Organic Production and Marketing Newsletter
June 2004
USDA Organic Estimates (http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/organic/)
The most recent USDA Economic Research Service figures on US organic production (2000-2001) include 71,677 acres of certified organic organic vegetable production (3% of the overall organic production area ) and 55,675 acres of certified fruit acreage (2% of the overall organic production area).
"While adoption of organic farming systems showed strong gains between 1992 and 2001, the overall adoption level is still low - only about 0.3 percent of all US cropland and 0.2 percent of all US pasture. Obstacles to adoption by farmers of organic production systems include high managerial costs, risks of shifting to new production practices, limited awareness of organic farming systems, lack of marketing and infrastructure, and inability to capture marketing economies. Factors favoring adoption include lower input costs, conservation of nonrenewable resources, high-value niche markets and increased farm income, especially as prices for staple commodities fall".
The above listed web site contains 82 tables listing production figures for a range of crops from 1997 to 2001.
| Certified organic pasture and cropland 2001 from selected states | ||||
|
State |
Number of certified organic operations | Cropland | Pasture and rangeland | Total organic acreage |
|
Alabama |
2 |
35 |
- |
35 |
|
Arkansas |
25 | 24,769 | 426 | 25,195 |
|
California |
1011 | 148, 664 | 14,495 | 163,158 |
|
Florida |
90 | 12,059 | - | 12,059 |
|
Kentucky |
72 | 5,272 | 1,280 | 6,552 |
|
Louisiana |
18 | 86 | 10 | 96 |
|
North Carolina |
63 | 1,372 | 5 | 1, 377 |
|
South Carolina |
4 | 14 | - | 14 |
|
Tennessee |
9 | 300 | - | 300 |
|
Texas |
170 | 45,219 | 221,102 | 266,320 |
| Source: Economic Research Service, USDA (http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/organic/data/pastcrop01.xls) | ||||
Among southern states Texas (170) and Florida (90) have the largest number of certified organic operations. Considering cropland acreage, Texas and Arkansas have much greater area in organic production. Texas also has the greatest pasture and rangeland acreage, followed by Kentucky, with Florida not having any such areas listed. In comparison, California has the largest number of certified operations and cropland.
The complete listing of all 50 states can be found at the website listed above. Compared with all 50 states, Florida ranks 20th in the number of certified organic operations, 22nd in cropland acreage and, along with 7 other states, has no pasture and rangeland listed. Florida also has 1,928 acres in mixed vegetables (0.67 % of total acreage), 6,056 acres in citrus (0.75 % of total acreage) and 98 acres in other fruits, 18 acres in herbs, nurseries and greenhouse, and 2,301 acres of unclassified crops, probably forested and woodland areas.