Organic Food and Farming: A Reference Handbook is a valuable resource for high school and college students curious about the history, evolution, and growth of the organic food movement.

Organic Food and Farming: A Reference Handbook begins with a deep dive into the origins of organic farming, offering a clear discussion of what constitutes organic production and how that has changed over time. Next, the volume provides a comprehensive overview of growth of organics as both an industry and a social movement and the inherent challenges that occur from trying to be both. The book additionally covers controversial issues and challenges, along with good news about what is working and what is possible.

Included are essays by scholars, farmers, and experts working with NGOs as well as profiles of key people and organizations in the organic sector. Additional chapters include data and documents, a comprehensive resource list, and a detailed chronology of the key events in the history of the organic sector. Distinguishing it from others that laud or dismiss organic food and farming practices is this book's objective nature, which allows it to be used as a definitive resource on the topic.

• Chronology of the years 1840–2019, including more than 100 entries describing key moments in the history of organic farming and food
• Essays by organic farmers and scholars, including one by Grace Gershuny, author, educator, and one of the original USDA National Organic Program staff members who helped write the original regulations
• A comprehensive overview of growth of organics as both an industry and a social movement and the inherent challenges that occur from trying to be both
• Survey of the history of organic food and farming that helps readers identify key issues in an easy-to-understand fashion