Organic agriculture is booming — but not as quickly in the Southeast as elsewhere in the United States.
Nationally, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, certified organic acreage has more than doubled since 2000 while organic product sales increased 32% between 2017 and 2022. Much of this growth has taken place in the Pacific, Northeast and Northern Plains regions. Only two southern states rank among the top 10 states for sales of organic products.
Biswanath Dari, Ph.D., an assistant professor and natural resource specialist with Cooperative Extension at North Carolina A&T, wants to bring Southern farmers into the broader conversation around organic, sustainable and climate-friendly agriculture. He was awarded a USDA grant to organize an organic farming track at the upcoming SOWTH 2025 sustainable agriculture conference in Atlanta on Feb. 4-6, as the conference’s only representative from a Historically Black College and University.
“Organic agriculture is not widely adopted in the Southeast because the hot weather creates significant insect, pest, weed and disease pressures,” Dari said. “Moving to an organic farming system from a conventional one presents significant challenges that can negatively affect crop yields and income. To advance the organic movement in this region, it’s critical that we educate, support and empower small-scale, minority and underserved farmers who contribute the majority of organic production in the Southeast.”
SOWTH is expected to attract more than 1,000 agriculture producers, professionals and advocates from 13 Southern states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. With the theme “Small Farms, Big Community,” the conference will address the multiple challenges facing Southern food systems and promote sustainable agriculture and local foods across the region. Sessions will cover several key topics, including rural development, racial equity and community-based solutions.
The conference’s Organic Production (OREI) Track, scheduled for Feb. 5, was organized by project partners N.C. A&T, Rodale Institute and SOWTH 2025 conference sponsor Georgia Organics. This all-day track will offer in-depth practical workshops on climate-smart practices, organic certification, socio-economic challenges and opportunities for transitioning to organic farming, and marketing strategies and policy relevance.
Panels will feature speakers from USDA, Rodale Institute, N.C. State University, University of Georgia, Emory University and other universities and nonprofit organizations. Panelists representing N.C. A&T are Dari; Hannah Talton, Ph.D., an assistant professor and extension specialist in plant pathology and integrated pest management; and Randall Quillian, the horticulture coordinator at the N.C. A&T University Farm.
Track attendees will receive technical assistance on managing soil and nutrients, controlling weeds and pests, seeking organic certification, and other topics. Dari and the other project partners will invite track participants to join a Southern organic agriculture steering committee that will connect underserved organic farmers in 13 Southern states with county extension offices and USDA programs and resources.
The conference track is funded by a $75,000 grant from the USDA’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative. Dari is the grant’s project director. Co-project directors are Kristie Wendelberger, Ph.D., climate-smart project director at Rodale Institute; and Suzanne Girdner, director of programs for Georgia Organics.
Dari said the conference track will educate farmers and help raise awareness at USDA of the most pressing challenges faced by Southeastern farmers as they transition to organic agriculture.
“If USDA knows the full extent of the real-time challenges based on feedback gathered directly from the farmers, the agency might create more incentive programs and funding resources for farmers in the Southeast,” Dari said. “To help farmers adopt organic agriculture standards at the ground level, we need more funding resources specifically for small-scale farmers.”
