The Evolution of Organic Research: Trends of the Past Decade

Organic research has been going on for much more than a decade, of course. In ‘Farmers of Forty Centuries: Organic Farming in China, Korea, and Japan’, F.H. King made the argument almost a century ago that many traditional agricultural practices can still inform those interested in sustainability. However, federal programs arguably legitimized research in this area.  The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) established the National Organic Program (NOP) in 1990. Final rules for implementing this legislation came out in 2000 and nationwide organic standards for certification under a national organic label were first established in 2002. From this point onward, it was possible to define legally what practices were ‘allowable’ and which were not. With this legal definition of organic, it was possible to distinguish scientific research in organic agriculture from related areas by drawing some boundaries. The organic label also allowed the organic industry to grow. In 2011 alone, the value rose 9.5% to $31.5 billion in sales, according to the Organic Trade Association's (OTA's) 2012 Organic Industry Survey. While growth has slowed from the double-digit rise in the 1990s, growth continued even during the 2008 recession. Federal support for organic research dates from about the same time. The 1998 farm bill created the Organic Transitions Program (ORG). The 2002 farm bill created the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) and OREI was also included in the 2008 Farm Bill. In 2009, mandatory funding for the OREI increased to $18 million with additional increases in subsequent years through 2012 to $20 million.  Included in the 2008 Farm Bill legislation, along with the funding increases, was a legislatively defined goal of determining the environmental impacts of organic agriculture, including impacts on water, air and soil quality. While federal support is important to organic research, states also provide significant funding. Funding trends will be discussed, including the relative contribution of federal entities and state partners.