Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124 Page 125 Page 126 Page 127 Page 128 Page 129 Page 130 Page 131 Page 132 Page 133 Page 134 Page 135 Page 136 Page 137 Page 138 Page 139 Page 140 Page 141 Page 142 Page 143 Page 144 Page 145 Page 146 Page 147 Page 148NOT ONLY IS the demand for organic crops up in recent years, it is way up. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service, the demand for all organic crops in the United States increased by 69 percent between 2008 and 2014. In 2015, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) reported that the U.S. organic industry posted new records, with total organic product sales hitting $43.3 billion, an increase of 11 percent from the year before. Of this $43.3 billion, $39.7 billion were organic food sales. Simply said: nearly 5 percent of all food sold in the U.S. last year was organic. “As the demand for organic products increases, so does the demand for organic seed in all sectors, including the corn, soybean and sorghum sectors to meet the demand for feed and food products,” says Michelle Klieger, director of international programs and policy for the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). “Over a dozen seed companies have devel- oped varieties for this market and are selling seed for this market. With the diversity of companies, produc- ers can purchase varieties with different maturities and characteristics.” However, it is important to point out that demand varies by crop. “As with other identity-preserved seed sectors, such as waxy and white corn, seed companies are able to meet market demand when they are given the appropriate lead time to produce for the demand,” says Klieger. “As organic farmers and seed companies develop relationships, the companies scale up their production processes to meet the growers’ demands.” Even though 2015 showed significant growth for the organic industry, meeting consumer demand remains a big challenge. OTA reported that in response to organic production lagging consumption, the indus- try has come together in creative and proactive ways. “The industry joined in collaborative ways to invest in infrastructure and education, and companies invested in their own supply chains to ensure a depend- able stream of organic products for the consumer,” says Laura Batcha, CEO and executive director of OTA. Increased Investment According to a report, “State of Organic Seed 2016,” released this past June by the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA), investments in organic plant breeding have increased and are resulting in more organic varieties and trained organic seed professionals. More than 70 percent of these investments occurred during the past five years. Kristina Hubbard, advocacy and communications director for OSA, says the alliance surveyed organic crop farmers and found that they are using more organic seed than they were three years ago. “Organic farmers also report being happier with the quality of the organic seed they’re using,” she says. “And the vast majority of respondents believe organic seed is important to the integrity of organic food.” Hubbard says organic seed is also a regulatory requirement. USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) requires the use of organic seed when commercially available; however, the “State of Organic Seed 2016” report shows that supply gaps remain, as most organic farmers still rely on seed that isn’t organic. But Hubbard says the situation is improving. “OSA arrived at this and other conclusions through a number of surveys targeting stakeholder groups, a detailed analysis of organic seed research investments, and listening sessions at organic farming conferences in 2014 and 2015,” she says. Sam Jones-Ellard, public affairs specialist with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, says while the Crop Progress Report does not break out organic production data from gen- eral production data, USDA’s National Statistics Service recently published estimates of organic corn, While the demand for organic crops has risen sharply in recent years, it’s a struggle to keep pace. ORGANIC SEED IN TIGHT SUPPLY LISA KOPOCHINSKI has extensive experience writing about different issues, including horticulture and agriculture, in Canada and the United States. 56 / SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2016