As organic acres expand, a new specialty certification takes shape to meet demand
Organic crop production is growing to keep pace with consumer demand. According to the Organic Trade Association, U.S. organic food sales in 2024 reached $71.6 billion, marking a 5.2% increase from the previous year. This rate is double that of the total food marketplace.
According to the USDA, between 2011 and 2021, certified organic cropland acres increased by 79% to 3.6 million acres. Additionally, the number of U.S. farms with certified organic production increased more than 90% to 17,445 farms.
Certified organic production presents challenges that conventional ag production doesn’t face. It’s a complex regulatory system that requires an understanding of the certification and inspection processes, which inputs (e.g., fertilizers and crop protection materials, etc.) are allowed, and the regulations for post-harvest handling. Helping producers navigate this complexity requires specialized knowledge.
To meet the increasing consumer demand for organic produce, grains, and fiber, a specially trained workforce is needed. No one is more aware of this than Dr. Matthew Grieshop, Director of the Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research at Cal Poly. Grieshop explained that the most recent report from the California Department of Food and Agriculture revealed that within the state, nearly 2.5 million acres were dedicated to organic production with certified organic production comprising nearly 1.8 million acres in 2023.
The western U.S. excels in organic vegetable production with California at the top, followed by Washington, Arizona, and Oregon. “Within California, there are thousands of acres dedicated to the production of organic vegetables,” Grieshop notes. “Cal-Organics, the largest organic vegetable producer in the nation, produces 65 varieties of vegetables on more than 40,000 acres in California alone.”
Contemplating the supportive role of CCAs and the Center’s mission to develop a well-trained organic workforce, Grieshop began imagining a scenario in which CCAs specifically trained in organic production could fill this knowledge gap and help propel the organic industry forward.
Grieshop reached out to the American Society of Agronomy and was put in touch with Dr. Karl Wyant, a CCA/CPAg who was chair of the Western Region (CA and AZ) CCA board at the time. Exploring the need to enhance training for the organic industry, Grieshop and Wyant had conversations with the prominent organic growers in the U.S. Southwest, including Grimmway, Taylor Farms, Braga Fresh, and Betteravia Farms.
Those initial conversations in 2023 sparked enthusiastic support for a new CCA specialty certification in organics.
Performance objectives
Over the last year and a half, the Organic Specialty Certification has been taking shape thanks to the collaboration and dedication of organic industry leaders, the Grimm Center, professors at Cal Poly, CCAs, and extension personnel. The team has identified 10 learning/performance objectives:
- USDA National Organic Program Regulations
- Certification, Inspection, and Record Keeping
- Organic Fertility Management
- Organic Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Organic Weed Management
- Organic Pest Bacteria and Fungi Management
- Organic Invertebrate and Vertebrate Pest Management
- Organic Irrigation Management
- Organic Post-Harvest Handling and Food Safety
- Allowed and Prohibited Substances (Inputs)
These 10 performance objectives provide the framework for the program. Extrapolating from their research and field experiences, the team has compiled exam questions that will evaluate a CCA's understanding of these key areas in organic production.
“With the performance objectives identified and the test questions written, we are working backward to create learning and study materials for the specialty exam and launch the accompanying continuing education credits so that individuals can maintain their hour requirements once they earn the Organic Specialty [certification],” Wyant says.
She explained that the educational materials that are in development consist of written, bulleted lessons and videos. “We envision interviewing organic experts and working with Dr. Moses Mike, Grimm Center’s digital media communications wizard, to create multimedia lesson modules.”
“As is the case with all the Society specialties, to sit for the organic specialty exam, you must be a CCA,” Wyant notes.
The original discussion centered on developing the specialty for the Western Region, but the widespread interest has led the group to expand its vision with plans to launch the program on a wider scale as organic production continues to expand.
High stakes inherent in organic production
Having a skilled, highly trained workforce in place is critical due to the high stakes inherent in organic production.
“If a mistake is made adding a prohibited product on organic acres, producers can lose their organic certification, three years of production and possibly face stiff penalties,” Grieshop explains.
But Martha Zwonitzer, a CCA at Arable Labs, notes that finding agronomists who are trained specifically in organic production is challenging.
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