Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards. For crops, it means they were grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. For animals, it means they were reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. In most countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified.Organic food production is legally regulated. Currently, the United States, the European Union, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain organic certification in order to market food as organic.Historically, organic farms have been relatively small family-run farms — which is why organic food was once only available in small stores or farmers' markets. Meanwhile, it is becoming much more widely available, with market growth rates of around 20% a year since the early 1990s, far ahead of the rest of the food industry, in both developed and developing nations. As of today organic food accounts for 1-2% of food sales worldwide. In the future, growth is expected to range from 10-50% annually depending on the country. (see facts and statistics below)

A biofuel startup in Illinois can make ethanol from just about anything organic for less than $1 per gallon, and it wouldn't interfere with food supplies, company officials said.

A biofuel startup in Illinois can make ethanol from just about anything organic for less than $1 per gallon, and it wouldn't interfere with food supplies, company officials said.

Britain's Prince Charles has been building a natural and organic premium foods empire over the past few years. The Prince's company, Duchy Originals, just introduced its latest creation: A line of fresh, handmade gourmet sandwiches prepared with all organic ingredients. The Earl of Sandwich would be proud.

One of the few purely ‘whole food’ companies in the market today has been granted Organic Certification on three of their popular foods. The company is unique since it offers only whole food based foods and their mission is to help others return to better health, lose weight, change their diet or just feel better. The...

Chipotle has experienced significant growth in the fast food sector by concentrating on quality food and organic growth of ingredients. While the future looks bright for the company, the stock price is likely to high to warrant a sound investment.