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December 2000
U.S. and
Global Organic Dairy, Livestock and Poultry Production:
Implications
for International Trade
Industry and government sources indicate that global organic production has increased 20 percent annually over the past 10 years and the size of the global organic market doubled between 1997 and 2000. Australia, the European Union, and the United States are currently the largest global organic producers; however, interest in organic production is increasing worldwide. In Mexico alone, land dedicated to organic products increased 140 percent from 1996 to 1998. Though this reflects land of only 136,000 acres (as compared to 15 million acres in Australia), Mexican production of organic goods has resulted in $70 million worth of exports in 1999. Reports suggest that Canada and Mexico are gaining in importance as mid-sized global organic producers. In addition, an International Trade Center study indicates that organic production is also beginning to take hold in many developing countries.
What are the implications of increasing consumer interest and production of organic agriculture for dairy, livestock, and poultry products? In markets where demand for organic crop food has become more widely accepted, demand and production of organic livestock products has also grown. Markets reflecting this trend include the United States and the European Union, and, to a lesser extent, Argentina and Brazil. In these markets, demand for organic dairy and eggs has been strongest, followed by poultry, beef, and pork, respectively. While production of organic agricultural goods continues to increase, there are many technical hurdles yet to overcome, such as lack of established trading guidelines and global organic standards. However, as these guidelines and standards are formalized, and demand for organic products continues to increase, it is expected that international trade of organic goods will grow. The organic production guidelines outlined in this paper are subject to the Final Organic Standards rule, expected to be released by USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service sometime this year.
With indications that the organic industry is alive and well, and that it will continue to strengthen, FAS' Dairy, Livestock and Poultry Division has undertaken an analysis of U.S. and global organic dairy, livestock, and poultry production. To accompany the report, provided below is also a slide presentation encapsulating U.S. organic production statistics as well as points to ponder regarding the U.S. and global situation.
| Implications
of U.S. and Global Organic Dairy, Livestock and Poultry Production for International Trade
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| Presentation on U.S. and International Organic Industries | |
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| FAS Organics Website | ||||||
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This file is in Adobe Acrobat [.pdf] format. Click on the icon if you need to download the Adobe Acrobat reader used to view PDF files. |
For more information, contact the Dairy, Livestock and Poultry Division, Foreign Agricultural Service.
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