Recently, the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service released results from the 2014 Organic Production Survey. This is the first comprehensive snapshot of organic agriculture since 2008.
“This survey is incredibly valuable because it provides important trend data for the organic industry and farmers interested in transitioning into organic production,” said Paul Wolfe, a policy specialist with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
Wolfe continued, “We are especially pleased to see that sales from the organic sector have increased significantly over the past five years. This clearly demonstrates opportunities for continued growth for farmers who wish to expand or transition into organic production.”
While the survey reports a 72 percent increase in organic sales since 2008, it also states that the overall number of organic farms and total acreage of farm and ranchland under organic production have decreased over the same time period.