Organic Voices' Impact at An Organic Night Out

We shouldn’t be relying on imported organic food to meet domestic demand. If we truly care about integrity, that integrity needs to be grown here in the United States—supporting our farmers, strengthening local economies, and upholding the standards consumers believe they are buying. Right now, we’ve created a gap. The U.S. leads in organic consumption, yet we’re falling behind in production. That disconnect invites imports—and with it, inconsistencies in standards, oversight, and trust. At the same time, we have to be honest about the influence of Big Ag. Too often, policy becomes “pay to play,” while the long-term impact of synthetic chemicals continues to be overlooked. And just as important—consumers need clarity. “Regenerative” on its own is not the same as Regenerative Certified Organic. Without organic certification, regenerative claims can still allow the use of synthetic chemicals. That distinction matters. Support local organic farmers. That’s the lever. After year three, organic systems become more productive and require fewer inputs. The model works—we just need to back it. Transparency isn’t optional. It’s foundational. If we want a healthier food system, it starts with informed consumers and a commitment to building it here—properly, from the soil up. #farming #organicfarming Regenerative Organic Alliance CCOF Biodynamic Federation Demeter International

Organic Kent mango supply from Peru begins mid-March Biotropic is strengthening its organic fruit portfolio with the start of Kent mango supply from Peru. This program reflects Biotropic's commitment to working with growers who combine responsible agricultural practices, strong certification standards, and a long-term vision for sustainable production. The mangoes are grown in one of Peru's most arid coastal regions, where agriculture depends on careful water management and resilient cultivation methods. The farm uses its own wells for irrigation and maintains low-growing mango trees, a practice that facilitates harvesting and supports efficient orchard management. These conditions, together with an agronomic approach focused on soil health and long-term productivity, result in high-quality organic Kent mangoes with a smooth texture, almost no fiber, and a naturally sweet, tropical flavor. Full text: https://lnkd.in/giaVTi8m Source: FreshPlaza Promperu Asociación de Exportadores ADEX Gremio de Comercio Exterior - XCOM Peruvian-Canadian Chamber of Commerce Asociación de Gremios Productores Agrarios del Perú - AGAP Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) APEM - PERÚ

Soil Association Certification's annual Organic Market Report shows demand for British organic produce is continuing to rise, yet the UK’s ability to supply it remains limited. With only 3% of UK farmland under organic management, the market is still heavily reliant on imports at a time when resilience and provenance matter more than ever.   Amongst farmer's top priorities is the need to strengthen UK organic farming by supporting domestic producers from a policy standpoint, as well as building the evidence base for the benefits of organic to strengthen credibility and consumer trust – and increase consumer engagement.   There are strong indications of what’s possible. In Scotland, organic land increased by 13.2% last year, bolstered by a funded Scottish Organic Action Plan and financial support schemes designed to support farmers in both organic conversion and maintenance. This demonstrates how coordinated policy and market alignment can accelerate sector growth and strengthen domestic supply.   Soil Association continues to build a growing evidence base for organic and highlight the opportunities for organic farmland to grow in line with the market for organic food, as well as continuing to work with government and partners to get an English Organic Action Plan over the line.   To find out more about the state of UK organic farming, download the report: https://bit.ly/4t9kAyO

Conventional farm organizations used to dislike us. Today, they support many organic policy measures and much of our messaging around organics because we focused on doing five things: 𝟭. 𝗪𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 Our organic farm leaders walked farms together with conventional farm leaders. We listened to their concerns about organic agriculture, and awakened their interest in organic solutions & craftsmanship. We debunked myths along the way. This takes time — and many cups of coffee. But these relationships open minds, lower tensions and create champions and allies for organic in farm organizations. 𝟮. 𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 We did what researchers call “constructive conflict.” We stood together with conventional farm organizations wherever possible, while standing firm on other areas like pesticides, GMO, antibiotics, animal welfare…. We built collaborative projects to develop organic farming, mobilizing knowledge and talented people within the conventional farm innovation and advisory system. 𝟯. 𝗪𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁��𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 In 25 years at Organic Denmark, I think I only spoke about conventional farming 4-5 times, and always when pressed by media or politicians. We used “positive messaging” about what organic farming can do — for biodiversity, environment, clean drinking water and food, better life for animals. Of course this did involve messaging on pesticides for example, and some farm leaders found this less than “positive.” But we didn't point fingers. This helped keep more farm organizations and political parties open to growing organics. 𝟰. 𝗪𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 There is no question that Organic Denmark’s success in growing the market for organic food got conventional farm organizations attention. As did the organic premiums going to organic farmers. We made great efforts to be sure that these breakthroughs got attention in agricultural media and conferences. 𝟱. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 Agriculture is having great difficulty living up to society’s demands to lower nitrogen pollution, reduce pesticide use, and cut climate emissions. So it just made sense to support the inclusion of organic in policy measures — and support new goals and funding for organics — because we do a lot of the heavy lifting on those targets! I remember the day that conventional farm lobbyists realized that they would benefit if they stopped fighting the science on organics and accepted how much organic delivers on public goals. These five elements created a shift in mindset from “organic farmers as the enemy” to “organic farmers as colleagues.” Build allies instead of enemies. Wherever possible. And keep organics on the offensive!

