How American farmers are losing out on the organic food boom to other countries
The U.S. share of the global organic food market is estimated at 40%. In short, the U.S. is heavily dependent on other countries for 60% of these goods. This glaring trade imbalance means dollars that could support American farms and rural communities are flowing to foreign producers overseas. It represents billions of dollars in lost revenue left on the table here at home.
Heroes, opportunities recognized at Organic Grower Summit
A successful marketing strategy for an organic grower or food producer doesn’t have to be expensive.
The seeds to success could be planted with “one really good dinner party” or event, one key relationship and the willingness to listen and form consensus with disparate interests, said Sylvia Tawse, a 38-year veteran of helping organic farms build their brands. These approaches “can pay off for decades,” added Tawse, co-founder of Fresh Ideas Group and a senior marketing associate with Wolf and Associates, during a speech to open the eighth Organic Grower Summit on Wednesday, Dec. 3, in Monterey, Calif.
Why the ‘regenerative organic’ certification exists—and why the food system needs it
Thousands of grocery items in the US now bear the “Regenerative Organic Certified” label. But as momentum around this concept accelerates, so too does the confusion about what “regenerative organic” farming actually entails. Definitions of regenerative agriculture vary widely and the lack of consistent standards leaves plenty of room for loose interpretations—and outright greenwashing.
This isn’t terribly different from the early days of organic farming, says Jeff Tkach, CEO of nonprofit Rodale Institute.“There was a lot of confusion in the marketplace around certification and standards,” he says of that time.
Beyond Pesticides Calls on Governors To Restore Ecological Balance with Land Management Practices
In his article on ecological traps, Professor Danilo Russo, PhD, explains the harm caused to wildlife from well-intentioned efforts to establish habitat on chemical-intensive farms or areas otherwise subject to chemical exposure. Dr. Russo et al., in “To improve or not to improve? The dilemma of “bat-friendly” farmland potentially becoming an ecological trap” (2024), write, “[W]hen restoring habitats for bats in conventional farmland, potential unintended outcomes must be considered, particularly if restoration actions are not accompanied by mitigation of key threats. These threats include the persistent and widespread use of pesticides. . .”
