{1939}
DDT developed for use as a pesticide.

{1940}
The term organic farming brought to the public mind in Look to the Land by Lord Walter Northbourne.

{1945}
DDT available for public use.

{1962}
Rachel Carson's Silent Spring published by Houghton Mifflin; opposes use of DDT.

{1972}
EPA officially bans DDT; the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) formed in France by the leader of a French farmers' group.

{1972-73}
The first organic certification organizations — California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) — are founded in the U.S.

{1983}
Austria becomes the first country to establish organic farming guidelines.

{1988}
Washington becomes the first U.S. state to establish organic standards and certification.

{1989}
The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) releases Alar report to a huge public outcry. Alar is a toxic chemical frequently applied to apples.

{1990}
The Organic Foods Production Act is passed, paving the way for national regulations and standards for organic agricultural production.

{1997}
The first National Organic Program (NOP) is released by the USDA. About 275,000 comments were sent by consumers — a record response — on issues like sewage sludge, GMOs, and irradiation.

{1999}
Codex Alimentarius, a commission run by the UN's World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization, sanctions international guidelines to cultivate, process, market, and label organic foods.

{1999}
Certain meat and dairy approved by the USDA for certified organic labeling.

{2000}
The second proposed NOP is released by the USDA.

{2005}
U.S. government increases daily recommendation for fruits and vegetables from “strive for five” to 9-13 servings.

{2006}
Organic food sales rise to $17 billion — 3 percent of all food and beverage sales in U.S.

{2008}
FDA approves cloned meat and dairy for unlabeled release into the marketplace.

{2008}
U.S. Farm Bill allocates $78 million for organic agriculture research and education.