To the editor:

According to a January 2006 marketing report from the research firm Organic Monitor in London, not enough U.S. farmers are finding it possible to make the transition to organic production.

Domestic consumers are buying record amounts of organic foods, but farmers are unable to meet that demand, resulting in $1.5 BILLION of organic crops imported into the U.S. in 2005. This means that 10 percent of all organic sales are imports. In comparison, U.S. organic exports are a meager $150 million.

In the EU, government programs help conventional farmers make the transition to organic production with subsidies and technical assistance. In the United States, agricultural subsidies are earmarked for chemical- and energy-intensive farming and genetically engineered crops.

“Unless more American farmers consider organic practices, exporters are likely to capitalize on this lucrative market,” the report said. For more information, visit www.organicconsumers.org.

Sven Erik Alstrom,

Lawrence