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{{Short description|Food complying with organic farming standards}}
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{{about|food that complies with the standards of organic farming|food advertised as "natural"|Natural food}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
] in Argentina]]


'''Organic foods''' are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic ] and ]. Organic foods are also not processed using ], industrial solvents, or chemical ].<ref>{{Cite book|editors=Allen, Gary J. & Albala, Ken|title=The Business of Food: Encyclopedia of the Food and Drink Industries|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2007|isbn=978-0-313-33725-3|page=288|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=gNzmOUyiFRAC&pg=PA288}}</ref> '''Organic food''', '''ecological food''', or '''biological food''' are foods and ] produced by methods complying with the standards of ]. Standards vary worldwide, but organic farming features practices that cycle resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve ]. Organizations regulating organic products may restrict the use of certain ]s and ]s in the farming methods used to produce such products. Organic foods are typically not processed using ], industrial solvents, or synthetic ].<ref name="irr" />


In the 21st century, the ], the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and many other countries require producers to obtain ] to market their food as ''organic''. Although the produce of ]s may actually be organic, selling food with an organic label is regulated by governmental ] authorities, such as the ] of the ] (USDA)<ref name="USDANOP">{{cite web | title=National Organic Program | publisher=Agricultural Marketing Service, US Department of Agriculture | date=12 December 2018 | url=https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/national-organic-program | access-date=25 February 2019}}</ref> or the ] (EC).<ref name="EU Commission">{{cite web|url= http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/organic-farming/what-is-organic-farming/organic-certification/index_en.htm|title=Organic certification|publisher=European Commission: Agriculture and Rural Development|date=2014|access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref>
The weight of the available scientific evidence has not shown a consistent and significant difference between organic and more conventionally grown food in terms of safety,<ref name=MagkosSafety/><ref name=Bourn/><ref name="Blair1">Blair, Robert. (2012). Organic Production and Food Quality: A Down to Earth Analysis. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK. ISBN 978-0-8138-1217-5</ref><ref name="Healthier">{{cite journal|last=Smith-Spangler|first=C|coauthors=Brandeau, ML; Hunter, GE; Bavinger, JC; Pearson, M; Eschbach, PJ; Sundaram, V; Liu, H; Schirmer, P; Stave, C; Olkin, I; Bravata, DM|title=Are organic foods safer or healthier than conventional alternatives?: a systematic review.|journal=Annals of Internal Medicine|date=September 4, 2012|volume=157|issue=5|pages=348-366|pmid=22944875 |url=http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1355685}}</ref> nutritional value,<ref name=Bourn/><ref name=Blair1/><ref name=FSA/><ref name=Williams/><ref name="Healthier"/> or taste.<ref name=Bourn/><ref name=Blair1/>


From an environmental perspective, ], ], and the use of ] in ] may negatively affect ]s, ],<ref name="10.1016/bs.agron.2015.12.003">{{cite journal |last1=Reeve |first1=J. R. |last2=Hoagland |first2=L. A. |last3=Villalba |first3=J. J. |last4=Carr |first4=P. M. |last5=Atucha |first5=A. |last6=Cambardella |first6=C. |last7=Davis |first7=D. R. |last8=Delate |first8=K. |title=Chapter Six – Organic Farming, Soil Health, and Food Quality: Considering Possible Links |journal=Advances in Agronomy |date=1 January 2016 |volume=137 |pages=319–367 |doi=10.1016/bs.agron.2015.12.003 |publisher=Academic Press |language=en}}</ref><ref name="10.1007/s13165-019-00275-1">{{cite journal |last1=Tully |first1=Katherine L. |last2=McAskill |first2=Cullen |title=Promoting soil health in organically managed systems: a review |journal=Organic Agriculture |date=1 September 2020 |volume=10 |issue=3 |pages=339–358 |doi=10.1007/s13165-019-00275-1 |bibcode=2020OrgAg..10..339T |s2cid=209429041 |language=en |issn=1879-4246}}</ref> ], ], and ] supplies. These environmental and health issues are intended to be minimized or avoided in organic farming.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lowell|first=Vicki|title=Organic FAQs|url=https://ofrf.org/research/organic-faqs/|access-date=22 September 2020|website=Organic Farming Research Foundation|language=en-US}}</ref>
For the vast majority of its history, agriculture can be described as having been organic; only during the 20th century was a large supply of new "chemicals" introduced to the food supply.<ref></ref> The organic farming movement arose in the 1940s in response to the ] of ] known as the ].<ref>{{cite book|author=Drinkwater, Laurie E.|chapter=Ecological Knowledge: Foundation for Sustainable Organic Agriculture|editor=Francis, Charles|title=Organic farming: the ecological system|publisher=ASA-CSSA-SSSA|year=2009|isbn=978-0-89118-173-6|page=19|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=8HMfbQpNq60C&pg=PA19}}</ref>


Demand for organic foods is primarily driven by consumer concerns for personal health and the environment, such as the detrimental ].<ref name="Harvard">{{cite web | publisher=Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School | title=Should you go organic? | date=9 September 2015 | url=https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-go-organic | access-date=7 December 2022}}</ref> From the perspective of science and consumers, there is insufficient evidence in the ] and ] to support claims that organic food is either substantially ] or healthier to eat than conventional food.<ref name=Harvard/>
Organic food production is a heavily regulated industry, distinct from ]. Currently, the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain ] in order to market food as organic within their borders. In the context of these regulations, organic food is food produced in a way that complies with organic standards set by national governments and international organizations. In the United States, organic production is a system that is managed in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990 and regulations in Title 7, Part 205 of the Code of Federal Regulations to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop |title=Agricultural Marketing Service - National Organic Program |publisher=Ams.usda.gov |date=2008-10-31 |accessdate=2012-09-09}}</ref> If livestock are involved, the livestock must be reared with regular access to pasture and without the routine use of antibiotics or ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5082653&acct=noprulemaking|title=Access to Pasture Rule for Organic Livestock|publisher=Ams.usda.gov|accessdate=2012-09-09}}</ref> In the United States, a food can be labelled as "organic" if it contains a minimum of 95% organic ingredients.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateC&navID=NationalOrganicProgram&leftNav=NationalOrganicProgram&page=NOPConsumers&description=Consumers&acct=nopgeninfo |title=Agricultural Marketing Service - Consumers |publisher=Ams.usda.gov |date=2008-10-31 |accessdate=2012-09-09}}</ref> In most countries, organic produce also do not contain ]. It has been suggested that the application of ] to food and agriculture is a further technology that needs to be excluded from certified organic food.<ref name="Paull">Paull, J. & Lyons, K. (2008) , , Journal of Organic Systems, 3(1) 3–22</ref> The ] (UK) has been the first organic certifier to implement a nano-exclusion.<ref name="Paull" />
Organic agriculture has higher production costs and lower yields, higher labor costs, and higher consumer prices as compared to ] methods.


==Meaning and origin of the term== ==Meaning, history and origin of the term==
{{further|topic=the production of organic food|Organic farming}}
In 1939, ] coined the term ''organic farming'' in his book ''Look to the Land'' (1940), out of his conception of "the farm as organism," to describe a holistic, ecologically balanced approach to farming—in contrast to what he called ''chemical farming'', which relied on "imported fertility" and "cannot be self-sufficient nor an organic whole."<ref>{{cite journal|author=John, Paull|title=The Farm as Organism: The Foundational Idea of Organic Agriculture|journal = Elementals: Journal of Bio-Dynamics Tasmania|volume=80|year=2006|pages=14–18|url=http://orgprints.org/10138/01/10138.pdf|format=PDF}}</ref> This is different from the scientific use of the term "organic," to refer to ], especially those involved in the chemistry of life. This class of molecules includes everything likely to be considered edible, and include most pesticides and toxins too, therefore the term "organic" and, especially, the term "inorganic" (sometimes wrongly used as a contrast by the popular press) are both technically inaccurate and completely inappropriate when applied to farming, the production of food, and to foodstuffs themselves.
{{see also|History of organic farming}}


For the vast majority of its history, agriculture can be described as having been organic; only during the 20th century was a large supply of new products, generally deemed not organic, introduced into food production.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/teaching-the-food-system/curriculum/_pdf/History_of_Food-Background.pdf |title=History of food, p. 3 |website=Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114214/http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/teaching-the-food-system/curriculum/_pdf/History_of_Food-Background.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=December 2022}} The organic farming movement arose in the 1940s in response to the industrialization of agriculture.<ref name=Drinkwater>{{cite book |author=Drinkwater, Laurie E. |chapter=Ecological Knowledge: Foundation for Sustainable Organic Agriculture |editor=Francis, Charles |title=Organic farming: the ecological system |publisher=ASA-CSSA-SSSA |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-89118-173-6 |page=19 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8HMfbQpNq60C&pg=PA19}}</ref>
==Identifying organic food==
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{{Details|Organic farming|on the production of organic food}}


In 1939, ] coined the term ''organic farming'' in his book ''Look to the Land'' (1940), out of his conception of "the farm as organism", to describe a holistic, ecologically balanced approach to farming—in contrast to what he called ''chemical farming'', which relied on "imported fertility" and "cannot be self-sufficient nor an organic whole".<ref>{{cite journal |author=John, Paull |title=The Farm as Organism: The Foundational Idea of Organic Agriculture |journal = Elementals: Journal of Bio-Dynamics Tasmania |volume=80 |year=2006 |pages=14–18 |url=http://orgprints.org/10138/01/10138.pdf}}</ref> Early soil scientists also described the differences in soil composition when ] were used as "organic", because they contain ], whereas ] and ] nitrogen do not. Their respective use affects ] content of soil.<ref name=Betteshanger>Paull, John (2011) , ''Journal of Organic Systems'', 2011, 6(2):13–26.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Howard |first1=Sir Albert |title=Farming and Gardening for Health or Disease (The Soil and Health) |url=http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/howardSH/SHtoc.html |website=Journey to forever online library |publisher=Faber and Faber Limited |access-date=18 August 2014}}</ref> This is different from the scientific use of the term "organic" in chemistry, which refers to ], especially those involved in the chemistry of life. This class of molecules includes everything likely to be considered edible, as well as most pesticides and toxins too, therefore the term "organic" and, especially, the term "inorganic" (sometimes wrongly used as a contrast by the popular press) as they apply to organic chemistry is an equivocation fallacy when applied to farming, the production of food, and to foodstuffs themselves. Properly used in this agricultural science context, "organic" refers to the methods grown and processed, not necessarily the chemical composition of the food.
Processed organic food usually contains only organic ingredients. If non-organic ingredients are present, at least a certain percentage of the food's total plant and animal ingredients must be organic (95% in the United States,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004323&acct=nopgeninfo |title=Labeling: Preamble |date= |accessdate=2012-09-09}}</ref> Canada, and Australia) and any non-organically produced ingredients are subject to various agricultural requirements. Foods claiming to be organic must be free of artificial ], and are often processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions, such as ], ], and ] ingredients. Pesticides are allowed as long as they are not synthetic.


Ideas that organic food could be healthier and better for the environment originated in the early days of the ] as a result of publications like the 1943 book ]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Balfour |first1=Lady Eve |title=Towards a Sustainable Agriculture—The Living Soil |url=http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010116Balfourspeech.html |publisher=IFOAM |access-date=20 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224214556/http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010116Balfourspeech.html |archive-date=24 February 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lady Balfour |url=http://www.ifoam.org/en/lady-eve-balfour |website=IFOAM |access-date=21 August 2014}}</ref> and ''Farming and Gardening for Health or Disease'' (1945).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Howard |first1=Sir Albert |title=Farming and Gardening for Health or Disease (The Soil and Health) |url=http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/howardSH/SH10.html |website=Journey to forever online library |publisher=Faber and Faber Limited |access-date=18 August 2014}}</ref>
Early consumers interested in organic food would look for non-chemically treated, non-use of unapproved pesticides, fresh or minimally processed food. They mostly had to buy directly from growers: "Know your farmer, know your food" was the motto. Personal definitions of what constituted "organic" were developed through firsthand experience: by talking to farmers, seeing farm conditions, and farming activities. Small farms grew vegetables (and raised livestock) using ] practices, with or without certification, and the individual consumer monitored. As demand for organic foods continued to increase, high volume sales through mass outlets such as supermarkets rapidly replaced the direct farmer connection. Today there is no limit to organic farm sizes and many large corporate farms currently have an organic division. However, for supermarket consumers, food production is not easily observable, and product labeling, like "certified organic", is relied on. Government regulations and third-party inspectors are looked to for assurance.


In the industrial era, organic gardening reached a modest level of popularity in the United States in the 1950s. In the 1960s, environmentalists and the counterculture championed organic food, but it was only in the 1970s that a national marketplace for organic foods developed.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UjEtDwAAQBAJ&q=whole+foods&pg=PT302 |title=From Head Shops to Whole Foods: The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs |last=Davis |first=Joshua Clark |date=8 August 2017 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=9780231543088 |language=en}}</ref>
The ] carries out routine inspections of farms that produce USDA Organic labeled foods.<ref>Nestle, Marion. 2006. NY: North Point Press. ISBN 978-0-86547-738-4</ref> On April 20, 2010, the Department of Agriculture said that it would begin enforcing rules requiring the spot testing of organically grown foods for traces of pesticides, after an auditor exposed major gaps in federal oversight of the organic food industry.<ref>{{cite web|last=Neuman|first=William|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/business/20organic.html?_r=1 |title=U.S. Plans Spot Tests of Organic Products |publisher=The New York Times |date=March 19, 2010 |accessdate=2012-09-09}}</ref>


Early consumers interested in organic food would look for non-chemically treated, non-use of unapproved pesticides, fresh or minimally processed food. They mostly had to buy directly from growers. Later, "Know your farmer, know your food" became the motto of a new initiative instituted by the USDA in September 2009.<ref>{{cite web |last=Philpott |first=Tom |title=Quick thoughts on the USDA's 'Know Your Farmer' program |url=http://grist.org/article/2009-09-16-quick-thoughts-on-the-usdas-know-your-farmer-program |website=Grist * A Beacon in the Smog |publisher=Grist Magazine, Inc. |access-date=28 January 2014 |date=17 September 2009}}</ref> Personal definitions of what constituted "organic" were developed through firsthand experience: by talking to farmers, seeing farm conditions, and farming activities. Small farms grew vegetables (and raised livestock) using ] practices, with or without certification, and the individual consumer monitored.{{citation needed|date=March 2013}} Small specialty health food stores and co-operatives were instrumental to bringing organic food to a wider audience.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Albala |first=Ken |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8_caCAAAQBAJ&q=health+food+stores+and+co-operatives+organic+food+to+wide+audience&pg=PA767 |title=The SAGE Encyclopedia of Food Issues |date=27 March 2015 |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=978-1-5063-1730-4 |language=en}}</ref> As demand for organic foods continued to increase, high-volume sales through mass outlets such as supermarkets rapidly replaced the direct farmer connection.{{citation needed|date=March 2013}} Today, many large corporate farms have an organic division. However, for supermarket consumers, food production is not easily observable, and product labeling, like "certified organic", is relied upon. Government regulations and third-party inspectors are looked to for assurance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=OECA |date=24 July 2015 |title=Organic Farming |url=https://www.epa.gov/agriculture/organic-farming |access-date=22 September 2020 |website=US EPA |language=en}}</ref>
===Legal definition===
] (run by the USDA) is in charge of the legal definition of ''organic'' in the United States and does ].]]


In the 1970s, interest in organic food grew with the rise of the ] and was also spurred by food-related health scares like the concerns about ] that arose in the mid-1980s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pollan |first1=Michael |title=The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals |url=https://archive.org/details/omnivoresdilemma00poll_0 |url-access=registration |date=2006 |publisher=The Penguin Press |location=New York|isbn=9781594200823 }}</ref>

===Legal definition===
{{Main|Organic certification}} {{Main|Organic certification}}


{{See also|List of countries with organic agriculture regulation}} {{See also|List of countries with organic agriculture regulation}}
]
Organic food production is distinct from ]. In the EU, ] and organic food are more commonly known as ecological or biological, or in short 'eco' and 'bio'.<ref name="eu_organic_labelling">Labeling, article 30 and Annex IV of </ref>

Currently, the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan, and many other countries require producers to obtain ] based on government-defined standards to market food as organic within their borders.<ref name="EU Commission" /> In the context of these regulations, foods marketed as organic are produced in a way that complies with organic standards set by national governments and international organic industry trade organizations.

] (run by the USDA)<ref name=USDANOP/> is in charge of the legal definition of ''organic'' in the United States and does ].]]

In the United States, organic production is managed in accordance with the ] (OFPA) and regulations in Title 7, Part 205 of the Code of Federal Regulations to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 July 2015 |title=Organic Farming |url=https://www.epa.gov/agriculture/organic-farming |access-date=7 December 2022 |website=United States Environmental Protection Agency |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Organic Regulations {{!}} Agricultural Marketing Service |url=https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic |access-date=7 December 2022 |website=United States Agricultural Marketing Service}}</ref> If livestock are involved, the livestock must be reared with regular access to pasture and without the routine use of antibiotics or ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5082653&acct=noprulemaking |title=Access to Pasture Rule for Organic Livestock |publisher=Ams.usda.gov |access-date=9 September 2012 |archive-date=31 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140831212003/http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5082653&acct=noprulemaking |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Processed organic food usually contains only organic ingredients. If non-organic ingredients are present, at least a certain percentage of the food's total plant and animal ingredients must be organic (95% in the United States,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004323&acct=nopgeninfo |title=Labeling: Preamble |access-date=9 September 2012 |archive-date=14 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514000319/http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004323&acct=nopgeninfo |url-status=dead }}</ref> Canada, and Australia). Foods claiming to be organic must be free of artificial ], and are often processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions, such as ], ], solvents such as ], and ] ingredients.<ref name="irr">{{Unbulleted list citebundle|{{Cite book |editor=Allen, Gary J. |editor2=Albala, Ken |title=The Business of Food: Encyclopedia of the Food and Drink Industries |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-313-33725-3 |page=288 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gNzmOUyiFRAC&pg=PA288}}|{{Cite web|url=https://www.cornucopia.org/hexane-guides/nvo_hexane_report.pdf |website=] |date=November 2010 |title=Toxic Chemicals: Banned In Organics But Common in "Natural" Food Production |first1=Charlotte |last1= Vallaeys}}}}</ref> Pesticides are allowed as long as they are not synthetic.<ref>Staff, National Pesticide Information Center. .</ref> However, under US federal organic standards, if pests and weeds are not controllable through management practices, nor via organic pesticides and herbicides, "a substance included on the National List of synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production may be applied to prevent, suppress, or control pests, weeds, or diseases".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=622a69a51febf44818ad4c8d3535378f&rgn=div8&view=text&node=7:3.1.1.9.32.3.354.7&idno=7 |title=eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations |website=www.ecfr.gov}}</ref> Several groups have called for organic standards to prohibit ] on the basis of the ]<ref name="Paull">Paull, J. & Lyons, K. (2008) , Journal of Organic Systems, 3(1) 3–22.</ref> in light of unknown risks of nanotechnology.<ref>National Research Council. . National Academies Press: Washington DC. 2012.</ref>{{rp|5–6}} The use of nanotechnology-based products in the production of organic food is prohibited in some jurisdictions (Canada, the UK, and Australia) and is unregulated in others.<ref name=ONGR>Staff, The Organic & Non-GMO Report, May 2010. .</ref><ref>Canada General Standards Board. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705064829/http://www.pacscertifiedorganic.ca/docs/manuals/CGSB-32.310%20Organic%20Crop%20Production%20Standards,%20Aug%202011%20revision.pdf |date=5 July 2016 }}.</ref>{{rp|2, section 1.4.1(l)}}


