Fruit and veg drive US organic food sales through $60bn barrier

There is no let-up in the inexorable growth of organic food sales in the US, with sales surpassing US$60bn for the first time in 2022, according to the Organic Trade Association’s 2023 industry survey. Despite inflation pressures, supply chain disruptions, global political upheavals, a proliferation of competing food labels in the grocery aisles, and a labour shortage, organic food sales totalled $61.7 billion.

Organic Trade Association CEO Tom Chapman said: “Organic has proven it can withstand short-term economic storms. Despite the fluctuation of any given moment, Americans are still investing in their personal health, and, with increasing interest, in the environment; organic is the answer. Organic’s fundamental values remain strong, and consumers have demonstrated they will come back time and again because the organic system is verified, and better for people, the planet, and the economy.”  

Produce is still the leading seller in the organic category, with total sales of $22bn in 2022, accounting for 15% of all fruit and vegetable sales in the country. In the last ten years, organic sales have more than doubled as Americans are eating and using more organic products than ever before.