Organic Farming and Geography - Good Growing: Why Organic Farming Works - page 4

ORGANIC GROWTH

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By all accounts organic production and consumption is booming, not just
in the United States but in many other countries as well. In Switzerland,
11 percent of farms are organic; in Austria this figure is 9 percent, and in
D enmark it is 6 percent. Organic food makes up 4 percent of food sales in
D enmark and Austria, 2 percent in Germany and Switzerland, and 1.5 per-
ce nt in the United States (Organic Europe 2003; Thompson 2000). Organic
pr oduction is actually being pushed by positive government regulation in
m any places. Several European Union countries subsidize farmers during
th eir conversion to organic methods, assist in building organic marketing
ch annels, and provide technical assistance and information specifically for
or ganic farmers (Foster and Lampkin 1999; Padel et al. 1999). The USDA
im plemented National Organic Standards in 2002, which is the first federal
re gulatory attention given to organic production. In addition to this policy
pu sh, organic farming is being pulled by demand. Consumer demand is
hu ge and increasing. Estimates place the growth of U.S. organic markets at
20 percent annually since 1990 (Natural FoodsMerchandiser 2002). The year
20 00 marked an interesting threshold for Americans: this was the first time
th at more organic foods were sold in mainstream supermarkets than in any
ot her venue (with natural foods stores and direct marketing as runners-up).
In fact, 72 percent of conventional grocery stores now carry some organic
fo od (Dimitri and Greene 2002).
The leading organic foods sales are fresh produce, nondairy beverages,
br eads and grains, packaged foods, and dairy products. Amazingly, organic
da iry items increased fivefold between 1994 and 1999 (Dimitri and Greene
20 02), which is the result of consumers seeking to avoid rBGH, a genetically
en gineered hormone that is injected into cows to increase milk production
(D uPuis 2000). Sales of organic snacks, candy, and frozen foods have in-
cr eased by a notable 70percentinrecentyears(Klonsky2000). The increased
co nsumer demand for all organic foods is likely linked to consumer concern
ab out pesticide residues and geneticallymodified organisms (GMOs) in their
fo od (Klonsky 2000; Kouba 2003). Pesticide residues on food come from
on-farm pesticide use, postharvest pesticide use, pesticides on imported
food, and banned pesticides that still persist in our environment (Kuchler
et al. 1996). Eating certified organic food can help reduce uncertainties
about our food supply (Leon and DeWaal 2002). A study by the Consumers
Union shows significantly lower pesticide residues on organic compared
with conventional food (Burros 2002; Goldberg 2002). Parental concern
about the safety of their children's food has been an important motivation

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