U.S. organic sales reach $52.5 billion in 2018

According to the Organic Trade Association (OTA), records were made in both the organic food market and the organic non-food market in 2018. Organic food sales reached $47.9 billion, for an increase of 5.9%. This outpaced the growth rate for total food sales in the United States, which edged up just 2.3% in 2019.

The OTA cites millennials, who are pushing for transparency and integrity in the food supply chain, and the growing appeal of the USDA Organic seal, as reasons for the continued increase in organic food sales. Almost 6% (5.7%) of the food sold in United States is now organic.

Still the stalwart of the organic industry, sales of organic fruits and vegetables rose to $17.4 billion in 2018 for a 5.6% rate of growth, on par with the growth attained in 2017. By comparison, the overall fruits and vegetables category, including both organic and conventional products, grew by just 1.7% in 2018.

Organic fruits and vegetable make up 14.6% of all the produce sold in the United States and have nearly doubled their market share in the past 10 years. Popular in the organic produce aisles: the classics like carrots, greens, apples, bananas. Also hitting stride are organic berries, avocados, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and tropical fruits like mangoes and papayas. And outside the fresh produce section, the frozen, canned, and dried vegetable and fruit sections also made gains.

Growth in the U.S. dairy sector slowed for the second straight year due largely to shifting diet trends. Still the second-largest organic category, dairy and egg sales were $6.5 billion in 2018, up 0.8% from 2017. Although growth in organic egg sales has slowed from the strong double-digit growth seen in the first part of this decade, the $858 million category still grew by a solid 9.3% in 2018. As more consumers get into organic, organic egg demand is expected to continue growing.

Press release