U.S. Organic Farming in 2000-2001: Adoption of Certified Systems

by Catherine Greene and Amy Kremen

U.S. farmland managed under organic systems expanded rapidly throughout the 1990s, and that pace has continued as farmers strive to meet consumer demand in both local and national markets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented national organic standards on organic production and processing in October 2002, following more than a decade of development. The new uniform standards are expected to facilitate further growth in the organic farm sector. This report updates USDA estimates of land farmed with organic practices for 2000 and 2001, and provides new estimates on the number of certified organic operations in each State.

Keywords: organic farming systems, organic certification, certified organic acreage and livestock, price premiums, national organic rules, specialty agriculture, high-value crops, farmer's markets, USDA research, agricultural economics, ERS, USDA

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Abstract, Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Summary
• Introduction
• Rising Consumer Demand for Organic Products
• Organic Farming Systems
• Third-Party Certification and National Standards
• U.S. Adoption Patterns, 1997-2001
• Certified Organic Field Crops and Hay
• Certified Organic Specialty and Minor Crops
• Certified Organic Livestock and Pasture
• Recent Federal Policy Initiatives
• References
• Appendix