Organic Conversations Grow at the PMA 2015 Fresh Summit
Leading into the PMA 2015 Fresh Summit Convention & Expo in Atlanta on October 23-25, there’s a lot of buzz about what attendees can expect from exhibitors and speakers. More than 3,900 retail and foodservice buyers will be attending. They will browse the more than 1,000 exhibitor booths and displays, attend the 15 workshops and share ideas with other industry professionals on what’s trending in fresh produce for the 2016 year. Read more
Organic Produce Purchases Claim Record Numbers in 2014
Photo courtesy of Specialty Produce
According to Grocery Headquarters and the Organic Trade Association (OTA), sales of organic food and non-food products set an all-time record in the U.S. in 2014. Sales jumped to $39.1 billion, which is 11.3% more than the previous year.
Organic food sales alone accounts for $35.9 billion of that market, which is an 11% rise from the previous year.
The majority of households purchase organic items on a regular basis; 80% of households polled in the South and 90% on the West Coast and New England buy organic items at supermarkets and retail stores, up from 68% in 2013. OTA research has found that there are no regional, demographic or partisan boundaries when it comes to purchasing organic foods. Read more
Sun Rises on New Web Domain as Organic Sector Grows
Research released this summer by Consumer Reports shows 45% of U.S. residents buy organic foods at least monthly, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture reporting $35 billion in organic food purchases in 2013.
That’s still only 5% of the total “at-home food sales” for 2013, according to USDA, but with a report from TechSci Research predicting annual sales growth of 14% through 2018 for organic foods, there’s good reason to believe the public’s puppy love for organics will grow into a mature affair. Read more
