Walmart exec to speak at Organic Produce Summit 2022 education session

“Organics in an Era of Inflation and Changing Consumer Behavior” will be the subject of the fourth educational session at the upcoming Organic Produce Summit 2022,  according to a news release.

Moderated by Kevin Coupe of Morning News Beat, panelists for the session include Tom Barnes, CEO of Category Partners, and Richard Gonzales, vice president of global produce sourcing for Walmart, the release said.

The session will feature a sales analysis of organic fresh produce sales through the first half of 2022, with a view toward how consumer purchasing behavior is changing in a time of inflation, the release said.

Barnes will kick off the session with an overview of organic fresh produce sales through the first six months of 2022, analyzing the price gap between conventional and organic produce, geographic differences, and specific category performances.

Walmart’s Gonzales will discuss how inflation and the changing economic environment are impacting consumer purchases and buying behavior of organic fresh produce. The session will also provide an overview of what the future may look like for consumers buying trends, exploring opportunities for greater organic fresh produce sales in the future.

“After the last two years of constant change due to the pandemic, supply chain issues, and now inflation, the US consumer is being forced to be more flexible in their buying behaviors, but the desire for consistency is still human nature and we need to deliver that whenever possible,” Barnes said in the release. “We see from the data that rising prices on organic produce is not affecting the volume to the same degree as conventional, meaning that there is a loyal consumer base looking for organic and willing to buy at these higher prices. Consistency and maintaining a healthy price gap between conventional and organic is paramount for success.”

OPS 2022 is a two-day event set for July 13-14 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, Calif.

 In addition to the educational session on consumer purchase trends and sales analysis, other sessions slated for OPS 2022 will look at the growing importance of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), regenerative agriculture, branded vs. private-label organic offerings, and sustainability across the supply chain, according to the release.

Registration to attend OPS 2022 is available at www.organicproducesummit.com