USDA announces record organic producers

(Agri-View) – 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 the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

According to data released earlier this month by the Agricultural Marketing Service’s National Organic Program, the number of domestic-certified organic operations increased by more than 5 percent during the past year. Since the count began in 2002, the number of domestic organic operations has increased by more than 250 percent. Visit apps.ams.usda.gov/nop for the certified operations list.

“As demand for organic products continues to soar, more and more producers are entering the organic market,” said U.S. 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.”

Along with programs to support conservation, provide access to loans and grants, fund organic research and education, and integrated pest management, USDA administers organic-certification cost-share programs to offset the costs of organic certification for U.S. producers and handlers nationwide.

The USDA is using funding from the 2014 Farm Bill to develop an Organic Integrity Database, a certified-organic-operations database that will provide accurate information about all certified operations. The system will allow anyone to confirm organic-certification status using the online tool, support market research and supply-chain connections, allow international verification of operator status to streamline import and export certificates, and establish technology connections with certifiers to provide accurate and timely data. The initial launch is planned for September 2015.

Visit the USDA Organics Resource page at www.usda.gov/organic for additional information about USDA resources and support for the organic sector.