Growth in the sale of organic fruit and vegetables has driven a rise in total organic sales in the US to a record US$52.5bn in 2018.
The 2019 Organic Industry Survey released by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) detailed a 6.3 per cent increase on the previous year. Fruit and vegetable sales accounted for US$17.4bn of the total, the largest of any category.
Organic fruit and vegetables now make up 14.6 per cent of all the produce sold in the US and have nearly doubled their market share in the last ten years.
Fresh produce is seen as a gateway to organic products for many consumers who are pushing for transparency and integrity in the food supply chain.
Laura Batcha, chief executive and executive director of OTA, said there has been a change in thinking about organic food as it becomes more popular. 5.7 per cent of the food sold in the US is now organic batcha explained
“Organic is now considered mainstream. But the attitudes surrounding organic are anything but status quo,” she said.
“In 2018, there was a notable shift in the mindset of those working in organic toward collaboration and activism to move the needle on the role organic can play in sustainability and tackling environmental initiatives.”
