September 2017
Laura Driscoll and Nina F. Ichikawa
Growing Organic, State by State: A Review of State-Level Support for Organic Agriculture is a 2017 report released by the Berkeley Food Institute that seeks to highlight the opportunities and challenges facing state departments of agriculture as they respond to market and farmer demand to increase organic acreage.
The following key recommendations for state departments of agriculture emerged from this study:
1. Expand Dedicated Organic Support at the State Level
2. Incorporate Organic Agriculture Fully into State Marketing and Promotion Efforts
3. Clarify and Further Disseminate NOP Guidance to States
4. Work Closely with Outside Groups that Serve Organic Farmers
5. Monitor Transition of Cost-Share Administration
6. Expand Language Access for Existing and Prospective Organic Producers
7. Support Future Research and Data Collection
Twenty-one states across four distinct regions were chosen as a representative sample, and the availability of services as well as unique characteristics from each state were compiled through personal interviews, literature reviews, state government documents, and other sources. The states we surveyed represent over $5 billion in sales of organic products and over 3 million acres in organic production across the US.
View Growing Organic, State by State: A Review of State-Level Support for Organic Agriculture Full Report here.
View Growing Organic, State by State: A Review of State-Level Support for Organic Agriculture Executive Summary here.
