May 27, 2016

CapitalPress.com
U.S. organic food, fi ber sales booming
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
U.S. organic product sales
jumped nearly 11 percent in
2015, setting records along
the way.
Total sales of organic
food and non-food products
reached $43.3 billion, with
organic food sales claiming
about 92 percent of all re-
ceipts at $39.7 billion, ac-
cording to the Organic Trade
Association.
Those food sales were up
10.6 percent year over year,
outperforming the 3 percent
growth in conventional food
sales and claiming nearly 5
percent of all food sold in the
U.S.
At $3.6 billion, organic
non-food sales were up 12.8
percent, led by organic fi ber
and organic supplements,
eclipsing the 2.8 growth in
primarily conventional com-
parable products.
Total organic sales in 2015
marked the fourth-consec-
utive year of double-digit
growth, adding $4.2 billion
in sales over 2014. Those
sales represent a 209 percent
growth since 2005, when
sales totaled $14 billion.
“Despite all of the chal-
lenges, the organic industry
saw its largest dollar growth
to date and the industry ral-
lied together, investing in
infrastructure, education and
systems to endure that it will
continue to be the most mean-
ing farm-to-fork — and fi ber
— system,” said Laura Bat-
cha, OTA executive director.
U.S. annual organic sales
$43.3
billion
(Billions of dollars)
Source: Organic Trade Association,
2016 Organic Industry Survey
39.1
Carol Ryan Dumas and
Alan Kenaga/Capital Press
23.2 24.3
14
2005
16.6
26.1
28.5
31.5
35.1
19.4
’07
Up 10.8%
from 2014
’09
Growing consumer inter-
est in organic products stems
from a desire for transparen-
cy in the supply chain and
to know where food comes
from, she said.
“At the shelf, this trans-
lates to consumers seeking
clean labels with simple in-
gredient lists,” OTA stated in
its executive summary of its
2016 Organic Industry Sur-
vey, which won’t be available
until June.
“Farm-fresh foods — pro-
duce and dairy — are driving
the market. Together, they
account for more than half of
total organic food sales,” Bat-
cha said.
Produce continued to lead
organic food sales in 2015
with receipts of $14.4 billion
for all fruits and vegetables,
including $13 billion in fresh
produce, and a sales increase
of 10.6 percent. Almost 13
percent of produce sold in the
U.S. is organic, OTA reported.
“Produce has always been
’11
’13
2015
and continues to be a gateway
to organic. It is easy for shop-
pers to make the connection
between agricultural practices
used in the fi eld and the fresh
fruit or vegetables they bite
into,” OTA stated.
Dairy followed with $6
billion in sales, an increase
of more than 10 percent year
over year.
Even with impressive
growth in those sectors, they
weren’t the fastest growing
organic food sector, according
to the latest survey.
The fresh juices and bev-
erages category grew by 33.5
percent. Organic eggs were
just behind with a 32 percent
growth, and organic condi-
ments as a whole marked an
18.5 percent growth, OTA re-
ported.
“Organic is a bright spot in
agriculture and the economy
of America. Our success will
continue to be built on a solid
foundation of stakeholder en-
gagement, transparency and
meaningful organic standards
that consumers trust in,” Bat-
cha said.
While 2015 held signifi -
cant growth for organic sales
and access to organic products
continued to grow at the retail
level, the industry continued
to struggle to meet demand.
Dairy and grains were two ar-
eas where growth could have
been even more robust if more
supply had been available,
OTA reported.
But the industry did col-
laborate to make headway in
addressing the supply chal-
lenge, developing infrastruc-
ture and advocating for policy
to advance the sector.
“There is an industry-wide
understanding of the need to
build a secure supply chain
that can support demand. This
goes hand-in-hand with se-
curing more organic acreage,
developing programs to help
farmers transition to organic
and encouraging new farm-
ers to farm organically,” OTA
stated.
OTA made progress
this past year in an organic
checkoff for research and
promotion, crop insurance
modifications and amend-
ments to the Federal Milk
Marketing Order system to
address the needs of the or-
ganic industry.
In addition, it created an
organic fi ber council and sev-
eral food companies formed
the U.S. Organic Grain Col-
laboration to address chal-
lenges in expanding the sup-
ply of organic grain in the
U.S.
State offers up to $750 rebate
for organic certifi cation costs
By ERIC MORTENSON
Capital Press
With demand for organ-
ic products continuing to
accelerate, the Oregon De-
partment of Agriculture is
stepping in to help grow-
ers, processors and handlers
meet the cost of USDA cer-
tification this year.
The department will re-
imburse up to 75 percent of
certification expenses — up
to $750 — incurred between
Oct. 1, 2015, and Sept. 30,
2016.
Approximately 770 or-
ganic producers and han-
dlers are potentially eligi-
ble, the department said in
a news release. The idea is
to help them meet grow-
ing consumer demand for
organic products, which
shows no sign of slowing.
