A new study shows that organic agriculture boosts local economies, reports The Rural Blog. The study looked at counties with high levels of organic agricultural activity. Researchers then looked at how these organic hotspots impact the local economies. The study discovered that being in an “organic hotspot” increased median household income by more than $2,000 a year. Organic farming was also found to lower a county's poverty rate.
Last year, US organic sales increased by 11 percent. The rise marked the fourth-consecutive year of double-digit growth in the organic market. The increase added an additional $4.2 billion to the US economy.
That amounts to a remarkable 209 percent growth over the last ten years. In 2015, organic sales accounted for nearly 5 percent of all food sold in the United States.