Meeting market demand in theorganic sector: Handler–supplierrelationships in the face of tight supply

Periodic shortfalls of organic food have been commonplace in the USA. Shortages, created when demand grows faster thansupply, have been exacerbated by relatively slow growth of certified organic farmland (in comparison to growth in retailsales) over the past decade. Organic intermediaries, referred to as handlers in the US national organic standards, work withfarmers and other handlers in moving organic products along the supply chain, and are often the first to feel the effects oftight supplies at the farm level. These firms have a variety of mechanisms available to procure needed ingredients whenorganic products are in short supply: contracts with suppliers, encouraging suppliers to transition to organic, working withsuppliers to increase their output, working with new suppliers, providing technical assistance with organic standards andproduction methods, and making less than load shipment arrangements with suppliers. Survey data collected from certifiedorganic handlers are used to identify characteristics that make it more likely that an organic handler will undertake activitieswith suppliers to affect the supply of organic products. Handlers most likely to work with their suppliers had been inbusiness for longer periods of time, bought from growers or grower cooperatives, and were more likely to be wholesalers.Handlers who consider price as important were less likely to undertake activities with their supplies to increase the supply orflow of organic products