A report by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) states that the increasing demand for organic foods and non-food products is quickly outstripping the supply, indicating that the former trend is now becoming a mainstream lifestyle choice for many Americans.

 

According to the OTA website, “Organic production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. Organically produced foods also must be produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering and other excluded practices…Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food.”

 

Sales of organic products have reached mainstream grocery aisles, with an annual sales growth at a rate of 20 percent. Mainstream groceries account for nearly half (46 percent) or organic foods sold, with large and small natural foods retailers selling almost the same amount (47 percent). Farmers’ markets only account for a mere 4 percent of organic sales, says the OTA.

 

According to the OTA site, the fastest growing items in the organic food market include meat, organic sauces and condiments, and dairy. Non-food organic items which are gaining popularity include flowers and pet food (well, non-human food, anyway).

 

"In the United States, the buzz about organic has become a steady hum," said OTA board member Lynn Clarkson at a congressional hearing. "Organic foods are increasingly sold in mainstream retail establishments, which together represent roughly 46 percent of sales."

How did the organic movement gain such momentum?

 

Dr. Tim Crews, of Arizona’s Prescott College, tells demo dirt that the change “didn’t happen overnight. It was due to a very gradual increase in growers who pursue it for philosophical and economic reasons. Many organic producers are looking for value.”

 

“Its increased popularity has resulted in cheaper organic produce, that some argue may be of inferior quality. There are hidden costs. For instance, inexpensive organic produce comes from dependence on undocumented immigrant labor, or, even while organic, still cause environmental degradation,” says Crews, whose doctorate is in the field of agricultural ecology.

 

With organic popularity growing at lightening speed, there is danger that the integrity of the initially small scale movement may suffer in the throes of mass production. “There is a movement of conventional growers into organics and many people complain that it’s bringing organic down to the lowest common denominator,” Crews says, adding that some practices done on large scale may compromise methods that work best on a small farm. For instance, large-scale growers may use inappropriate but organic manure, or use organic, but still toxic, pesticides, he adds.

 

Crews, who is developing farming methods that require the use of fewer resources while producing high yields, is currently experimenting with the college’s Natural Systems Agriculture program, which is designed to mimic surrounding ecosystems. Located in Arizona’s high desert, Prescott College is home to an experimental farm which develops methods for producing fruit and vegetable varietals of diverse climates.

 

“Ultimately it is a positive movement, but some fear that increasing the scale and range of organic growers may dilute some of values that were at the foundation of the organic movement,” concludes Crews.