USDA ORGANIC DATA UPDATE

Adam Cline

Head, Census Section

Census and Survey Division

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

National Organic Standards Board Meeting

April 24, 2019
TOPICS

• Surveys and Data Sources

• Data Variances

• Challenges and Next Steps

• 2017 Census of Agriculture Organic Results
NASS PRODUCER SURVEYS

– Census of Agriculture Special Studies

• 2008

• 2014

• 2019

– RMA Funded Surveys 

• 2011

• 2015

• 2016
2019 ORGANIC SURVEY

– Special Study to the 2017 Census of Agriculture

– Federal Register posted on Feb 28; closes Apr 29

– Questionnaire changes

– Data on production quantity and value as well as 

production and marketing practices

– Data collection begins December 2019

– Results released October 2020
CERTIFIER SURVEYS

CERTIFIER ACREAGE AND LIVESTOCK DATA

• Agricultural Marketing Service: 1992-1994

• Agrisystems International (Private): 1995

• Economic Research Service: 1997-2011

• NASS: 2014-2015

• AMS NOP: 2017 - ongoing
CERTIFIER DATA

TRANSITION TO NOP

• Consultation with NASS, ERS, and other 

stakeholders

• Data from certifiers readily available for Organic 

Integrity Database 

• Data reports began in 2017

• Proposed rule to make reporting mandatory
DATA VARIANCES

NUMBER OF OPERATIONS

– NASS Producer Surveys

• Self reported

• Certified crop and livestock farming operations with 

production

– AMS NOP; Organic Integrity Database

• Data from mandatory and regulated reporting

• All operations and businesses

– Methodology Differences

• Method for counting a single entity with multiple 

operations/locations may vary among agencies
DATA VARIANCES

CERTIFIER ACREAGE AND LIVESTOCK DATA

– Certifier Surveys (NASS and ERS)

• Long data collection timeframes

• Resources to interact with certifiers

• Resources to review and edit the reported data

– Organic Integrity Database (AMS NOP)

• Limited resources for certifier interaction and data 

review

• Must rely on assumption of accurate reporting of these 

fields
CHALLENGES

ORGANIC INTEGRITY DATABASE

ACREAGE AND LIVESTOCK DATA

– Reporting is voluntary

– Data issues such as duplication and key entry 

mistakes are not corrected

– Record keeping varies greatly among certifiers

– Currently less reliable but more timely and 

available to users
NEXT STEPS

CERTIFIER ACREAGE AND LIVESTOCK DATA

RELIABLE | ACCURATE | TIMELY

1. Mandatory Reporting

2. NASS/NOP Data Validation Project

3. Certifier Support from Industry
2017 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE

2017 2012

% 

change

Number of Farms - Certified and Exempt 18,166 14,326 +27

Number of Farms - Certified 17,741 12,771 +39

Number of Farms - Exempt 3,065 3,754 -22

Number of Farms - Transitioning Acres 3,723 3,240 +15

Total Value of Sales $7.2B $3.1B +57

Average Value of Sales Per Farm $401K $218K +84

Number of Organic Farms and Value of Sales Up From 2012
2017 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE

Organic 

Farms All Farms

Average Value of Sales Per Farm $401K $190K

Average Age of Producer 51.3 57.5

Producers Age 34 or Less 17% 8%

Male Producers 63% 64%

Female Producers 37% 36%

Primary Occupation is Farming 64% 42%

Worked Off Farm at Least One Day 53% 61%

Organic Producer is Younger and More Likely to be Full-time Farmer
Thank You

Adam Cline

Head, Census Section

Census and Survey Division

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

(202) 690-8818

adam.cline@usda.gov

www.nass.usda.gov

www.nass.usda.gov/organics