U.S. organic sales in 2020 jumped 12.4%, reaching $61.9 billion, according to a new survey from the Organic Trade Association.
The 2020 growth rate was more than twice the 2019 pace of 5%, according to the 2021 Organic Industry Survey released by OTA.
U.S. organic food sales in 2020 surged 12.8% to reach a new high of $56.4 billion. In 2020, almost 6% of the food sold in the U.S was certified organic, according to a news release.
“The pandemic caused abrupt changes in all of our lives,” Laura Batcha, OTA CEO and executive director, said in the release. “We’ve been eating at home with our families, and often cooking three meals a day. Good, healthy food has never been more important, and consumers have increasingly sought out the organic label. Organic purchases have skyrocketed as shoppers choose high-quality organic to feed and nourish their families.”
The OTA survey found that fresh organic produce sales rose by nearly 11% in 2020 to reach $18.2 billion.
Organic frozen and canned fruits and vegetables also jumped; frozen sales alone rose by more than 28%, according to the OTA survey.
Including frozen, canned and dried products, the OTA reported total sales of organic fruit and vegetables in 2020 were $20.4 billion. Fifteen percent of the fruits and vegetables sold in the U.S. were organic, according to the OTA.
“The only thing that constrained growth in the organic food sector was supply,” Angela Jagiello, director of education and insights for OTA, said in the release. “Across all the organic categories, growth was limited by supply, causing producers, distributors, retailers and brands to wonder where numbers would have peaked if supply could have been met!”
The new normal
While the growth in organic food sales is not expected to continue at 2020’s fast rate, the OTA said organic food sales are expected to stay on a strong growth path in 2021.
“We’ve seen a great many changes during the pandemic, and some of them are here to stay,” Batcha said in the release. “What’s come out of COVID is a renewed awareness of the importance of maintaining our health, and the important role of nutritious food. For more and more consumers, that means organic. We’ll be eating in restaurants again, but many of us will also be eating and cooking more at home. We’ll see more organic everywhere – in the stores and on our plates.”
This year’s survey was conducted early in 2021 from January through March and was produced on behalf of the Organic Trade Association by Nutrition Business Journal, according to the release.
The full report can be purchased on the OTA website.
