On the Map: Certified Organic Acreage and Operations, 2001

Farmers in 48 States dedicated 2.3 million acres of cropland and pasture to organic production systems in 2001. Over 1.3 million acres were used for growing crops. USDA lifted restrictions on organic meat labeling in the late 1990s, and by 2001, most of the States were raising certified organic livestock. While adoption of organic farming systems showed strong gains between 1992 and 2001 and the adoption rate remains high, the overall adoption level is still low—only about 0.3 percent of all U.S. cropland and 0.2 percent of all U.S. pasture was certified organic in 2001.