Increasing Consumer Demand for Organic Food and Products Drives Growth in Organic Industry

On the heels of Earth Day it seems appropriate that a trend in consumer choice is one of an organic nature. According to data from the Organic Trade Association (OTA) growing consumer demand has resulted in growth in the U.S. organic industry of 9.5 percent in 2011 for a total of $31.5 billion in sales.

The data was obtained by the OTA from a 2012 Organic Industry Survey. The survey results showed that organic food and beverage sales were $29.22 billion, while the organic non-food sector reached $2.2 billion.

“The U.S. organic sector continues to show steady and healthy growth, growing overall by 9.5 percent during 2011, and, for the first time, surpassing the $30 billion mark,” said Christine Bushway, OTA’s Executive Director and CEO.

She added, “Consumers are increasingly engaged and discerning when they shop, making decisions based on their values and awareness about health and environmental concerns. For them, it matters whether foods are genetically engineered, or produced using practices that are good for their families. Price is still an issue, but with the wide availability of private label products and many venues for organic products, they have many choices for where to shop and a variety of products from which to choose.”

Nearly half of the $2.5 billion in growth for the organic food sector was from sales of organic fruits and vegetables. The survey also showed that the fastest-growing sector for organic foods was the meat, fish & poultry category which grew by 13 percent from the previous year. Overall, organic food sales now represent 4.2 percent of all food sold in the United States.

Prospects for 2012 and 2013, as indicated through the 2012 survey results, indicate that organic food and non-food sales will continue to sustain growth levels of nine percent or higher.

“With 94 percent of organic operations nationwide planning to maintain or increase employment in 2012, the organic sector will continue to fuel jobs, rural economies and consumer choice,” said Bushway. For the future, the organic sales numbers are expected to grow by as much as 9 percent each year for the next two years.

SOURCE Organic Trade Association