{"id":2262,"date":"2011-03-28T12:12:47","date_gmt":"2011-03-28T16:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2011\/03\/organic-food-market-booming.html"},"modified":"2011-03-28T12:12:47","modified_gmt":"2011-03-28T16:12:47","slug":"organic-food-market-booming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2011\/03\/organic-food-market-booming.html","title":{"rendered":"Organic food market booming"},"content":{"rendered":"What continued to grow right through the recession?\nLocal and organic foods, especially sold through farmers’ markets\nand traditional supermarkets.\n

\n\n<\/a>\nCarol Hazard wrote in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 21, 2011,\n\nOrganic, natural food catching on<\/a>:\n

\nU.S. sales of organic foods and beverages grew from $1 billion in 1990\nto $24.8 billion in 2009,\naccording to the Organic Trade Association.\n

\nThe sector saw double-digit growth — often more than 20 percent —\nevery year over the past decade except 2009, at the tail-end of the\nrecession. Even then, organic sales rose 5.9 percent from the previous\nyear while total food sales increased only 1.6 percent.\n<\/blockquote>\nThe article didn’t link to the study, but here it is:\n\nIndustry Statistics and Projected Growth<\/a>.\n

\nFurther from the Times-Dispatch article:\n

\nNational grocers are pumping up their organic and natural food\nselections. Even Wal-Mart and its Sam’s Club warehouse division are\npaying attention.<\/blockquote>\n\n\n
\n“The entire movement is expanding,” said Jeffrey W. Metzger, publisher\nof Food World, a publication that follows the grocery market in the\nmid-Atlantic.\n

\nFive to seven years ago, conventional grocers devoted minimal space to\nnatural and organic foods, he said. That changed as links became obvious\nbetween unhealthy eating and obesity, diabetes and other illnesses.\n<\/blockquote>\nIf local grocers are going to sell natural and organic food, they\nneed to get it from somewhere.\nHow about from local growers?\nLowndes County used to be a big center of agriculture.\nIt could become a pioneer of local and organic agriculture\nfor south Georgia.\n

\nEven during the bottom of the recession,\naccording to Lauren Hatch in The Recovery Times,\n\nGrowing in the Recession<\/a>:\n

\nThe economic downturn may have forced the likes of Whole Foods and other\nhigh-end food shops to lower prices or reduce stores, but it has sparked\na growth in urban farmers markets across the country. According to the\nU.S. Department of Agriculture, the numbers of farmers\u2019 markets has\njumped more than 16 percent this year to 6,100, or about 22 markets for\nevery Whole Foods store. Overall, the number of farmers\u2019 markets has\ntripled since the USDA began counting them in 1994.\n<\/blockquote>\nThis is the time for farmers’ markets and local agriculture.\nNot only is local and organic food healthier,\n\nit tastes better.<\/a>\nPlus the creative people we want to attract for\n\nknowledge-based businesses<\/a>\nlike and often expect local and organic food.\n

\nThe last word from the Times-Dispatch article (I added the link):\n

\nPaige Bishop, spokeswoman for Ellwood Thompson’s, attributed industry\ngrowth to greater awareness that eating better is a form of health\ninsurance. “The tide is changing,” she said, as people realize\n\nthe health\nrisks associated with ingesting toxic chemicals, genetically modified\norganisms and antibiotics.<\/a>\n

\nAmericans spend 7 percent of their disposable income on food, the lowest\npercentage in the world, Wolf said. “In a lot of ways, we can’t afford\nnot to buy healthy foods.”\n<\/blockquote>\n

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