M.S.
Agricultural Economics and Extension Education
University of Tennessee
1990/1991

To download Adobe Reader,
click here.

Organic Marketing (PDF File)

• A Guide to Marketing Organic Produce Introduction, Organic farming has been in existence since man began utilizing agricultural practices. Over the years organic methods gave way to "conventional" methods, characterized by the use of synthetic chemical inputs. Today, however, there is renewed interest in organic farming and it is being termed by many the "alternative" method of farming.
• Market-Led Growth vs. Government-Facilitated Growth: Development of the U.S. and EU Organic Agricultural Sectors (By Carolyn Dimitri and Lydia Oberholtzer), Organic farmland and sales are rapidly growing worldwide, and the two largest markets are in the European Union (EU) and the United States. The two regions have adopted different policy approaches to organic agriculture. Many EU countries have "green payments" available for transitioning and continuing organic farmers, as well as a variety of other supply and demand policies aimed at promoting growth of the organic sector.
• Marketing & the Organic Food Industry: A history of food fears, market manipulation and misleading consumers (By Graydon Forrer, Alex Avery and John Carlisle), In May of this year (5/19/2000), the National Center for Public Policy Research released survey data indicating that 85 percent of Americans, despite evidence to the contrary, believe organic foods are safer, healthier, more nutritious or better for the environment than those grown by conventional methods.
• Marketing Organic Grains Marketing, Business, and Risk Management (By Holly Born, NCAT Agriculture Specialist), Organic grain and oilseed markets are growing, and organic grains can be successfully marketed at premium prices. This publication focuses on food grains, oilseeds, and pulses. A brief overview of feed grain markets and marketing is included. Organic grain marketing differs from conventional grain marketing in several key ways. Producers generally benefit from contracting a large portion of their acreage before planting the crop.
• Rural Amenities: A Key Reason for Farmland Protection (By Cynthia J. Nickerson and Daniel Hellerstein), While conversions of farmland to urban uses represent less than 0.1 percent of U.S. farmland per year, local farmland losses continue to cause concern and motivate growing public support for farmland protection. The Federal Government, all 50 States, many local jurisdictions, and over 1,200 land trusts and nonprofit conservation programs seek to maintain more land in farming uses than would otherwise be the case.
• Organic Marketing Resources (By Holly Born, NCAT Agriculture Specialist), Market resources for organic food and fiber products, including organic prices, sales data, market trends, and other market data, organic trade associations, directories, and other organic marketing publications and resources, with contact information for ordering them.
• EU and U.S. Organic Markets Face Strong Demand under Different Policies (By Carolyn Dimitri and Lydia Oberholtzer), Organic markets in the European Union member states and the U.S. are nearly the same size in terms of retail sales. At the same time, their farm sectors differ significantly, with the EU-15 member states having more organic farmland and more organic operations than the U.S.
• Organic Poultry and Eggs Capture High Price Premiums and Growing Share of Specialty Markets (By Lydia Oberholtzer, Catherine Greene, and Enrique Lopez), Organic poultry and egg markets in the United States are expanding rapidly. Statistics for the sector, especially the number of organic broilers, also signal expanding domestic supply. This report examines trends in markets, animal numbers, and prices for organic poultry and eggs. Price comparisons between organic and conventional show significant organic price premiums for both broilers and eggs.
• Price Premiums Hold on as U.S. Organic Produce Market Expands (By Lydia Oberholtzer, Carolyn Dimitri, and Catherine Greene), Price premiums for organic products have contributed to growth in certified organic farmland and, ultimately, market expansion. Fresh produce has long been an important component of the organic food sector, and a significant contributor to the organic industry's growth over the last decade. This article explores price premiums and market margins for a limited set of fresh produce items—carrots, broccoli, and mesclun mix.
• Producing and Marketing Organic Produce (By Owusu Bandele, PhD), Many small and limited resource farmers are looking for ways to diversify their operations and make them more profitable. At the same time, consumers are demanding that growers produce healthy foods without polluting the environment.