"Gaps in organic data make projections a challenge"

When it comes to agriculture, revenue is only one of many important metrics in measuring growth and industry health. For the last two years, organic producers and consumers have cheered reports citing growth in sales revenue. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2016 Organic Production Survey, production rose 23 percent from 2016 to 2017; this is on top of the 12 percent increase the industry achieved from 2014 to 2015. With consumers increasingly interested in organic foods, it’s no small wonder that in recent years sales have steadily climbed (from $5.5 billion in 2014 to $7.6 billion in 2016).

It is important to ask, however, are revenue figures the only relevant metrics for measuring industry health and growth? What about the total acreage of organic farms, or the number of total organic operations? In order to provide a better understanding of the state of organic agriculture (as well as the state of organic data collection), the NSAC has analyzed the results of the 2016 Organic Production Survey and identified where gaps in the data could cause potential challenges.

Read more at NSAC's blog.