WHY ARE WE LOSING ORGANIC FARMS?
UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES AND CHARTING A PATH FORWARD
Resource Page
Recording
Mallory’s presentation slides
Presenters
Mallory Krieger
National Program Director, OATS
Mallory Krieger is the National Program Director for OATS | the Organic Agronomy Training Service and Principal Consultant at Terra Elossa LLC. She is committed to driving environmental improvement and farm resiliency in agriculture. With more than 12 years experience in the organic industry, she has served as an organic educator, consultant, and inspector. She has extensive experience developing educational programs for organic and regenerative farmers and ag. advisors. Mallory has a background in data analysis with a MS in Social Statistics and Research Methods. In addition to her consulting work, Mallory owns and manages an 85 acre farm in Fishhook, Illinois.
Dr. Carolyn Dimitri
Associate Professor, New York University
Dr. Carolyn Dimitri is an applied economist and Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University. She is widely recognized as a leading expert on organic food systems, with extensive research on the procurement, marketing, distribution, retailing, and consumption of organic food. Prior to joining NYU in 2010, Dr. Dimitri spent more than a decade as a research economist at the USDA’s Economic Research Service, where she authored numerous reports on the organic sector, including consumer attitudes and expectations. She currently serves on the National Organic Standards Board, bringing expertise in organic standards, National List materials, and public policy. Dr. Dimitri holds a PhD in Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a BA in Economics from the University at Buffalo.
Articles & Research
Perspectives on organic transition from transitioning farmers and farmers who decided not to transition; Source: Stephenson et al. (2022), Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems
Organic Situation Report - 2025 Edition; Source: USDA Economic Research Service
This event was supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP). For more information about TOPP or transitioning to organic, please visit: http://www.organictransition.org