About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (September 23, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govbbdj0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Cogesoa Reerh evc S September 23, 2019 2018 Farm Bill Primer: Specialty Crops and Organic Agriculture The 2018 farm bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, P.L. 115-334) reauthorized and expanded existing programs and policies administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and greenhouse and nursery products, among other specialty crops. A range of initiatives support specialty crops, including market promotion, plant pest and disease prevention, and public research. The 2018 farm bill also reauthorized and expanded existing support for USDA- certified organic agricultural production. Industry Overview Specialty crops-defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture) (7 U.S.C. § 1621 note)-account for roughly one-third of annual U.S. crop sales (farm level). For 2017, USDA reports that the value of farm level sales of fruits, vegetables, and nursery crops totaled $64.7 billion (Table 1). There are about 240,000 farming operations growing more than 350 types of fruit, vegetable, tree nut, flower, nursery, and other horticultural crops. Production is concentrated in California, Florida, Washington, Oregon, North Dakota, and Michigan. For some specialty crop producers, obtaining USDA organic certification for their crops may represent a viable business strategy. USDA reports that farm sales from organic operations producing crops that meet the definition of specialty crop (including maple syrup) totaled $3.4 billion in 2016 (most current data available). Accordingly, USDA-certified organic crops account for about 5% of U.S. specialty crop sales. In addition to specialty crops, certified organic production includes animal products (e.g., meat and dairy products) and other field crops that fall outside the statutory definition of specialty crop (e.g., corn, soybeans, cotton, rice, etc.). USDA-certified organic agriculture accounts for a small but growing share of the U.S. farming sector. For 2016, USDA reports that farm sales of certified organic products totaled $7.6 billion, spanning an array of plant and animal products (Table 1). Leading organic commodities include milk, eggs, broiler chickens, leafy greens, apples, meat products, grapes, corn for grain, and hay. USDA reports there were nearly 14,000 organic farms and ranches in 2016. Certified organic production is concentrated in California, Florida, Washington, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Texas. Selected Horticulture Title Provisions The Horticulture title (Title X) of the enacted 2018 farm bill contains many of the programs administered by USDA supporting specialty crop producers and U.S. farmers engaged in USDA-certified organic agricultural production (covering also animal products). Programs and policies supporting specialty crop producers include block grants to states, support for farmers markets, data and information collection, and education on food safety and biotechnology, https://crsrep among other market development and promotion initiatives. Programs in the Horticulture title supporting organic production further include market development and promotion, data collection, provisions related to USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) and related programs, and policies addressing organic import integrity. Table I. Farm-Level Data, Various Years, Specialty Crops and USDA-Certified Organic Agriculture Farms Sales Product Category (number) ($million) All U.S. Agriculture (2017) 2,042,220 388,523 Total crop sales NA 219,813 Total animal products sales NA 168,709 Selected Specialty Crops (2017) Fruits, tree nuts, berries 109,994 28,581 Vegetables, melons, potatoes 75,320 19,584 Nursery, greenhouse, sod 46,970 16,174 Christmas trees, woody crops 10,559 386 Subtotal =240,000 64,725 %Total U.S. agricultural sales (2017) NA 16.7% %Total U.S. crop sales NA 29.4% Certified Organic Agriculture (2016) Crops, incl. nursery/greenhouse 11,187 4,193 Specialty crops (certified organic) NA 3,430 Fruits, tree nuts, and berries 4,540 1,407 Vegetables, mushrooms, herbs NA 1,844 Nursery and floriculture 641 113 Field crops NA 763 Maple syrup 331 65 Other field crops NA 763 Livestock, poultry, dairy products 6,835 3,361 Subtotal 13,954 7,554 Source: CRS from USDA's 2017 Census of Agriculture and USDA's 2016 Certified Organic Survey. Sales data are farm-gate. Farm numbers may not be additive, as some farms produce multiple commodities. Provisions supporting the specialty crop and organic food sectors are not limited to the Horticulture title within the farm bill. Included are provisions covering research and development grants (Research title), domestic nutrition assistance (Nutrition title), technical and financial assistance for U.S. agricultural exports (Trade title), and other provision within the Crop Insurance, Conservation, Rural Development, and Miscellaneous titles. The text box on the next page provides a summary of select provisions. Title X covers other programs not addressed here, including those supporting local food systems and hemp production. The 2018 farm bill reauthorizes many of the USDA programs supporting specialty crop producers, including the rts.congressgov

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most