You’d think it would be good news that consumer demand for organic foods in the US is growing in leaps and bounds. But according to a report from Organic Monitor, the demand for organic foods so far exceeds the supply of available raw materials in this country that most sectors of the organic food industry in the US are suffering shortages that are actually starting to stunt market growth.

Forget the business speak; to put it bluntly, we’re blowing it. Why aren’t American farmers stepping up to the plate to meet the demand for more organic food?

Stonyfield Farms, the nation’s leading organic yogurt producer, is having to consider importing organic powdered milk from New Zealand due to a shortage of raw material. One leading organic juice producer is giving up altogether due to the unavailability of domestic organic oranges and prohibitive cost of imports.

American manufacturers of organic foods are relying more and more on imported fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, beans and herbs to meet the increasing demand for organic products. As a result, our organic food trade gap is widening; the US imports an estimated $1.5 billion of organic products, versus about $150 million in US exports.

“Unless more US farmers consider converting to organic practices,” Organic Monitor warns, “exporters are likely to capitalize on this lucrative market.”

Are our farmers taking a page from our head-in-the-sand auto industry? Detroit’s been on autopilot for ages, cranking out SUV’s and losing market share to Toyota, now poised to overtake General Motors as the world’s leading car manufacturer. Whatever happened to giving the people what they want?

Just go organic already, you guys. We import enough stuff from India and China as it is. To quote Neil Young, “Homegrown is the way it should be.”