Organic Food Marketing Report

WASHINGTONA new report from USDAs Economic Research Service (ERS), Marketing U.S. Organic Foods: Recent Trends From Farms to Consumers, analyzes recent data on each level of the organic supply chain.

According to ERS, the report was compiled in response to increased interest for research and analysis of the U.S. organic marketing system, particularly what types of consumers purchase organic food; how structural change has affected the retailing, distribution and manufacturing of organic food; and why increases in the supply of organic products at the farm level lag behind growth in demand at the retail level.

Following are some of the reports findings:

·        Consumers of all ages, races, and ethic groups who have higher levels of education are more likely to buy organic products than less-educated consumers.

·        By 2008, nearly half of all organic foods were purchased in conventional supermarkets, club stores, and big-box stores.

·        Although produce remained the top-selling organic category, sales of dairy products, beverages, packaged and prepared foods, and breads and grains grew to 63 percent of total organic sales in 2008, up from 54 percent in 1997.

·        While organic farmland acreage increased from 1997 to 2005, growth was not swift enough to prevent periodic shortages of some organic products.

Download the full report here.