Have We Got Organics On Backwards?
July 31, 2009
The USDA ERS has released research findings on organic food production and consumption. The US imports about $1.5B of organic products while exporting a mere $.25B. The current trend is a widening gap. Does that mean organics are eroding the buy local food movement? Why doesn’t American agriculture rise up to produce food the consumer is wishing to buy?
The answers to those question are not in the USDA findings. It is evident that consumption of organic food is growing faster than new acres are converted to organic. I believe this is a social issue not a market imbalance. To grow an acre of conventional corn in 2009, inputs total $560 per acre before land cost. 200 bushel corn at $3.00 brings in a whopping $600. $40 to pay land cost and return on labor and management. An acre of organic corn cost less than $200 per acre. Only 100 bushel corn brings in $600 per acre or $400 to pay land cost and return to labor and management.
When hypesters say we cannot feed the world with organics, they forget about the value we have to create to pay for all the chemicals and GMO fees. Organic farmers do not brag of the money they save not purchasing chemicals because they do want people to know how much money they are making! Organic crops yield nearly the same most years, but in bad years they yield far less because we have fewer tools to be in command and control of mother nature. So, let’s accept that we can produce 80% of applying a factory mentality to an ever changing ecosystem.
We waste 40% of our food in this nation. Most food waste goes to a landfill while we are short on soil nutrients. If we only wasted 20% of our food and composted 20% we would be way ahead of the yield game. The conventional farmers are not going to switch to organics or low input sustainable agriculture. That is not a club they choose to be members of. However, their replacements will because it is a good marketing decison and is right for the environment and humanity. Sustainable agriculture will become conventional agriculture. Maybe Obama will come out with a “Cash for Chemicals” stimmulus.
