Even so, organic hasn’t received the same levels of public investments that other parts of our agricultural system receive from the Farm Bill – and it shows. Four out of five U.S. households regularly purchase organic food, and consumer demand for organic surpassed $67 billion in 2022. But only 1% of our agricultural land is certified organic, and the U.S. remains a net importer of organic products.

Food and farming businesses need a meaningful support system to make the jump to organic and meet this strong demand.

It takes three years for a farm to transition to organic, from when the last synthetic pesticide or fertilizer is applied to the land to when the farm can use the “organic” label. Farmers face a wide range of farming and business risks during that period, before they receive market benefits of their effort. While organic farms are ultimately more resilient and profitable in the long-run, they may see changes in pest and disease pressure as they adopt a new approach to building healthy soil and yields may fluctuate for several years until they reach a new equilibrium. Farmers need financial and technical assistance tailored for organic production to help them ride out these bumps, and the Opportunities in Organic Act will make these flexible resources available.

Access to organic processing and distribution infrastructure also remains a barrier for many producers, particularly in areas of the country that don’t yet have a critical mass of organic production. In addition to supporting organic farming practices, the Opportunities in Organic Act will make funding available to support organic supply chain development – from on-farm equipment and infrastructure that will help farms grow their businesses to organic facilities that can serve producers throughout a region.