In 2009, a year that many industries could not wait to put behind them, the organic food industry grew by a whopping 12.3% in the United States and 9.7% globally (DataMonitor). These numbers however, are just the latest in a succession from past years revealing a diminishing growth rate. What this means for the future of the industry is not entirely clear, but as of now it does seem to be ripe for some considerable consolidation.

    The simple definition of organic crops in the United States is defined as “crops that are raised without using synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or sewage sludge fertilizer, and they have not been altered by genetic engineering.” Similarly, “organic animal products come from animals that have been fed 100% organic feed and raised without the use of growth hormones or antibiotics in an environment where they have access to the outdoors.” (Gale Encyclopedia of Diets: Organic Food). While there are variations between what qualifies as organic from country to country, the idea is fairly standard. The not-so-simple definitions of these categories can be found in the twenty pages of the Organic Foods Production Act which details exactly what qualifies as organic and what does not.