Sep 21, 2026 · 17 min · 10 segments
Organic industry stakeholders press lawmakers on domestic production, infrastructure, farm relief and enforcement as the sector works to grow beyond $76 billion
Welcome to Food Navigator USA's Soup to Nuts podcast with Elizabeth Crawford, where I dish with trendsetters, tastemakers, and industry experts about everything from emerging trends to regulatory pressures to marketing strategies.
Members of the Organic Trade Association, including farmers, food companies, and advocates, descended on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. last week to press legislators for help overcoming challenges that they say could limit the sector's growth and undermine consumer confidence in the organic label.
Among the priorities were increasing domestic organic production and processing, strengthening enforcement of the organic label, maintaining federal support for organic research and programs, and proving greater certainty around trade, labor, and farm policy.
Their visit comes at a time when the organic industry strives to grow sales from an estimated $76 billion in 2025 to more than $100 billion in the coming years.
But as stakeholders explain in this episode of Food Navigator USA's Soup to Nuts podcast… Reaching that goal will require the industry to overcome significant challenges, including infrastructure to produce, process, and move organic products, as well as growing competition from other sustainability claims, including regenerative agriculture, and questions about the value and integrity of the organic certification.
So research by the Organic Trade Association shows that base sales for organic products in the U.S. are up year over year since 2016 and growing twice as fast as the overall market in 2025 and 2024.
According to Adam Worthersen, Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs for the Organic Valley and an OTA board member, This trajectory suggests that consumers trust the USDA organic seal and are willing to pay a premium for it, even during challenging economies.
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Welcome to Food Navigator USA's Soup to Nuts podcast with Elizabeth Crawford, where I dish with trendsetters, tastemakers, and industry experts about everything from emerging trends to regulatory pressures to marketing strategies.
Members of the Organic Trade Association, including farmers, food companies, and advocates, descended on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. last week to press legislators for help overcoming challenges that they say could limit the sector's growth and undermine consumer confidence in the organic label.
Among the priorities were increasing domestic organic production and processing, strengthening enforcement of the organic label, maintaining federal support for organic research and programs, and proving greater certainty around trade, labor, and farm policy.
Their visit comes at a time when the organic industry strives to grow sales from an estimated $76 billion in 2025 to more than $100 billion in the coming years.
But as stakeholders explain in this episode of Food Navigator USA's Soup to Nuts podcast… Reaching that goal will require the industry to overcome significant challenges, including infrastructure to produce, process, and move organic products, as well as growing competition from other sustainability claims, including regenerative agriculture, and questions about the value and integrity of the organic certification.
So research by the Organic Trade Association shows that base sales for organic products in the U.S. are up year over year since 2016 and growing twice as fast as the overall market in 2025 and 2024.
According to Adam Worthersen, Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs for the Organic Valley and an OTA board member, This trajectory suggests that consumers trust the USDA organic seal and are willing to pay a premium for it, even during challenging economies.