MCIA Organic Services Manager Michelle Menken provides a spring update:
We have mailed or emailed the 2022 crop renewal applications. They are due back March 15 for produce growers and April 1 for everyone else. If you did not receive your application, please contact the office. We have sent payment reminder letters to those who have not yet paid for 2021. We will be issuing Noncompliance Notices if we do not receive payments.
If you do not plan to certify in 2022, please contact the office. The regulations require you to “surrender” your certificate. This means notifying us that you do not plan to certify and paying MCIA any final fees due on the sales of 2021 or earlier crops.
Unless you are transferring from another certifier or are adding greenhouse plants, we do not expect to do any scheduled inspections until May. Of course, we may do some unannounced inspections. These are usually shorter and limited in scope. The regulations require us to conduct unannounced inspections and collect samples from at least five percent of our clients each year. We do these randomly.
Last year, we lost a couple of our inspectors during the inspection season. So, we had to scramble to get everyone inspected. We have been connecting with some new inspectors for 2022. Please try to keep your inspection date once it is scheduled. Inspectors do not always confirm an inspection after scheduling it. If you have concerns about your inspection, please contact your inspector or the MCIA office.
*
We were at the MOSES Organic Conference in February and the NPSAS Conference in January. It was good to see people in person after the last two years! Let’s all hope for a peaceful and prosperous year.
Organic farmland and retail sales both continue to show strong growth worldwide, according to data from 190 countries (data as of the end of 2020). Recently published by FiBL and IFOAM-Organics International, the 23rd edition of the statistics yearbook The World of Organic Agriculture shows the positive trend seen in past years continued into 2020.
The global organic market continues to grow
Against the backdrop of the pandemic, the global market for organic food showed its highest growth ever in 2020, exceeding $136 billion (120 billion euros)—a total increase of $15.9 billion (14 billion euros). The United States continued to be the leading market ($56 billion), followed by Germany (15 billion euros/17 billion USD) and France (12.7 billion euros/14.4 billion USD). In 2020, many major markets showed extraordinarily strong growth rates; the German market, for example, grew by more than 22 percent! Swiss consumers spent the most on organic food (418 euros/475 USD per capita in 2020), and Denmark continued to have the highest organic market share, with 13 percent of its total food market. The global COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant increase in demand for organic products in many countries, but there were also challenges: “The effects of the pandemic are visible in retail sales data. As people stayed home and began to cook more often and health, environment and climate change have become big issues, organic retail sales increased rapidly. However, at the same time, in the food service sales decreased in many countries,” says Helga Willer, who is in charge of the yearbook at FiBL.
3.4 million organic producers worldwide
In 2020, 3.4 million organic producers were reported, an increase of 7.6 percent compared to 2019. India continued to be the country with the most organic producers (1.6 million). The majority of small-scale producers are certified in groups based on an internal control system.
Steady increase of organic farmland
Almost 75 million hectares were organically managed at the end of 2020, representing a growth of 4.1 percent or 3 million hectares compared to 2019. Australia had the largest organic agricultural area (35.7 million hectares), followed by Argentina (4.5 million hectares) and Uruguay (2.7 million hectares). Organic area increased across all continents in 2020. Half of the global organic agricultural land is in Oceania (35.9 million hectares). Europe had the second largest area (17.1 million hectares), followed by Latin America (9.9 million hectares).
Ten percent or more of farmland is organic in 18 countries
In 2020, 1.6 percent of farmland around the world was organic. However, many countries have far higher shares: Liechtenstein had the largest organic share of total farmland (41.6 percent), followed by Austria (26.5 percent) and Estonia (22.4 percent). In 18 countries, 10 percent or more of all agricultural land is organic.
Global organic data shows ongoing engagement with transparency in the organic sector
“Global organic statistics have proven useful for international development cooperation programs and supporting strategies for organic agriculture and markets, and they are crucial for monitoring the impact of these activities. This publication shows our ongoing engagement with transparency in the organic sector,” says Louise Luttikholt, Executive Director of IFOAM-Organics International.
