A bit of good news – folks in the USA are increasingly switching on to organic food, according to a report entitled “Ethical Food and Beverage, Personal Care and Household Products in the U.S.”

Even in the face of the financial crisis, socially conscious and environmentally friendly brands are doing pretty well compared to conventional groceries. Major retailers are heeding the call by not only stocking these items, but by making their own stores more environmentally friendly too.

According to the 348 page report, around a quarter of U.S. adult shoppers frequently buy certified organic food or beverage products, and thirty-three percent usually don’t mind paying more for organic foods.

The report is from Packaged Facts, a publisher of market research in the food, beverage, consumer packaged goods, and demographic sectors. And no, I didn’t buy the report – that kind of cash buys a lot of organic groceries!

Still, very encouraging stuff. Unfortunately, I’m still not seeing much in the way of organic food on Australian supermarket shelves, or they are tucked away in that nasty health food section that so many people try to avoid.

Supermarkets really need to get this stuff in with the “mainstream” products as well – for example, organic baked beans in with the other baked beans. This will put the “organic” idea in front of many more people and stir up curiosity.
 
If you have just started delving into the world of organic foods – did you know that the label “organic” can be rather flexible? I’m certainly not trying to put a dampener on anyone’s enthusiasm, but it’s really good to know what you are paying for when it comes to organic foods, as you’ll most likely (and understandably) be paying more.

Learn more in my article: Organic food labeling