Organic growth
by April 22, 2011 9:22 am 71 views
The organic industry grew at a rate of nearly eight percent in 2010, bucking the current trend whereby "flat is the new growth" for many other segments of the economy, according to a report from the Organic Trade Association.
Association figures show that in 2010, the organic industry grew to more than $28.6 billion.
"While total U.S. food sales grew by less than one percent in 2010, the organic food industry grew by 7.7 percent," Christine Bushway, OTA’s CEO and executive director, said in a statement. "Consumers continue to vote with their dollars in favor of the organic choice. These results illustrate the positive contribution organic agriculture and trade make to our economy, and particularly to rural livelihoods.”
The OTA is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America, representing more than 6,500 organic businesses across 49 states.
OTA REPORT HIGHLIGHTS
• In 2010, 40 percent of surveyed organic companies reported positive full-time employment growth. Companies with fewer than five employees were least likely to add full-time employees (23%). About half of companies with more than 50 employees experienced positive full-time employment growth.
• 46% of respondents anticipate an increase in employment over 2010 levels. In addition, 50% expect employment to remain even, and only 5% foresee a decrease.
• Experiencing the most growth, organic fruits and vegetables, which represent 39.7% of total organic food value, and nearly 12% of all U.S. fruit and vegetable sales, reached nearly $10.6 billion in 2010, up 11.8% from 2009 performance.
• Organic dairy, the second-largest category, experienced 9% growth to achieve a value of $3.9 billion, and captured nearly 6% of the total U.S. market for dairy products.
• In the organic non-food sector, organic supplements led, with a value of $681 million, representing 7.4% growth over 2009 figures. Organic fiber (linen and clothing) totaled a value of $605 million, achieving 16% year-over-year growth. Personal care products, at $490 million, increased 6.6% from 2009.