Photo Courtesy of USDA NRCS.

Organic agriculture, a worldwide growth industry, can be a profitable, sustainable business for agricultural producers interested in going through the certification process necessary to enter this market. Organics have grown at a rate of nearly 20 percent per year for the last seven years, and industry experts are continuing to forecast slowing but steady growth.

Rapid growth in the organic sector has highlighted issues that need to be addressed: shortages of organic raw materials such as organic grain and organic sugar, product sales in a weak U.S. economy and competition from food marketed as “locally grown" or "natural." A shortage of affordable organic ingredients or products, such as corn and soybeans for livestock feed, left organic producers unable to meet market demand.  (ERS 2009)  January 2012 . . . Organic Food Trends

Marketing

• Accredited Certifying Agents (ACAs), Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS), USDA.
• Australian Organic Market Report 2010, Organic Research Centre, University of New England, Australia, 2010 - This report attempts to define the size and extent of the organic industry in Australia.
• Beyond Organic. How Evolving Consumer Concerns Influence Food Purchases, Context Marketing, 2009.
• Certified Organic Production: The Experiences and Perspectives of Idaho Farmers, Washington State University, 2010 - A report on a 2009 statewide survey of organic producers by Dr. Jessica Goldberger with Washington State.
• China Organics Report, Global Ag Information Network, Foreign Ag Service (FAS), USDA, 2010 - Some analysts expect domestic sales of organic products in China to be as high as $3.6 to $8.7 million by 2015.
• Current Status of Organic Agriculture in Washington State: 2010, Washington State University, 2011.
• Current Status of Organic Agriculture in Washington State: 2009, Washington State University, 2010.
• Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA.
  • America's Organic Farmers Face Issues and Opportunities, Amber Waves, 2010 - The number of certified organic crop and livestock operations and acreage under organic management has grown rapidly over the past decade, but adoption of organic farming practices in the U.S. still lags behind many other countries.
  • Emerging Issues in the U.S. Organic Industry, USDA, 2009.
  • Marketing U.S. Organic Foods: Recent Trends From Farms to Consumers, USDA, 2009 - U.S. organic-industry growth is evident in an expanding number of retailers selling a wider variety of foods, the development of private-label product lines by many supermarkets and the widespread introduction of new products. Retail sales of organic foods have jumped from $3.6 billion in 1997 to $21.1 billion in 2008.
  • Market-Led Growth vs. Government-Facilitated Growth: Development of the U.S. and EU Organic Agricultural Sectors, USDA, 2005.
  • Organic Prices, 2009.
  • Organic Production, USDA - This site includes data on the certified organic farmland acreage and livestock in the United States.
  • Use of Contracts in the Organic Sector, 2010 - Contracting is widespread in the organic sector. This article summarizes survey data on contracting in that sector, addressing the extent of contracting, the rationale for using contracts and contract design for select commodities..
  • The U.S. Organic Handling Sector in 2004: Baseline Findings of the Nationwide Survey of Organic Manufacturers, Processors, and Distributors, USDA, 2008.
• Fourth National Organic Farmers Survey: Sustaining Organic Farms in a Changing Organic Marketplace (Full Report), Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), 2004 - OFRF's National Organic Farmers Surveys have collected data about organic farmers and farming for 1993, 1995, 1997 and 2001.
• National Organic Program, National Agricultural Law Center, University of Arkansas, 2009.
• Organic Agriculture in the United States: Program and Policy Issues, Congressional Research Service, 2008.
• Organic Ag in Wisconsin--2009 Status Report, University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, 2010 - Wisconsin is the top-ranked state for number of organic dairy farms and ranks second for number of organic beef farms.
• Organic Ag in Wisconsin--2007 Status Report,  University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, 2008 - This report includes a focus on organic dairy production in Wisconsin.
• Organic Farm Performance in Minnesota: 2010, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, 2011 - The median organic producer earned a net farm income of $62,463 in 2010, a six-fold increase over 2009.
• Organic Farm Performance in Minnesota: 2009, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, 2010.
• Organic Farmers Increasingly turn to Cooperative Business Model, Rural Cooperatives magazine, USDA, 2010 - Organic Valley is one of four producer-owned, organic food co-ops that have flourished for more than 20 years.
• Organic Feedgrain Producers and Handlers, National Organic Program, AMS, USDA - This partial list identifies certified feedgrain producers and handlers in the United State and Canada.
• Organic Food Production, Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Ag Library, USDA.
• Organic Foods Find Growing Niche in Mexico, GAIN Report, FAS, USDA, 2011 - Demand for organic food products in Mexico has been growing over the last few years, making Mexico an attractive market for U.S. exporters of organic food products.
• Organic Foods: Are they safer? More nutritious? Mayo Clinic, 2008 - This online article explains the difference between food grown organically vs. conventionally.
• Organic Industry Overview, Organic Trade Association (OTA), 2011 - The results of this survey show the value of the organic industry in 2010 reached $28.6 billion.
• Organic Info Line - A 16-year organic certification veteran and organic farmer answers your questions about soil building, weed and pest control, livestock and certification paperwork via: 1-888-551-GROW (4769)
• Organic Market Report, Soil Association, United Kingdom (UK), 2011 - The definitive guide to organic trade in the UK, the Organic Market Report shows sales of organic products fell nearly 6 percent in 2010. The largest increases were seen in sales of organic beef (up 18%), organic baby food (up 10%) and organic textiles (up 8%).
• Organic Marketing Resources, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), NCAT, 2004 - A listing of resources, including prices, sales data and trends, for organic food and fiber products.
• Organic Price Index, Rodale New Farm Institute - Price Index on fruits, grains, herbs and vegetable in several U.S. market places.
• Organic Production, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
• Organic Production Survey: United States Data Highlights- 2008, NASS, USDA, 2010.
• Organic Products, FAS, USDA.
• Organic Trade Continues to Grow, FAS, USDA, 2008.
• Organics, Food Navigator-USA - Organic news topics on food and beverages are featured.
• Profile of organic crops in Washington State – 2008, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University, 2009.
• Protecting the integrity of organic grains during harvest, Rodale Institute, 2004 - Develop strict cleaning protocol for harvesting and handling equipment to keep grain clean, pure and uncontaminated.
• Risk Management Guide for Organic Producers, University of Minnesota, 2010 - This free online manual and website will help organic farmers understand the risks in organic production and make choices that minimize those risks.
• Statistical Review of California’s Organic Agriculture: 2005 – 2009, Karen Klonsky and Kurt Richter, Ag Issues Center, University of California, 2011 - This publication quantifies the current size and growth of the organic industry in California in terms of acres, farm gate sales and number of growers statewide and by commodity, commodity group, county and region, based on California Department of Agriculture registration data.
• Statistical Review of California Organic Agriculture 2000-2005, Agricultural Issues Center, University of California, 2007.
• Texas Organic Food Production, Marketing on the Rise, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, 2010.
• UNL Organic Survey Report, Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA), 2009.
• U.S. Families' Organic Attitudes & Beliefs Tracking Study, OTA, 2011.
• USDA-Certified Organic Operations, AMS, USDA - This database lists the organic production and handling operations around the world that were certified as of 2009. A search feature allows users to search by certifying agent, country, products produced, etc.
• Willingness to Pay for Locally Produced Foods: A customer intercept study of direct market and grocery store shoppers, Ohio State University, 2006.
• The World of Organic Agriculture, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), 2011 - Organic agriculture was practiced in 160 countries in 2009, and 37.2 million hectares of agricultural land were managed organically by 1.8 million farmers. The countries with the largest area of organic agricultural land that year were Australia, Argentina and the USA.
• The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics & Emerging Trends 2009, IFOAM, Foundation Ecology & Agriculture (SÖL) and FiBL, Bonn, Germany - Valued at more than $20 billion U.S. in 2007, the North American market accounted for 45 percent of global revenues. The largest market for organic products that year was Germany, followed by the United Kingdom, France and Italy. 

