USDA Says Fewer Than 1% Of US Farms Are Organic

A recently released US Department of Agriculture Organic Production Survey of organic farms nationwide found that less than 1 per cent are organic and that they generate $3.16 billion in sales. The USDA said that it tallied 14,540 organic farms and ranches that were either certified by the USDA or exempt from those rules because their annual sales fell below $5,000.
Organic products are one of the hottest trends in sales in retail stores and farmers markets but compared to conventional agriculture there is almost no comparison. USDA-certified organic farms use just 4.1 million acres of land. In its 2007 agriculture census, the agency counted a total of 2.2 million U.S. farms of all types and sizes using 922 million acres of land.
The USDA conducted its first in-depth survey of organic farming to establish a baseline for tracking the health of the sector, which doesn’t yet produce enough to satisfy all domestic needs. While U.S. consumers are willing to pay a premium price for organic products, some U.S. food companies must import organic products from other countries, most notably Europe.
California is the biggest organic farming state, with 20% of the nation’s operations and $1.15 billion in 2008 organic sales.
Click to read the full USDA Organic Production Survey. Click to read a related USDA report on Marketing US Organic Foods.

Tagged as: Farming & Agriculture, Locavore, organic produce, sustainable agriculture, vegetables