Organic Farming’s Economic and Environmental Benefits

Organic farming is a rapidly expanding economic sector and makes an important contribution to human health, the health of the economy, and the health of the planet. The evidence is clear about the success of organic farming in terms of human health, prosperity, the benefits to soil and water, to birds and bees, and the ability of organic farming to mitigate damage from global climate change.

Because of the many benefits of organic farming, public policies should support investing in the expanding organic sector. The Farm Bill is due to be re‐configured and re‐authorized before the end of 2012 and, as the primary instrument of agricultural policy, the Farm Bill is a likely vehicle for investment in organic agriculture. Currently, agricultural policy does very little to support organic farmers and, in some cases, works against the interests of organic farmers.

The Organic Farming for Health & Prosperity Report is a review of the American scientific literature concerning organic farming in the United States, designed to examine the many benefits of American organic agriculture and identify the key ways in which agriculture policy could best be supportive of organic farmers.