To be '''certified organic''', products must be grown and manufactured in a manner that adheres to standards set by the country they are sold in: To be '''certified organic''', products must be grown and manufactured in a manner that adheres to standards set by the country they are sold in:
* Australia: ]<ref>{{dead link|date=August 2012}}</ref> and NASAA Organic Standard<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasaa.com.au/steps1.html |title=Steps to Certification - Within Australia |publisher=NASAA |date= |accessdate=2012-09-09}}</ref> * Australia: NASAA Organic Standard<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nasaa.com.au/steps1.html |title=Steps to Certification Within Australia |publisher=NASAA |access-date=9 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216094450/http://www.nasaa.com.au/steps1.html |archive-date=16 February 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Canada:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://canadagazette.gc.ca/archives/p2/2006/2006-12-21-x6/html/extra-eng.html |title=Organic Products Regulations |publisher=Canada Gazette, Government of Canada |date=2December 21, 2006 |accessdate=2012-10-02}}</ref> * Canada: Organic Products Regulations<ref>{{cite web |url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2009-176/ |title=Organic Products Regulations |publisher=Canada Gazette, Government of Canada |date=21 December 2006 |access-date=2 October 2012}}</ref>
* European Union: ] * European Union: ]
** Sweden: KRAV<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.krav.se/sv/System/Spraklankar/In-English/ |title=KRAV |publisher=Krav.se |accessdate=2012-10-02}}</ref> ** Sweden: KRAV<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.krav.se/krav-standards |title=KRAV |publisher=Krav.se |access-date=2 October 2012}}</ref>
** United Kingdom: DEFRA<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/ |title=Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |publisher=DEFRA |date= |accessdate=2012-10-02}}</ref> ** United Kingdom: DEFRA<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/ |title=Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |publisher=DEFRA |access-date=2 October 2012}}</ref>
** Poland: Association of Polish Ecology<ref>{{cite web |url=http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=pl&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.pl&sl=pl&tl=en&u=http://sigmaart.nazwa.pl/polskaekologia/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D2%26Itemid%3D2&usg=ALkJrhh-D_PVhb0X1163ngnmPe8aPQggxA |website=(Google translated into English) |title=About Us |publisher=Stowarzyszenie "Polska Ekologia" |access-date=14 August 2013}}</ref>
* Norway: Debio Organic certification<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.debio.no/ |title=Debio Organic certification |publisher=Debio.no |date= |accessdate=2012-10-02}}</ref>
* India: NPOP, (National Program for Organic Production)<ref></ref> ** Norway: Debio Organic certification<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.debio.no/ |title=Debio Organic certification |publisher=Debio.no |access-date=2 October 2012}}</ref>
* India: National Program for Organic Production (NPOP)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://apeda.gov.in/apedawebsite/organic/index.htm|title= Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority – NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR ORGANIC PRODUCTION}}</ref>
* Japan: JAS Standards<ref>{{dead link|date=August 2012}}</ref>
* Indonesia: BIOCert, run by Agricultural Ministry of Indonesia.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.biocert.or.id/index.php?lang=2 |title = BIOCert |access-date = 3 November 2013}}</ref>
* United States: ] Standards
* Japan: JAS Standards<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.maff.go.jp/e/jas/specific/organic.html |title=Organic Foods: MAFF |website=www.maff.go.jp |access-date=20 April 2014 |archive-date=26 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426184913/http://www.maff.go.jp/e/jas/specific/organic.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Mexico: Consejo Nacional de Producción Orgánica, department of ]<ref>{{cite web |title=Ley de Productos Orgánicos |url=http://www.cnpo.org.mx/doc_interes.html |website=www.cnpo.org.mx |publisher=Consejo Nacional de Producción Orgánica |access-date=9 December 2016}}</ref>
* New Zealand: there are three bodies; BioGro, AsureQuality, and OFNZ
* United States: ] (NOP) Standards


In the United States, there are four different levels or categories for organic labeling:<ref>"USDA organic: what qualifies as organic?" Massage Therapy Journal Spring 2011: 36+. Academic OneFile.</ref>
==Environmental impact==
# "100% Organic": This means that all ingredients are produced organically. It also may have the USDA seal.
Several surveys and studies have attempted to examine and compare conventional and organic systems of farming. Organic farms do not consume or release synthetic pesticides into the environment although organic pesticides are as damaging to the environment as synthetic pesticides. Pesticides have the potential to harm soil, water and local terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. The general consensus across these surveys<ref>Stolze, M.; Piorr, A.; Häring, A.M. and Dabbert, S. (2000) Environmental impacts of organic farming in Europe. Organic Farming in Europe: Economics and Policy Vol. 6. Universität Hohenheim, Stuttgart-Hohenheim.</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Hansen|first=Birgitt|coauthors=Alrøe, H. J. & Kristensen, E. S.|title=Approaches to assess the environmental impact of organic farming with particular regard to Denmark|journal = Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment| volume = 83|issue=1-2|pages = 11–26|month= January | year= 2001| doi = 10.1016/S0167-8809(00)00257-7}}</ref> is that organic farming is less damaging for the following reasons:
# "Organic": At least 95% or more of the ingredients are organic.
* Organic farms are better than conventional farms at sustaining diverse ecosystems, ''i.e.'', populations of plants and insects, as well as animals.
# "Made With Organic Ingredients": Contains at least 70% organic ingredients.
* When calculated per unit area, organic farms use less energy and produce less waste, ''e.g.'', waste such as packaging materials for chemicals.
# "Less Than 70% Organic Ingredients": Three of the organic ingredients must be listed under the ingredient section of the label.
In the U.S., the food label "natural" or "all natural" does not mean that the food was produced and processed organically.<ref>{{URL|http://www.nutrition.org/asn-blog/2013/02/interpreting-food-labels-natural-versus-organic/ |Interpreting Food Labels: Natural versus Organic}}.</ref><ref>{{URL|https://sustainability.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/Decoding-Food-Labels.pdf|Decoding Food Labels}}</ref>''


== Environmental sustainability ==
A 2003 investigation by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs in the UK found, similar to other reports, that organic farming "can produce positive environmental benefits", but that some of the benefits were decreased or lost when comparisons are made on "the basis of unit production rather than area".<ref>{{cite web | author= Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs | title= Assessment of the environmental impacts of organic farming | url=http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/growing/organic/policy/research/pdf/env-impacts2.pdf | accessdate=2009-09-29}}{{dead link|date=August 2012}}</ref>
{{expand section|date=October 2018}}
{{Further|Environmental impact of pesticides}}
From an environmental perspective, ], ] and the use of ] in conventional farming has caused, and is causing, enormous damage worldwide to local ]s, ],<ref name="10.1016/bs.agron.2015.12.003"/><ref name="10.1007/s13165-019-00275-1"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=M. Tahat |first1=Monther |last2=M. Alananbeh |first2=Kholoud |last3=A. Othman |first3=Yahia |last4=I. Leskovar |first4=Daniel |title=Soil Health and Sustainable Agriculture |journal=Sustainability |date=January 2020 |volume=12 |issue=12 |pages=4859 |doi=10.3390/su12124859 |language=en|doi-access=free }}</ref> biodiversity, ] and ] supplies, and sometimes farmers' health and ].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Water pollution by agriculture|journal=Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci|volume=363|issue=1491|date=12 February 2008|doi=10.1098/rstb.2007.2176|pmid=17666391|pmc=2610176|pages=659–66|author=Brian Moss}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/publications/short_series/lakereservoirs-3/6.asp|title=Social, Cultural, Institutional and Economic Aspects of Eutrophication|publisher=]|access-date=14 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Impact of pesticides use in agriculture: their benefits and hazards|journal=Interdiscip Toxicol.|volume=2|issue=1|date=March 2009|doi=10.2478/v10102-009-0001-7|pmid=21217838|pmc=2984095|pages=1–12|author=Aktar |display-authors=etal}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.nature.com/news/pesticides-spark-broad-biodiversity-loss-1.13214|title=Pesticides spark broad biodiversity loss|journal=Nature|date=17 June 2013|author=Sharon Oosthoek|doi=10.1038/nature.2013.13214|s2cid=130350392|access-date=14 October 2018|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Seufert">{{cite journal | last1=Seufert | first1=Verena | last2=Ramankutty | first2=Navin | title=Many shades of gray — The context-dependent performance of organic agriculture | journal=Science Advances | volume=3 | issue=3 | year=2017 | issn=2375-2548 | pmid=28345054 | pmc=5362009 | doi=10.1126/sciadv.1602638 | page=e1602638| bibcode=2017SciA....3E2638S }}</ref>


Organic farming typically reduces some environmental impact relative to conventional farming, but the scale of reduction can be difficult to quantify and varies depending on farming methods. In some cases, reducing food waste and dietary changes might provide greater benefits.<ref name=Seufert/> A 2020 study at the Technical University of Munich found that the greenhouse gas emissions of organically farmed plant-based food were lower than conventionally-farmed plant-based food. The greenhouse gas costs of organically produced meat were approximately the same as non-organically produced meat.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Organic meats found to have approximately the same greenhouse impact as regular meats|url=https://phys.org/news/2020-12-meats-approximately-greenhouse-impact-regular.html|access-date=31 December 2020|website=phys.org|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> However, the same paper noted that a shift from conventional to organic practices would likely be beneficial for long-term efficiency and ecosystem services, and probably improve soil over time.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Pieper|first1=Maximilian|last2=Michalke|first2=Amelie|last3=Gaugler|first3=Tobias|date=15 December 2020|title=Calculation of external climate costs for food highlights inadequate pricing of animal products|url= |journal=Nature Communications|language=en|volume=11|issue=1|pages=6117|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19474-6|pmid=33323933|pmc=7738510|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.6117P|issn=2041-1723}}</ref>
The situation was shown dramatically in a comparison of a modern dairy farm in Wisconsin with one in New Zealand in which the animals grazed extensively.<ref name="Johnson"> Johnson, K.A. and Johnson, D.E. (1995). Methane emissions from cattle. Journal of Animal Science 73: 2483-2492.</ref> Using total farm emissions per kg milk produced as a parameter, the researchers showed that production of methane from belching was higher in the New Zealand farm, while carbon dioxide production was higher in the Wisconsin farm. Output of nitrous oxide, a gas with an estimated global warming potential 310 times that of carbon dioxide was also higher in the New Zealand farm. Methane from manure handling was similar in the two types of farm. The explanation for the finding relates to the different diets used on these farms, being based more completely on forage (and hence more fibrous) in New Zealand and containing less concentrate than in Wisconsin. Fibrous diets promote a higher proportion of acetate in the gut of ruminant animals, resulting in a higher production of methane that has to be released by belching. When cattle are given a diet containing some concentrates (such as corn and soybean meal) in addition to grass and silage, the pattern of ruminal fermentation alters from acetate to mainly propionate. As a result methane production is reduced. Capper et al. compared the environmental impact of US dairy production in 1944 and 2007.<ref name="Capper"> Capper, J.L., Cady, R.A. and Bauman, D.E. (2009). The environmental impact of dairy production: 1944 compared with 2007. Journal of Animal Science 87: 2160-2167.</ref> They calculated that the carbon “footprint” per billion kg of milk produced in 2007 was 37 percent that of equivalent milk production in 1944.


A 2019 life-cycle assessment study found that converting the total agricultural sector (both crop and livestock production) for ] and ] to organic farming methods would result in a net increase in ] emissions as increased overseas land use for production and import of crops would be needed to make up for lower organic yields domestically.<ref name="Smith 2019">{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Laurence G. |last2=Kirk |first2=Guy J. D. |last3=Jones |first3=Philip J. |last4=Williams |first4=Adrian G. |title=The greenhouse gas impacts of converting food production in England and Wales to organic methods |journal=Nature Communications |date=22 October 2019 |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=4641 |doi=10.1038/s41467-019-12622-7 |pmid=31641128 |pmc=6805889 |bibcode=2019NatCo..10.4641S }}</ref>
The environmental impact of pesticides as well as the impact to the health of farm workers are reasons given for purchasing organic food.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}


==Health and safety==
However, critics of organic farming methods believe that the increased land needed to farm organic food could potentially destroy the rainforests and wipe out many ecosystems.<ref>{{cite web | author= Goldberg, Bob | title= The Hypocrisy of Organic Farmers | work=AgBioWorld | url=http://www.agbioworld.org/biotech-info/articles/biotech-art/hypocrisy.html | accessdate=2007-10-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author= Leonard, Andrew | title= Save the rain forest -- boycott organic? | work=How The World Works | url=http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2006/12/11/borlaug/ | accessdate=2007-10-10}}</ref>


There is little scientific evidence of benefit or harm to human health from a diet high in organic food, and conducting any sort of rigorous experiment on the subject is very difficult. A 2012 meta-analysis noted that "there have been no long-term studies of health outcomes of populations consuming predominantly organic versus conventionally produced food controlling for socioeconomic factors; such studies would be expensive to conduct."<ref name=Smith-Spangler2012/> A 2009 meta-analysis noted that "most of the included articles did not study direct human health outcomes. In ten of the included studies (83%), a primary outcome was the change in antioxidant activity. Antioxidant status and activity are useful biomarkers but do not directly equate to a health outcome. Of the remaining two articles, one recorded proxy-reported measures of atopic manifestations as its primary health outcome, whereas the other article examined the fatty acid composition of breast milk and implied possible health benefits for infants from the consumption of different amounts of conjugated linoleic acids from breast milk."<ref name=Dangour2009 /> In addition, as discussed above, difficulties in accurately and meaningfully measuring chemical differences between organic and conventional food make it difficult to extrapolate health recommendations based solely on chemical analysis.
===Yield===
One study found a 20% smaller yield from organic farms using 50% less fertilizer and 97% less pesticide.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Mader, et al. | title=Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming | journal=Science | year=2002 | volume=296 | issue= 5573| pages=1694–1697 | url=http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/296/5573/1694 | doi=10.1126/science.1071148 | pmid=12040197 | last2=Fliessbach | first2=A | last3=Dubois | first3=D | last4=Gunst | first4=L | last5=Fried | first5=P | last6=Niggli | first6=U}}</ref> Studies comparing yields have had mixed results.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Welsh, Rick | title=Economics of Organic Grain and Soybean Production in the Midwestern United States | journal=Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture | year=1999 | volume= | pages= | url=http://www.winrock.org/wallacecenter/documents/pspr13.pdf}}</ref> Supporters claim that organically managed soil has a higher quality<ref>{{cite journal | author=Johnston, A. E. | title=Soil organic-matter, effects on soils and crops | journal=Soil Use Management | year=1986 | volume=2 | issue=3 | pages=97–105 | doi=10.1111/j.1475-2743.1986.tb00690.x}}</ref> and higher water retention. This may help increase yields for organic farms in drought years.


According to a newer review, studies found adverse effects of certain pesticides on children's cognitive development at current levels of exposure.<ref name="10.1186/s12940-017-0315-4"/> Many pesticides show neurotoxicity in laboratory animal models and some are considered to cause endocrine disruption.<ref name="10.1186/s12940-017-0315-4"/>
One study from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency found that, area-for-area, organic farms of potatoes, sugar beet and seed grass produce as little as half the output of conventional farming.<ref>The Bichel Committee. 1999. Report from the main committee. Danish Environmental Protection Agency. "A total abolition of pesticide use would result in an average drop in farming yields of between 10% and 25%, at the farm level; the smallest losses would occur in cattle farming. On farms that have a large proportion of special crops, such as potatoes, sugar beet and seed grass, the production losses in terms of quantity would be closer to 50%. These crops would probably be ousted by other crops."</ref> ], author of '']'', responds to this by pointing out that the average yield of world agriculture is substantially lower than modern sustainable farming yields. Bringing average world yields up to modern organic levels could increase the world's food supply by 50%.<ref>{{cite news | author=Pollan, Michael | title=Chief farmer| work=New York Times| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html?pagewanted=5&ei=5070&emc=eta1|accessdate=2008-11-15 | date=2008-10-12}}</ref>


As of 2012, the scientific consensus is that while "consumers may choose to buy organic fruit, vegetables and meat because they believe them to be more nutritious than other food.... the balance of current scientific evidence does not support this view."<ref>{{cite web|title=The Food Standards Agency's Current Stance|url=http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/organicfood2.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100331234955/http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/organicfood2.pdf|archive-date=31 March 2010}}</ref> The evidence of beneficial health effects of organic food consumption is scarce, which has led researchers to call for more long-term studies.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hurtado-Barroso |first1=Sara |last2=Tresserra-Rimbau |first2=Anna |last3=Vallverdú-Queralt |first3=Anna |last4=Lamuela-Raventós |first4=Rosa María |date=30 November 2017 |title=Organic food and the impact on human health |journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition |volume=59 |issue=4 |pages=704–714 |doi=10.1080/10408398.2017.1394815 |issn=1549-7852 |pmid=29190113|s2cid=39034672 }}</ref> In addition, studies that suggest that organic foods may be healthier than conventional foods face significant methodological challenges, such as the correlation between organic food consumption and factors known to promote a healthy lifestyle.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Brantsæter |first1=Anne Lise |last2=Ydersbond |first2=Trond A. |last3=Hoppin |first3=Jane A. |last4=Haugen |first4=Margaretha |last5=Meltzer |first5=Helle Margrete |date=20 March 2017 |title=Organic Food in the Diet: Exposure and Health Implications|journal=Annual Review of Public Health |volume=38 |pages=295–313 |doi=10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031816-044437 |issn=1545-2093 |pmid=27992727|doi-access=free |hdl=11250/2457888 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref name="10.1186/s12940-017-0315-4" /> When the ] reviewed the literature on organic foods in 2012, they found that "current evidence does not support any meaningful nutritional benefits or deficits from eating organic compared with conventionally grown foods, and there are no well-powered human studies that directly demonstrate health benefits or disease protection as a result of consuming an organic diet."<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Forman |first1=Joel |last2=Silverstein |first2=Janet |last3=Committee on Nutrition |last4=Council on Environmental Health |last5=American Academy of Pediatrics |date=November 2012 |title=Organic foods: health and environmental advantages and disadvantages |journal=Pediatrics |volume=130 |issue=5 |pages=e1406–1415 |doi=10.1542/peds.2012-2579 |issn=1098-4275 |pmid=23090335|doi-access=free }}</ref>
A 2007 study<ref>Perfecto et al., in Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (2007), 22: 86–108 Cambridge University Press: cited in New Scientist 13:46 12 July 2007</ref> compiling research from 293 different comparisons into a single study to assess the overall efficiency of the two agricultural systems has concluded that <blockquote>
...organic methods could produce enough food on a global per capita basis to sustain the current human population, and potentially an even larger population, without increasing the agricultural land base. (from the abstract)
</blockquote>The researchers also found that while in developed countries, organic systems on average produce 92% of the yield produced by conventional agriculture, organic systems produce 80% more than conventional farms in developing countries, because the materials needed for organic farming are more accessible than synthetic farming materials to farmers in some poor countries. On the other hand, communities that lack sufficient manure to replenish soils would struggle with organic farming, and the soil would degrade rapidly.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.economist.com/daily/columns/greenview/displayStory.cfm?story_id=11911706 | work=The Economist | title=Stuck in the mud | date=2008-08-11}}</ref>


