Proponents of organic [0] foods could soon be battling it out over which is the most important aspect of the organic [0] farming movement: the process of growing the food or the reliance on locally grown [0] ingredients. Organic foods have become such big sellers in the U.S. that there simply aren't enough ingredients to go around, meaning companies like Whole Foods [1] and Stonyfield Farm [2] must use imported organic ingredients or fall back on the non-organic kind and change their labels.

The Los Angeles Times reported today that a Brazilian sugar cane plantation supplies nearly half the organic sugar used in the U.S. While organic farms are growing and thriving domestically, they can't keep up with the consumer demand for organic products, which is increasing by 20 percent per year.

According to the article, dairy farmers are stymied by a scarcity of organic feed, which mainly comes from China. Organic farming is easier there, as well as in Brazil and Argentina, because fewer pesticides and chemicals have historically been used on the land.

Organic and locally grown [2] have gone hand-in-hand in a movement decicated to providing food that's healthier for both people and the planet. But without enough locally grown ingredients for brands like Newman's Own, companies have no choice but to import them. According to the Times story, U.S. organic imports outnumbered organic exports last year by 8 to 1.

Image credit: USDA