The latest edition of The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends offers a snapshot of the global organic movement. In the first edition of this global yearbook around 2000, the world counted roughly 11 million hectares of organic farmland and about 200,000 producers. Today, according to data compiled by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL and IFOAM - Organics International, that figure has grown to 98.8 million hectares and around 4.8 million farmers. 📊 Although the global statistics still focus primarily on third-party certified operations, the report also highlights a growing interest in Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS). Some of the figures already include PGS-based production where national data providers did not distinguish between them. One small detail in the report illustrates this complexity particularly well—a simple image that tells a much larger story. The cover picture compares an organic cacao monoculture with a cacao agroforestry system from the SysCom trial in Bolivia. Although both systems may be counted as “organic hectares”, they represent fundamentally different farming models. Permanent crops provide another interesting lens into this transition. Globally, permanent crops account for about 6.9% of organic agricultural land — roughly 6.9 million hectares — and many of these systems are managed through diversified agroforestry or smallholder farming systems. Regional patterns reinforce this trend: • In Africa, more than half of organic farmland is dedicated to permanent crops (about 1.6 million hectares), mainly coffee, cocoa, and nuts. • In Latin America, permanent crops represent 11.8% of organic land, roughly 429,000 hectares of organic coffee and 204,000 hectares of cocoa. 🤝 Across value chains, organizations are already supporting this transition. For example, Naturland e.V. recently trained 4,000 smallholder coffee farmers in Rwanda to establish agroforestry systems. Another interesting analogy can be drawn with territorial approaches emerging in Europe. Initiatives known as bio-districts — regional partnerships between farmers, citizens, local authorities, and businesses — organize entire territories around organic and agroecological principles. These initiatives connect local food production, public procurement, tourism, environmental stewardship, and rural development within the same ecosystem. At the same time, agroecology is gaining increasing recognition in global policy frameworks and major international bodies. Seen from this perspective, there is a signal that a deeper transition may already be underway — one where agriculture, ecosystems, and local economies begin to align again. This evolution invites us to ask how organic landscapes are organized to sustain farmers, communities, and food systems in the long term. 👉 https://lnkd.in/e6XzM9xB #SustainableFoodSystems #Agroecology #FoodValueChain

Global organic growth is moving fast. America isn’t. “Globally, organic acreage is increasing: • In 2022, global organic and transitioning to organic land comprised almost 240 million acres. Australia has the most organic and transitioning to organic acreage (131 million acres), with 97 percent devoted to extensive grazing. • As U.S. organic acreage declined, so has its rank as a top global producer. The United States was ranked ninth for organically managed land in 2022, down from third in 2016.” - Sharon Raszap Skorbiansky; Organic Situation Report, 2025 Edition The infographic shows a clear imbalance for the United States—we lead the world in organic consumption, but trail behind in organic production and farmland conversion. This gap represents both a vulnerability in food supply and a significant opportunity to expand domestic organic and regenerative farming. The Good News: American farmers are being recognized for what they truly are: critical partners in the health, security, and future of our food system. Through the MAHA Commission, the federal government is pairing near‑term food security with long‑term farm modernization—investing heavily in regenerative agriculture, better chemical risk research, and farmer‑driven innovation. With over $1 billion committed to soil health, whole‑farm planning, and new tools that reduce reliance on chemical inputs, the message is clear: - Productivity and stewardship don’t have to compete. - Farmers can do both—and be supported in the process. This is a moment of real opportunity to strengthen American agriculture from the ground up. What would make transitioning toward organic or regenerative systems feel more doable for farmers considering the move? Sources & Refrences: Organic Situation Report, 2025 Edition: https://lnkd.in/eZz-mciE Infographic from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL: https://lnkd.in/eKekER4C HHS, USDA & EPA Announce $1 Billion Investment Plan: https://lnkd.in/eraMt-dP #regenerativeagriculture #organic #Americanagriculture #organicfarming #MAHA #agriculturalmarkets #importsexports

