Outstripped

Demand for organics outpacing local supply

With demand for organic food soaring in the U.S. and U.K., manufacturers of organic products are struggling to find adequate supplies of organic ingredients and are increasingly looking and buying abroad. While exporters like Australia welcome the trend, it creates a dilemma for many organic enthusiasts, who also tend to support local, small-scale farmers; they cheer the rise of organic awareness but bemoan the current need for large-scale imports. Hoping to increase stateside production, a number of U.S. organic companies are providing technical help and financial incentives to local farmers who switch to organic. The Soil Association, Britain's organic certification body, gives Jamie "Naked Chef" Oliver partial credit for increased interest in organics; we bet if he were actually naked, interest would increase even more.