Visualizing Environmental Science

368 CHAPTER 14 Agriculture and Food Resources

Million hectares

0 3 6 9 12 15

Australia (2009)

Argentina

United States (2008)

Brazil (2007)

Spain

China

Italy

Germany

Uruguay (2006)

France

4.18

12.00

1.95

1.77

1.46

1.39

1.11

0.99

0.93

0.85

Inga Spence/Photolibrary/Getty Images

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (iFoam) 2012.

The World of Organic Agriculture

, 2012.

0

6

3

9

15

12

0

400

800

1200

1600

2000

Year

1995 1999 2003 2007 2011

Thousands of hectares devoted

to organic agriculture

Thousands of certified organic producers

Hectares

Producers

Courtesy USDA (2010).

b. The ten countries with the most organic agricultural land

(in 2010, except where noted).

a. Organic farms do not use pesticides; operators are often
concerned that their crops will be exposed to windborne
pesticides from other farms.

c. Growth in U.S. organic agriculture, 1995–2008

Organic Agriculture

Farmers practicing organic agriculture use no commercial
inorganic fertilizers or pesticides (Figure a). According to
guidelines established by the Organic Food Production Act in
1990, organic foods are crops grown in soil free of commercial
inorganic fertilizers and pesticides for at least three years. If the
land that the crops are grown on has been inspected, private
or state agencies label it certified organic, which specifies the
highest standards. Cattle and other livestock labeled USDA
organic are not treated with antibiotics or hormones and are
fed organic feed grown without commercial inorganic fertilizers
or pesticides. Animals certified humanely raised and handled
get fresh air and exercise and are not raised in cramped pens.
Federal standards for certification of organically grown food
went into effect in 2002, replacing standards that varied from
state to state.
Internationally, Australia is the leading country by far in the
amount of land dedicated to organic agriculture (Figure b). The
United States ranks third worldwide, with organic agriculture

CASE STUDY

Many organic producers and consumers

avoid GM organisms, yet GM material has been inadvertently

introduced into some otherwise organic U.S. crops and

animals. Suggest some ways this could have taken place

without the deliberate action of the farmers involved.

Think Critically

covering nearly 2 million hectares in 2008 (the most recent year

for which data are available). Approximately 54 percent of this

area was devoted to organic crops, and the remaining 46 percent

to organic pasture and rangeland.

Consumer demand for a safe, pesticide-free food supply

translated to total U.S. sales of $3.16 billion in 2008 (crops and

animal products). A great deal of organic products are sold

locally; 44 percent in 2008 were marketed within 100 miles of

the farm. Although organic agriculture still makes up a small

percentage of total U.S. farms, the practice has grown rapidly in

recent years, in both the amount of land farmed and the number

of operations certified as organic (Figure c). Organic farms and

ranches operate in all 50 states, but California is home to almost

20 percent of U.S. organic operations.

✓✓THE PLANNER