A new window of opportunity is opening for organic farming in Poland 🇵🇱🌿🍏 For many organic growers, the challenge has never been commitment. The challenge has been the limited toolbox available for managing crop quality, plant condition and more stable commercial results under organic standards. That is why this development matters. Silver Mix® has now been officially recognized by IUNG-PIB as suitable for use in organic farming in Poland. The certificate is dated 02.03.2026, and the product has been entered into the official list under NE/944/2026. This is more than a formal approval. It is a meaningful step for professional eco-growers, orchard managers, fruit producers and horticultural farms looking for more modern, science-based foliar tools within organic production systems. Poland is one of Europe’s key fruit-growing countries. So when the organic sector gains access to better-qualified nutritional tools, it is not just a product story — it is a market signal. 🌍 In practice, organic production has often had to compete with fewer effective crop-management options, which could mean weaker consistency in appearance, uniformity or marketable quality. With solutions such as Silver Mix®, the gap between organic ambition and commercial performance can begin to narrow. 🍐📈 Available through the Agrosimex network in Poland, Silver Mix® now becomes a more relevant tool for growers who want organic programs to be not only compliant, but also stronger, more predictable and more competitive. 🧪✅ And this is only the beginning. We continue working to open similar opportunities in other EU countries — with a clear goal: to give organic growers better tools and help raise the quality standard of eco-production across Europe. 🇪🇺🌱 Buy in Poland: https://lnkd.in/e5t8b_m6 Follow our LinkedIn page for more orchard insights, field updates and practical recommendations for modern fruit growing and sustainable agriculture. 🌍 #OrganicFarming #Poland #EcoFarming #Orchards #FruitGrowing #Agrosimex #SilverMix #SustainableAgriculture #PlantNutrition #Horticulture

This feels like a signal we shouldn’t ignore! > Organic is growing faster than non-organic, with 83% of UK households now buying organic in some form, it’s a clear demand signal > Despite that, UK organic farmland remains stuck at around 3%, showing how slowly supply is responding > There was some progress in England with land in conversion, but this dropped off when the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) closed, highlighting how fragile momentum is > The system is not yet set up to support farmers through transition, even as consumer demand increases > Scotland has an ambition to double its organic farmland > Demand is growing, but policy, incentives and supply chains are not keeping pace > If we want more nature-friendly farming, we need to create the conditions that make it viable for UK growers to transition and stay there 💯💯💯(Fast) https://lnkd.in/e3CScZJx David Burrows Sophie Gregory Paul Lightfoot Alex Cullen

Biologicals: A New Frontier in Organic By Sam Oschwald Tilton OATS Training Specialist and an Independent Organic Advisor at Glacial Drift Enterprises Organic farmers have always been focused on biology, but in the last decade or two, a biological perspective has become more valued by conventional ag as well. We see this new perspective reflected in the popular term “soil health”. Ag suppliers also have more of a focus on biology, and in recent years, they are formulating more products that work through biology instead of chemistry. Because so many more acres are conventional than organic, changes in conventional often have impacts on organic. This has absolutely been true in the rise of biological inputs.  Biologicals are a wide class of materials that consist of living or once-living organisms that enhance plant growth. Biologicals are currently quite popular in organic and conventional ag. Their quick growth in popularity along with flashy advertising left me wondering how effective these products are for organic grain producers. To cut through the noise, I was happy to have two guests on the Organic Advisor Call Series last season who have great perspectives on biologicals. Dr. Connor Sible is a crop science professor at the University of Illinois who studies biologicals, and Brett Bell is President and CEO of Albert Lea seed, where he evaluates and brings to market biologicals for organic farmers. Both of these ag professionals are dedicated to supporting farmers in ways that enhance profitability, and I learned a lot. Read this full article to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gsZjkYig And watch our recent Organic Advisor Call Series Biological Seed Treatments and Amendments https://lnkd.in/g9YACbAi #soilhealth

₹800 for 500ml ghee. Two Brothers Organic Farms sells it without discounts. Founders ask us: "Make our brand like theirs. But cheaper." They want the equity. They don't want to pay for what built it. Here's what they're missing: Two Brothers didn't win because their packaging looks premium. They won because their strategy justifies the price. Three decisions made the difference: Regenerative farming. Not just organic. Soil health as product proof. Farm traceability. Customers can see the source. Trust is built before purchase. Traditional processing. Bilona A2 ghee. Wood-pressed oils. Stone-ground flours. These aren't aesthetic choices. These are positioning decisions that protect margin. The packaging reflects those decisions. Earthy tones signal natural farming. Minimal design signals purity. Farm visuals reinforce traceability. But the pack didn't create the trust. The strategy did. Most founders get this backwards. They think: "If my pack looks like Two Brothers, I can charge like Two Brothers." That assumption dies at shelf. Because customers don't buy packaging. They buy coherence. Coherence between your claim, your process, your proof, and your presentation. When strategy is absent, design becomes a gamble. And gambles don't protect pricing power. Two Brothers can charge ₹800 because every element of their system reinforces one belief: "This is real food from a real farm." That belief wasn't designed in Illustrator. It was built through years of farming decisions, then expressed visually. The cost most founders try to avoid -strategic branding is the only thing that makes premium pricing defensible. Without it, you're left with two options: Discount to move product. Or hope customers don't compare. Two Brothers proves the alternative works. Before asking for "a brand like theirs," ask: Can you prove your claims at every step? Is your differentiation rooted in process, or just packaging language? Does your pricing reflect real value, or aspirational design? If those answers aren't clear, the pack won't fix it. Strategic branding isn't the expense. Competing on price for the next five years is.