An overview of the organic food industry in the United States. With a look at the industry, marketing and investor outlooks.

1. Organic Food Industry:
An overview of the organic food industry in the United States. With a
look at the industry, marketing and investor outlooks.

2. Page Title: Page Number:
Organic Food Industry 3
U.S. Profile 11
Regulations & Certification 21
Organic Labels 34
Organic Programs & Services 52
Farming & Agriculture 56
Consumers 88
Industry Controversy 109
Page Title: Page Number:
Companies, Pros and Cons
of the Industry
123
State Profiles 133
Organic vs. GMO’s, Non-
GMO’s & Natural Foods
153
Market Overview 162
Future of the Industry 183
Investor Outlook 188
Work Cited 200

3. Organic Food Industry:
A look at the industry in the U.S.

4. Food Industry:
What Organic Means-
Farm
Animals
Raised
Without:
Antibiotics
Growth
Hormones
Non-
Organic
Feed
Fruits &
Veggies
Grown
Without:
Pesticides
Synthetic
Fertilizers
Sewage
Sludge
Genetic
Modifications
Ionizing
Radiation
Compiled by author from http://brandongaille.com/

5. Food Industry:
What is Organic?
 Organic refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed
 Consumers want to be assured that the products maintain the organic integrity
that begins on the farm
 U.S. National Organic Standards require practices to be regulated and verifiable

6. Food Industry:
Why Organic Cost More-
Farming is More Labor Intensive:
More intensive because of compost application and anti-soil erosion landscaping
Farms Are Smaller:
Don’t benefit from the economies of scale
They Don’t Receive Federal Subsidies:
The cost of the food reflects the true cost of growing
Compiled by author from http://brandongaille.com/

7. Food Industry:
Facts-
 Over 30,000 USDA employees have completed organic “101” literacy
education to help them better understand and serve organic operators
 45 synthetics have been removed, denied or restricted for use in organic
farming since 2008
 Net return per acre on organic crops is $558 compared to conventional, which
is $190
 There was a 12% increase in organic sales 2013 compared to 3% for
conventional

8. U.S. Profile:
Facts about the industry and more

9. U.S. Profile:
Organic Foods-
 2% of the U.S. food supply is grown using organic methods
 Over the past decade, the sale of organic products has increased 20%
 The U.S. surpassed the European Union as the largest market for organic
products in the world
 Over half a billion dollars in U.S. organic exports were tracked in 2014

10. U.S. Profile:
Industry Facts- Organic Standards
Production
Handling
Distribution
Sales
Compiled by author from ota.com
Companies who wish to sell organics must submit a detailed application outlining the nature
of their operation, including all aspects of the business

11. U.S. Profile:
Industry Facts-
 A USDA survey recognized 14,540 U.S. organic farms and ranches
 These operations comprised 4.1 million acres of land
 1.6 million acres were harvested cropland
 1.8 million acres were pasture or ranges

12. U.S. Profile:
Industry Facts- Market in Billions
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Market in Billions Growth 2005 - 2014
Billion Growth
Compiled by author from sbdcnet.org

13. Contact Us for the Full Presentation:
Mediacontact USA Inc.
13575 58TH Street North #160
Clearwater, Fl. 33760
T: 727 538 4112
E: contact@mcusa.co
www.mediacontactusa.com

