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It seems more and more of us are paying for organic foods and according to Food Navigator USA, the market for organic foods is continuing to outpace that of conventional foods.
The U.S. organic retail sector has grown by 56 percent over the last five years while sales of natural foods are up a whopping 73 percent since 2006, according to a report by Packaged Facts. Sales in 2009 show a 7 percent growth for organic foods and just 2 percent for conventional foods. While this is positive on a whole, it also outlines the issues associated with so-called natural foods.
There’s no government criteria for natural foods, meaning the label means next to nothing. It’s simply a ploy to attract consumers interested in healthier food while often making very few changes to the product itself. There’s no assurance that natural foods are made with ingredients free of pesticide and herbicide residue or GMOS, for example. While USDA certified organic foods have to meet a listing of criteria regulated by the USDA.
The report predicts even faster growth in the near future--estimated growth for 2012 is between 11 and 12 percent for organic foods and beverages and 15 percent for natural foods, according to the report.
A recent Thompson Reuters Poll found that 58 percent of consumers prefer organic to conventional foods.
According to NPR's SHOTS, many are still choosing conventional foods for a number of reasons.
A majority -- 54 percent -- say organic food is too expensive. Harsh weather and strong demand for all kinds of food are pushing prices higher across the board, as NPR's Marilyn Geewax reported last month.After price, the second-most common reason people prefer non-organics is that they're more readily available, a sentiment expressed by 21 percent of respondents.
Are you buying organic and what do you think of the market as a whole?
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More on Organic Food
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