Application for the re-
imbursement is online at
http://go.usa.gov/cuePJ.
Reimbursements will be on
a first-come, first-served
basis until the money is
gone. All applications must
be received by Oct. 31,
2016.
To be eligible, applicants
must be an organic oper-
ation in Oregon that paid
fees to become newly cer-
tified or to renew certifica-
tion. They also must possess
current USDA certification;
operations with suspended
or revoked certifications
are ineligible for reimburse-
ment.
According to USDA, the
number of U.S. certified
organic operations grew by
nearly 12 percent from 2014
to 2016, and has increased
nearly 300 percent since the
USDA began counting or-
ganic certifications in 2002.
As of April 2016, there
were 21,781 certified or-
ganic operations in the U.S.
and 31,160 worldwide. The
retail market for organic
products is more than $39
billion in the U.S. and $75
billion worldwide, accord-
ing to the USDA’s Agricul-
ture Marketing Service.
Retailers are well aware
of the demand. In April, the
Seattle Times newspaper re-
ported that retail giant Cost-
co was seeking to lock in
access to organic products
by helping a producer buy
1,200 acres in Mexico. The
company also bought beef
cattle and contracted with
owners of organic pastures
to raise them in Nebraska.
The USDA maintains a
website with market and
pricing information on
about 250 organic products,
www.usda.gov/organic. The
department allocated $11.5
million in 2015 to help pro-
ducers, handlers and pro-
cessors with certification
costs.
Protesters demand justice for Idaho rancher killed by deputies
Citizens say
months-long ISP
investigation is a
disservice to family
By SEAN ELLIS
Capital Press
BOISE — A rally to de-
mand justice for Jack Yantis,
the Adams County rancher
who was shot and killed by
sheriff’s deputies last year,
was held in front of the Idaho
attorney general’s offi ce on
May 20.
The attorney general’s of-
fi ce in March was handed the
results of a months-long Ida-
ho State Police investigation
into the Nov. 1 shooting and
is acting as special prosecutor
in the case.
Protesters said the inves-
tigation has lasted too long
and demanded the attorney
general make a determination
on whether the two Adams
County sheriff’s deputies in-
volved in the shooting will be
charged.
“It shouldn’t take this
Sean Ellis/Capital Press
Supporters of Jack Yantis, the Council, Idaho, rancher shot and killed by sheriff’s deputies in Novem-
ber, demand justice for him May 20 in front of the Idaho attorney general’s offi ce in the state Capitol.
long. My goodness, it’s been
over six months,” said Melba
rancher Steve Colson.
Yantis, a Council area
rancher, was shot and killed
by the deputies after he ar-
rived at the scene where one
of his bulls had been hit and
injured by a car. He was asked
by the dispatcher to go there.
Jordan Valley resident Mi-
chael McLaughlin, who has
organized the Facebook page,
“Justice for Jack,” said the
Yantis family deserves clo-
sure and the investigation has
taken too long.
“Two hundred days lat-
5
er, the whole family still
doesn’t have closure,” he said.
“Something’s wrong with
that.”
The 12 protesters, a mix of
Adams County and Boise area
residents, stood in front of the
attorney general’s offi ce with
signs and stickers demanding
justice and resolution.
The attorney general re-
leased a statement in response
to the rally that encouraged
people to be patient until the
offi ce thoroughly reviews the
results of the state police in-
vestigation.
“In order to achieve jus-
tice, my offi ce is fulfi lling its
prosecutorial duty to conduct
a thorough, deliberate and
careful review of all the evi-
dence that has been gathered
in this complex case,” Idaho
Attorney General Lawrence
Wasden stated in the release.
Wasden said the case is a
high priority for his offi ce,
“but we only get one chance
to achieve justice for every-
one involved, including Mr.
Yantis. For that reason, I have
not imposed any arbitrary
time lines that could lead to a
rush in judgment.”
In a May 19 letter to Ad-
ams County commissioners,
Wasden said the state police
investigation was thorough,
comprehensive and complex
and he has instructed his in-
vestigators and prosecutors to
be equally as thorough.
“It is important for you
and for the people of Adams
County to understand this
process takes considerable
time,” Wasden stated.
Colson, a former police
offi cer, said he was stunned
to learn that Yantis had been
killed after responding to the
scene where one of his bulls
had been injured.
“The wife deserves to
know ... why in the hell her
husband was killed for doing
what he was supposed to do,”
he said. “The whole thing just
does not make sense.”
Council resident Rebecca
Barrow, who organized the
protest rally, said it was held
“to let the attorney general
know that we haven’t forgot-
ten Jack was killed 200 days
ago and we’re asking him to
put Jack’s case fi rst. ... The
family deserves to know what
he’s going to decide.”
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