Appetite for Organic Food Outweighs Supply
America’s appetite for organic food—food grown without pesticides, fertilizer, hormones, antibiotics, or biotechnology—is so strong that supply simply can’t keep up with demand. With growth in organic food sales increasing between 15 and 21 percent each year (compared with the 2 to 4 percent growth for total food sales), the estimated 10,000 organic farms simply cannot keep up with the demand from restaurants and food producers, leaving these buyers to source materials from countries such as Bolivia, Venezuela, and South Africa. The dilemma of how to fill the gap between supply and demand of organic products is part of a long-running debate in the organic industry. For many, organic is about more than just the food; it’s a way to improve the environment and help keep small-scale farmers in business. “If organic is something created in the image of sustainable agriculture, we certainly haven’t accomplished that yet,” said Urvashi Rangan, a scientist for Consumers Union. Source: The Miami Herald
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