organic and non-gmo trends

Organic food sales grow 11% in 2014 with politically, geographically diverse shoppers

By Elizabeth Crawford

- Last updated on GMT

Organic food sales up 11% 2014 politically geographic diverse shoppers

Related tags Organic food

Organic is outgrowing its moniker as a specialty category thanks to a double digit increase in sales last year by consumers nationwide of all political leanings and ethnic backgrounds, according to data from the Organic Trade Association. 

“We really moved beyond”​ the “old assumptions about organic being niche and having sort of a cultural blanket over it,”​ said CEO of OTA Laura Batcha.

Sales of organic food climbed 11% to $35.9 billion in 2014, and while consumers in blue states in New England and the Pacific Northwest continue to lead the charge, shoppers in the red dominated mountain and south Atlantic regions were not far behind, Batcha said, citing data released April 15 from the association’s annual Organic Industry Survey.

Specifically, she noted the  sales penetration is highest in New England at 87% and the Pacific Northwest at 86% as expected, but sales penetration in the mountain region is a close 82% and penetration in South Atlantic reached 79% last year based on the purchase of organic CPG coded products.

The West South Central region, including the stalwart Republican states of Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Louisiana even had penetration of 75%, according to the survey.

“This additional new data prove [organic] doesn’t have regional or partisan boundaries,” ​Batcha said in a prepared statement.

She added at the association’s policy conference in Washington, D.C., April 15 that additional data show “strong growth in areas that historically haven’t seen the growth.”

For example, the No. 1 market for organic sales growth in 2014 was Salt Lake City with 34% year-over-year growth, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth, which grew 32%, and Phoenix-Tucson, which increased 31%.

These results follow the association’s recent announcement that organic shoppers are more ethnically diverse​ now than previously with 14% of black and 16% of Hispanic households buying organic in 2014. 

Growth despite supply crunch

The growth in organic sales in 2014 is “striking” ​because it occurred in the face of increasing and “very dramatic”​ supply shortages, Batcha said.

The trade group underscored that currently organic sales account for 4% of total food sales, while acreage devoted to organic agriculture is less than 1% of total U.S. cropland.

“There is a huge opportunity for rural communities to fill this demand,”​ OTA said in materials prepared for the conference.

In particular, organic fruit and vegetables offer potential as they continue to be the largest selling category in 2014 with $13 billion in sales – a 12% increase from 2013.

Organic dairy also offers opportunity with an 11% increase in sales to $5.46 billion in 2014 – the largest increase for the category in six years, according to OTA.  

Related news

Show more

Related products

show more

Consumer Attitudes on Ultra-Processed Foods Revealed

Consumer Attitudes on Ultra-Processed Foods Revealed

Content provided by Ayana Bio | 12-Jan-2024 | White Paper

Ayana Bio conducted the Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) Pulse survey, offering insight into consumers’ willingness to consume UPFs, as well as the variables...

 Four actionable steps to reduce allergen recalls

Four actionable steps to reduce allergen recalls

Content provided by FoodChain ID | 04-Oct-2023 | White Paper

Failing to mitigate allergen risks has serious consequences - not just for consumer safety, poor allergen procedures can also cause financial losses and...

Related suppliers

3 comments

Consumes are waking up to the dangers of industrialized food production

Posted by Steve Pohlit,

David Sandoval the co- founder of Purium has published a lot of material on not just organic but organic clean green whole food. I have sound that my own diet which is more healthier than ever, is not any more expensive as well. I love the increased information being published by many credible sources.

Report abuse

I agree

Posted by Sandra,

I recently read Carson's book and if I had any doubts about what commercial agriculture is doing to our environment, food, health and our future, they were dispelled.

Report abuse

Owner

Posted by Jimmy Searcy,

I believe it all started with the book written by Rachael Carson Silent Spring in the late 60's...

Report abuse

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars