Organic food sales in the United States in 2022 broke through $60 billion for the first time, hitting another high-level mark for the resilient organic sector.
Total organic sales – including organic non-food products – were a record $67.6 billion, according to the 2023 Organic Industry Survey released this week by Organic Trade Association.
The organic market grew despite challenging headwinds: inflation pressures tightening consumer wallets, supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic and global political events, a proliferation of competing food labels in the grocery aisles, and a labor shortage felt acutely by organic producers. Inflation heated up costs across the organic supply chain and boosted prices in the grocery aisles. As a result, the organic sector reflected the overall food sector, with the value of organic sales rising even as the growth in the volume of sales for some categories slipped.
The sector’s four-percent growth in sales value was nearly twice the pace of growth in 2021. Organic food sales totalled $61.7 billion, while the value of organic non-food sales hit nearly $6 billion. Certified organic now accounts for 6 percent of total food sales in the United States.
“Organic brings together the interest in human health and a healthy environment, and that offers organic a positive pathway forward and will help organic businesses withstand challenges in the future”
Tom Chapman
“Organic has proven it can withstand short-term economic storms. Despite the fluctuation of any given moment, Americans are still investing in their personal health, and, with increasing interest, in the environment; organic is the answer,” said Organic Trade Association CEO Tom Chapman. “Organic’s fundamental values remain strong, and consumers have demonstrated they will come back time and again because the organic system is verified, and better for people, the planet, and the economy.”
Predicting a bright future for organic, Chapman said: “Organic is at that right intersection of environmental and personal health,” said OTA’s Chapman. “Organic brings together the interest in human health and a healthy environment, and that offers organic a positive pathway forward and will help organic businesses withstand challenges in the future.”