https://phys.org/news/2018-06-farmers-certification-access.html > In 2017, organic food sales topped $45 billion—up 6.4 percent from 2016, according to the Organic Trade Association. Sales have more than doubled since 2010. Fruits and vegetables are the top-selling category, making up nearly 37 percent of organic food sales. > "Consumers are demanding more organic fruits and vegetables, so there is a push to certify more farmers," said Ariana Torres, a Purdue assistant professor of agricultural economics and horticulture & landscape architecture and co-author of the study. "There's been a lot of money invested from the federal and local governments to get more farmers organically certified. The decision to decertify can have an effect on those programs, organic food supply and the bottom lines of farmers who spend so much to get into the program in the first place."