Transcript • U.S. organic food sales have grown between 17 and 21%

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• U.S. organic food sales have
grown between 17 and 21%
each year since 1997 (total
U.S. food sales over this time
have grown in the range of 24% a year)
• Organic food sales represent
approximately 2% of U.S. food
sales
14
12
10
Billions of
8
dollars
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• Organic farms are about 0.5%
of U.S. farms
– (Organic Trade Association’s
2004 Manufacturer Survey)
4
2
0
1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2005
Certified organic acreage
and operations, 2001
Certified organic farms, 2006
Certified Organic Farms, KY 2006
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Why fewer organic farms in KY in
2003 than 2001?
• Before national standards came into effect (October 21,
2002)
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–
–
–
Kentucky Department of Agriculture certified farms
Inexpensive certification
Relaxed standards
Encouraged certification at all income levels
• After national standards came into effect
– Certification optional for farmers who sell
< $5,000 of organic product annually and direct market
– Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) lost its certifier status;
farms had to certify out-of-state
– Certification became more expensive, with more onerous
paperwork requirements
KDA regained certifier
status in January 2006
• Very low fees
– $125/yr (early applicants were eligible for
grants to further reduce fees)
– Free farm inspections
• Rapid increase in certified organic farms
– Now ~35, up from 16 in 2005
• Application backlog
University of Kentucky Sustainable
Agriculture Curriculum
Interested in organic methods: 32/33
Certified Organic: 0/33
Grow organically: 7/33
Plan to certify: 10/33
Organic land
http://organic.kysu.edu