Growth in Organic Farms

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that the organic industry continues to show remarkable growth domestically and globally, with 19,474 certified organic operations in the United States and a total of 27,814 certified organic operations around the world.

According to data released by the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP), the number of domestic certified organic operations increased by more than five percent during the last year. Since the count began in 2002, the number of domestic organic operations has increased by more than 250 percent. The certified operations list is available at apps.ams.usda.gov/nop.

“As demand for organic products continues to soar, more and more producers are entering the organic market,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA tools and resources have created opportunities for organic farmers and more options for organic consumers. Growing demand for organic goods can be especially helpful to smaller family operations. The more diverse type of operations and the more growing market sectors we have in American agriculture, the better off our country’s rural economy will be.”

USDA is committed to connecting organic farmers and businesses with resources to ensure the continued growth of the organic industry. Now, USDA is using funding from the 2014 Farm Bill to develop the Organic Integrity Database, a modernized certified organic operations database that will provide accurate information about all certified operations that is updated on a regular basis. The initial launch is planned for September 2015. For more information visit usda.gov/organic.