Prevalent use of antibiotics in livestock used in non-organic meat is a key driver of ].<ref name="10.1186/s12940-017-0315-4">{{cite journal |last1=Mie |first1=Axel |last2=Andersen |first2=Helle Raun |last3=Gunnarsson |first3=Stefan |last4=Kahl |first4=Johannes |last5=Kesse-Guyot |first5=Emmanuelle |last6=Rembiałkowska |first6=Ewa |last7=Quaglio |first7=Gianluca |last8=Grandjean |first8=Philippe |title=Human health implications of organic food and organic agriculture: a comprehensive review |journal=Environmental Health |date=27 October 2017 |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=111 |doi=10.1186/s12940-017-0315-4 |pmid=29073935 |pmc=5658984 |issn=1476-069X |doi-access=free |bibcode=2017EnvHe..16..111M }}</ref>
===Energy efficiency===
A study of the sustainability of ] production systems showed that in comparing a conventional farming system to an organic method of farming, the organic system in this case is more ].<ref>{{cite journal | author=Reganold et al. | title=Sustainability of three apple production systems | journal=Nature | month=April | year=2001 | volume=410 | pages=926–930 | doi=10.1038/35073574 | pmid=11309616 | last2=Glover | first2=JD | last3=Andrews | first3=PK | last4=Hinman | first4=HR | issue=6831}}</ref> A more comprehensive study compared efficiency of agriculture for products such as grain, roughage crops, and animal husbandry. While the study did not investigate specific additional requirements of ] or numbers of farm laborers to produce total yields for organic farming vs. conventional farming, leaving open the question of overall capacity of organic farming to meet current and future agricultural needs, it concluded that organic farming had a higher yield per unit of energy over multiple crops and for livestock. However, conventional farming had higher total yield.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Dalgaard et al. | title=A model for fossil energy use in Danish agriculture used to compare organic and conventional farming | journal=Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment | year=2001 | volume=87 | pages=51–65}}</ref> Conversely, another study noted that organic wheat and corn production was more energy efficient than conventional methods while organic apple and potato production was less energy efficient than conventional methods.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Pimental et al. | title=Energy efficiency of farming systems: Organic and conventional agriculture | journal=Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment | year=1983 | volume=9 | pages=359–372}}</ref> A long-term study, spanning two decades, noted that crop yields were 20% lower in organic systems while fertilizer plus energy input was 34% to 53% lower. However, pesticide input was reduced by 97% in organic farm systems.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Maeder et al. | title=Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming | journal=Science | year=2002 | volume=296 | pages=1694–1697 | doi=10.1126/science.1071148 | pmid=12040197}}</ref>


==Health and safety==
===Consumer safety=== ===Consumer safety===
] of the available body of scientific literature have not found that organic food is any safer or healthier than conventional foods.<ref name=MagkosSafety/><ref name=Bourn>{{cite journal |author=Bourn D, Prescott J |title=A comparison of the nutritional value, sensory qualities, and food safety of organically and conventionally produced foods |journal=Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr |volume=42 |issue=1 |pages=1–34 |year=2002 |month=January |pmid=11833635 |doi= 10.1080/10408690290825439|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11833635 }}</ref><ref name=Blair1/><ref name=Canavari/><ref name="Healthier"/> There continues to be widespread public belief in arguments that organic food is significantly safer for consumption than food grown conventionally, based mainly on ] and ] rather than scientific evidence; this belief has fueled increased demand for organic food despite higher prices.<ref name=MagkosSafety>{{cite journal |author=Magkos F, Arvaniti F, Zampelas A |title=Organic food: buying more safety or just peace of mind? A critical review of the literature |url=http://spot.colorado.edu/~carpenh/Magkos.pdf |format=PDF |journal=Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=23–56 |year=2006 |pmid=16403682 |doi=10.1080/10408690490911846 }}</ref> Firm conclusions about the relative safety of organic foods have been hampered by the difficulty in proper ] and relatively small number of studies directly comparing organic food to conventional food.<ref name=MagkosSafety />


====Pesticide exposure====
Claims of improved safety of organic food has largely focused on ]s. While studies have shown organically grown fruits and vegetables have significantly lower pesticide residue levels, the significance of this finding on actual health risk reduction is debatable as both conventional foods and organic foods generally have pesticide levels well below government established guidelines for what is considered safe.<ref name=MagkosSafety /><ref name=Blair1/> This view has been echoed by the ]<ref name=USDA>{{cite web|last=Gold|first=Mary|title=Should I Purchase Organic Foods?|url=http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/faq/BuyOrganicFoodsC.shtml|publisher=USDA|accessdate=5 March 2011}}{{dead link|date=August 2012}}</ref> and the UK ].<ref name=FSA>{{cite web|title=Organic food|url=http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/farmingfood/organicfood/|publisher=UK Food Standards Agency|accessdate=5 March 2011}}{{dead link|date=August 2012}}</ref> Claims of increased risk related to pesticide residue and rates of ] or lower ] have not been supported by the evidence in the medical literature.<ref name=MagkosSafety /> Reviews have noted that the risks from ] sources or natural ]s are likely to be much more significant than short term or chronic risks from pesticide residues.<ref name=MagkosSafety /><ref name=Blair1/>


Claims of improved safety of organic food have largely focused on ]s.<ref name=MagkosSafety2006 /> These concerns are driven by the facts that "(1) acute, massive exposure to pesticides can cause significant adverse health effects;
Some focus has been placed on the amount of ] content in certain vegetables, especially green ] and ]s when grown organically as compared to conventionally. While these vegetables, when grown organically, have been found to have lower nitrogen content, there is no consensus as to whether consumption of lower levels of nitrogen translates to improved health risk. When evaluating environmental toxins such as ], the USDA noted that organically raised ] may have lower ] levels,<ref name=USDA /> while literature reviews found no significant evidence that levels of arsenic, ] or other heavy metals differed significantly between organic and conventional food products.<ref name=MagkosSafety /><ref name=Blair1/>
(2) food products have occasionally been contaminated with pesticides, which can result in acute toxicity; and (3) most, if not all, commercially purchased food contains trace amounts of agricultural pesticides."<ref name=MagkosSafety2006 /> However, as is frequently noted in the scientific literature: "What does not follow from this, however, is that chronic exposure to the trace amounts of pesticides found in food results in demonstrable toxicity. This possibility is practically impossible to study and quantify;" therefore firm conclusions about the relative safety of organic foods have been hampered by the difficulty in proper ] and relatively small number of studies directly comparing organic food to conventional food.<ref name=Blair1/><ref name=Bourn /><ref name=MagkosSafety2006 /><ref name=Canavari2009/><ref>{{cite journal|last=Rosen|first=Joseph D.|title=A Review of the Nutrition Claims Made by Proponents of Organic Food|journal=Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety|date=May 2010|volume=9|issue=3|pages=270–277|doi=10.1111/j.1541-4337.2010.00108.x |pmid=33467813|doi-access=free}}</ref>


Additionally, the Carcinogenic Potency Project,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cpdb.thomas-slone.org/|title=The Carcinogenic Potency Project (CPDB)}}</ref> which is a part of the US ]'s Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox) Database Network,<ref>National Center for Computational Toxicology (NCCT) </ref> has been systemically testing the ]icity of chemicals, both natural and synthetic, and building a publicly available database of the results<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218135909/http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/html/cpdbfs.htm |date=18 February 2013 }}</ref> for the past ~30 years. Their work attempts to fill in the gaps in our scientific knowledge of the carcinogenicity of all chemicals, both natural and synthetic, as the scientists conducting the Project described in the journal, '']'', in 1992: <blockquote>Toxicological examination of synthetic chemicals, without similar examination of chemicals that occur naturally, has resulted in an imbalance in both the data on and the perception of chemical ]s. Three points that we have discussed indicate that comparisons should be made with natural as well as synthetic chemicals.<br />
In looking at possible increased risk to safety from organic food consumption, reviews have found that although there may be increased risk from microbiological contamination due to increased ] use as fertilizer from organisms like ] during organic produce production, there is little evidence of actual incidence of outbreaks which can be positively blamed on organic food production.<ref name=MagkosSafety /><ref name=Bourn /><ref name=Blair1/> One outbreak of E. coli in Germany was blamed on organic farming of bean sprouts.<ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis: E.coli outbreak poses questions for organic farming|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/06/us-ecoli-beansprouts-idUSTRE7552N720110606|accessdate=22 June 2012|newspaper=Reuters|date=06 June 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Tracing seeds, in particular fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds, in relation to the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O104:H4 2011 Outbreaks in Germany and France|url=http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/supporting/doc/176e.pdf|publisher=European Food Safety Authority|accessdate=23 July 2012}}</ref> Other possible sources of increased safety risk from organic food consumption like use of ] or the theoretical risk from ] from fungi grown on products due to the lack of effective organic compliant ] have likewise not been confirmed by rigorous studies in the scientific literature.<ref name=MagkosSafety />
1) The vast proportion of chemicals that humans are exposed to occur naturally. Nevertheless, the public tends to view chemicals as only synthetic and to think of synthetic chemicals as toxic despite the fact that every natural chemical is also toxic at some dose. The daily average exposure of Americans to burnt material in the diet is ~2000 mg, and exposure to natural pesticides (the chemicals that plants produce to defend themselves) is ~1500 mg. In comparison, the total daily exposure to all synthetic pesticide residues combined is ~0.09 mg. Thus, we estimate that 99.99% of the pesticides humans ingest are natural. Despite this enormously greater exposure to natural chemicals, 79% (378 out of 479) of the chemicals tested for carcinogenicity in both rats and mice are synthetic (that is, do not occur naturally). <br />
2) It has often been wrongly assumed that humans have evolved defenses against the natural chemicals in our diet but not against the synthetic chemicals. However, defenses that animals have evolved are mostly general rather than specific for particular chemicals; moreover, defenses are generally inducible and therefore protect well from low doses of both synthetic and natural chemicals.<br />
3) Because the toxicology of natural and synthetic chemicals is similar, one expects (and finds) a similar positivity rate for carcinogenicity among synthetic and natural chemicals. The positivity rate among chemicals tested in rats and mice is ~50%. Therefore, because humans are exposed to so many more natural than synthetic chemicals (by weight and by number), humans are exposed to an enormous background of rodent carcinogens, as defined by high-dose tests on rodents. We have shown that even though only a tiny proportion of natural pesticides in plant foods have been tested, the 29 that are rodent carcinogens among the 57 tested, occur in more than 50 common plant foods. It is probable that almost every fruit and vegetable in the supermarket contains natural pesticides that are rodent carcinogens.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Gold L.S.| year = 1992 | title = Rodent carcinogens: Setting priorities | url = http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cpdb/pdfs/Science1992.pdf | journal = Science | volume = 258 | issue = 5080| pages = 261–265 | doi=10.1126/science.1411524| pmid = 1411524 |display-authors=etal| bibcode = 1992Sci...258..261S }}</ref></blockquote>


While studies have shown via chemical analysis, as discussed above, that organically grown fruits and vegetables have significantly lower pesticide residue levels, the significance of this finding on actual health risk reduction is debatable as both conventional foods and organic foods generally have pesticide levels (]s) well below government established guidelines for what is considered safe.<ref name=Blair1/><ref name=Smith-Spangler2012/><ref name=MagkosSafety2006 /> This view has been echoed by the ]<ref name=USDA>{{cite web|last=Gold |first=Mary |title=Should I Purchase Organic Foods? |url=http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/faq/BuyOrganicFoodsC.shtml |publisher=USDA |access-date=5 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721070355/http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/faq/BuyOrganicFoodsC.shtml |archive-date=21 July 2011 }}</ref> and the UK ].<ref name=FSA>{{cite web|title=Organic food|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605025656/http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/farmingfood/organicfood/|publisher=UK Food Standards Agency|archive-date=5 June 2011|url=http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/farmingfood/organicfood/}}</ref>
The ] (ACS) has noted that interest in organic food is derived from perceived risk of cancer from additives not found in organic foods. The ACS has stated their official position that "whether organic foods carry a lower risk of cancer because they are less likely to be contaminated by compounds that might cause cancer is largely unknown" and "vegetables, fruits, and whole grains should form the central part of a person's diet, regardless of whether they are grown conventionally or organically".<ref>{{cite web|title=Food additives, safety, and organic foods |url=http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/EatHealthyGetActive/ACSGuidelinesonNutritionPhysicalActivityforCancerPrevention/acs-guidelines-on-nutrition-and-physical-activity-for-cancer-prevention-food-additives|publisher=American Cancer Society|accessdate=11 July 2012}}</ref>


A study published by the ] in 1993 determined that for infants and children, the major source of exposure to pesticides is through diet.<ref>National Research Council. . National Academies Press; 1993. {{ISBN|0-309-04875-3}}. Retrieved 10 April 2006.</ref> A study published in 2006 by Lu et al. measured the levels of organophosphorus pesticide exposure in 23 school children before and after replacing their diet with organic food. In this study, it was found that levels of organophosphorus pesticide exposure dropped from negligible levels to undetectable levels when the children switched to an organic diet, the authors presented this reduction as a significant reduction in risk.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lu|first1=C|last2=Toepel|first2=K|last3=Irish|first3=R|last4=Fenske|first4=RA|last5=Barr|first5=DB|last6=Bravo|first6=R|title=Organic diets significantly lower children's dietary exposure to organophosphorus pesticides|pmid=16451864|volume=114|issue=2|pmc=1367841|date=February 2006|journal=Environ. Health Perspect.|pages=260–3|doi=10.1289/ehp.8418}}</ref> The conclusions presented in Lu et al. were criticized in the literature as a case of bad scientific communication.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Krieger RI|display-authors=etal| year = 2006 | title = OP Pesticides, Organic Diets, and Children's Health | journal = Environ Health Perspect | volume = 114 | issue = 10| pages = A572; author reply A572–3 | pmc=1626419 | pmid=17035114 | doi=10.1289/ehp.114-a572a}}</ref><ref>Alex Avery (2006) Environ Health Perspect.114(4) A210–A211.</ref>
===Nutritional value and taste===


More specifically, claims related to pesticide residue of increased risk of ] or lower ] have not been supported by the evidence in the medical literature.<ref name=MagkosSafety2006 /> Likewise, the ] (ACS) has stated their official position that "whether organic foods carry a lower risk of cancer because they are less likely to be contaminated by compounds that might cause cancer is largely unknown."<ref name=ACS>{{cite web|title=Food additives, safety, and organic foods|url=http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/EatHealthyGetActive/ACSGuidelinesonNutritionPhysicalActivityforCancerPrevention/acs-guidelines-on-nutrition-and-physical-activity-for-cancer-prevention-food-additives|publisher=American Cancer Society|access-date=11 July 2012|archive-date=19 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419073421/http://www.cancer.org/healthy/eathealthygetactive/acsguidelinesonnutritionphysicalactivityforcancerprevention/acs-guidelines-on-nutrition-and-physical-activity-for-cancer-prevention-food-additives|url-status=dead}}</ref> Reviews have noted that the risks from ] sources or natural ]s are likely to be much more significant than short term or chronic risks from pesticide residues.<ref name=Blair1/>{{page needed|date=May 2015}}<ref name=MagkosSafety2006 />
According to the UK's ], "Consumers may choose to buy organic fruit, vegetables and meat because they believe them to be more nutritious than other food. However, the balance of current scientific evidence does not support this view."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/17/it-s-official-organic-really-is-better.aspx |title=It's Official: Organic Really is Better |publisher=Times Online |date=November 17, 2007 |accessdate=2012-09-09}}</ref> A 12-month systematic review commissioned by the FSA in 2009 and conducted at the ] based on 50 years' worth of collected evidence concluded that "there is no good evidence that consumption of organic food is beneficial to health in relation to nutrient content."<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23725592-details/article.do
|title=Organic food 'no healthier' blow
|author=Goodchild, Sophie
|date=2009-07-
|accessdate=2009-07-29
|publisher=]
}}</ref> Other studies have found no proof that organic food offers greater nutritional values, more consumer safety or any distinguishable difference in taste.<ref name=Bourn/><ref name=Williams>{{cite journal|last=Williams|first=Christine M.|title=Nutritional quality of organic food: shades of grey or shades of green?|journal=Proceedings of the Nutrition Society|year=2002|month=February|volume=61|issue=1|pages=19–24|doi=10.1079/PNS2001126|url=http://journals.cambridge.org/production/action/cjoGetFulltext?fulltextid=803836|format=PDF}}</ref><ref>Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA). Organically Grown Produce: Does organic produce taste better? & Is organic produce more nutritious?</ref><ref>Sir John Krebs. June 5, 2003. Speech given by the then-chair of the ] (UK), Sir John Krebs, to the Cheltenham Science Fair on June 5, 2005.</ref> A review of nutrition claims showed that organic food proponents are unreliable information sources which harm consumers, and that consumers are wasting their money if they buy organic food believing that it contains better nutrients.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Rosen|first=Joseph D.|title=A Review of the Nutrition Claims Made by Proponents of Organic Food|journal=Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety|date=May 2010|volume=9|issue=3|pages=270–277|doi=10.1111/j.1541-4337.2010.00108.x |url=http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2010.00108.x/full }}</ref> Minor differences in ], protein concentration and several ] have been identified between organic and conventional foods, but it doesn't appear that these have any impact on human health.<ref>{{Cite doi|10.1080/09637480120092071}}</ref><ref>{{Cite doi|10.1016/j.tifs.2005.02.001}}</ref>


====Microbiological contamination====
A literature review published by the University of Bologna and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture in Switzerland in 2009 concluded that in the scientific literature examined “there is broad agreement on two points: there is no proof that organic food is more nutritious or safer, and most studies that have compared the taste and organoleptic quality of organic and conventional foods report no consistent or significant differences between organic and conventional produce. Therefore, claiming that all organic food tastes different from all conventional food would not be correct. However, among the well-designed studies with respect to fruits and vegetables that have found differences, the vast majority favour organic produce.”<ref name="Canavari"> Canavari, M., Asioli, D., Bendini, A., Cantore, N., Gallina Toschi, T., Spiller, A., Obermowe, T., Buchecker, K. and Lohmann, M. (2009). (2009).</ref>
] has a preference for using ] as fertilizer, compared to conventional farming in general.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} This practice seems to imply an increased risk of microbiological contamination, such as ], from organic food consumption, but reviews have found little evidence that the actual incidence of outbreaks can be positively linked to organic food production.<ref name=Blair1/>{{page needed|date=May 2015}}<ref name=Bourn /><ref name=MagkosSafety2006 /> The ], however, was blamed on organically farmed fenugreek sprouts.<ref>{{cite news|title=Analysis: E.coli outbreak poses questions for organic farming|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecoli-beansprouts-idUSTRE7552N720110606|access-date=22 June 2012|newspaper=Reuters|date=6 June 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title=Tracing seeds, in particular fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds, in relation to the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O104:H4 2011 Outbreaks in Germany and France|journal=EFSA Supporting Publications|volume=8|issue=7|doi=10.2903/sp.efsa.2011.EN-176|year=2011}}</ref>


==Public perception==
As with vegetable produce, there is evidence that some organic fruit is drier than conventionally grown fruit.<ref name=Blair1/> Unless this factor is taken into account a higher content of a nutrient might be explained by a higher dry-matter (lower moisture) content. A slightly drier fruit may also have a more intense flavor due to the higher concentration of nutrients, and as a result may be preferred by the consumer. There is evidence that some organically grown fruits has a higher resistance to deterioration and better keeping quality, attributed to a lower moisture content.<ref name=Blair1/>


There is a widespread public belief that organic food is safer, more nutritious, and better tasting than conventional food,<ref>{{cite book|last1=White|first1=Kim Kennedy|last2=Duram|first2=Leslie A|title=America Goes Green: An Encyclopedia of Eco-friendly Culture in the United States|date=2013|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=California|isbn=978-1-59884-657-7|page=180}}</ref> which has largely contributed to the development of an ]. Consumers purchase organic foods for different reasons, including concerns about the effects of conventional farming practices on the environment, human health, and animal welfare.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|title = Deciphering Organic Foods: A Comprehensive Guide to Organic Food Production, Consumption, and Promotion|url = https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=60312|website = novapublishers.com|access-date = 29 October 2016|archive-date = 29 October 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161029180024/https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=60312|url-status = dead}}{{page needed|date=October 2016}}</ref><ref name="Harvard" />
Although it is commonly claimed that organically grown food tastes better than conventionally grown food, reviews of the literature that looked at the sensory qualities of the two have not found convincing evidence that there are any significant differences.<ref name=Bourn/>


