Home arrow The New Organics Index

Sustainable Farming Connection
Where farmers find and share information.

The New Organics Index
Trends worth watching in organic food and farming.

The New Organics Index comes to you courtesy of the New Organics Company, producers of the first-ever comprehensive line of affordable packaged organic foods sold only in grocery stores. Their website also features a great marketing resource, 10 Reasons to Buy Organic.

  • Organic food sales in 1980: $178 million.
  • In 1995: $2.8 billion.
  • In 1996: $3.5 billion.
  • Projected in five years: $10 billion.

  • Percent annual growth of organic food sales for the last 3 years: 25.
  • Percent annual growth of conventional food sales for the last 3 years: 3.

  • Rank of organic foods among the nation's top five food trends: 1.

  • Number of organic farmers in the U.S. in 1991: 2,841.
  • In 1994: 4,060.
  • In 1997: 12,000.

  • Acres of land devoted to organic farming in 1991: 550,267.
  • In 1994: 1,127,000.

  • Number of nationally surveyed consumers who said they were concerned about agricultural pesticides: 7 out of 10.

  • Percent of insecticides the Environmental Protection Agency considers potentially cancer-causing: 30.
  • Percent of herbicides: 60.
  • Percent of fungicides: 90.

  • Rank of American age groups 40 to 49, 18 to 29, and 60 and older that are most likely to buy organic food: 1, 2, 3.

  • Percent of consumers surveyed nationwide who had purchased organic food during the past six months: 23.
  • Percent of those consumers who were satisfied with their purchases: 97.

  • Rank of tomatoes, lettuce, carrots and apples among the most commonly purchased organic foods: 1, 2, 3, 4.

  • Percent of upscale restaurants that offer organic items: 57.

  • Percent of the U.S. Department of Agriculture research budget that funds organic farming projects: 0.1.

Sources: USDA, Whole Foods, 1996 Food Marketing Institute study, Natural Foods Merchandiser, Delicious!, National Restaurant Association, 1996 Fresh Trends report published in The Packer, Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News, The Wall Street Journal, Health Journal by Marilyn Chase, industry analyst Sara Starr of Starr Track, Organic Trade Association.


Top of Page

Home arrow The New Organics Index

©1997 Committee for Sustainable Farm Publishing

Please read about our usage permission policy and disclaimer.

Send comments, suggestions and questions to the site author:
Craig Cramer cdcramer@clarityconnect.com

Coded using HoTMetaL Pro 3.0. Best viewed in Netscape 3.0 or later.
Please see our credits page for more information.

http://sunsite.unc.edu/farming-connection/organic/orgindex.htm