Organic farming in the U.S. - statistics & facts
The term “organic” broadly applies to the production of agricultural goods without the use of man-made chemicals. Organically produced goods include food, food supplements, clothing, gardening products, cleaning agents, cosmetics, as well as other health and personal care products. The desire for organic food products emerged as a response to a shift towards the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers following the advent of industrialized agriculture in the 1900s. The additional introduction of antibiotics, genetically modified organisms, and growth hormones in food production further drove up the demand for organic farming.
Sales of organic food in the U.S. have been growing for over a decade in the U.S. and currently amount to over 57 billion U.S. dollars. The sales of organic ready meals and organic packaged foods are expected to grow significantly in the next several years, reflecting the growing demand for organic food in the United States.
An overview of U.S. organic farming
Organic farm products in the U.S. are labeled as “certified organic” in accordance with specification standards set up by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). An estimated 76.4 million hectares of land is used for organic farming area worldwide. However, the North American share of the global land used for organic farming only amounts to five percent. Despite this, the U.S. organic food market generated the highest amount of revenue worldwide with sales totaling about 48.6 billion euros.The current state of organic farming
The use of organic farming currently faces several challenges, including difficulties in the application of organic farming methods to industrial scale, low profitability, and mainstream consumer perceptions for quality that are difficult for organic farmers to meet. These issues aside, the use of organic farming methods is expanding. Between 2015 and 2021, the number of certified organic farms in the U.S. increased by over 36 percent. The area of organic agricultural land in the U.S. has also increased since 2014, reaching 3.54 million hectares in 2021.Sales of organic food in the U.S. have been growing for over a decade in the U.S. and currently amount to over 57 billion U.S. dollars. The sales of organic ready meals and organic packaged foods are expected to grow significantly in the next several years, reflecting the growing demand for organic food in the United States.