While there may be some differences in the ] and ] contents of organically and conventionally produced food, the variable nature of ], shipping, storage, and handling makes it difficult to generalize results.<ref name="2014meta" /><ref name="Blair1">Blair, Robert. (2012). Organic Production and Food Quality: A Down to Earth Analysis. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK. Pages 72, 223, 225. {{ISBN|978-0-8138-1217-5}}</ref><ref name="Smith-Spangler2012">{{cite journal|last=Smith-Spangler|first=C |author2=Brandeau, ML|author2-link= Margaret Brandeau |author3=Hunter, GE |author4=Bavinger, JC |author5=Pearson, M |author6=Eschbach, PJ |author7=Sundaram, V |author8=Liu, H |author9=Schirmer, P |author10=Stave, C |author11=Olkin, I |author12=Bravata, DM|title=Are organic foods safer or healthier than conventional alternatives?: a systematic review|journal=Annals of Internal Medicine|date=4 September 2012|volume=157|issue=5|pages=348–366|pmid=22944875 |doi=10.7326/0003-4819-157-5-201209040-00007|s2cid=21463708 }}</ref><ref name="FSA" /><ref name="baranski2017">{{cite journal|last1=Barański|first1=M|last2=Rempelos|first2=L|last3=Iversen|first3=PO|last4=Leifert|first4=C|title=Effects of organic food consumption on human health; the jury is still out!|journal=Food & Nutrition Research|date=2017|volume=61|issue=1|pages=1287333|doi=10.1080/16546628.2017.1287333|pmid=28326003|pmc=5345585}}</ref> Claims that "organic food tastes better" are generally not supported by tests,<ref name="Blair1" />{{page needed|date=February 2021}}<ref name="Bourn" />{{page needed|date=February 2021}} but consumers often perceive organic food produce like fruits and vegetables to taste better.<ref name="Harvard" />
Psychological effects such as the “halo” effect which are related to the choice and consumption of organic food and which may be akin to religious experiences in some people are in addition important motivating factors in the purchase of organic food.<ref name=Blair1/> An example of the halo effect was demonstrated by Schuldt and Schwarz.<ref name=" Schuldt "> Schuldt, J.P. and Schwarz, N. (2010). The “organic” path to obesity? Organic claims influence calorie judgments and exercise recommendations. Judgment and Decision Making 5: 144–150.</ref> Their results showed that university students inferred that organic cookies were lower in calories and could be eaten more often than conventional cookies. This effect was observed even when the nutrition label conveyed an identical calorie content. The effect was more pronounced among participants who were strong supporters of organic production and had strong feelings about environmental issues. The perception that organic food is low-calorie food or health food appears to be quite common.<ref name=Blair1/>

The appeal of organic food varies with ] and attitudinal characteristics. Several high quality surveys find that income, educational level, physical activity, dietary habits and number of children are associated with the level of organic food consumption.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kramer |first=Michael S. |title=Believe It or Not: The History, Culture, and Science Behind Health Beliefs |date=28 December 2023 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-031-46022-7 |location=Cham |pages=151–162 |chapter=Organic Foods: A Healthier Alternative? |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-46022-7_16 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-46022-7_16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Brantsæter |first1=Anne Lise |last2=Ydersbond |first2=Trond A. |last3=Hoppin |first3=Jane A. |last4=Haugen |first4=Margaretha |last5=Meltzer |first5=Helle Margrete |date=2017 |title=Organic Food in the Diet: Exposure and Health Implications. |url=https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031816-044437 |journal=Annual Review of Public Health |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=295–313|doi=10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031816-044437 |pmid=27992727 |hdl=11250/2457888 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> USA research has found that women, young adults, liberals, and college graduates were significantly more likely to buy organic food regularly when compared to men, older age groups, people of different political affiliations, and less educated individuals. Income level and race/ethnicity did not appear to affect interest in organic foods in this same study. Furthermore, individuals who are only moderately-religious were more likely to purchase organic foods than individuals who were less religious or highly-religious. Additionally, the pursuit of organic foods was positively associated with valuing vegetarian/] food options, "natural" food options, and USA-made food options.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Onyango|first1=Benjamin|last2=Hallman|first2=William|last3=Bellows|first3=Anne|date=January 2006|title=Purchasing Organic Food in U.S. Food Systems: A Study of Attitudes and Practice|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23506342|journal=British Food Journal|publisher=Emerald Group Publishing Limited|volume=109|issue=5|pages=407–409|doi=10.1108/00070700710746803|via=ResearchGate}}</ref> Organic food may also be more appealing to people who follow other restricted diets. One study found that individuals who adhered to vegan, vegetarian, or ] diet patterns incorporated substantially more organic foods in their diets when compared to ].<ref>{{Cite journal|date=1 July 2021|title=Estimated dietary exposure to pesticide residues based on organic and conventional data in omnivores, pesco-vegetarians, vegetarians and vegans|journal=Food and Chemical Toxicology|language=en|volume=153|pages=112179|doi=10.1016/j.fct.2021.112179|issn=0278-6915|last1=Baudry|first1=Julia|last2=Rebouillat|first2=Pauline|last3=Allès|first3=Benjamin|last4=Cravedi|first4=Jean-Pierre|last5=Touvier|first5=Mathilde|last6=Hercberg|first6=Serge|last7=Lairon|first7=Denis|last8=Vidal|first8=Rodolphe|last9=Kesse-Guyot|first9=Emmanuelle|pmid=33845070|s2cid=233223540|doi-access=free}}</ref>

The most important reason for purchasing organic foods seems to be beliefs about the products' health-giving properties and higher nutritional value.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Yiridoe|first1=Emmanuel|last2=Bonti-Ankomah|first2=Samuel|last3=C. Martin|first3=Ralph|date=1 December 2005|title=Comparison of Consumer Perceptions and Preference Toward Organic Versus Conventionally Produced Foods: A Review and Update of the Literature|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231897495|journal=Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems|volume=20|issue=4|pages=193–205|doi=10.1079/RAF2005113|s2cid=155004745|quote=Some studies reported health and food safety as the number one quality attribute considered by organic produce buyers}}</ref><ref name="Harvard" /> These beliefs are promoted by the organic food industry,<ref>Joanna Schroeder for Academics Review. </ref> and have fueled increased demand for organic food despite higher prices and difficulty in confirming these claimed benefits scientifically.<ref name="2014meta" /><ref name="Smith-Spangler2012" /><ref name=MagkosSafety2006>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1080/10408690490911846| pmid=16403682|title = Organic Food: Buying More Safety or Just Peace of Mind? A Critical Review of the Literature| journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition| volume=46| issue=1| pages=23–56|year = 2006|last1 = Magkos|first1 = Faidon| last2=Arvaniti| first2=Fotini| last3=Zampelas| first3=Antonis| s2cid=18939644}}</ref><ref name="Dangour2009">Dangour AD et al. (2009) The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 92(1) 203–210</ref><ref name="Canavari2009">Canavari, M., Asioli, D., Bendini, A., Cantore, N., Gallina Toschi, T., Spiller, A., Obermowe, T., Buchecker, K. and Lohmann, M. (2009). </ref> Organic labels also stimulate the consumer to view the product as having more positive nutritional value.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Organic labels- A consumers satisfaction for health
|url = http://www.watershedpedia.com/organic-labels-a-consumers-satisfaction-for-health/|website = watershedpedia.com|access-date = 11 November 2017}}</ref>

Psychological effects such as the ] are also important motivating factors in the purchase of organic food.<ref name="Blair1" />

In China the increasing demand for organic products of all kinds, and in particular milk, baby food and infant formula, has been "spurred by a series of food scares, the worst being the death of six children who had consumed baby formula laced with ]" in 2009 and the ], making the Chinese market for organic milk the largest in the world as of 2014.<ref name=Chen>{{cite news|last=Chen|first=Jue|title=Food safety in China opens doors for Australia's agri sector|url=http://www.chinaconnections.com.au/en/magazine/current-issue/1940-food-safety-in-china-opens-doors-for-australia%E2%80%99s-agri-sector|access-date=27 March 2014|newspaper=Australia China Connections|date=February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327224148/http://www.chinaconnections.com.au/en/magazine/current-issue/1940-food-safety-in-china-opens-doors-for-australia%E2%80%99s-agri-sector|archive-date=27 March 2014}}</ref><ref name=stewart>{{cite web|last=Stewart|first=Emily|title=Chinese babies looking for more Aussie organic milk|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-04/chinese-babies-looking-for-more-aussie-organic-milk/5135522|website=abc.net.au|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=27 March 2014|date=4 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Organic exports to China on the rise|url=http://www.dynamicexport.com.au/export-market/articles-export-markets/Organic-exports-to-China-on-the-rise/|website=Dynamic Export|access-date=27 March 2014}}</ref> A Pew Research Center survey in 2012 indicated that 41% of Chinese consumers thought of food safety as a very big problem, up by three times from 12% in 2008.<ref name=Wikes>{{cite web|last=Wikes|first=Richard|title=What Chinese are worried about|url=http://www.pewglobal.org/|website=Pew Research Global Attitudes Project|publisher=Pew Research|access-date=27 March 2014}}</ref>

A 2020 study on marketing processed organic foods shows that, after much growth in the fresh organic foods sector, consumers have started to buy processed organic foods, which they sometime perceive to be just as healthy or even healthier than the non-organic version – depending on the marketing message.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Anghelcev |first1=George |last2=McGroarty |first2=Siobhan |last3=Sar |first3=Sela |last4=Moultrie |first4=Jas |last5=Huang |first5=Yan |title=Marketing Processed Organic Foods: The Impact of Promotional Message Framing (Vice Vs. Virtue Advertising) on Perceptions of Healthfulness |journal=Journal of Food Products Marketing |date=2020 |volume=26 |issue=6 |pages=401–424 |doi=10.1080/10454446.2020.1792022 |s2cid=221055629 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Taste===
There is no good evidence that organic food tastes better than its non-organic counterparts.<ref name=Bourn>{{cite journal |vauthors=Bourn D, Prescott J |title=A comparison of the nutritional value, sensory qualities, and food safety of organically and conventionally produced foods |journal=Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr |volume=42 |issue=1 |pages=1–34 |date=January 2002 |doi= 10.1080/10408690290825439|pmid=11833635|s2cid=13605409 }}</ref> There is evidence that some organic fruit is drier than conventionally grown fruit; a slightly drier fruit may also have a more intense flavor due to the higher concentration of flavoring substances.<ref name=Blair1/>{{page needed|date=May 2015}}

Some foods which are picked when unripe, such as bananas, are cooled to prevent ripening while they are shipped to market, and then are induced to ripen quickly by exposing them to ] or ], chemicals produced by plants to induce their own ripening; as flavor and texture changes during ripening, this process may affect those qualities of the treated fruit.<ref>Washington State University Extension Office. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181212052207/http://www.postharvest.tfrec.wsu.edu/pages/PC2000F |date=12 December 2018 }}</ref><ref>Fresh Air, National Public Radio. 30 August 2011 </ref>

==Chemical composition==
]
With respect to chemical differences in the composition of organically grown food compared with conventionally grown food, studies have examined differences in ], ], and ] residues.<ref name=baranski2017/> These studies generally suffer from ] variables, and are difficult to generalize due to differences in the tests that were done, the methods of testing, and because the vagaries of agriculture affect the chemical composition of food;<ref name=baranski2017/> these variables include variations in weather (season to season as well as place to place); crop treatments (fertilizer, pesticide, etc.); soil composition; the cultivar used, and in the case of meat and dairy products, the parallel variables in animal production.<ref name=2014meta/><ref name=Smith-Spangler2012/> Treatment of the foodstuffs after initial gathering (whether milk is pasteurized or raw), the length of time between harvest and analysis, as well as conditions of transport and storage, also affect the chemical composition of a given item of food.<ref name=2014meta/><ref name=Smith-Spangler2012/> Additionally, there is evidence that organic produce is drier than conventionally grown produce; a higher content in any chemical category may be explained by higher concentration rather than in absolute amounts.<ref name=Blair1/>{{page needed|date=May 2015}}

===Nutrients===
Many people believe that organic foods have higher content of nutrients and thus are healthier than conventionally produced foods.<ref name="reuters">{{cite web|title=Organic Food No More Nutritious than Non-organic: Study|publisher=Reuters Health|author=Genevra Pittman|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-organic-idUSBRE88303620120904|date=4 September 2012}}</ref> However, scientists have not been equally convinced that this is the case as the research conducted in the field has not shown consistent results.<ref name="Harvard"/>

A 2009 systematic review found that organically produced foodstuffs are not richer in vitamins and minerals than conventionally produced foodstuffs.<ref name="Smith-Spangler2012" /> This systematic review found a lower nitrogen and higher phosphorus content in organic produced compared to conventionally grown foodstuffs. Content of vitamin C, calcium, potassium, total soluble solids, copper, iron, nitrates, manganese, and sodium did not differ between the two categories.<ref name=reuters/>

A 2012 survey of the scientific literature did not find significant differences in the vitamin content of organic and conventional plant or animal products, and found that results varied from study to study.<ref name=Smith-Spangler2012/> Produce studies reported on ] (]) (31 studies), ] (a precursor for ]) (12 studies), and ] (a form of ]) (5 studies) content; milk studies reported on beta-carotene (4 studies) and alpha-tocopherol levels (4 studies). Few studies examined vitamin content in meats, but these found no difference in beta-carotene in beef, alpha-tocopherol in pork or beef, or vitamin A (retinol) in beef. The authors analyzed 11 other nutrients reported in studies of produce. A 2011 literature review found that organic foods had a higher micronutrient content overall than conventionally produced foods.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hunter|first1=Duncan|last2=Foster|first2=Meika|last3=McArthur|first3=Jennifer O.|last4=Ojha|first4=Rachel|last5=Petocz|first5=Peter|last6=Samman|first6=Samir|title=Evaluation of the Micronutrient Composition of Plant Foods Produced by Organic and Conventional Agricultural Methods|journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition|date=July 2011|volume=51|issue=6|pages=571–582|doi=10.1080/10408391003721701|pmid=21929333|s2cid=10165731}}</ref>

Similarly, organic chicken contained higher levels of ]s<ref name="cnn">{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/18/health/organic-meat-milk-fatty-acids-omega-3s/index.html|title=Organic meats, milk contain more omega-3s, study finds|website=CNN|date=18 February 2016 |access-date=19 December 2020}}</ref> than conventional chicken. The authors found no difference in the protein or fat content of organic and conventional raw milk.<ref name=Magkos2003>{{cite journal|pmid=12907407|year=2003|last1=Magkos|first1=F|title=Organic food: Nutritious food or food for thought? A review of the evidence|journal=International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition|volume=54|issue=5|pages=357–71|last2=Arvaniti|first2=F|last3=Zampelas|first3=A|doi=10.1080/09637480120092071|s2cid=19352928}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Farm costs and food miles: An assessment of the full cost of the UK weekly food basket|last1=Pretty|first1=J.N.|last2=Ball|first2=A.S.|last3=Lang|first3=T.|last4=Morison|first4=J.I.L.|volume=30|issue=1|pages=1–19|journal=Food Policy|year=2005|doi=10.1016/j.foodpol.2005.02.001}}</ref>

A 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis found that organic meat had comparable or slightly lower levels of ] and ] as conventional meat, but higher levels of both overall and n-3 ]s.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Średnicka-Tober|first1=D|last2=Barański|first2=M|last3=Seal|first3=C|last4=Sanderson|first4=R|last5=Benbrook|first5=C|last6=Steinshamn|first6=H|last7=Gromadzka-Ostrowska|first7=J|last8=Rembiałkowska|first8=E|last9=Skwarło-Sońta|first9=K|last10=Eyre|first10=M|last11=Cozzi|first11=G|last12=Krogh Larsen|first12=M|last13=Jordon|first13=T|last14=Niggli|first14=U|last15=Sakowski|first15=T|last16=Calder|first16=PC|last17=Burdge|first17=GC|last18=Sotiraki|first18=S|last19=Stefanakis|first19=A|last20=Yolcu|first20=H|last21=Stergiadis|first21=S|last22=Chatzidimitriou|first22=E|last23=Butler|first23=G|last24=Stewart|first24=G|last25=Leifert|first25=C|title=Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis|journal=The British Journal of Nutrition|date=March 2016|volume=115|issue=6|pages=994–1011|doi=10.1017/S0007114515005073|pmid=26878675|pmc=4838835}}</ref> Another meta-analysis published the same year found no significant differences in levels of saturated and monounsaturated fat between organic and conventional milk, but significantly higher levels of overall and n-3 ]s in organic milk than in conventional milk.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Średnicka-Tober|first1=D|last2=Barański|first2=M|last3=Seal|first3=CJ|last4=Sanderson|first4=R|last5=Benbrook|first5=C|last6=Steinshamn|first6=H|last7=Gromadzka-Ostrowska|first7=J|last8=Rembiałkowska|first8=E|last9=Skwarło-Sońta|first9=K|last10=Eyre|first10=M|last11=Cozzi|first11=G|last12=Larsen|first12=MK|last13=Jordon|first13=T|last14=Niggli|first14=U|last15=Sakowski|first15=T|last16=Calder|first16=PC|last17=Burdge|first17=GC|last18=Sotiraki|first18=S|last19=Stefanakis|first19=A|last20=Stergiadis|first20=S|last21=Yolcu|first21=H|last22=Chatzidimitriou|first22=E|last23=Butler|first23=G|last24=Stewart|first24=G|last25=Leifert|first25=C|title=Higher PUFA and n-3 PUFA, conjugated linoleic acid, α-tocopherol and iron, but lower iodine and selenium concentrations in organic milk: a systematic literature review and meta- and redundancy analyses|journal=British Journal of Nutrition|date=March 2016|volume=115|issue=6|pages=1043–60|doi=10.1017/S0007114516000349|pmid=26878105|pmc=4838834}}</ref>

===Anti-nutrients===
The amount of ] content in certain vegetables, especially green ] and ]s, has been found to be lower when grown organically as compared to conventionally.<ref name=MagkosSafety2006 /> When evaluating environmental toxins such as ], the USDA has noted that organically raised chicken may have lower ] levels.<ref name=USDA /> Early literature reviews found no significant evidence that levels of arsenic, ] or other heavy metals differed significantly between organic and conventional food products.<ref name=Blair1/>{{page needed|date=May 2015}}<ref name=MagkosSafety2006 /> However, a 2014 review found lower concentrations of cadmium, particularly in organically grown grains.<ref name=2014meta/>