14. Work Cited:
 "12 Fruits & Veggies With The Most Pesticides (2015 Dirty Dozen)." MindBodyGreen. N.p., 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 21 Sept. 2015. http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17624/12-fruits-
veggies-with-the-most-pesticides-2015-dirty-dozen.html
 "17 Important Organic Food Consumption Statistics - BrandonGaille.com." BrandonGaillecom. Web. 21 Sept. 2015. <http://brandongaille.com/17-important-organic-food-
consumption-statistics/>.
 About Certification and Inspection http://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/marketaccess/macertification/pages/macertificationinspection.aspx
 "Agricultural Marketing Service." Agricultural Marketing Service. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. <http://www.ams.usda.gov/>.
 AG MRC Agricultural Marketing Resources Center http://www.agmrc.org/markets__industries/food/organic-food-trends-profile/
 “Agriculture : Production Et échanges." (n.d.): n. pag. Web. http://giannini.ucop.edu/media/are-update/files/articles/v14n2_3.pdf
 "All About Organic Food and What's the Big Deal?!" Community Home Health Care. 28 Aug. 2015. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. http://commhealthcare.com/all-about-organic-food/
 Baranski M, et al. (2014) Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: A systematic literature
review and meta-analyses. Br J Nutr 112(5):794–811.
http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FBJN%2FBJN112_05%2FS0007114514001366a.pdf&code=f908f676ccd79a263f42f347c677729f
 Bittman, Mark. "That Flawed Stanford Study." Opinionator. The New York Times, 2 Oct. 2012. Web. 24 Sept. 2015. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/that-
flawed-stanford-study/
 Cafariello, Joseph. "Investing in Organic Grocers." Wealth Daily. Angel Publishing LLC, 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Sept. 2015. http://www.wealthdaily.com/articles/investing-in-
organic-grocers/5618
 "California Department of Food and Agriculture." CDFA Inspection & Compliance California Organic Program. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2015
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/i_%26_c/organic.html
 California+organic+food+facts - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2015. https://www.google.com/search?q=California+organic+food+facts&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
 "Certified Organic." About Nature's Path. Nature's Path Foods. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. http://us.naturespath.com/about/organic
 Chait, Jennifer. "What Is the Organic Foods Production Act?" About Money. About.com. Web. 21 Sept. 2015. http://www.citationmachine.net/mla/cite-a-website?new=true
 Charles, Dan. "Are Organic Vegetables More Nutritious After All?" The Salt. NPR, 1 July 2014. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/07/11/330760923/are-organic-vegetables-more-nutritious-after-all
 "Consumer Attitudes and Beliefs Study." Consumer Attitudes and Beliefs Study. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. http://ota.com/resources/consumer-attitudes-and-beliefs-study
 "Consumer Knowledge and Perceptions About Organic Food." Consumer Knowledge and Perceptions About Organic Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
http://www.joe.org/joe/2005august/rb3.php

15. Work Cited:
 Consumer Knowledge and Perceptions about Organic Food http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/S0885-2111%282010%290000012004
 Crawford, Elizabeth. "Rise in Organic Imports Signals Opportunity for U.S. Farmers, OTA Says." FoodNavigator-USA.com. William Reed Business Media, 22 Apr.
2015. Web. 22 Sept. 2015. http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Markets/Rise-in-organic-imports-signals-opportunity-for-U.S.-farmers-OTA-says
 "Difference Between Organic and Natural Food | Organic Facts."Organic Facts. Https://www.organicfacts.net/organic-products/organic-food/difference-
between-organic-and-natural-food.html, 2 Oct. 2007. Web. 22 Sept. 2015. https://www.organicfacts.net/organic-products/organic-food/difference-between-
organic-and-natural-food.html
 "ECFR — Code of Federal Regulations." ECFR — Code of Federal Regulations. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-
idx?c=ecfr&sid=c4e0df8f46a4f4b6f56d80be31f95ed3&rgn=div6&view=text&node=7:3.1.1.9.32.4&idno=7#se7.3.205_1300
 Exceed, Of Organic Products. $39 Billion. Web. https://www.ota.com/resources/market-analysis
 "FAQ." Organic Agriculture: What Is Organic Agriculture? Web. 23 Sept. 2015. http://www.fao.org/organicag/oa-faq/oa-faq1/en/
 "Functionalized Polymeric Materials in Agriculture and the Food Industry." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.
https://books.google.com/books?id=zfZGAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA67&lpg=PA67&dq=Synthetic+materials+in+agriculture&source=bl&ots=GmUOeWsN6y&sig=y2bc_1E85
XyELZEfkXHzv7fgk0s&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEwQ6AEwB2oVChMIhfaLguaKyAIVRJoeCh2nuAzJ#v=onepage&q=Synthetic%20materials%20in%20agriculture&f=false
 Genetically Engineered Foods What’s the Controversy? http://www.realtruth.org/articles/223-gefwtc.html
 "General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS), The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) - 3 Big Companies That Dominate The Organic Foods Market." Benzinga. Web. 23
Sept. 2015. http://www.benzinga.com/markets/commodities/14/07/4743999/3-big-companies-that-dominate-the-organic-foods-marke
 "Generic Research and Promotion Order for Organic (GRO Organic) PROGRAM SUMMARY." Organic Check-off. Organic Trade Association. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
https://ota.com/resources/organic-check
 Greene, Catherine. "Growth Patterns in the U.S. Organic Industry."Economic Research Service. USDA, 2 June 2015. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2013-october/growth-patterns-in-the-us-organic-industry.aspx#.VgBpTBFVikr
 "Growth Patterns in the U.S. Organic Industry." USDA ERS -. Web. 24 Sept. 2015. http://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2013-october/growth-patterns-in-the-
us-organic-industry.aspx#.VgQSfMtViko
 Hansen, Joyanna. "Interpreting Food Labels: Natural versus Organic."American Society for Nutrition. 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.
https://www.nutrition.org/asn-blog/2013/02/interpreting-food-labels-natural-versus-organic/
 "Here's Who Eats Natural And Organic Foods, And Why: Market Research." International Business Times. 23 Oct. 2013. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
http://www.ibtimes.com/heres-who-eats-natural-organic-foods-why-market-research-1437858
 "Is Organic Always GMO Free?" GMO Awareness. 5 May 2011. Web. 22 Sept. 2015. http://gmo-awareness.com/2011/05/05/is-organic-always-gmo-free/
 Levine, Amy. "The Difference Between USDA Organic and Non-GMO Verified Seal." The Blog. Boston Organics, 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.
http://blog.bostonorganics.com/wordpress/2013/10/24/avoid-gmos-the-difference-between-organic-and-non-gmo-labels

