An update today at the USDA blog indicated that, “Since USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) implemented the organic regulations in 2002, the U.S. organic sector has tripled in size to over 22,000 certified organic operations with over $43 billion in U.S. retail sales. Demand for organic products is expected to continue growing. This strong consumer demand outruns supply, providing market opportunities within the organic sector.
“USDA offers many resources for organic producers and businesses – including organic certification cost share assistance, organic price reporting, conservation programs, and so much more – to facilitate growth within the organic sector. We also provide assistance to producers transitioning to organic production, and work to facilitate international trade.
“To learn more about our services, you can now visit the redesigned USDA organic portal. The new site features a more user-friendly design with updated content that allows you to access the USDA resources for the organic community from one centralized location.”
Today’s update added that, “Demand for organic products is not limited to the U.S. domestic market. The global organic market includes over 31,000 certified operations and is valued at nearly $80 billion annually. Organic trade continues to expand to meet the demands of the organic market. AMS works closely with countries around the world to support this growing market. We maintain organic equivalency arrangements with Canada, Japan, Korea, Switzerland and the European Union. These arrangements simplify the process for all farms and businesses to participate in the global organic market to ensure the integrity of imported organic products.”
