Every year, U.S. supermarket shelves are increasingly stocked with organic food products from farmers in foreign countries. As a result, more American consumers than ever are purchasing organic imports, whether Canadian grains, South American produce or European dairy. Imports already make up a growing share of organic corn and soybeans, too.
The U.S. share of the global organic food market is estimated at 40%. In short, the U.S. is heavily dependent on other countries for 60% of these goods. This glaring trade imbalance means dollars that could support American farms and rural communities are flowing to foreign producers overseas. It represents billions of dollars in lost revenue left on the table here at home.
This is a monumental untapped economic opportunity for American farmers – and, by extension, American consumers. The global organic market is projected to hit $120 billion by 2030. Unless American farmers can meet consumer demand, others clearly will.
The longer we delay scaling up our domestic organic production, the harder it becomes to reclaim that ground. This lag is unfolding as freshly imposed tariffs on countries around the world are raising the cost of food for Americans, according to a recent analysis from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.
