Abstract

Abstract: Starting with the wide-spread publication of the residual effects of pesticide use on the health of humans and the environment by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in the 1970’s, U.S. conventional farming techniques have been placed in an undesired spotlight. More recently, the Global Warming crisis has led to another expansion of the American consumer’s environmental- consciousness, which has been reflected in the consumer’s choice in terms of food purchases. According the Organic Trade Association’s 2011 Organic Industry Survey, “U.S. sales of organic food and beverages have grown from