16. Work Cited:
 Mathews, Ken. "US Organic Foods Market Poised to Surpass USD 45 Billion in 2015 Says TechSci Research." PR Newswire. PR Newswire Association LLC, 3 Apr. 2015. Web. 23 Sept.
2015. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-organic-foods-market-poised-to-surpass-usd-45-billion-in-2015-says-techsci-research-498598271.html
 "Medical Applications of Colloids." (2008): n. pag. Web. http://www.oregonorganiccoalition.org/pdf/OR_OrgCert_Acres_08.pdf
 McNeil, Maggie. "Organic Check-off: An Historic Step for Organic." The Organic Report. Organic Report Magazine, 26 June 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
http://theorganicreport.com/organic-check-historic-step-organic
 McNeil, Maggie. "U.S. Consumers across the Country Devour Record Amount of Organic in 2014." Organic Trade Association. Organic Trade Association, 15 Apr. 2015. Web. 18
Sept. 2015. https://www.ota.com/news/press-releases/18061
 Monthly Portland A By-The-Numbers Look at Oregon’s Organic Farm Industry http://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2015/3/2/a-by-the-numbers-look-at-oregons-organic-farm-
industry-march-2015
 National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/2012-census-organic-local/
 "New USDA Data Offers In-Depth Look at Organic Farming." New USDA Data Offers In-Depth Look at Organic Farming. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.
http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2010/02_03_2010.asp
 "New York Ranks Third in Number of Certified Organic Farms - Cornucopia Institute." Cornucopia Institute. N.p., 14 Dec. 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.
http://www.cornucopia.org/2012/12/new-york-ranks-third-in-number-of-certified-organic-farms/
 "New York State Certified Organic Farmers & Processors."Agriculture.ny.gov. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/ap/organic/docs/Organic_Farmers_Proccesors.pdf
 "New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets." New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/AP/Organic/EQIP.html
 "New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets." New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/ap/organic/OrganicFarmingResourceCenter.html
 Number of Organic Livestock Farms." Web. http://www.cias.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/organic-numbers.pdf
 "Organic Crop Production Overview." Organic Crop Production Overview. Web. 21 Sept. 2015. https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=66
 "Organic Education." Organic.org. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-206
 "Organic FAQs." Organic Farming Research Foundation. N.p., 31 July 2012. Web. 21 Sept. 2015. http://www.ofrf.org/organic-faqs
 "Organic Farming Resources for Wisconsin." Organic Farming Resources for Wisconsin RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. http://www.organic.wisc.edu/
 "Organic Food Market in United States to Grow at 14% CAGR during 2013-18 Says TechSci Research Report." Organic Consumers Association. Organic Consumers Association, 15
Dec. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2015. https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/organic-food-market-united-states-grow-14-cagr-during-2013-18-says-techsci-research-report
 "Organic Food Retailers." Web. 18 Sept. 2015. http://www.sbdcnet.org/small-business-research-reports/retail-organic-food-industry-in-the-u-s

