A Closer Look at Organic
Despite overall growth, U.S. still lags behind other countries in organic farming.
Compiled by staff
Published: Jul 15, 2010
In 2008, U.S. producers dedicated approximately 4.6 million acres of cropland, rangeland, and pasture to certified organic production, more than double the 1.8 million certified acres in 2000, according to USDA estimates.
Certified organic cropland increased 41% between 2000 and 2005 and was up 51% between 2005 and 2008, reaching over 2.2 million acres. The organic livestock sector grew even faster during this period, with the largest gains in organic dairy and egg production.
Certified organic milk cows increased steadily from approximately 87,000 animals in 2000 to over 200,000 in 2008, and organic layer hens grew from 2.4 million to 348 million.
Nonetheless, U.S. organic crop acreage accounted for less than 1% of total crop acreage in 2008, much lower than that in many other countries, including Switzerland (11% in 2007), Italy (9%), Uruguay (over 6%), United Kingdom (over 4%) and Mexico (nearly 3%).
Why? The relatively low level of organic farming in the U.S. may be attributed to several factors. When demand for organically-produced food began emerging in the 1970s, few resources existed to help farmers with production and marketing. Although more resources for conservation assistance are now available for farmers trying to transition to organic, the level of assistance through research and extension may be a limiting factor.
Organic farmers also increasingly face competition from products with new labels like "locally grown." And, the weaker U.S. economy over the past couple of years has presented U.S. organic producers with another challenge—dampened organic sales in some food sectors.
Western U.S. has more organic cows but fewer organic dairies (see map). More than 80% of U.S. organic dairies are located in the Northeast and Upper Midwest, but these operations are smaller and less productive than those in the West, according to research from USDA.
Only 7% of organic dairies are in the West, but these operations account for 31% of America's organic milk cows. Operations in the Northeast average 53 cows; the Upper Midwest, 64 cows; and the West, 381 cows. Organic dairy cows in the West average nearly 16,000 pounds of annual milk production per cow, 2,700 pounds more than in the Upper Midwest and 4,000 pounds more than in the Northeast.
Reality check. Another stumbling block for organic may be that its consumer benefits appear to be more hype than reality. A review published last month in the prestigious American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that, based on evidence from previous studies, organic food is not healthier than conventionally-grown food.
This follows on the heels of a similar review released last summer by Britain's Food Standards Agency. Their conclusion - that organic is not healthier than conventional food - came after sifting through 162 peer-reviewed research articles from the previous five decades.
Writing in the Institute of Food Technologists' journal Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety this spring, Rutgers University professor Joseph Rosen noted that experts at the Mayo Clinic and American Dietetic Association didn't find any real benefits to organic food either.
"Much of the proof advanced by both the Soil Association and the Organic Center are based on research articles that have not been reviewed by independent scientists and data that are not statistically significant," says Rosen. "Nonexistent or incomplete data are nevertheless 'published' in the media. In some cases, organic food proponents omit data that do not support their views… Consumers who buy organic food because they believe that it contains more healthful nutrients than conventional food are wasting their money."
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Tagged: organic, usda, organic dairy, Extension, farming
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