Transitioning to Organic

• Assessing Farmer Interest in Transition to Organic Production and Barriers to Expansion of Organic Production in New York State, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, 2010 - A survey of farmers in New York was conducted to assess interest in organic production and transition, and to identify barriers and needs of organic and conventional producers. Survey results indicate substantial interest among the farmers in organic production, despite the challenges and barriers they identify in both production and marketing of organic farm products.
• Farmer Transition Hotline, Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) - Call 888-551-GROW (4769) to get an answer to your questions about organic farming and soil building, weed and pest control, livestock and certification paperwork.
• Getting to Organic: Profiles of How Michigan Farmers Made Their Transition to Organic Agriculture, Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance, 2008 - This report profiles five farmers who discuss how they began organic farming and the lessons they learned in the process of getting organic certification.
• Guide to U.S. Organic Certifiers - A resource tool/guide provided by the Organic Farming Research Foundation and Rodale's New Farm Institute where farmers can find detailed information about organic certifiers accredited by the USDA National Organic Program.
• HowToGoOrganic.com, OTA - This website offers two pathways to organic certification: one for producers and one for processors.
• International Certification Services, Inc., Medina, North Dakota - This company, a premier certifier in the global organic industry with operations in several countries, was created to address a cornerstone in the organic movement: fostering strong relationships and trust between the producers and consumers of food.
• Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) - Through a toll-free organic farmers’ hotline, workshops, organic certification services and other methods, MOSES provides educational resources for organic farmers. Specific resources include the "Guidebook for Organic Certification" (26 pages of common certification questions and answers).
• National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, ATTRA, NCAT - Practical production and planning guides and information on organic agriculture with workbooks and other resources.
• Rodale New Farm Institute - Resources and training on transitioning your farm to organic.
   

Links to Other Sites

• National Organic Program, AMS, USDA.
• Organic Agriculture Program, Iowa State University Extension, Dr. Kathleen Delate, organic specialist, Iowa State University - The Organic Agriculture Program educates producers, consumers and policy makers in the research and extension activities in organic agriculture both on-farm and in the universities.
• The Organic Center - A center that seeks to "generate credible, peer reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organic farming and products to society."
• Organic Trade Association
   

Links checked January 2012.