===Phytochemicals===
A 2014 meta-analysis of 343 studies on ] composition found that organically grown crops had lower ] and pesticide residues, and 17% higher concentrations of ] than conventionally grown crops.<ref name="2014meta">{{cite journal|last1=Barański|first1=M|last2=Srednicka-Tober|first2=D|last3=Volakakis|first3=N|last4=Seal|first4=C|last5=Sanderson|first5=R|last6=Stewart|first6=GB|last7=Benbrook|first7=C|last8=Biavati|first8=B|last9=Markellou|first9=E|last10=Giotis|first10=C|last11=Gromadzka-Ostrowska|first11=J|last12=Rembiałkowska|first12=E|last13=Skwarło-Sońta|first13=K|last14=Tahvonen|first14=R|last15=Janovská|first15=D|last16=Niggli|first16=U|last17=Nicot|first17=P|last18=Leifert|first18=C|title=Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses|journal=The British Journal of Nutrition|year=2014|pages=1–18|pmid=24968103|doi=10.1017/S0007114514001366|volume=112|issue=5|pmc=4141693}}</ref> Concentrations of ], ], ], ], ], and ] were elevated, with ] being 69% higher.<ref name=2014meta/> Studies on phytochemical composition of organic crops have numerous deficiencies, including absence of standardized measurements and poor reporting on measures of variability, duplicate or selective reporting of data, publication bias, lack of rigor in studies comparing pesticide residue levels in organic and conventional crops, the geographical origin of samples, and inconsistency of farming and post-harvest methods.<ref name=2014meta/><ref name="Smith-Spangler2012" />

===Pesticide residues===
{{main|Pesticide residue}}
The amount of pesticides that remain in or on food is called pesticide residue. In the United States, before a pesticide can be used on a food crop, the U.S. ] must determine whether that pesticide can be used without posing a risk to human health.<ref>"Pesticides Health and Safety Information." National Pesticides Information Center. National Pesticides Information Center, 1 Apr.2014.Web.9 Nov.2015.</ref>

A 2012 meta-analysis determined that detectable pesticide residues were found in 7% of organic produce samples and 38% of conventional produce samples. This result was statistically heterogeneous, potentially because of the variable level of detection used among these studies. Only three studies reported the prevalence of contamination exceeding maximum allowed limits; all were from the European Union.<ref name=Smith-Spangler2012/> A 2014 meta-analysis found that conventionally grown produce was four times more likely to have pesticide residue than organically grown crops.<ref name=2014meta/>

The ] has stated that no evidence exists that the small amount of pesticide residue found on conventional foods will increase the risk of cancer, although it recommends thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables. They have also stated that there is no research to show that organic food reduces cancer risk compared to foods grown with conventional farming methods.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cancer.org/healthy/eathealthygetactive/acsguidelinesonnutritionphysicalactivityforcancerprevention/acs-guidelines-on-nutrition-and-physical-activity-for-cancer-prevention-diet-cancer-questions |title=Common questions about diet and cancer |publisher=Cancer.org |access-date=17 June 2014 |archive-date=27 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527004255/http://www.cancer.org/healthy/eathealthygetactive/acsguidelinesonnutritionphysicalactivityforcancerprevention/acs-guidelines-on-nutrition-and-physical-activity-for-cancer-prevention-diet-cancer-questions |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=American Cancer Society guideline for diet and physical activity for cancer prevention |journal=CA |date=9 June 2020 |doi=10.3322/caac.21591 |last1=Rock |first1=Cheryl L. |last2=Thomson |first2=Cynthia |last3=Gansler |first3=Ted |last4=Gapstur |first4=Susan M. |last5=McCullough |first5=Marjorie L. |last6=Patel |first6=Alpa V. |last7=Andrews |first7=Kimberly S. |last8=Bandera |first8=Elisa V. |last9=Spees |first9=Colleen K. |last10=Robien |first10=Kimberly |last11=Hartman |first11=Sheri |last12=Sullivan |first12=Kristen |last13=Grant |first13=Barbara L. |last14=Hamilton |first14=Kathryn K. |last15=Kushi |first15=Lawrence H. |last16=Caan |first16=Bette J. |last17=Kibbe |first17=Debra |last18=Black |first18=Jessica Donze |last19=Wiedt |first19=Tracy L. |last20=McMahon |first20=Catherine |last21=Sloan |first21=Kirsten |last22=Doyle |first22=Colleen |volume=70 |issue=4 |pages=245–271 |pmid=32515498 |s2cid=219550658 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

The Environmental Protection Agency maintains strict guidelines on the regulation of pesticides by setting a tolerance on the amount of pesticide residue allowed to be in or on any particular food.<ref>2013 November, "The ruling on organic foods: are they worth the extra price?" "Healthy Years" {{ISSN|1551-4617}}, 11/2013, Volume 10, Issue 11, p. 1</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/viewtols.htm|title=Pesticides and Food: What the Pesticide Residue Limits are on Food|publisher=US Environmental Protection Agency|date=20 October 2014|access-date=28 October 2014|archive-date=28 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928135900/http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/viewtols.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Although some residue may remain at the time of harvest, residue tend to decline as the pesticide breaks down over time. In addition, as the commodities are washed and processed prior to sale, the residues often diminish further.

===Bacterial contamination===
A 2012 ] determined that prevalence of '']'' contamination was not ] (7% in organic produce and 6% in conventional produce). Differences in the prevalence of bacterial contamination between organic and conventional animal products were also statistically insignificant.<ref name=Smith-Spangler2012/>

==Organic meat production requirements==

===United States===
Organic meat certification in the United States requires farm animals to be raised according to USDA organic regulations throughout their lives.<ref name="Harvard" /> These regulations require that livestock are fed certified organic food that contains no animal byproducts.<ref name="usda">{{cite web |url=http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5102526 |title=Organic Livestock Requirements |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |date=July 2013 |access-date=17 June 2014 |archive-date=21 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821140022/http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5102526 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Further, organic farm animals can receive no ] or ], and they must be raised using techniques that protect native species and other natural resources. ] and ] are not allowed with organic animal production.<ref name="usda"/><ref name="usda.gov">{{cite web |url=http://usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?parentnav=FAQS_BYTOPIC&FAQ_NAVIGATION_ID=ORGANIC_FQ&FAQ_NAVIGATION_TYPE=FAQS_BYTOPIC&contentid=faqdetail-3.xml&edeployment_action=retrievecontent |title=How does USDA define the term organic? &#124; USDA |publisher=Usda.gov |date=24 June 2004 |access-date=17 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009091219/http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?parentnav=FAQS_BYTOPIC&FAQ_NAVIGATION_ID=ORGANIC_FQ&FAQ_NAVIGATION_TYPE=FAQS_BYTOPIC&contentid=faqdetail-3.xml&edeployment_action=retrievecontent |archive-date=9 October 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> One of the major differences in organic animal husbandry protocol is the "pasture rule":<ref name="usda"/> minimum requirements for time on pasture do vary somewhat by species and between the certifying agencies, but the common theme is to require as much time on pasture as possible and reasonable.<ref>{{cite web|title=All differences in one table by EU regulation|url=http://organicrules.org/custom/differences.php?id=2g|publisher=ICROFS|access-date=20 August 2014|archive-date=5 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005180904/http://organicrules.org/custom/differences.php?id=2g|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Access to pasture|url=http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nopaccesstopasture|publisher=USDA|access-date=20 August 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822005418/http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nopaccesstopasture|archive-date=22 August 2014}}</ref>


==Economics== ==Economics==
{{See also|Organic farming#Regional support for organic farming}}
Demand for organic foods is primarily concern for personal health and concern for the environment.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=|editor=Filho, Walter Leal|title=Ecological agriculture and rural development in Central and Eastern European countries|publisher=IOS Press|year=2004|isbn=978-1-58603-439-9|pages=147–148|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=_AZuoJQOmi8C&pg=PA147|author=Conflicting demands of agricultural production and environmental conservation: consumers' perception of the quality and safety of food}}</ref> Organic products typically cost 10 to 40% more than similar conventionally produced products.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Winter|first=Carl K.|coauthors=Davis, Sarah F.|title=Organic Foods|journal=Journal of Food Science|date=November 2006|volume=71|issue=9|pages=R117–R124|doi=10.1111/j.1750-3841.2006.00196.x}}</ref> According to the USDA, Americans, on average, spent $1,347 on groceries in 2004;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB23/ |title=Food Spending in American Households, 2003-04 |publisher=Ers.usda.gov |date= |accessdate=2012-09-09}}</ref> thus switching entirely to organics would raise their cost of groceries by about $135 to $539 per year ($11 to $45 per month) assuming that prices remained stable with increased demand. Processed organic foods vary in price when compared to their conventional counterparts.
{{Update section|date=December 2021}}
]
Organic agriculture has higher potential costs due to lower yields and higher labor costs, leading to higher consumer prices.<ref name=Seufert/> Demand for organic foods is primarily driven by concerns for personal health and for the environment.<ref>{{cite book|editor=Filho, Walter Leal|title=Ecological agriculture and rural development in Central and Eastern European countries|publisher=IOS Press|year=2004|isbn=978-1-58603-439-9|pages=147–148|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_AZuoJQOmi8C&pg=PA147|author=Conflicting demands of agricultural production and environmental conservation: consumers' perception of the quality and safety of food}}</ref> Global sales for organic foods climbed by more than 170 percent since 2002 reaching more than $63&nbsp;billion in 2011<ref>, Ag Professional, 25 June 2013.</ref> while certified organic farmland remained relatively small at less than 2 percent of total farmland under production,<ref name=Seufert/> increasing in OECD and EU countries (which account for the majority of organic production) by 35 percent for the same time period.<ref>, OECD, 25 June 2013.</ref> Organic products typically cost 10% to 50% more than similar conventionally produced products, to several times the price.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Winter|first=Carl K.|author2=Davis, Sarah F.|title=Organic Foods|journal=Journal of Food Science|date=November 2006|volume=71|issue=9|pages=R117–R124|doi=10.1111/j.1750-3841.2006.00196.x|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Harvard" /> Processed organic foods vary in price when compared to their conventional counterparts.


While organic food accounts for about 1% of total food production worldwide,<ref name=Seufert/> the organic food sales market is growing rapidly with between 5 and 10 percent of the food market share in the United States according to the Organic Trade Association,<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601123101/http://www.ota.com/organic/mt/food.html |date=1 June 2013 }}, Organic Trade Association, 2010.</ref> significantly outpacing sales growth volume in dollars of conventional food products. World organic food sales jumped from US$23&nbsp;billion in 2002<ref>{{cite web | year=2002 | title=The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink | website=Organic Monitor | url=http://www.organicmonitor.com/700140.htm | access-date=20 June 2006}}</ref> to $63&nbsp;billion in 2011.<ref>Global organic sales reach $63&nbsp;billion, Ag Professional</ref>
While organic food accounts for 1–2% of total food sales worldwide, the organic food market is growing rapidly, far ahead of the rest of the food industry, in both developed and developing nations.
* World organic food sales jumped from US $23 billion in 2002<ref>{{cite web | author= | year=2002 | title=The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink | work=Organic Monitor | url=http://www.organicmonitor.com/700140.htm | accessdate=2006-06-20}}</ref> to $52 billion in 2008.<ref>{{cite web | author= | year=2009 | title=Food: Global Industry Guide | work=Datamonitor| url=http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/18f9c2/food_global_indus | accessdate=2008-08-28}}</ref>
* The world organic market has been growing by 20% a year since the early 1990s, with future growth estimates ranging from 10%–50% annually depending on the country.


===North America=== ===Asia===
Production and consumption of organic products is rising rapidly in Asia, and both China and India are becoming global producers of organic crops<ref name=organicmonitor>{{cite web|title=#5002-40 The Asian Market For Organic Food & Drink
: ''']'''
|date=February 2011|url=https://www.ecoviaint.com/asian-market-for-organic-food-and-drink/?hilite=Food+Scandals+Driving+Organic+Food+Sales|website=Ecovia Intelligence|access-date=1 December 2022}}</ref> and a number of countries, particularly China and Japan, also becoming large consumers of organic food and drink.<ref name=Chen /><ref name=ota>{{cite web | title = Industry Statistics and Projected Growth | publisher = Organic Trade Association | date = June 2010 | url = http://www.ota.com/organic/mt/business.html | access-date = 28 May 2011 }}</ref> The disparity between production and demand, is leading to a two-tier organic food industry, typified by significant and growing imports of primary organic products such as dairy and beef from Australia, Europe, New Zealand and the United States.<ref name=paull>{{cite journal|last=Paull|first=John|title=The Uptake of Organic Agriculture: A Decade of Worldwide Development|journal=Journal of Social and Development Sciences|volume=2|issue=3|pages=111–120|url=http://orgprints.org/19517/1/Paull2011DecadeJSDS.pdf|access-date=14 April 2014|issn=2221-1152|doi=10.22610/jsds.v2i3.660|year=2011|doi-access=free}}</ref>
:* Organic food is the fastest growing sector of the American ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/EnvironmentFactSheet.pdf |title=Jobs and the Economy — President Obama’s Record — Barack Obama |publisher=Barackobama.com |date= |accessdate=2012-09-09}}</ref>{{Dead link|date=February 2011}}
:* Organic food sales have grown by 17 to 20 percent a year for the past few years<ref>{{cite web | author=Hansen, Nanette | year=2004 | title=Organic food sales see healthy growth | work=MSNBC | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6638417/ | accessdate=2006-06-20}}</ref> while sales of conventional food have grown at only about 2 to 3 percent a year.<ref>Warner, Melanie. . '']'': Nov. 1, 2005.</ref>


;China
:* In 2003 organic products were available in nearly 20,000 natural food stores and 73% of conventional grocery stores.<ref>{{cite web | author=Greene, Catherine; Dimitri, Carolyn | year=2003 | title=Organic Agriculture: Gaining Ground | work=USDA Economic Research Service | url=http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib777/ | accessdate=2006-06-20}}</ref>
:* China's organic food production was originally for exportation in the early 2000s. Due to the food safety crisis since the late 2000s, China's domestic market outweighed the exportation market. The organic food production in China involves diverse players. Besides certified organic food production mainly conducted by private organic food companies, there are also non-certified organic farming practiced by entrepreneurs and civil society organizations. These initiatives have unique marketing channels such as ecological farmers' markets and ] emerging in and around Chinese major cities.<ref> ''New York: Routledge''</ref>
:* China's domestic organic market is the fourth largest in the world.<ref name=Chen2 /> The Chinese ] estimated domestic sales of organic food products to be around US$500&nbsp;million per annum as of 2013. This is predicted to increase by 30 percent to 50 percent in 2014.<ref name=Chen2>{{cite web|last=Chen|first=Jue|title=Australia's Share of China's organic pie|url=http://www.chinaconnections.com.au/en/magazine/back-issues/73-novdec-2010/849-australias-share-of-chinas-organic-pie|publisher=Australia China Connections|access-date=8 May 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508063850/http://www.chinaconnections.com.au/en/magazine/back-issues/73-novdec-2010/849-australias-share-of-chinas-organic-pie|archive-date=8 May 2014}}</ref> As of 2015, organic foods made up about 1% of the total Chinese food market.<ref name="CNBC">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/02/china-goes-organic-amid-food-scandals.html|title=China goes organic amid food scandals|last=Chandran|first=Nyshka|author2=Eunice Yoon|date=2 January 2015|publisher=CNBC|access-date=28 April 2015}}</ref>
:* China is the world's biggest ] market with $12.4&nbsp;billion in sales annually;<ref name=Harney>{{cite web|last=Harney|first=Alexandra|title=Special Report – How Big Formula bought China|url=http://blog.euromonitor.com/2012/12/china-still-driving-global-milk-formula-sales.html|publisher=EuroMonitor|access-date=8 May 2014|archive-date=8 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508061924/http://blog.euromonitor.com/2012/12/china-still-driving-global-milk-formula-sales.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> of this, ] and baby food accounted for approximately 5.5 per cent of sales in 2011.<ref name=Chen2 /> Australian organic infant formula and baby food producer ] have reported that their sales in this market grew 70 per cent annually over the period 2008–2013, while ], reported that exports of long-life organic milk to China had grown by 20 to 30 per cent per year over the same period.<ref name=Han>{{cite news|last=Han|first=Esther|title=Organic food: Companies pay $50,000 for Chinese certification|url=http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/food-news/organic-food-companies-pay-50000-for-chinese-certification-20131116-2xnl0.html|access-date=27 March 2014|newspaper=Good Food|date=17 November 2013}}</ref>


;Sri Lanka
:* Organic products accounted for 3.7% of total food and beverage sales, and 11.4% of all ] and ] sales in the year 2009.<ref>{{cite web | title = Industry Statistics and Projected Growth | publisher = Organic Trade Association | date = June 2010 | url = http://www.ota.com/organic/mt/business.html | accessdate = 2011-05-28 }}</ref>
In April 2021, Sri Lanka started its "100% organic farming" program, banning imports of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides.<ref>{{cite news |title=Why is there a food emergency in Sri Lanka? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-58485674 |access-date=19 December 2021 |work=BBC News |date=20 September 2021}}</ref> In November 2021, it was announced that the country will lift its import ban, explained by both a lack of sudden changes to widely applied practices or education systems and contemporary economics and, by extension, food security, protests and high food costs. The effort for the first transition to a completely organic farming nation was further challenged by effects of the ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wipulasena |first1=Aanya |last2=Mashal |first2=Mujib |title=Sri Lanka's Plunge Into Organic Farming Brings Disaster |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/world/asia/sri-lanka-organic-farming-fertilizer.html |access-date=13 December 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=7 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sri Lanka ends farm chemical ban as organic drive fails |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-11-sri-lanka-farm-chemical.html |access-date=13 December 2021 |work=phys.org |language=en}}</ref>


;Bhutan
:* Two thirds of ] and ] and half of organic cheese and ] are sold through conventional supermarkets.<ref>{{cite web | author=Dryer, Jerry | year=2003 | title=Market Trends: Organic Lessons | work=Prepared Foods | url=http://www.preparedfoods.com/CDA/Archives/d403da4af1788010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____ | accessdate=2006-06-20}}</ref>
In 2013 the government of Bhutan announced that the country will become the first in the world with 100% organic farming<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2013/feb/11/bhutan-first-wholly-organic-country|title=Bhutan set to plough lone furrow as world's first wholly organic country |publisher=] online |date=11 February 2013 |access-date=25 January 2013}}</ref> and started a program for qualification. This program is being supported by the ] (IFOAM).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moaf.gov.bt/moaf/?p=17631 |title=Presentation on Science Based High Yielding Organic Agriculture by IFOAM |publisher=Bhutan Minister for Agriculture and Forests |date=16 December 2013 |access-date=25 January 2013 |archive-date=19 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219053704/http://www.moaf.gov.bt/moaf/?p=17631 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A 2021 news report found that "globally, only Bhutan has a complete ban on synthetic pesticides".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Revill |first1=John |title=Swiss to vote on whether to become first European nation to ban synthetic pesticides |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/china/swiss-vote-become-first-european-nation-ban-synthetic-pesticides-2021-06-07/ |access-date=19 December 2021 |work=Reuters |date=8 June 2021 |language=en}}</ref> A 2018 study found that "current organic by default farming practices in Bhutan are still underdeveloped".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Feuerbacher |first1=Arndt |last2=Luckmann |first2=Jonas |last3=Boysen |first3=Ole |last4=Zikeli |first4=Sabine |last5=Grethe |first5=Harald |title=Is Bhutan destined for 100% organic? Assessing the economy-wide effects of a large-scale conversion policy |journal=PLOS ONE |date=13 June 2018 |volume=13 |issue=6 |pages=e0199025 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0199025 |pmid=29897989 |pmc=5999226 |bibcode=2018PLoSO..1399025F |language=en |issn=1932-6203|doi-access=free }}</ref>


;Japan
:* {{Asof|2012}}, most independent organic food processors in the USA had been acquired by multinational firms.<ref name=NYT7812>{{cite news|title=Has ‘Organic’ Been Oversized?|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/business/organic-food-purists-worry-about-big-companies-influence.html|accessdate=July 8, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 7, 2012|author=Strom, Stephanie }}</ref>
: In 2010, the Japanese organic market was estimated to be around $1.3&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/Japanese%20Organic%20Market_Osaka%20ATO_Japan_6-20-2013.pdf|title=Japanese Organic Market Report|last=Motomura|first=Chika|date=20 June 2013|publisher=Agricultural Trade Office of Japan|access-date=28 April 2015|location=Osaka|archive-date=22 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222181041/http://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/Japanese%20Organic%20Market_Osaka%20ATO_Japan_6-20-2013.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>


