U.S. organic sales increased by 12.4 percent to $61.9 billion in 2020, according to the Organic Trade Association. This is the first time that total sales of organic food and non-food products surpassed the $60 billion mark and reflected a growth rate more than twice the 2019 pace of 5 percent, said OTA.
“The pandemic caused abrupt changes in all of our lives. We’ve been eating at home with our families, and often cooking three meals a day. Good, healthy food has never been more important, and consumers have increasingly sought out the Organic label. Organic purchases have skyrocketed as shoppers choose high-quality organic to feed and nourish their families,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and executive director of the Organic Trade Association, in a statement.
Fresh organic produce sales rose by nearly 11 percent in 2020 to $18.2 million. Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables also jumped with frozen sales alone rising by more than 28 percent. Including frozen, canned and dried products, total sales of organic fruit and vegetables in 2020 were $20.4 billion.
Pantry stocking was the main growth driver in 2020. Sales of organic flours and baked goods grew by 30 percent.
Consumers also turned to “meal support” products to help them in the kitchen. Sales of sauces and spices pushed the $2.4 billion condiments category to a growth rate of 31 percent, and organic spice sales jumped by 51 percent, more than triple the growth rate of 15 percent in 2019.
Meat, poultry, and fish, the smallest of the organic categories at $1.7 billion, had the second highest growth rate of nearly 25 percent.
“The only thing that constrained growth in the organic food sector was supply,” said Angela Jagiello, director of education & insights for the Organic Trade Association, in a statement. “Across all the organic categories, growth was limited by supply, causing producers, distributors, retailers, and brands to wonder where numbers would have peaked if supply could have been met.”
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