The booming U.S. demand for organic food is fueling a rapid expansion at the ground level, with more farms turning organic and growers devoting more land to feedstuffs for organic cattle and poultry, says Mercaris, which monitors the sustainable agriculture sector. “We look forward to seeing imports edge downward in coming years” as domestic corn and soybean production increases.
In an annual report, the Maryland company said there were 17,188 certified organic farms in the United States, up 15 percent in a year. “Presumably, due to the booming demand for organic meat and eggs, certified organic corn and soybean operations, specifically, comprise a large portion of this growth.” Mercaris, which also operates a trading platform for organic farm products, said the acreage devoted to corn, wheat, soybeans and oats this year was 30-percent larger than in 2016.
“This data gives an indication that U.S. farming operations are at least trying to keep up with the continually growing demand for organic foods,” said Mercaris. “While we will continue to largely depend on imports in coming years, the United States’ growing ability to meet domestic demand is an important step forward for both industry and consumers.”
Although organic agriculture is a fast-growing sector, it remains a small part of the 2.07 million farms covering 912 million acres in the country. USDA said there were 14,861 organic farms with 5.3 million acres in 2016 based on its survey of certifying agents. Mercaris said 7.4 million acres were in organic farms this year, including 5,600 farms that grew organic corn and 2,400 farms with organic soybeans. Corn and soybeans are the most widely grown crops in the country, a combined 181 million acres this year.
Organic food accounts for slightly more than 5 percent, or $43 billion, of U.S. food sales, according to the Organic Trade Association, which for years has marked relentless annual increases in sales, chiefly fruit, vegetables and dairy. Due to inadequate volume of domestic feed grains and soybeans, organic livestock producers have leaned heavily on imports. Mercaris said 75 percent of organic soybeans were imported in 2016/17.
The USDA estimated half of organic farmers grew field crops on one-third of the organic farmland in the country, an indication of the sector’s focus on fruits, vegetables and other high-value “specialty” crops. The 1.7 million acres of of field crops included 480,000 acres of hay, 337,000 acres of wheat, 214,000 acres of corn, 125,000 acres of soybeans, and 51,000 acres of oats.