===North America===
: ''']'''
] is a market leader of organic grocery stores in the United States.<ref name=BIstats>{{cite web|last1=Lutz|first1=Ashley|title=How Trader Joe's Sells Twice As Much As Whole Foods|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/trader-joes-sales-strategy-2014-10?IR=T|website=]|date=7 October 2014|access-date=28 June 2015}}</ref>]]
:* Organic food sales surpassed $1 billion in 2006, accounting for 0.9% of food sales in Canada.<ref name="Macey, Anne 2007">{{cite web | author=Macey, Anne| year=2007 | title=Retail Sales of Certified Organic Food Products in Canada in 2006| format=PDF | work=Organic Agriculture Center of Canada | url=http://www.organicagcentre.ca/Docs/RetailSalesOrganic_Canada2006.pdf | accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref>
; United States
:* Organic food sales by grocery stores were 28% higher in 2006 than in 2005.<ref name="Macey, Anne 2007"/>
:*Organic food is the fastest growing sector of the American ].<ref name="Scott-Thomas">Caroline Scott-Thomas for FoodNavigator-USA.com, 24 April 2012. </ref><ref name="Seufert" />
:* British Columbians account for 13% of the Canadian population, but purchased 26% of the organic food sold in Canada in 2006.<ref>{{cite web | author=Macey, Anne| year=2007 | title=Retail Sales of Certified Organic Food Products in Canada in 2006. Organic food is not all organic. only food labeled with a 100% organic sticker are pesticide-free/| format=PDF | work=Organic Agriculture Center of Canada | url=http://www.organicagcentre.ca/Docs/RetailSalesOrganic_Canada2006.pdf | accessdate=2008-04-09}}</ref>
:*In 2005 the organic food market was only worth about US$13&nbsp;billion. By 2012 the total size of the organic food market in the United States was about $30&nbsp;billion (out of the total market for organic and natural consumer products being about $81&nbsp;billion)<ref>{{cite web|last=Daniells|first=Stephen|title=US organic food market to grow 14% from 2013 to 2018|date=3 January 2014 |url=http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Markets/US-organic-food-market-to-grow-14-from-2013-18|access-date=14 April 2014}}</ref><ref>
Carl Edstrom of IRI and Kathryn Peters of SPINS October 2013 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714131457/http://www.iriworldwide.com/Portals/0/articlepdfs/SPINS%20NaturaLink%20Segmentation%20External%20Webinar%20-%20102213.pdf |date=14 July 2014 }}</ref> In 2020 the organic food market was worth over $56&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Organic food sales in the U.S. 2020|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/196952/organic-food-sales-in-the-us-since-2000/|access-date=13 September 2021|website=Statista|language=en}}</ref>
:* Organic food sales have grown by 17 to 20 percent a year in the early 2000s<ref>{{cite web | author=Hansen, Nanette | year=2004 | title=Organic food sales see healthy growth | website=NBC News | url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6638417 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226161948/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6638417 | url-status=dead | archive-date=26 December 2013 | access-date=20 June 2006}}</ref> while sales of conventional food have grown only about 2 to 3 percent a year.<ref>Warner, Melanie. . '']'': 1 November 2005.</ref> The US organic market grew 9.5% in 2011, breaking the $30bn barrier for the first time, and continued to outpace sales of non-organic food.<ref name=Scott-Thomas />
:* In 2003 organic products were available in nearly 20,000 natural food stores and 73% of conventional grocery stores.<ref>{{cite web | author1=Greene, Catherine | author2=Dimitri, Carolyn | year=2003 | title=Organic Agriculture: Gaining Ground | website=USDA Economic Research Service | url=http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib777/ | access-date=20 June 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615204459/http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib777/ | archive-date=15 June 2006 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
:* Organic products accounted for 3.7% of total food and beverage sales, and 11.4% of all fruit and vegetable sales in the year 2009.<ref name="ota"/>
:* {{As of|2012}}, many independent organic food processors in the USA had been acquired by multinational firms.<ref name=NYT7812>{{cite news|title=Has 'Organic' Been Oversized?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/business/organic-food-purists-worry-about-big-companies-influence.html|access-date=8 July 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=7 July 2012|author=Strom, Stephanie }}</ref>
:*For a product to become USDA organic certified, the farmer cannot plant genetically modified seeds and livestock cannot eat genetically modified plants. Farmers must provide substantial evidence showing there was no genetic modification involved in the operation.<ref>{{cite book|last1=McEvoy|first1=Miles|title=Can GMOs be used in organic products|date=20 May 2013|publisher=Penton Media |location=Clarksdale}}</ref>
;Canada
:* Organic food sales surpassed $1&nbsp;billion in 2006, accounting for 0.9% of food sales in Canada.<ref name="Macey, Anne 2007">{{cite web | author=Macey, Anne | year=2007 | title=Retail Sales of Certified Organic Food Products in Canada in 2006 | website=Organic Agriculture Center of Canada | url=http://www.organicagcentre.ca/Docs/RetailSalesOrganic_Canada2006.pdf | access-date=9 April 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528100953/http://www.organicagcentre.ca/Docs/RetailSalesOrganic_Canada2006.pdf | archive-date=28 May 2008 | url-status=dead }}</ref> By 2012, Canadian organic food sales reached $3&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foodincanada.com/food-business/canadas-organic-market-now-fourth-largest-in-the-world-124814/|title= Canada's organic market now fourth largest in the world|last=Cooper|first=Carolyn|date=21 November 2013|publisher=Food in Canada|access-date=24 May 2015}}</ref>
:* British Columbians account for 13% of the Canadian population, but purchased 26% of the organic food sold in Canada in 2006.<ref>{{cite web | author=Macey, Anne | year=2007 | title=Retail Sales of Certified Organic Food Products in Canada in 2006. Organic food is not all organic. only food labeled with a 100% organic sticker are pesticide-free/ | website=Organic Agriculture Center of Canada | url=http://www.organicagcentre.ca/Docs/RetailSalesOrganic_Canada2006.pdf | access-date=9 April 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528100953/http://www.organicagcentre.ca/Docs/RetailSalesOrganic_Canada2006.pdf | archive-date=28 May 2008 | url-status=dead }}</ref>


===Europe=== ===Europe===
In the European Union (]) 3.9% of the total utilized agricultural area was used for organic production in 2005. The countries with the highest proportion of organic land were Austria (11%) and Italy (8.4), followed by the Czech Republic and Greece (both 7.2%). The lowest figures were shown for Malta (0.1%), Poland (0.6%) and Ireland (0.8%).<ref>{{cite web
| title=Organic Farming in the European Union
| url=http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/files/consumer-confidence/consumer-demand/facts_en.pdf
| accessdate=2012-01-19
| publisher=European Commission
| page=30
| format=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| title=Eurostat press release 80/2007
| url=http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/PGP_PRD_CAT_PREREL/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2007/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2007_MONTH_06/5-12062007-EN-BP.PDF
| accessdate=2007-10-07
| author=European Commission&nbsp;– Eurostat
| page=1
| format=PDF}}</ref>
In 2009, the proportion of organic land in the EU grew to 4.7%. The countries with highest share of agricultural land were Liechtenstein (26.9%), Austria (18.5%) and Sweden (12.6%).<ref>{{cite web
| title=Organic Market Growth - Facts and Figures
| url=http://www.organicshops.us/blog/Organic-Market-Growth-Facts-and-Figures
| accessdate=2012-01-18
| author=FiBL,OTA
| pages=
}}</ref>


;Denmark
: ''']'''
:* In 2012, organic products accounted for 7.8% of the total retail consumption market in Denmark, the highest national market share in the world.<ref>Danish Agriculture & Food Council {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103190541/http://www.agricultureandfood.dk/Danish_Agriculture_and_Food/Organic_farming.aspx |date=3 January 2015 }} Page accessed 3 January 2015.</ref> Many public institutions have voluntarily committed themselves to buy some organic food and in Copenhagen 75% of all food served in public institutions is organic. A governmental action plan initiated in 2012–2014 aims at 60% organic food in all public institutions across the country before 2020.<ref>Soil Association. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103180953/http://www.soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=3JrEn2Saxxg%3D&tabid=313 |date=3 January 2015 }}</ref>{{rp|4}}
:* 16% of all farmers produced organically in 2010. By the same year the proportion of organic land increased to 20%.<ref name="BZ">{{cite web
:* In 1987, the first Danish Action Plan was implemented which was meant to support and stimulate farmers to switch from conventional food production systems to organic ones . Since then Denmark has constantly worked on further developing the market by promoting organic food and keeping prices low in comparison to conventional food products by offering farmers subvention and extra support if they choose to produce organic food. Then and even today is the bench mark for organic food policy and certification of organic food in the whole world. The new European Organic food label and organic food policy was developed based on the 1987 Danish Model.<ref>Aschemann, J., U. Hamm, S. Naspetti, and R Zanoli"The Organic Market." In Organic Farming: An international History, by W. Lockeretz, 123–151. Wallingford, Oxfordshire:CABI, 2007</ref>
| title=Bio hat Zukunft, aber auch viele Probleme
; Austria
| url=http://www.bauernzeitung.at/?id=2500%2C124738%2C%2C
: In 2011, 7.4% of all food products sold in Austrian supermarkets (including discount stores) were organic.<ref>{{cite web
| accessdate=2012-01-19
| author=Bauernzeitung (RollAMA survey)
| pages=
}}</ref>

:* In 2011, 7.4% of all food products sold in Austrian supermarkets (including discount stores) were organic.<ref>{{cite web
| title=Bio-Aufwärtstrend in Österreich | title=Bio-Aufwärtstrend in Österreich
| url=http://typischich.at/home/gesundheit/ernaehrung/692943/BioTrend | url=http://typischich.at/home/gesundheit/ernaehrung/692943/BioTrend
| access-date=19 January 2012
| accessdate=2012-01-19
| author=Typisch.at (RollAMA survey) | author=Typisch.at (RollAMA survey)
| pages=
}}</ref> In 2007, 8,000 different organic products were available.<ref>{{cite web }}</ref> In 2007, 8,000 different organic products were available.<ref>{{cite web
| title=Wirtschaftlicher Durchbruch für Bio-Fachhandel im Jubiläumsjahr |title = Wirtschaftlicher Durchbruch für Bio-Fachhandel im Jubiläumsjahr
| url=http://www.bio-austria.at/presse/presseinfo_archiv/pressemeldung__4 |url = http://www.bio-austria.at/presse/presseinfo_archiv/pressemeldung__4
|access-date = 13 November 2007
| accessdate=2007-11-13
| author=BIO AUSTRIA |author = BIO AUSTRIA
|url-status = dead
| pages=
|archive-url = https://archive.today/20121230101520/http://www.bio-austria.at/presse/presseinfo_archiv/pressemeldung__4
|archive-date = 30 December 2012
}}</ref> }}</ref>
;Italy

: Since 2000, the use of some organic food is compulsory in Italian schools and hospitals. A 2002 law of the ] region implemented in 2005, explicitly requires that the food in nursery and primary schools (from 3 months to 10 years) must be 100% organic, and the food in meals at schools, universities and hospitals must be at least 35% organic.
: ''']'''
; Poland
:* Since 2000, the use of some organic food is compulsory in Italian schools and hospitals. A 2002 law of the ] region implemented in 2005, explicitly requires that the food in nursery and primary schools (from 3 months to 10 years) must be 100% organic, and the food in meals at schools, universities and hospitals must be at least 35% organic.<ref>{{cite web| title=Italian Law Calls for All Organic Foods in Nation's Schools| url=http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/italy062804.cfm| accessdate=2007-11-13| author=Organic Consumers Association| pages=}}</ref>
: In 2005 7 percent of Polish consumers buy food that was produced according to the EU-Eco-regulation. The value of the organic market is estimated at 50&nbsp;million euros (2006).{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

; Romania
: ''']'''
: 70%–80% of the local organic production, amounting to 100 million euros in 2010, is exported. The organic products market grew to 50&nbsp;million euros in 2010.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}
:* In 2005 168,000 ha of land were under organic management. 7 percent of Polish consumers buy food that was produced according to the EU-Eco-regulation. The value of the organic market is estimated at 50 million Euros (2006).<ref>{{cite web| title=The organic food market in Poland: Ready for take-off|url=http://www.sixtytwo.biz/en/__organicfood1.htm| accessdate=2007-10-08| author=SixtyTwo International Consultants| pages=
; Switzerland
|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070927035437/http://www.sixtytwo.biz/en/__organicfood1.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-09-27}}</ref>
: {{as of|2012}}, 11 per cent of Swiss farms are organic. ], the Swiss organic producers' association, provides guidelines for organic farmers.<ref>{{cite web

| title=Rich or poor, Swiss are big fans of organic food
: ''']'''
|url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/a-growing-sector_rich-or-poor--swiss-are-big-fans-of-organic-food/32793282
:* 100,000 ha of land were under organic management in 2010, representing 1% of the total utilized agricultural area. 70%-80% of the local organic production, amounting to 100 million Euros in 2010, is exported. The organic products market grew to 50 million Euros in 2010.<ref>{{cite web
| access-date=31 July 2015
| title=Piata de produse bio din Romania in cifre
| author=SwissInfo|date=31 May 2012
|url=http://www.magazinebio.ro/newsitem/5/Piata-bio-din-Romania-in.html
}}</ref>
| accessdate=2012-01-18
; Ukraine
| author=Cult Market Research}}</ref>
:*During 2022, despite the ] Ukraine exported 245,600 metric tons of organic products in the amount of USD 219 million <ref>{{cite web |url=https://organicinfo.ua/en/infographics/export-market-2016-2022/ |title=Sales of organic products in 2016-2022: Export market }}</ref> to 36 countries around the world <ref>{{cite web |url=https://organicinfo.ua/en/infographics/ua-organic-export-2022/ |title=Organic export from Ukraine (2022, overview) }}</ref> which is almost the same as in 2021 (261,000 metric tonnes, USD 222 million).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://organicinfo.ua/en/infographics/export-market-2016-2022/ |title=Sales of organic products in 2016-2022: Export market }}</ref> 95% of organic products from Ukraine were exported to European countries. Most products were exported by rail and road. Export volumes by vessels decreased, in particular, air transportation for export from Ukraine became impossible. The largest importing countries of Ukrainian organic products in 2022 were the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Lithuania, the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic. Ukrainian organic producers also exported to some countries in Asia and North America.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://organicinfo.ua/en/infographics/world-import-of-ua-organic-2022/ |title=Export of organic products from Ukraine World (2022, countries) }}</ref>

:*According to the European Commission's Report,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-07/analytical-brief-2-eu-organic-imports-2022_en.pdf}}</ref> in 2022, Ukraine ranked the 3rd out of 125 countries by volume of organic products imported to the EU. Thus, in 2022, the EU imported 2.73 million tonnes of organic agri-food products, including 219 thousand tonnes (8%) from Ukraine, which is 85% of total Ukrainian organic export. Thus, Ukraine had leading positions among the exporting countries to the EU, having exported 93 thousand tonnes (77.1%) of cereals (excluding wheat and rice) and 20 thousand tonnes (22%) of organic oilseeds (excluding soybeans).
: ''']'''
:*In Ukraine, organic is regulated in accordance with the Law of Ukraine On Basic Principles and Requirements for Organic Production, Circulation and Labelling of Organic Products.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2496-19?lang=en#Text | title=On Basic Principles and Requirements for Organic Production, Circulation and Labelling of Organic Products }}</ref> Majority of Ukrainian producers, processing units, traders are also certified under international organic legislation (e.g. EU Organic Regulations, NOP, etc. The Order on the Approval of the State Logo for Organic Products<ref>{{cite web |url=https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/z0261-19?lang=en#Text | title=Про затвердження державного логотипа для органічної продукції }}</ref> was approved by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine in 2019. The state logo for organic products is registered as a trademark and owned by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sis.nipo.gov.ua/en/search/detail/822840/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://sis.nipo.gov.ua/en/search/detail/822835/ |title=Object details }}</ref> The requirements for proper use of the Ukrainian state logo for organic products and labelling are described on the website of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine <ref>{{cite web |url=https://minagro.gov.ua/napryamki/organichne-virobnictvo/markuvannya-organichnoyi-produkciyi-abo-sirovini}}</ref> as well as in the Methodical Recommendations on the Use of the State Logo for Organic Products.
:* Organic food sales increased from just over £100 million in 1993/94 to £1.21 billion in 2004 (an 11% increase on 2003).<ref>{{cite web| title=Organic statistics&nbsp;– the shape of organic food and farming| url=http://www.organic.aber.ac.uk/statistics/index.shtml| accessdate=2007-10-08| author=Organic Centre Wales| pages=}}{{dead link|date=August 2012}}</ref>{{Where|date=July 2011}} In 2010, the UK sales of organic products fell 5.9% to £1.73 billion. 86% of households buy organic products, the most popular categories being dairies (30.5% of sales) and fresh fruits and vegetables (23.2% of sales). 4.2% of UK farmland is organically managed.<ref>{{cite web
; United Kingdom
: Organic food sales increased from just over £100 million in 1993/94 to £1.21 billion in 2004 (an 11% increase on 2003).<ref>{{cite web|title=Organic statistics&nbsp;– the shape of organic food and farming |url=http://www.organic.aber.ac.uk/statistics/index.shtml |access-date=8 October 2007 |author=Organic Centre Wales |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007024319/http://www.organic.aber.ac.uk/statistics/index.shtml |archive-date=7 October 2007 }}</ref> In 2010, the UK sales of organic products fell 5.9% to £1.73&nbsp;billion. 86% of households buy organic products, the most popular categories being dairies (30.5% of sales) and fresh fruits and vegetables (23.2% of sales). As of 2011, 4.2% of UK farmland is organically managed.<ref>{{cite web
|title=Organic market report 2011 |title=Organic market report 2011
|url=http://www.soilassociation.org/marketreport |url=http://www.soilassociation.org/marketreport
|access-date=18 January 2012
|accessdate=2012-01-18
|author=Soil Association}}</ref> |author=Soil Association
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111231214429/http://www.soilassociation.org/marketreport
|archive-date=31 December 2011
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>