Knut Schmidtke, Director of Research, Extension & Innovation at FiBL Switzerland, adds: “Organic agriculture secures our future and does so worldwide: the Yearbook underlines the international importance of organic agriculture for a sustainable as well as climate-adapted food policy and reflects people’s trust in organically produced food.”
For more information about The World of Organic Agriculture yearbook, visit: www.organic-world.net/yearbook/yearbook-2022.html. Tables and interactive infographics with details on crops, markets, and international trade, as well as explanations about the data can be found on FiBL’s statistics website: https://statistics.fibl.org.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking stakeholder feedback to set regulatory priorities for the development of organic standards.
The USDA states that it intends to use information received through public comments to guide the prioritization of future organic standards development that will support a level playing field and market development. Specific recommendations that have been received from the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will be included in this process.
To receive public comment, the USDA has scheduled a virtual meeting on Monday, March 21, 2022, from 1:00-3:00 pm Eastern Time. Details on how to sign up to make oral comments, submit written comments, and the meeting link (via Zoom), are posted to the NOP Priorities Listening Session web page, here.
The deadline to sign up to make oral comments during the virtual meeting is February 28, 2022. The deadline to submit written comments is March 30, 2022.
Background: USDA certified organic products are an increasingly important part of American agriculture, and the organic community represents one of the fastest-growing food and farming sectors in the U.S. and global marketplace. The National Organic Program (NOP) protects the integrity of the USDA organic seal, which supports growth in the organic market for organic farms and businesses, and those interested in exploring the organic market. NOP develops the market and protects organic integrity by developing and enforcing clear standards to create a level playing field, and through providing oversight of third-party accredited certifying agents, and providing technical assistance to support farmer and market development.
*
MCIA is a USDA NOP-accredited Accredited Certifying Agent that provides organic certification services to operations in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. For more information about MCIA Organic Services, please visit: https://www.mncia.org/services-programs/organic-services.
Minnesota Crop Improvement Association welcomes Tyler Tisdale to our staff! Tyler started his work with MCIA Organic Services as an organic certification specialist/inspector in October. He is passionate about organic agriculture and has recently completed the IOIA (International Organic Inspectors Association) organic crop and organic livestock inspection training.
Tyler is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, where he earned a B.S. in agriculture education. Tyler’s work experience includes time as a certification specialist at Nature’s International Certification System (NICS), work as a program technician at the Farm Service Agency, crop scouting for Reddy Ag Service, and seasonal work at Foremost Farms.
To learn more about MCIA Organic Services, click here.
To qualify, applicants must be certified organic by a USDA-accredited certifying agency; by MCIA, for example. Operations that received certification (or had ongoing certification) between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021, are eligible for reimbursement of up to 50 percent of certification-related expenses. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) administers the program in Minnesota and has already mailed application packets to all certified organic operations in the state.
The maximum rebate available is $500 per category (crop, livestock, processing/handling, wild harvest). The MDA also offers a similar cost share program for operations transitioning to organic. In Minnesota, producers and handlers may apply for cost share assistance through the MDA, here. In Wisconsin, apply to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, here. Organic operations that are certified by MCIA and that are located in other states, should apply through their local Farm Service Agency (FSA).
“The yearly cost of certification can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars,” MDA Assistant Commissioner Patrice Bailey said. “This program provides some relief and goes a long way to make organic certification more affordable.” The Organic Certification Cost Share Program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency.
Minnesota Crop Improvement Association is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Organic Certification Specialist/Inspector. Duties of an organic certification specialist/inspector include collecting and distributing certification information, creating records, reviewing applications, conducting on-site inspections, performing final reviews, and writing certification decision letters.
MCIA’s office is located on the Saint Paul campus of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Hybrid or remote work arrangements are possible for employees living within our inspection area.
