Across the country American’s have turned their food consumption to the new healthier all organic type. Consumers are attracted to the products because of the promise of a healthier food product. “All natural,” “No preservatives” and “No pesticides” are just some attributes organic products provide.
The organic craze has been picking up speed every year. According to the OTA (organic trade association), since 1990 organic food and drink sales in the U.S. have gone from 1 billon in 1990 to an estimated 23.7 billion in 2008. Over the next three years the OTA anticipates an 18 percent growth of food products each year.
Also a 16 to 40 percent increase in non-food organic sales. Such as organic flowers and fiber for clothing. One reason for the rapid growth is major supermarkets implementing organic foods into their stores.
Offering a cheaper price then other all-organic food stores like Whole foods. People used to be turned off by the high prices that the organic specialty stores offered. So when organic went mass market and super markets started offering their own brand of cheaper organic product sales went through the roof. Although they are cheaper they still adhere to the same guidelines as other brands.
The introduction of organic foods into the mass market has giving consumers more of a choice and better prices. Stores such as Wal-Mart and Safeway have begun selling organic products. Many people how ever a naive and do not trust the labels.
Ryan Vaughan, freshman communication major, said, ” Any company can put all organic and all natural on their products, that doesn’t make it true.” There have been many scandals and frauds surrounding the organic food industry.
The definition of organic is food grown without pesticides; grown without artificial fertilizers; grown in soil whose humus content is increased by the additions of organic matter, grown in soil whose mineral content is increased by the application of natural mineral fertilizers; has not been treated with preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, etc.
The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) said there is no accepted defetion of “organic.” They stated that there are certain philosophies attitudes and practices that the term organic represents. It goes in saying that some farmers that hold rigid to the standered of no chemicals. They believe deeply in the standards of organic foods. But there are also farmers that try to avoid using chemicals, still on occasion sue chemicals on food.
But these farmers are still considered organic farmers and get the USDA stamp of approval. Consumers of organic products really are playing a game of chance, no realty knowing if the product they just bought really is organic, even if it says it is, and paying extra for it. Not knowing what is realy organic and what is not basically defeats the purpose of organic food in that first place. Growing your own produce may be the only was to insure your food is organic.
Courtney Fielder, freshman education major, said, ” I don’t really buy organic food a lot but imp a fan of organic make up.” Non-food organic products such as make up have grew in sales over the past years faster then the food products. Sales went from 744 million to 938 million in 2006 a 26 percent increases. Non-food categories include organic supplements, personal care products, household products and cleaners, pet food, flowers and fiber products such as linens and clothing.
The organic craze inst just in America, in Australia 11.6 percent of all the farmers produced organically. In Italy all school lunches must be organic by law. Austria has the most land devoted to organic farming 11.4 percent and Italy is second with 8.4 percent. Organic food sales I the UK increased from just over