===Latin America=== ===Latin America===
: ''']''' ; Cuba
:* After the collapse of the ] in 1991, agricultural inputs that had previously been purchased from ] countries were no longer available in Cuba, and many Cuban farms converted to organic methods out of necessity.<ref>{{cite web : After the collapse of the ] in 1991, agricultural inputs that had previously been purchased from ] countries were no longer available in Cuba, and many Cuban farms converted to organic methods out of necessity.<ref>{{cite web
| title=Farming with Fidel | title=Farming with Fidel
| url=http://www.sustainabletimes.ca/articles/cubanfarms.htm | url=http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/CommunitySupport/SustainableTimes/articles/cubanfarms.htm
| accessdate=2007-10-08 | access-date=8 October 2007
| author=Auld, Alison | author=Auld, Alison
}}</ref> Consequently, organic agriculture is a mainstream practice in Cuba, while it remains an alternative practice in most other countries. Although some products called organic in Cuba would not satisfy certification requirements in other countries (crops may be ], for example<ref>{{cite web|title=Cuban GMO Vision |url=http://www.pugwash.org/reports/ees/cuba2004/03%20Pugwash/02_Rebecca.pdf |access-date=8 October 2007 |author=Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105150758/http://www.pugwash.org/reports/ees/cuba2004/03%20Pugwash/02_Rebecca.pdf |archive-date=5 November 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| pages=
}}{{dead link|date=August 2012}}</ref> Consequently, organic agriculture is a mainstream practice in Cuba, while it remains an alternative practice in most other countries. Although some products called organic in Cuba would not satisfy certification requirements in other countries (crops may be ], for example<ref>{{cite web
| title=Cuban GMO Vision
| url=http://www.pugwash.org/reports/ees/cuba2004/03%20Pugwash/02_Rebecca.pdf
| accessdate=2007-10-08
| author=Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
| pages=
| format=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| title=DirecciÓn de Investigaciones Agropecuarias | title=DirecciÓn de Investigaciones Agropecuarias
| url=http://www.cigb.edu.cu/pages/iap.htm | url=http://www.cigb.edu.cu/pages/iap.htm
| accessdate=2007-10-08 | access-date=8 October 2007
| author=Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología de Cuba | author=Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología de Cuba
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927170658/http://www.cigb.edu.cu/pages/iap.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 27 September 2007}}</ref>), Cuba exports organic citrus and citrus juices to EU markets that meet EU organic standards. Cuba's forced conversion to organic methods may position the country to be a global supplier of organic products.<ref>{{cite web
| pages=
| title=Cuba's Food & Agriculture Situation Report
|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070927170658/http://www.cigb.edu.cu/pages/iap.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-09-27}}</ref>), Cuba exports organic citrus and citrus juices to EU markets that meet EU organic standards. Cuba's forced conversion to organic methods may position the country to be a global supplier of organic products.<ref>{{cite web
| title=Cuba’s Food & Agriculture Situation Report | url=http://thecubaneconomy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Cuba%E2%80%99s-Food-Agriculture-Situation-Report-USDA-2008.pdf
| access-date=4 September 2008
| url=http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/cuba/CubaSituation0308.pdf
| author=Office of Global Analysis |department=FAS |publisher=USDA
| accessdate=2008-09-04
| pages=33
| author=Office of Global Analysis, FAS, USDA
| date=March 2008
| pages=
| format=PDF}}</ref> }}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
{{Portal|Food|Agriculture}} {{Portal|Food|Agriculture}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}} {{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* '']'', a book about pesticides and the environment by Rachel Carson

{{div col end}} {{div col end}}


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}} {{Reflist|30em}}


==Further reading== ==Further reading==
<!-- * {{cite book|author=|title=|publisher=|year=|isbn=|url=}} --> <!-- * {{cite book|title=|publisher=|isbn=|url=}} -->
* {{cite book|editor=Canavari, Maurizio |editor2=Olson, Kent D.|title=Organic food: consumers' choices and farmers' opportunities|publisher=Springer|year=2007|isbn=978-0-387-39581-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UDUDtv9UWhAC}}
{{resize|95%|
* {{cite book|editors=Canavari, Maurizio & Olson, Kent D.|title=Organic food: consumers' choices and farmers' opportunities|publisher=Springer|year=2007|isbn=978-0-387-39581-4|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=UDUDtv9UWhAC}} * {{cite book|author=Duram, Leslie A.|title=Encyclopedia of Organic, Sustainable, and Local Food|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2010|isbn=978-0-313-35963-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YtldfGaOJ5IC}}
* {{cite book|author=Duram, Leslie A.|title=Encyclopedia of Organic, Sustainable, and Local Food|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2010|isbn=978-0-313-35963-7|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=YtldfGaOJ5IC}} * {{cite book|author=Givens, D. Ian|title=Health Benefits of Organic Food: Effects of the Environment|publisher=CABI|year=2008|isbn=978-1-84593-459-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oz9yevQIDswC|display-authors=etal}}
* {{cite book|author=Givens, D. Ian et al.|title=Health Benefits of Organic Food: Effects of the Environment|publisher=CABI|year=2008|isbn=978-1-84593-459-0|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Oz9yevQIDswC}} * {{cite book|author=Nestle, Marion|author-link=Marion Nestle|title=Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health|publisher=University of California Press|year=2007|isbn=978-0-520-25403-9|url=https://archive.org/details/petfoodpoliticsc00nest|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book | author=] | title=This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader | publisher=Chelsea Green Publishing | year=2002 | isbn=1-931498-24-5}}
* {{cite book | author=Guthman, Julie | title=Agrarian Dreams: The Paradox of Organic Farming in California | publisher=University of California Press | year=2004 | isbn=0-520-24095-2}}
* {{cite book | author=Hamilton, Denis; Crossley, Stephen (editors) | title=Pesticide residues in food and drinking water | publisher=J. Wiley | year=2004 | isbn=0-471-48991-3}}
* {{cite book | author=Hond, Frank et al. | title=Pesticides: problems, improvements, alternatives | publisher=Blackwell Science | year=2003 | isbn=0-632-05659-2}}
* {{cite book|author=Nestle, Marion|authorlink=Marion Nestle|title=Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health|publisher=University of California Press|year=2007|isbn=978-0-520-25403-9|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=zvzTIUV9XNwC}}
* {{cite book|author=PAN-UK|title=Pesticides on a Plate|publisher=PAN-UK (UK)|year=2008|isbn=978-0-9549542-6-0}} * {{cite book|author=PAN-UK|title=Pesticides on a Plate|publisher=PAN-UK (UK)|year=2008|isbn=978-0-9549542-6-0}}
* {{cite book|author=Pollan, Michael|author-link=Michael Pollan|title=The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals|publisher=The Penguin Press|year=2006|isbn=978-1-59420-082-3|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/omnivoresdilemma00poll_0}}
* {{cite journal|author=Pretty, J. N., et al.|title=Resource-Conserving Agriculture Increases Yields in Developing Countries|journal=Environmental Science and Technology | year=2006 | volume=40 | pages=1114–1119 | doi=10.1021/es051670d|pmid=16572763 | issue=4 | url=http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag/40/i04/html/021506news2.html}}{{dead link|date=August 2012}}
* {{cite journal|author=Pretty, J. N.|title=Resource-Conserving Agriculture Increases Yields in Developing Countries|journal=Environmental Science and Technology | year=2006 | volume=40 | pages=1114–1119 | doi=10.1021/es051670d|pmid=16572763 | issue=4 |display-authors=etal|bibcode=2006EnST...40.1114P|doi-access=free }}
* {{cite book|editors=Scialabba, Nadia && Hattam, Caroline|title=Organic agriculture, environment and food security|publisher=FAO, United Nations|year=2002|isbn=978-92-5-104819-1|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ZeGpgERESvkC}}
* {{cite journal|author=Stokstad, Erik|title=Organic Farms Reap Many Benefits|journal=Science|month=May|year=2002|volume=296|issue=5573| pmid=12040154|page=1589|url=http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2002/530/1 | doi=10.1126/science.296.5573.1589a }} {{dead link|date=March 2010}}
* {{cite book|author=Wargo, John|title=Our Children's Toxic Legacy: How Science and Law Fail to Protect Us from Pesticides|publisher=Yale University Press|year=1998|isbn=0-300-07446-8}}
* {{cite book|author=Watson, David H. (editor)|title=Pesticide, veterinary and other residues in food|publisher=Woodhead Publishing|year=2004|isbn=1-85573-734-5}}
* {{cite conference|author=Williams, Christine|title=Nutritional quality of organic food: shades of grey or shades of green?|booktitle=Proceedings of the Nutrition Society|year=2002|pages=19–24}}
}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commonscat|Organic food}} {{Commons category|Organic food}}
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* Responsible for administering organic food production & labeling standards in the United States

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* -- Journal of Social and Development Sciences

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Latest revision as of 12:24, 10 December 2024

Food complying with organic farming standards This article is about food that complies with the standards of organic farming. For food advertised as "natural", see Natural food.

Organic produce at a farmers' market in Argentina

Organic food, ecological food, or biological food are foods and drinks produced by methods complying with the standards of organic farming. Standards vary worldwide, but organic farming features practices that cycle resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Organizations regulating organic products may restrict the use of certain pesticides and fertilizers in the farming methods used to produce such products. Organic foods are typically not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or synthetic food additives.

In the 21st century, the European Union, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and many other countries require producers to obtain special certification to market their food as organic. Although the produce of kitchen gardens may actually be organic, selling food with an organic label is regulated by governmental food safety authorities, such as the National Organic Program of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the European Commission (EC).

From an environmental perspective, fertilizing, overproduction, and the use of pesticides in conventional farming may negatively affect ecosystems, soil health, biodiversity, groundwater, and drinking water supplies. These environmental and health issues are intended to be minimized or avoided in organic farming.

Demand for organic foods is primarily driven by consumer concerns for personal health and the environment, such as the detrimental environmental impacts of pesticides. From the perspective of science and consumers, there is insufficient evidence in the scientific and medical literature to support claims that organic food is either substantially safer or healthier to eat than conventional food. Organic agriculture has higher production costs and lower yields, higher labor costs, and higher consumer prices as compared to conventional farming methods.

Meaning, history and origin of the term

Further information on the production of organic food: Organic farming See also: History of organic farming

For the vast majority of its history, agriculture can be described as having been organic; only during the 20th century was a large supply of new products, generally deemed not organic, introduced into food production. The organic farming movement arose in the 1940s in response to the industrialization of agriculture.

In 1939, Lord Northbourne coined the term organic farming in his book Look to the Land (1940), out of his conception of "the farm as organism", to describe a holistic, ecologically balanced approach to farming—in contrast to what he called chemical farming, which relied on "imported fertility" and "cannot be self-sufficient nor an organic whole". Early soil scientists also described the differences in soil composition when animal manures were used as "organic", because they contain carbon compounds, whereas superphosphates and Haber process nitrogen do not. Their respective use affects humus content of soil. This is different from the scientific use of the term "organic" in chemistry, which refers to a class of molecules that contain carbon, especially those involved in the chemistry of life. This class of molecules includes everything likely to be considered edible, as well as most pesticides and toxins too, therefore the term "organic" and, especially, the term "inorganic" (sometimes wrongly used as a contrast by the popular press) as they apply to organic chemistry is an equivocation fallacy when applied to farming, the production of food, and to foodstuffs themselves. Properly used in this agricultural science context, "organic" refers to the methods grown and processed, not necessarily the chemical composition of the food.

Ideas that organic food could be healthier and better for the environment originated in the early days of the organic movement as a result of publications like the 1943 book The Living Soil and Farming and Gardening for Health or Disease (1945).

In the industrial era, organic gardening reached a modest level of popularity in the United States in the 1950s. In the 1960s, environmentalists and the counterculture championed organic food, but it was only in the 1970s that a national marketplace for organic foods developed.

Early consumers interested in organic food would look for non-chemically treated, non-use of unapproved pesticides, fresh or minimally processed food. They mostly had to buy directly from growers. Later, "Know your farmer, know your food" became the motto of a new initiative instituted by the USDA in September 2009. Personal definitions of what constituted "organic" were developed through firsthand experience: by talking to farmers, seeing farm conditions, and farming activities. Small farms grew vegetables (and raised livestock) using organic farming practices, with or without certification, and the individual consumer monitored. Small specialty health food stores and co-operatives were instrumental to bringing organic food to a wider audience. As demand for organic foods continued to increase, high-volume sales through mass outlets such as supermarkets rapidly replaced the direct farmer connection. Today, many large corporate farms have an organic division. However, for supermarket consumers, food production is not easily observable, and product labeling, like "certified organic", is relied upon. Government regulations and third-party inspectors are looked to for assurance.

In the 1970s, interest in organic food grew with the rise of the environmental movement and was also spurred by food-related health scares like the concerns about Alar that arose in the mid-1980s.

Legal definition

Main article: Organic certification See also: List of countries with organic agriculture regulation
EU logo for organic products

Organic food production is distinct from private gardening. In the EU, organic farming and organic food are more commonly known as ecological or biological, or in short 'eco' and 'bio'.

Currently, the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan, and many other countries require producers to obtain special certification based on government-defined standards to market food as organic within their borders. In the context of these regulations, foods marketed as organic are produced in a way that complies with organic standards set by national governments and international organic industry trade organizations.

The National Organic Program (run by the USDA) is in charge of the legal definition of organic in the United States and does organic certification.

In the United States, organic production is managed in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA) and regulations in Title 7, Part 205 of the Code of Federal Regulations to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. If livestock are involved, the livestock must be reared with regular access to pasture and without the routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones.

Processed organic food usually contains only organic ingredients. If non-organic ingredients are present, at least a certain percentage of the food's total plant and animal ingredients must be organic (95% in the United States, Canada, and Australia). Foods claiming to be organic must be free of artificial food additives, and are often processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions, such as chemical ripening, food irradiation, solvents such as hexane, and genetically modified ingredients. Pesticides are allowed as long as they are not synthetic. However, under US federal organic standards, if pests and weeds are not controllable through management practices, nor via organic pesticides and herbicides, "a substance included on the National List of synthetic substances allowed for use in organic crop production may be applied to prevent, suppress, or control pests, weeds, or diseases". Several groups have called for organic standards to prohibit nanotechnology on the basis of the precautionary principle in light of unknown risks of nanotechnology. The use of nanotechnology-based products in the production of organic food is prohibited in some jurisdictions (Canada, the UK, and Australia) and is unregulated in others.

To be certified organic, products must be grown and manufactured in a manner that adheres to standards set by the country they are sold in:

  • Australia: NASAA Organic Standard
  • Canada: Organic Products Regulations
  • European Union: EU-Eco-regulation
    • Sweden: KRAV
    • United Kingdom: DEFRA
    • Poland: Association of Polish Ecology
    • Norway: Debio Organic certification
  • India: National Program for Organic Production (NPOP)
  • Indonesia: BIOCert, run by Agricultural Ministry of Indonesia.
  • Japan: JAS Standards
  • Mexico: Consejo Nacional de Producción Orgánica, department of Sagarpa
  • New Zealand: there are three bodies; BioGro, AsureQuality, and OFNZ
  • United States: National Organic Program (NOP) Standards

In the United States, there are four different levels or categories for organic labeling:

  1. "100% Organic": This means that all ingredients are produced organically. It also may have the USDA seal.
  2. "Organic": At least 95% or more of the ingredients are organic.
  3. "Made With Organic Ingredients": Contains at least 70% organic ingredients.
  4. "Less Than 70% Organic Ingredients": Three of the organic ingredients must be listed under the ingredient section of the label.

In the U.S., the food label "natural" or "all natural" does not mean that the food was produced and processed organically.

Environmental sustainability

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2018)
Further information: Environmental impact of pesticides

From an environmental perspective, fertilizing, overproduction and the use of pesticides in conventional farming has caused, and is causing, enormous damage worldwide to local ecosystems, soil health, biodiversity, groundwater and drinking water supplies, and sometimes farmers' health and fertility.

Organic farming typically reduces some environmental impact relative to conventional farming, but the scale of reduction can be difficult to quantify and varies depending on farming methods. In some cases, reducing food waste and dietary changes might provide greater benefits. A 2020 study at the Technical University of Munich found that the greenhouse gas emissions of organically farmed plant-based food were lower than conventionally-farmed plant-based food. The greenhouse gas costs of organically produced meat were approximately the same as non-organically produced meat. However, the same paper noted that a shift from conventional to organic practices would likely be beneficial for long-term efficiency and ecosystem services, and probably improve soil over time.

A 2019 life-cycle assessment study found that converting the total agricultural sector (both crop and livestock production) for England and Wales to organic farming methods would result in a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions as increased overseas land use for production and import of crops would be needed to make up for lower organic yields domestically.

Health and safety

There is little scientific evidence of benefit or harm to human health from a diet high in organic food, and conducting any sort of rigorous experiment on the subject is very difficult. A 2012 meta-analysis noted that "there have been no long-term studies of health outcomes of populations consuming predominantly organic versus conventionally produced food controlling for socioeconomic factors; such studies would be expensive to conduct." A 2009 meta-analysis noted that "most of the included articles did not study direct human health outcomes. In ten of the included studies (83%), a primary outcome was the change in antioxidant activity. Antioxidant status and activity are useful biomarkers but do not directly equate to a health outcome. Of the remaining two articles, one recorded proxy-reported measures of atopic manifestations as its primary health outcome, whereas the other article examined the fatty acid composition of breast milk and implied possible health benefits for infants from the consumption of different amounts of conjugated linoleic acids from breast milk." In addition, as discussed above, difficulties in accurately and meaningfully measuring chemical differences between organic and conventional food make it difficult to extrapolate health recommendations based solely on chemical analysis.

According to a newer review, studies found adverse effects of certain pesticides on children's cognitive development at current levels of exposure. Many pesticides show neurotoxicity in laboratory animal models and some are considered to cause endocrine disruption.

As of 2012, the scientific consensus is that while "consumers may choose to buy organic fruit, vegetables and meat because they believe them to be more nutritious than other food.... the balance of current scientific evidence does not support this view." The evidence of beneficial health effects of organic food consumption is scarce, which has led researchers to call for more long-term studies. In addition, studies that suggest that organic foods may be healthier than conventional foods face significant methodological challenges, such as the correlation between organic food consumption and factors known to promote a healthy lifestyle. When the American Academy of Pediatrics reviewed the literature on organic foods in 2012, they found that "current evidence does not support any meaningful nutritional benefits or deficits from eating organic compared with conventionally grown foods, and there are no well-powered human studies that directly demonstrate health benefits or disease protection as a result of consuming an organic diet."

Prevalent use of antibiotics in livestock used in non-organic meat is a key driver of antibiotic resistance.

Consumer safety

Pesticide exposure

Claims of improved safety of organic food have largely focused on pesticide residues. These concerns are driven by the facts that "(1) acute, massive exposure to pesticides can cause significant adverse health effects; (2) food products have occasionally been contaminated with pesticides, which can result in acute toxicity; and (3) most, if not all, commercially purchased food contains trace amounts of agricultural pesticides." However, as is frequently noted in the scientific literature: "What does not follow from this, however, is that chronic exposure to the trace amounts of pesticides found in food results in demonstrable toxicity. This possibility is practically impossible to study and quantify;" therefore firm conclusions about the relative safety of organic foods have been hampered by the difficulty in proper study design and relatively small number of studies directly comparing organic food to conventional food.

Additionally, the Carcinogenic Potency Project, which is a part of the US EPA's Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox) Database Network, has been systemically testing the carcinogenicity of chemicals, both natural and synthetic, and building a publicly available database of the results for the past ~30 years. Their work attempts to fill in the gaps in our scientific knowledge of the carcinogenicity of all chemicals, both natural and synthetic, as the scientists conducting the Project described in the journal, Science, in 1992:

Toxicological examination of synthetic chemicals, without similar examination of chemicals that occur naturally, has resulted in an imbalance in both the data on and the perception of chemical carcinogens. Three points that we have discussed indicate that comparisons should be made with natural as well as synthetic chemicals.

1) The vast proportion of chemicals that humans are exposed to occur naturally. Nevertheless, the public tends to view chemicals as only synthetic and to think of synthetic chemicals as toxic despite the fact that every natural chemical is also toxic at some dose. The daily average exposure of Americans to burnt material in the diet is ~2000 mg, and exposure to natural pesticides (the chemicals that plants produce to defend themselves) is ~1500 mg. In comparison, the total daily exposure to all synthetic pesticide residues combined is ~0.09 mg. Thus, we estimate that 99.99% of the pesticides humans ingest are natural. Despite this enormously greater exposure to natural chemicals, 79% (378 out of 479) of the chemicals tested for carcinogenicity in both rats and mice are synthetic (that is, do not occur naturally).
2) It has often been wrongly assumed that humans have evolved defenses against the natural chemicals in our diet but not against the synthetic chemicals. However, defenses that animals have evolved are mostly general rather than specific for particular chemicals; moreover, defenses are generally inducible and therefore protect well from low doses of both synthetic and natural chemicals.

