August 2012
Principles and Practices of Organic Farming Part I Introduction Organic farming refers to the method agricultural products [food and fiber] are grown and processed. Organic farmers aim to produce healthy food from a balanced, living soil. Organic agriculture is sustainable, keeping soils productive and alive, and helping to minimize contamination of the earth's water supplies. Strict regulations, known as standards, define what organic producers can and cannot do. These regulations place strong emphasis on protecting the environment. The United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (USDAERS) and industry groups report that organic product sales have grown by 20 percent or more each year since 1990 (USDA, 2003). The market research firm, Packaged Facts, estimated U.S. sales of fresh and processed organic foods at $6.5 billion in 1999 and $7.8 billion in 2000, while The International Trade Centre estimated 2001 U.S retail sales at $9.5 billion (NASDA, 2003). According to Packaged Facts, 2008 sales of natural and organic food and beverages will continue at a double-digit growth rate to reach $32.9 billion (Palmer, 2008). One of the fastest growing segments of U.S agriculture for over a decade has been organic farming. The U.S. had under a million acres of certified organic farmland when Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. By the time USDA implemented national organic standards in 2002, certified organic farmland had doubled, and doubled again between 2002 and 2005. Organic livestock sectors have grown even faster. In 2005, all 50 states in the U.S. had some certified organic farmland. In 2005, U.S. producers set aside over 4.0 million acres of farmland—1.7 million acres of cropland and 2.3 million acres of rangeland and pasture—to organic production systems (USDA, 2003).