded
in 2003. Farmers in 49 States dedicated 2.2 million
acres of cropland and pasture to organic production
systems in 2003. Nearly 1.5 million acres were used
for growing crops. California, North Dakota, Minnesota,
Montana, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Iowa had the most
organic cropland, and Texas, Alaska, and California
had the largest amount of organic pasture and rangeland.
Certified organic cropland accounted for 0.1 percent
of U.S. pasture and 0.4 percent of U.S. cropland,
although the share is much higher in some crops,
such as vegetables at nearly 4 percent and fruit
at about 2 percent.
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The number of certified organic
livestock animals—beef cows, milk cows, hogs,
pigs, sheep, and lambs—increased more than
fivefold from 1997 to 2003, and rose 15 percent
between 2002 and 2003 alone. Dairy has been one
of the fastest growing segments of the organic foods
industry. Milk cows accounted for over half of the
certified livestock animals during 1997-2003, and
organic milk cows accounted for 1 and 2 percent
of the total in California and Wisconsin, the two
top dairy States for both organic and conventional
production in 2003.
Organic cotton and soybeans acreage
declined after 2001, despite growth in retail sales
of organic cotton and soy-based products. Import
competition likely played a role in this. USDA’s
Foreign Agricultural Service estimates that the
value of U.S. organic imports was $1.0-$1.5 billion
in 2002, while the value of U.S. organic exports
was $125-$250 million. Although consumer spending
on organic foods is still small—approximately
2 percent of at-home food sales in 2003—rapid
growth is expected to continue in the U.S. and other
major markets, while the competition for these markets
is likely to increase considerably.
Organic pasture and rangeland
also declined (6 percent) between 2001 and 2003,
mostly for rangeland in the West. As USDA implemented
uniform organic standards—including stringent
standards for livestock—some organic ranchers
switched to the natural meat market exclusively.
Although natural meat products may be produced under
private standards that go beyond USDA’s guidelines,
natural meat producers are not prohibited from using
antibiotics in production and are not required to
use certified organic feed grains or pasture or
provide cows with access to pasture.
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