Overview
Organic farming has become one of the fastest growing
segments of U.S. agriculture. U.S. producers are turning
to certified organic farming systems as a potential way
to lower input costs, decrease reliance on nonrenewable
resources, capture high-value markets and premium prices,
and boost farm income. 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.
Many producers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers
specialize in growing,
processing, and marketing an ever widening array
of organic food and fiber products.
Features
Using
Vertically Coordinated Relationships to Overcome Tight
Supply in the Organic Market—A survey of certified
organic handlers in the United States reveals that handlers
widely use contracts as a means to not only procure needed
ingredients but also to develop and maintain strong working
relationships with their suppliers (10/08).
 The U.S. Organic Handling
Sector in 2004: Baseline Findings of the Nationwide
Survey of Organic Manufacturers, Processors, and Distributors—This
report presents findings from an ERS survey of certified
organic intermediaries, and presents a baseline of
their marketing and procurement practices in 2004.
A large share of firms handles both organic and conventional
products, most are small firms, and more than three-quarters
are independent (5/08).
 U.S.
Organic Agricultural Production in 2005—In
2005, for the first time, all 50 States in the U.S.
had some certified organic farmland. This data set
provides information on organic operations and acreage
for crops and livestock (over 40 commodities), with
some tables dating back to 1992. Data for 2000-2005
also include the number of certified operations, by
State (12/06).
 Procurement
and Contracting by Organic Handlers—Provides
select results from the 2004 Nationwide Survey of Organic
Manufacturers, Processors, and Distributors. The survey
covered a variety of topics related to the procurement
and contracting of organic products and ingredients.
Data are available on 9 commodity groups, such as fruit
and nuts, and 45 commodities.
The procurement data include information from 1,038
facilities; the contracts data include information
from 686 facilities that use contracts (11/07).
Organic
Demand: A Profile of Consumers in the Fresh Produce
Market  —The
study analyzes
Nielsen Homescan data from 2001 and 2004 to determine
the characteristics of organic consumers, what they buy,
how much they spend, and the price premiums they pay
for organic produce (4/07).
Retail
and Consumer Aspects of the Organic Milk Market—Consumer
interest in organic milk has burgeoned, resulting in
rapid growth in retail sales of organic milk. Most
organic milk is sold in supermarkets, and organic price
premiums are large and vary by region (5/07).
 Soybean
Production Costs and Returns from the 2006 ARMS—USDA's
2006 ARMS survey collected information about the production
practices and costs of soybean growers in 19 States
(representing over 97 percent of U.S. planted soybean
acres). A set of estimates is now available from the
survey that presents costs and returns for 2006 by
region and size of operation for all
soybean producers and
for conventional and organic producers
for regions and size groups with sufficient sample for statistical reliability.
For more information about these soybean cost and return estimates,
see The
Profitability of Organic Soybean Production.
 Milk
Production Costs and Returns in 2005—USDA's
2005 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS)
included a sub-sample of organic dairies and collected
detailed information about the production practices
and costs on dairy farms in 24 States representing
over 90 percent of national milk production. Estimates
of milk costs
and returns are available from the survey for 2005,
by State and size of operation for all
milk producers and for conventional and organic dairies. For
more information, see the report A
Comparison of Conventional and Organic Milk Production
Systems in the U.S. (5/07).
Organic
Poultry and Eggs Capture High Price Premiums and Growing
Share of Specialty Markets—Organic poultry and
egg markets in the United States are expanding rapidly.
This report examines trends in markets, animal numbers,
and prices. Price comparisons between organic and conventional
show significant organic price premiums for both broilers
and eggs (12/06).
Organic
Agriculture: Innovations in Organic Marketing, Technology,
and Research—Symposium Proceedings of a workshop
held October 2005 at ERS, on the Plant Management Network
website. The workshop examined producer options and obstacles,
market growth, educational resources, benefits
assessment, and research
opportunities (9/06).
EU
and U.S. Organic Markets Face Strong Demand Under Different
Policies—Many European Union (EU) countries have
"green payments" available for transitioning
and continuing organic farmers. By contrast, the U.S.
Government has largely taken a free-market approach to
the organic sector. Despite the different approaches,
both regions have large retail markets for organic foods.
For the full report, see Market-Led
Growth vs. Government-Facilitated Growth: Development
of the U.S. and EU Organic Agricultural Sectors (2/06,
8/05).
Price Premiums
Hold on as U.S. Organic Produce Market Expands—Price
premiums for organic products have contributed to growth
in certified organic farmland and, ultimately, market
expansion. This article explores price premiums and market
margins for a limited set of fresh produce items—carrots,
broccoli, and mesclun mix (5/05).
Recommended Readings
Organic Produce,
Price Premiums, and Eco-Labeling in U.S. Farmers' Markets—The
popularity of farmers' markets in the United States has
grown concurrently with organic production and consumer
interest in locally and organically produced foods. This
research describes the significance of farmers' markets
as market outlets for many organic farmers, and recent
shifts in relationships between organic growers, market
managers, and customers (4/04).
Recent Growth Patterns
in the U.S. Organic Foods Market—As consumer
interest in organic foods continues to gather momentum
in the U.S., many firms are specializing in growing, processing,
and marketing an ever-widening array of organic products.
This report provides economic research on recent growth
patterns in the U.S. organic sector, by market category,
and a description of the marketing channels for major
organic commodity groups. It summarizes USDA research,
regulatory, and other ongoing programs on organic agriculture
(9/02).
U.S.
Organic Farm Sector Continues to Expand—Organic
agriculture is expanding rapidly in the United States,
as consumer interest continues to gather momentum and
new organic production and marketing systems evolve.
This article looks at changes in organic crop acreage
from 1997-2003 (Amber Waves, 3/06).
See all recommended readings...
Recommended Data Products
U.S. Organic Agriculture, 1992-2005—Newly
revised, this product updates USDA estimates of U.S. organic
acreage and livestock numbers to 2005. Data are presented
by State and commodity for 1997 and 2000-2005 (12/06).
Organic Farmgate and
Wholesale Prices—Provides farmgate and wholesale
prices for select organic and conventional produce
items for the Boston and San Francisco markets for
1995-2006. New data also include price
comparisons between organic and conventional broilers
and eggs
(2004-2007) and price data for organic grains and feedstuffs (3/08).
Procurement and Contracting
by Organic Handlers—Provides select
results from the 2004 Nationwide Survey of Organic Manufacturers,
Processors, and Distributors. The survey covered a variety
of topics related to the procurement and contracting
of organic products and ingredients. Data are available
on 9 commodity groups, such as fruit and nuts, and
45 commodities, such as berries and citrus. The procurement
data include information from 1,038 facilities; the contracts
data include information from 686 facilities that use
contracts (11/07).
Related Links
Agricultural
Marketing Service, National Organic Program—National
standards that govern the marketing of organically produced
agricultural products.
OECD
Workshop on Organic Agriculture—The Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently
published the Proceedings of a workshop that was hosted
by the USDA examining the economic, environmental and
social impacts of organic agriculture in relation to "integrated"
and "conventional" farming systems.
See all related links...
Maps and Images Gallery
Maps of organic producers and organic handlers by zip
code
Certified Organic Handling Facilities in the U.S., 2004
New organic product
introductions and sales of organic food
Organic
Agriculture Poster
U.S. certified
organic farmland and operations by State, 2005
Top States with certified
organic crops in 2005
Distribution of
farmers' markets across the United States
Demand for organic products in 210 U.S. farmers' markets
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