Organic Fresh Trends 2021 reveals consumer perceptions, purchases

The Packer’s Organic Fresh Trends 2021 updates consumer attitudes and purchasing behaviors of U.S. consumers toward organic produce.

Retail data show that organic sales have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Fresh Trends research reveals the extent of market penetration by commodity.

The third quarter the FreshFacts on Retail report from the United Fresh Produce Association indicated that organic fresh produce sales in the period were up 16% compared with the same time a year ago. 

The Packer’s Organic Fresh Trends 2021 survey, a November poll of more than 1,000 consumers, reveals consumer attitudes about specific produce commodities.

Fresh Trends highlights include:

• Kale topped the charts as the No. 1 item that shoppers bought as organic — both exclusively and periodically — for the third straight year, of produce studied in Organic Fresh Trends 2021. Nearly half of all kale buyers (47%) said they selected organic greens at least some of the time, up from 43% who said so last year. Twenty-one percent of buyers said they always selected organic kale, compared with 20% who said the same in 2019.
• Blueberries were No. 2 organic item purchased periodically of those studied in Organic Fresh Trends 2021. Blueberries were the third most popular organic-only commodity.
• Organic spinach was the third most popular organic item purchased periodically. Spinach ranked even higher — No. 2 — among those items that consumers always bought as organic.
• Age is the top demographic factor affecting organic produce purchases. For nearly every commodity, the youngest shoppers in the survey (ages 18-29) were the top group to buy organic commodities, both exclusively and periodically. In most cases, those a decade older were the next likely to buy organic items. Shoppers older than 60 were much less likely to grab organic fruits and vegetables than younger consumers, a trend that continues from last year.
• When analyzing ethnicity in regard to organic purchases, African Americans were more likely to choose the organic commodities studied in Organic Fresh Trends 2021 than those from other backgrounds. As a general rule, Asian consumers were next in line.

The Packer’s Organic Fresh Trends 2021 is inserted in the Dec. 21 and is available online.