The Cost of Organic Everything is Going Up

Bell & Evans has been raising organic chickens on a diet of 100% U.S. organic grain feed since our organic program started in 2009. We never bought cheaper imported “organic” grains from other counties because I didn’t trust their authenticity. How can you follow all the same organic practices somewhere else in the world and transport that grain to the U.S. for less than it costs to produce it right here? Common sense tells you that shouldn’t be possible.

Other organic poultry producers were satisfied using imported grains until recently when they experienced supply chain disruptions. Now those producers are suddenly after U.S. organic grains, creating a supply and demand problem. U.S. organic grain prices have skyrocketed, and this is a long-term problem because it takes a minimum of three years to transition land from conventional to organic management. The U.S. can’t just increase organic grain supply overnight. Expect organic food prices to continue rising for the next several years!

U.S. farmers need more companies like Bell & Evans to demonstrate a commitment to 100% U.S. organic grains and not just when cheaper alternatives aren’t available. That’s the only way to grow the organic grain market in the U.S. Farmers need to know there’s a stable market for their products. That’s why a year ago already we announced a partnership with Cargill and Rodale Institute to help U.S. farmers transition. Our program gives farmers peace of mind through organic education and crop consulting, market access for their transitional grains and other crop rotations, and long-term contracts with Bell & Evans as the trusted end consumer of their organic corn and soybeans.

Nearly 50% of our total chicken production this year will be organic, and we’ll continue to grow our program with the help of U.S. farmers and our loyal customers who enjoy our products.