The consumption of organic food
and beverages is concentrated in Europe and the
United States, but the production of certified
organic products is scattered worldwide. U.S.
production and domestic consumption of organic
products continues to increase. Organic farming
systems rely on ecologically based practices,
such as cultural and biological pest management,
and virtually exclude the use of synthetic chemicals
in crop production and prohibit the use of antibiotics
and hormones in livestock production. The international
statistics on organic production are compiled
by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
(FiBL), based in Germany. ERS has collected data
from U.S.-based organic certification groups since
1997 to calculate the extent of certified U.S.
organic farmland acreage and livestock. In 2002,
USDA made organic certification mandatory and
has accredited 55 domestic and 41 foreign groups
to certify farmers and handlers to U.S. organic
standards.
Organic Acreage Is Expanding
Rapidly in Many Countries
More than 77 million acres of
agricultural land were being managed organically
by farms in 119 countries in 2005-06. The U.S.
ranks fourth behind Australia, China, and Argentina
in certified organic land. In Australia and Argentina,
pasture and rangeland are the dominant use of
the organically managed land. China is producing
a range of certified organic crops, including
beans, cereals, and oilseeds in Northeast provinces
and tea, rice, ginger, soybeans, and vegetables
in the Eastern and Southern provinces. The domestic
market for organic products is expanding modestly
in China and other developing countries. Most
of the countries with the fastest growth in organic
production—including China, Bolivia, Chile,
Uruguay, and Ukraine—produce organic products
primarily for export.
Organic Production Is Scattered
Across the U.S.
Organic agriculture is showing
strong growth in the United States, too, as more
consumers buy organic products. U.S. producers
dedicated over 4.0 million acres of farmland—1.7
million acres of cropland and 2.3 million acres
of rangeland and pasture—to organic production
systems in 2005, according to the most
recent estimates from ERS.
The U.S. organic farm sector
is diverse, with both small-scale operations marketing
directly to consumers and large-scale operations
targeting national and international markets.
In 2005, for the first time,
all U.S. States had some certified organic farmland.
Virtually all crop and livestock specialties are
represented, as well as many farms that manage
both conventional and organic operations as they
transition into organic production. California
ranks first in certified operations, with just
over 1,900 in 2005, up 20 percent from the previous
year. States in the Northeast, Pacific Northwest,
and Upper Midwest also have large numbers of organic
farmers, many with specialty crop operations.
California also remains the
leading State in certified organic cropland with
over 220,000 acres, more than half in organic
fruit and vegetable production. Other top States
for certified organic cropland include North Dakota,
Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas, and Idaho.
Over 40 States also had some certified organic
rangeland and pasture in 2005, although only Alaska,
Texas, California, and Montana had more than 100,000
acres. USDA lifted restrictions on organic meat
labeling in the late 1990s, and the organic poultry
and beef sectors continue to expand rapidly.
U.S. Adoption Is Still
Low
While adoption of organic farming
systems showed strong gains between 1992 and 2005,
the overall adoption level is still low—only
about 0.5 percent of all U.S. cropland and 0.5
percent of all U.S. pasture was certified organic
in 2005. Only a small percentage of the top U.S.
field crops—corn (0.2 percent), soybeans
(0.2 percent), and wheat (0.5 percent)—were
grown under certified organic farming systems.
On the other hand, organic carrots (6 percent
of U.S. carrot acreage), organic apples (3 percent)
and other fruit and vegetable crops were more
commonly organic grown in 2005. Overall, nearly
5 percent of U.S. vegetable acreage and 2.5 percent
of fruit and nut acreage was under organic management
in 2005.
Markets for organic vegetables,
fruit, and herbs have been developing for decades
in the United States, and fresh produce is still
the top-selling organic category in retail sales.
Organic livestock was beginning to catch up with
produce in 2005, with 1 percent of U.S. dairy
cows and 0.7 percent of the layer hens managed
under certified organic systems. However, the
low adoption rate for grain crops remains a bottleneck
in the U.S. organic livestock sector—organic
dairy and poultry producers continue to experience
difficulty sourcing organically produced feed
grains.
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