17. Work Cited:
 "Organic Industrial Agriculture." Organic Industrial Agriculture. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. http://12.000.scripts.mit.edu/mission2014/solutions/organic-industrial-agriculture
 "Organics: Let the Good times Roll." Facts, Figures & the Future. Ed. Phil Lempert. Consumer Insight Inc, 1 June 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.
http://www.factsfiguresfuture.com/issues/june-2014/organics-let-the-good-times-roll.html
 "Organic Manufacturing." - The Organic Pages Online. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. http://www.theorganicpages.com/topo/commercialactivity.html?ca=manufacturing&commid=35
 Organic Market Report 2006. Bristol: Soil Association, 2006. Web. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/05/controversy-erupts-over-synthetics-in-organic-
agriculture/#.VgFZR5e9PqU
 "Organic Marketing Report." Http://academicsreview.org/. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. http://academicsreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Academics-Review_Organic-
Marketing-Report1.pdf
 "Organic Production and Organic Food: Information Access Tools." Alternative Farming Systems Information Center. Ed. Mary V. Gold. National Agricultural Library, 1 May 2015.
Web. 21 Sept. 2015. http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/ofp.shtml
 "Organic Production and Organic Food: Information Access Tools."Organic Production and Organic Food: Information Access Tools. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/ofp.shtml
 OSU Department of Horticulture http://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/content/organic-agriculture-production
 Plattner, Kristy, and Agnes Perez. "Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook."Economic Research Service. USDA, 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/468106/fts351.pdf
 Pofeldt, Elaine. "Guess Which Hot Sector Private Equity Is Chasing." CNBC. CNBC LLC, 27 May 2015. Web. 18 Sept. 2015. http://www.cnbc.com/2015/05/27/why-private-equity-
is-investing-in-small-organic-farmers.html
 "Policy Conference 2015 Inforgraphic." Web. 21 Sept. 2015. http://ota.com/sites/default/files/indexed_files/PolicyConference2015_Infographic_8.5x11_1a_0.pdf
 Production and Price Trends in Washington’s Organic Farm Sector in a Period of Rapid Change http://csanr.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Brady_2014_BIOAg.pdf
 Rakola, Betsy. USDA Organic Resource Guide 2015. Web. http://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/USDA%20Organic%20Resource%20Guide_0.pdf
 "The National Organic Program’s Online Training." Usda.gov. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. http://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/OrganicLabelingTrainingModule.pdf
 "The Sixth National Organic Chemistry Symposium." Science 82.2130 (1935): 383-84. Web.
http://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/NOP%20Introduction%20Training.pdf
 "The Surprising Truth About Who's Really Buying Organic." TakePart. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/04/21/who-is-buying-organic
 There’s More to Organic than Meets the Eye http://ota.com/sites/default/files/indexed_files/PolicyConference2015_Infographic_8.5x11_1a_0.pdf

18. Work Cited:
 "Todhunter, Colin. "The Future Is Local, the Future Is Organic." Global Research. 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-future-is-local-the-
future-is-organic/5351677
 Topic: Organic Food Industry." Www.statista.com. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. http://www.statista.com/topics/1047/organic-food-industry/
 Top 10 Specialty Foods Purchased http://www.foodmanufacturing.com/news/2014/10/infographics-top-10-specialty-foods-purchased-2014
 Trends and Economics of Washington State Organic Blueberry Production http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/FS154E/FS154E.pdf
 Trimarchi, Maria. "How Organic Farming Works" 18 December 2007. HowStuffWorks.com http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/organic-
farming2.htm
 USDA Census of Agriculture http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/Organic_Survey/
 "U.S. Department of Agriculture." U.S. Department of Agriculture. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=organic-agriculture.html
 “USDA ERS - Home." USDA ERS - Home. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. http://www.ers.usda.gov/
 "USDA ERS - Organic Agriculture: Organic Market Overview." USDA ERS - Organic Agriculture: Organic Market Overview. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/natural-resources-environment/organic-agriculture/organic-market-overview.aspx
 "USDA ERS - Organic Production." USDA ERS - Organic Production. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015. http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/organic-production.aspx
 "U.S. Organic Food Trend Forecasted for Growth through 2018."Washington Times. The Washington Times. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/31/us-organic-food-trend-forecasted-growth-through-20/
 United States Department of Agriculture http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=organic-agriculture.html
 Washington State Department of Agriculture http://agr.wa.gov/foodanimal/organic/
 Watrous, Monica. "Expo East 2015: Identifying the next Big Thing | Food Business News." Food Business News. SOSLAND PUBLISHING CO., 18 Sept. 2015. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.
http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/news_home/Consumer_Trends/2015/09/Expo_East_2015_Identifying_the.aspx?ID={BF948432-397C-4571-A5A3-40A2ACED964B}
 Zitelli, Jennette. "Organic Sales Increase 11%, Totaling 5% of Food Sales." The Food Institute Blog. American Institute of Food Distribution, 17 Apr. 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
https://foodinstitute.com/blog/organic-sales-increase-eleven-percent