This full-time position offers a competitive salary and full benefits. For more information, including how to apply, visit our Job Openings page.
Driven by a swing to home cooking during the pandemic, U.S. organic sales soared to new highs in 2020, jumping by a record 12.4 percent to $61.9 billion. It marked the first time that total sales of organic food and non-food products have surpassed $60 billion. This growth rate is more than twice the 2019 pace of 5 percent, according to the 2021 Organic Industry Survey released Tuesday by the Organic Trade Association.
In almost every organic food category, demand jumped by near-record levels, propelling U.S. organic food sales in 2020 up a record 12.8 percent to a new high of $56.4 billion. In 2020, almost 6 percent of the food sold in the United States was certified organic.
The Covid-19 pandemic caused consumer dollars to shift almost overnight from restaurants and carry-out to groceries, with traditional staples and pantry and freezer items flying off the shelves.
Leading the way was fresh organic produce, with sales rising by nearly 11 percent in 2020. Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables also jumped with frozen sales alone rising by more than 28 percent. Including frozen, canned, and dried products, total sales of organic fruit and vegetables in 2020 were $20.4 billion. More than 15 percent of the fruits and vegetables sold in this country now are organic.
Pantry stocking was overwhelmingly the main growth driver in 2020. Sales of organic flours and baked goods grew by 30 percent.
Consumers also turned to “meal support” products to help them in the kitchen. Sales of sauces and spices pushed the $2.4 billion condiments category to a growth rate of 31 percent, and organic spice sales jumped by 51 percent, more than triple the growth rate of 15 percent in 2019.
Meat, poultry & fish, the smallest of the organic categories at $1.7 billion, had the second highest growth rate of nearly 25 percent.
While the growth in organic food sales is not expected to continue at 2020’s fast rate, organic food sales are expected to stay on a strong growth path in 2021. It is anticipated that the grocery industry at large will get a lasting lift from the pandemic as many consumers continue to cook more at home.
“We’ve seen a great many changes during the pandemic, and some of them are here to stay,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association. “What’s come out of COVID is a renewed awareness of the importance of maintaining our health, and the important role of nutritious food. For more and more consumers, that means organic. We’ll be eating in restaurants again, but many of us will also be eating and cooking more at home. We’ll see more organic everywhere—in the stores and on our plates.”
This year’s 2021 Organic Industry Survey was conducted from January through March 2021. Nearly 200 companies participated. To purchase the full report, visit the Organic Trade Association website. OTA’s full press release on this topic can be found online here. For more information about organic certification, visit MCIA Organic Services.
MOSES (Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service) recently announced their Organic Field Day schedule for summer 2021. Two MCIA-certified organic operations, Mhonpaj’s Garden and Cala Farm Origenes, are among the participating farms. The purpose of Organic Field Days is to showcase successful organic farms and to offer ideas that others can put into practice.
On June 2, Mhonpaj Lee will be lead a virtual field day on the topic Season Extension at Mhonpaj’s Garden. The program will focus on connecting NRCS staff with the Hmong farming community; it will also include valuable tips for growers regarding high tunnel production.
On August 18, Rodrigo Cala will present on the topic Systems Approach to Organic Farming at Cala Farm Origenes, in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin. He will share information about rotational grazing sheep, integrated vegetable systems, weed management, cover cropping, and perennial systems.
Visit the MOSES website to register for these events and for further details. Visit MCIA Organic Services for more information about organic certification.
If you shop at farmers markets in the Twin Cities, you may have encountered the bountiful, fresh produce grown by Mhonpaj’s Garden. Did you know that Mhonpaj’s Garden has the distinction of being the first Hmong-owned certified organic farm in Minnesota? The operation is certified organic by Minnesota Crop Improvement Association. Learn more about Mhonpaj Lee, the farm’s owner and namesake, and her new role as an organic farming advisor with MOSES, in this recently published Organic Broadcasterarticle, written by MCIA Organic Certification Specialist Bailey Webster.
