Organic sales topped $50 billion in 2018

The U.S. organic market continues to grow with no signs of slowing down. For the first time, the U.S. organic market broke through the $50 billion mark in 2018 with sales hitting a record $52.5 billion, an increase of 6.3% from the previous year, according to the 2019 Organic Industry Survey recently released by the Organic Trade Association (OTA).

According to OTA, the traits of organic products — clean, transparent, fresh, sustainable, environmentally friendly, animal humane, high quality — helped push organic sales to record levels. Record sales were made in both the organic food market and the organic non-food market. Organic food sales reached $47.9 billion, an increase of 5.9%. Sales of organic non-food products jumped by 10.6% to $4.6 billion.

The growth rate for organic continued to easily outpace the general market, according to OTA. In 2018, total food sales in the U.S. edged up just 2.3% while total non-food sales rose 3.7%. OTA noted that the USDA Organic seal is gaining new appeal as consumers realize that organic is a certification that is not only monitored and supported by official standards, but is the only seal that encompasses the spectrum of non-GMO and no toxic pesticides or chemicals, dyes or preservatives.

“Organic is now considered mainstream, but the attitudes surrounding organic are anything but status quo,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and executive director of the OTA. “In 2018, there was a notable shift in the mindset of those working in organic toward collaboration and activism to move the needle on the role organic can play in sustainability and tackling environmental initiatives.”

Organic fruits and vegetables are still “the stalwarts” of organic products, according to OTA, with sales increasing 5.6% in 2018 when compared to 2017. The overall fruits and vegetables category, including both organic and conventional products, grew by just 1.7% in 2018. 

Fruits and vegetables now account for 36.3% of all organic food sales. Organic fruits and vegetable make up close to 15% of all the produce sold in the U.S., and have doubled their market share in the last 10 years, according to OTA.