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United States: Continued market growth in 2010

According to a recent press release of OTA, the Organic Trade Organisation, the organic market continued to grow in 2010 - by eight percent.

The Organic Trade Organisation (www.ota.com) released data from its 2011 Organic Industry Survey that reveal that the industry has grown from 3.6 billionUS Dollars in 1997 to 29 billion US Dollars in 2010. Despite the nation’s worst economic downturn in 80 years, the organic industry has come out of the recession hiring employees, adding farms, and increasing revenue.

Among the findings from OTA’s latest industry survey:

  • The organic sector grew by 8 percent in 2010, dramatically outpacing the food industry as a whole which grew at less than 1 percent in 2010.
  • The organic industry supports 14,540 organic farms and ranches across the country.
  • Since 78 percent of organic farms report planning to maintain or increase organic production levels over the next five years, the organic sector will continue to play a contributing role in revitalizing America’s rural economy through diversity in agriculture.
  • Forty percent of organic operations added jobs in 2010. In addition, 96 percent of organic operations are planning to maintain or increase employment levels in 2011, and 46 percent of them are planning to increase employment levels three times the rate of businesses as whole.

The data were presented at the the Organic Trade Association’s 2011 Policy Conference that took place on April 6, 2011 in Washington D.C. Organic farming is an important part of the U.S. agricultural landscape, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told participants. 

“Organic producers are very entrepreneurial in nature. They’re in a position to create value-added products that provide a wealth of opportunities in rural America,” Secretary Vilsack said.

His comments were made before the more than 150 persons taking part in the policy conference. Organized by OTA and supported by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) under the theme “Advance Organic Together,” the conference is focusing on the value of organic agriculture in providing jobs, supporting rural livelihoods, and advancing an entrepreneurial spirit.

Source: OTA.com: Vilsack: Organic is part of the strategy to rebuild rural America. OTA press release of April 6, 2011

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