03.06.2009

Report

Since the late 1990s, U.S. organic production has more than doubled, but the consumer market has grown even faster.
Organic food sales have more than quintupled, increasing from $3.6 billion in 1997 to $18.9 billion in 2007.
This fast-paced growth has led to input and product shortages in organic supply chains, and several new issues—concern about premium-priced product sales in a tight U.S. economy, as well as competition from new environmental labels—are emerging in the organic industry.
A new report examines recent economic research on the adoption of organic farming systems, organic production costs and returns, and market conditions to gain a better understanding of the organic supply squeeze and other emerging issues in this rapidly changing industry.