3) Because the toxicology of natural and synthetic chemicals is similar, one expects (and finds) a similar positivity rate for carcinogenicity among synthetic and natural chemicals. The positivity rate among chemicals tested in rats and mice is ~50%. Therefore, because humans are exposed to so many more natural than synthetic chemicals (by weight and by number), humans are exposed to an enormous background of rodent carcinogens, as defined by high-dose tests on rodents. We have shown that even though only a tiny proportion of natural pesticides in plant foods have been tested, the 29 that are rodent carcinogens among the 57 tested, occur in more than 50 common plant foods. It is probable that almost every fruit and vegetable in the supermarket contains natural pesticides that are rodent carcinogens.

While studies have shown via chemical analysis, as discussed above, that organically grown fruits and vegetables have significantly lower pesticide residue levels, the significance of this finding on actual health risk reduction is debatable as both conventional foods and organic foods generally have pesticide levels (maximum residue limits) well below government established guidelines for what is considered safe. This view has been echoed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the UK Food Standards Agency.

A study published by the National Research Council in 1993 determined that for infants and children, the major source of exposure to pesticides is through diet. A study published in 2006 by Lu et al. measured the levels of organophosphorus pesticide exposure in 23 school children before and after replacing their diet with organic food. In this study, it was found that levels of organophosphorus pesticide exposure dropped from negligible levels to undetectable levels when the children switched to an organic diet, the authors presented this reduction as a significant reduction in risk. The conclusions presented in Lu et al. were criticized in the literature as a case of bad scientific communication.

More specifically, claims related to pesticide residue of increased risk of infertility or lower sperm counts have not been supported by the evidence in the medical literature. Likewise, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has stated their official position that "whether organic foods carry a lower risk of cancer because they are less likely to be contaminated by compounds that might cause cancer is largely unknown." Reviews have noted that the risks from microbiological sources or natural toxins are likely to be much more significant than short term or chronic risks from pesticide residues.

Microbiological contamination

Organic farming has a preference for using manure as fertilizer, compared to conventional farming in general. This practice seems to imply an increased risk of microbiological contamination, such as E. coli O157:H7, from organic food consumption, but reviews have found little evidence that the actual incidence of outbreaks can be positively linked to organic food production. The 2011 Germany E. coli O104:H4 outbreak, however, was blamed on organically farmed fenugreek sprouts.

Public perception

There is a widespread public belief that organic food is safer, more nutritious, and better tasting than conventional food, which has largely contributed to the development of an organic food culture. Consumers purchase organic foods for different reasons, including concerns about the effects of conventional farming practices on the environment, human health, and animal welfare.

While there may be some differences in the nutrient and antinutrient contents of organically and conventionally produced food, the variable nature of food production, shipping, storage, and handling makes it difficult to generalize results. Claims that "organic food tastes better" are generally not supported by tests, but consumers often perceive organic food produce like fruits and vegetables to taste better.

The appeal of organic food varies with demographic group and attitudinal characteristics. Several high quality surveys find that income, educational level, physical activity, dietary habits and number of children are associated with the level of organic food consumption. USA research has found that women, young adults, liberals, and college graduates were significantly more likely to buy organic food regularly when compared to men, older age groups, people of different political affiliations, and less educated individuals. Income level and race/ethnicity did not appear to affect interest in organic foods in this same study. Furthermore, individuals who are only moderately-religious were more likely to purchase organic foods than individuals who were less religious or highly-religious. Additionally, the pursuit of organic foods was positively associated with valuing vegetarian/vegan food options, "natural" food options, and USA-made food options. Organic food may also be more appealing to people who follow other restricted diets. One study found that individuals who adhered to vegan, vegetarian, or pescetarian diet patterns incorporated substantially more organic foods in their diets when compared to omnivores.

The most important reason for purchasing organic foods seems to be beliefs about the products' health-giving properties and higher nutritional value. These beliefs are promoted by the organic food industry, and have fueled increased demand for organic food despite higher prices and difficulty in confirming these claimed benefits scientifically. Organic labels also stimulate the consumer to view the product as having more positive nutritional value.

Psychological effects such as the "halo" effect are also important motivating factors in the purchase of organic food.

In China the increasing demand for organic products of all kinds, and in particular milk, baby food and infant formula, has been "spurred by a series of food scares, the worst being the death of six children who had consumed baby formula laced with melamine" in 2009 and the 2008 Chinese milk scandal, making the Chinese market for organic milk the largest in the world as of 2014. A Pew Research Center survey in 2012 indicated that 41% of Chinese consumers thought of food safety as a very big problem, up by three times from 12% in 2008.

A 2020 study on marketing processed organic foods shows that, after much growth in the fresh organic foods sector, consumers have started to buy processed organic foods, which they sometime perceive to be just as healthy or even healthier than the non-organic version – depending on the marketing message.

Taste

There is no good evidence that organic food tastes better than its non-organic counterparts. There is evidence that some organic fruit is drier than conventionally grown fruit; a slightly drier fruit may also have a more intense flavor due to the higher concentration of flavoring substances.

Some foods which are picked when unripe, such as bananas, are cooled to prevent ripening while they are shipped to market, and then are induced to ripen quickly by exposing them to propylene or ethylene, chemicals produced by plants to induce their own ripening; as flavor and texture changes during ripening, this process may affect those qualities of the treated fruit.

Chemical composition

Organic vegetables at a farmers' market

With respect to chemical differences in the composition of organically grown food compared with conventionally grown food, studies have examined differences in nutrients, antinutrients, and pesticide residues. These studies generally suffer from confounding variables, and are difficult to generalize due to differences in the tests that were done, the methods of testing, and because the vagaries of agriculture affect the chemical composition of food; these variables include variations in weather (season to season as well as place to place); crop treatments (fertilizer, pesticide, etc.); soil composition; the cultivar used, and in the case of meat and dairy products, the parallel variables in animal production. Treatment of the foodstuffs after initial gathering (whether milk is pasteurized or raw), the length of time between harvest and analysis, as well as conditions of transport and storage, also affect the chemical composition of a given item of food. Additionally, there is evidence that organic produce is drier than conventionally grown produce; a higher content in any chemical category may be explained by higher concentration rather than in absolute amounts.

Nutrients

Many people believe that organic foods have higher content of nutrients and thus are healthier than conventionally produced foods. However, scientists have not been equally convinced that this is the case as the research conducted in the field has not shown consistent results.

A 2009 systematic review found that organically produced foodstuffs are not richer in vitamins and minerals than conventionally produced foodstuffs. This systematic review found a lower nitrogen and higher phosphorus content in organic produced compared to conventionally grown foodstuffs. Content of vitamin C, calcium, potassium, total soluble solids, copper, iron, nitrates, manganese, and sodium did not differ between the two categories.

A 2012 survey of the scientific literature did not find significant differences in the vitamin content of organic and conventional plant or animal products, and found that results varied from study to study. Produce studies reported on ascorbic acid (vitamin C) (31 studies), beta-carotene (a precursor for vitamin A) (12 studies), and alpha-tocopherol (a form of vitamin E) (5 studies) content; milk studies reported on beta-carotene (4 studies) and alpha-tocopherol levels (4 studies). Few studies examined vitamin content in meats, but these found no difference in beta-carotene in beef, alpha-tocopherol in pork or beef, or vitamin A (retinol) in beef. The authors analyzed 11 other nutrients reported in studies of produce. A 2011 literature review found that organic foods had a higher micronutrient content overall than conventionally produced foods.

Similarly, organic chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than conventional chicken. The authors found no difference in the protein or fat content of organic and conventional raw milk.

A 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis found that organic meat had comparable or slightly lower levels of saturated fat and monounsaturated fat as conventional meat, but higher levels of both overall and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Another meta-analysis published the same year found no significant differences in levels of saturated and monounsaturated fat between organic and conventional milk, but significantly higher levels of overall and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in organic milk than in conventional milk.

Anti-nutrients

The amount of nitrogen content in certain vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables and tubers, has been found to be lower when grown organically as compared to conventionally. When evaluating environmental toxins such as heavy metals, the USDA has noted that organically raised chicken may have lower arsenic levels. Early literature reviews found no significant evidence that levels of arsenic, cadmium or other heavy metals differed significantly between organic and conventional food products. However, a 2014 review found lower concentrations of cadmium, particularly in organically grown grains.

Phytochemicals

A 2014 meta-analysis of 343 studies on phytochemical composition found that organically grown crops had lower cadmium and pesticide residues, and 17% higher concentrations of polyphenols than conventionally grown crops. Concentrations of phenolic acids, flavanones, stilbenes, flavones, flavonols, and anthocyanins were elevated, with flavanones being 69% higher. Studies on phytochemical composition of organic crops have numerous deficiencies, including absence of standardized measurements and poor reporting on measures of variability, duplicate or selective reporting of data, publication bias, lack of rigor in studies comparing pesticide residue levels in organic and conventional crops, the geographical origin of samples, and inconsistency of farming and post-harvest methods.

Pesticide residues

Main article: Pesticide residue

The amount of pesticides that remain in or on food is called pesticide residue. In the United States, before a pesticide can be used on a food crop, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must determine whether that pesticide can be used without posing a risk to human health.

A 2012 meta-analysis determined that detectable pesticide residues were found in 7% of organic produce samples and 38% of conventional produce samples. This result was statistically heterogeneous, potentially because of the variable level of detection used among these studies. Only three studies reported the prevalence of contamination exceeding maximum allowed limits; all were from the European Union. A 2014 meta-analysis found that conventionally grown produce was four times more likely to have pesticide residue than organically grown crops.

The American Cancer Society has stated that no evidence exists that the small amount of pesticide residue found on conventional foods will increase the risk of cancer, although it recommends thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables. They have also stated that there is no research to show that organic food reduces cancer risk compared to foods grown with conventional farming methods.

The Environmental Protection Agency maintains strict guidelines on the regulation of pesticides by setting a tolerance on the amount of pesticide residue allowed to be in or on any particular food. Although some residue may remain at the time of harvest, residue tend to decline as the pesticide breaks down over time. In addition, as the commodities are washed and processed prior to sale, the residues often diminish further.

Bacterial contamination

A 2012 meta-analysis determined that prevalence of E. coli contamination was not statistically significant (7% in organic produce and 6% in conventional produce). Differences in the prevalence of bacterial contamination between organic and conventional animal products were also statistically insignificant.

Organic meat production requirements

United States

Organic meat certification in the United States requires farm animals to be raised according to USDA organic regulations throughout their lives. These regulations require that livestock are fed certified organic food that contains no animal byproducts. Further, organic farm animals can receive no growth hormones or antibiotics, and they must be raised using techniques that protect native species and other natural resources. Irradiation and genetic engineering are not allowed with organic animal production. One of the major differences in organic animal husbandry protocol is the "pasture rule": minimum requirements for time on pasture do vary somewhat by species and between the certifying agencies, but the common theme is to require as much time on pasture as possible and reasonable.

Economics

See also: Organic farming § Regional support for organic farming
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (December 2021)
Expensive organic vegetables at an Australian grocery store

Organic agriculture has higher potential costs due to lower yields and higher labor costs, leading to higher consumer prices. Demand for organic foods is primarily driven by concerns for personal health and for the environment. Global sales for organic foods climbed by more than 170 percent since 2002 reaching more than $63 billion in 2011 while certified organic farmland remained relatively small at less than 2 percent of total farmland under production, increasing in OECD and EU countries (which account for the majority of organic production) by 35 percent for the same time period. Organic products typically cost 10% to 50% more than similar conventionally produced products, to several times the price. Processed organic foods vary in price when compared to their conventional counterparts.

While organic food accounts for about 1% of total food production worldwide, the organic food sales market is growing rapidly with between 5 and 10 percent of the food market share in the United States according to the Organic Trade Association, significantly outpacing sales growth volume in dollars of conventional food products. World organic food sales jumped from US$23 billion in 2002 to $63 billion in 2011.

Asia

Production and consumption of organic products is rising rapidly in Asia, and both China and India are becoming global producers of organic crops and a number of countries, particularly China and Japan, also becoming large consumers of organic food and drink. The disparity between production and demand, is leading to a two-tier organic food industry, typified by significant and growing imports of primary organic products such as dairy and beef from Australia, Europe, New Zealand and the United States.

China
  • China's organic food production was originally for exportation in the early 2000s. Due to the food safety crisis since the late 2000s, China's domestic market outweighed the exportation market. The organic food production in China involves diverse players. Besides certified organic food production mainly conducted by private organic food companies, there are also non-certified organic farming practiced by entrepreneurs and civil society organizations. These initiatives have unique marketing channels such as ecological farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture emerging in and around Chinese major cities.
  • China's domestic organic market is the fourth largest in the world. The Chinese Organic Food Development Center estimated domestic sales of organic food products to be around US$500 million per annum as of 2013. This is predicted to increase by 30 percent to 50 percent in 2014. As of 2015, organic foods made up about 1% of the total Chinese food market.
  • China is the world's biggest infant formula market with $12.4 billion in sales annually; of this, organic infant formula and baby food accounted for approximately 5.5 per cent of sales in 2011. Australian organic infant formula and baby food producer Bellamy's Organic have reported that their sales in this market grew 70 per cent annually over the period 2008–2013, while Organic Dairy Farmers of Australia, reported that exports of long-life organic milk to China had grown by 20 to 30 per cent per year over the same period.
Sri Lanka

In April 2021, Sri Lanka started its "100% organic farming" program, banning imports of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. In November 2021, it was announced that the country will lift its import ban, explained by both a lack of sudden changes to widely applied practices or education systems and contemporary economics and, by extension, food security, protests and high food costs. The effort for the first transition to a completely organic farming nation was further challenged by effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bhutan

In 2013 the government of Bhutan announced that the country will become the first in the world with 100% organic farming and started a program for qualification. This program is being supported by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). A 2021 news report found that "globally, only Bhutan has a complete ban on synthetic pesticides". A 2018 study found that "current organic by default farming practices in Bhutan are still underdeveloped".

Japan
In 2010, the Japanese organic market was estimated to be around $1.3 billion.

North America

As of October 2014, Trader Joe's is a market leader of organic grocery stores in the United States.
United States
  • Organic food is the fastest growing sector of the American food industry.
  • In 2005 the organic food market was only worth about US$13 billion. By 2012 the total size of the organic food market in the United States was about $30 billion (out of the total market for organic and natural consumer products being about $81 billion) In 2020 the organic food market was worth over $56 billion.
  • Organic food sales have grown by 17 to 20 percent a year in the early 2000s while sales of conventional food have grown only about 2 to 3 percent a year. The US organic market grew 9.5% in 2011, breaking the $30bn barrier for the first time, and continued to outpace sales of non-organic food.
  • In 2003 organic products were available in nearly 20,000 natural food stores and 73% of conventional grocery stores.
  • Organic products accounted for 3.7% of total food and beverage sales, and 11.4% of all fruit and vegetable sales in the year 2009.
  • As of 2012, many independent organic food processors in the USA had been acquired by multinational firms.
  • For a product to become USDA organic certified, the farmer cannot plant genetically modified seeds and livestock cannot eat genetically modified plants. Farmers must provide substantial evidence showing there was no genetic modification involved in the operation.
Canada
  • Organic food sales surpassed $1 billion in 2006, accounting for 0.9% of food sales in Canada. By 2012, Canadian organic food sales reached $3 billion.
  • British Columbians account for 13% of the Canadian population, but purchased 26% of the organic food sold in Canada in 2006.

Europe

Denmark
  • In 2012, organic products accounted for 7.8% of the total retail consumption market in Denmark, the highest national market share in the world. Many public institutions have voluntarily committed themselves to buy some organic food and in Copenhagen 75% of all food served in public institutions is organic. A governmental action plan initiated in 2012–2014 aims at 60% organic food in all public institutions across the country before 2020.
  • In 1987, the first Danish Action Plan was implemented which was meant to support and stimulate farmers to switch from conventional food production systems to organic ones . Since then Denmark has constantly worked on further developing the market by promoting organic food and keeping prices low in comparison to conventional food products by offering farmers subvention and extra support if they choose to produce organic food. Then and even today is the bench mark for organic food policy and certification of organic food in the whole world. The new European Organic food label and organic food policy was developed based on the 1987 Danish Model.
Austria
In 2011, 7.4% of all food products sold in Austrian supermarkets (including discount stores) were organic. In 2007, 8,000 different organic products were available.
Italy
Since 2000, the use of some organic food is compulsory in Italian schools and hospitals. A 2002 law of the Emilia Romagna region implemented in 2005, explicitly requires that the food in nursery and primary schools (from 3 months to 10 years) must be 100% organic, and the food in meals at schools, universities and hospitals must be at least 35% organic.
Poland
In 2005 7 percent of Polish consumers buy food that was produced according to the EU-Eco-regulation. The value of the organic market is estimated at 50 million euros (2006).
Romania
70%–80% of the local organic production, amounting to 100 million euros in 2010, is exported. The organic products market grew to 50 million euros in 2010.
Switzerland
As of 2012, 11 per cent of Swiss farms are organic. Bio Suisse, the Swiss organic producers' association, provides guidelines for organic farmers.
Ukraine
  • During 2022, despite the full-scale war Ukraine exported 245,600 metric tons of organic products in the amount of USD 219 million to 36 countries around the world which is almost the same as in 2021 (261,000 metric tonnes, USD 222 million). 95% of organic products from Ukraine were exported to European countries. Most products were exported by rail and road. Export volumes by vessels decreased, in particular, air transportation for export from Ukraine became impossible. The largest importing countries of Ukrainian organic products in 2022 were the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Lithuania, the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic. Ukrainian organic producers also exported to some countries in Asia and North America.
  • According to the European Commission's Report, in 2022, Ukraine ranked the 3rd out of 125 countries by volume of organic products imported to the EU. Thus, in 2022, the EU imported 2.73 million tonnes of organic agri-food products, including 219 thousand tonnes (8%) from Ukraine, which is 85% of total Ukrainian organic export. Thus, Ukraine had leading positions among the exporting countries to the EU, having exported 93 thousand tonnes (77.1%) of cereals (excluding wheat and rice) and 20 thousand tonnes (22%) of organic oilseeds (excluding soybeans).
  • In Ukraine, organic is regulated in accordance with the Law of Ukraine On Basic Principles and Requirements for Organic Production, Circulation and Labelling of Organic Products. Majority of Ukrainian producers, processing units, traders are also certified under international organic legislation (e.g. EU Organic Regulations, NOP, etc. The Order on the Approval of the State Logo for Organic Products was approved by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine in 2019. The state logo for organic products is registered as a trademark and owned by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine. The requirements for proper use of the Ukrainian state logo for organic products and labelling are described on the website of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine as well as in the Methodical Recommendations on the Use of the State Logo for Organic Products.
United Kingdom
Organic food sales increased from just over £100 million in 1993/94 to £1.21 billion in 2004 (an 11% increase on 2003). In 2010, the UK sales of organic products fell 5.9% to £1.73 billion. 86% of households buy organic products, the most popular categories being dairies (30.5% of sales) and fresh fruits and vegetables (23.2% of sales). As of 2011, 4.2% of UK farmland is organically managed.

Latin America

Cuba
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, agricultural inputs that had previously been purchased from Eastern bloc countries were no longer available in Cuba, and many Cuban farms converted to organic methods out of necessity. Consequently, organic agriculture is a mainstream practice in Cuba, while it remains an alternative practice in most other countries. Although some products called organic in Cuba would not satisfy certification requirements in other countries (crops may be genetically modified, for example), Cuba exports organic citrus and citrus juices to EU markets that meet EU organic standards. Cuba's forced conversion to organic methods may position the country to be a global supplier of organic products.

See also

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