5 November 2010

2 minute read

North America

The USDA awarded the grant to South Dakota State University as a planning grant to assist in the development of high-quality future proposals. This project will propose the development of a sustainable organic tribal bison production system using an intra-tribal supply chain management mechanism. Stakeholders, including the Flandreau Santee-Sioux Tribe and the Inter-Tribal Bison Council, were the driving force behind the grant.

“More and more farmers are adopting organic agriculture practices to produce quality food and boost farm income,” said Roger Beachy, director of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). “These research and Extension projects will equip producers with the tools and resources they need to operate profitable and sustainable organic farms.”

NIFA awarded this grant through the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, which enhances the ability of producers and processors who already have adopted organic standards to grow and market high-quality organic agricultural products.

Research at USDA increasingly focuses on the science that supports development of sustainable practices in agriculture and forestry, including organic farming, to both reduce negative impacts on the environment and keep US farmers competitive. For more OREI information, visit the Initiative’s website at this link: www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/organicagricultureresearchandextensioninitiative.cfm.

US producers are turning to certified organic farming systems as a potential way to lower input costs, decrease reliance on nonrenewable resources, capture high-value markets, and boost farm income. Since the late 1990s, US organic production has seen heavy growth. Now, more than two-thirds of US consumers buy organic products at least occasionally, and 28 percent buy organic products weekly.

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