Organic 101 Whitepaper

---

This report is a guide to the nuances of the emerging organic and non-GMO markets. It is written for an audience that is familiar with the U.S. food supply chain, but may not have had the exposure with natural, organic, non-GMO or other ‘identity-preserved’ commodities and ingredients.

Consumer demand has driven growth in these markets; however, they have evolved separately from the larger conventional food and agricultural sector by design. Therefore, the standard practices and conventional wisdom used in production, procurement or along the supply chain will not suffice, and must be adapted or developed for the separate organic and/or non-GMO markets.

Section 1 provides a few brief definitions, and is followed by a description of unique major challenges and potential solutions for producers and buyers in the identity-protected markets in Section 2. Section 3 provides an overview of U.S. and Canada organic market size and international trade volumes. Section 4 summarizes U.S. policy related to GMO labeling initiatives as well as organic equivalence agreements. The last section provides resources for additional guidance.