The stereotypical eating habits of American teenagers consists of burgers and fries. However, that seems to be changing, as a recently released survey indicates. The 26th semi-annual Piper Jaffray & Co. survey called “Taking Stock With Teens” found that 39 percent of more than 8,000 teens polled eat organic food, up from only 33 percent two years ago. That is not the only survey to find that younger people are embracing organics. A 2012 survey called Trouble in Aisle 5 found that 58 percent of millennials surveyed said they are willing to pay more for natural/organic products.
Perhaps the reason why younger people are eating organic food is because their parents also eat it. Last summer, Simcha Weinstein, the director of marketing for Albert’s Organics, a distributor of organic food, pointed out in an interview that the top consumers of organic products are 45 to 54 years old. “Now, as their children come of age as young adults – or as it’s known, the millennial generation – there is both evidence and the expectation that organic and natural foods will continue to be a part of their diet as they mature,” he said.
More and more U.S. households are buying organic food. A survey released in January 2013, conducted by the Organic Trade Association (OTA), found that 81 percent of the 1,239 U.S. households surveyed said they purchase organic food at least sometimes. A Whole Foods survey from fall 2012 found that almost 71 percent of Americans polled prefer to buy natural and/or organic foods over conventional foods if prices are comparable. One in four polled (27 percent) are devoting over a quarter of their grocery dollars to natural and/or organic products, a 35 percent increase from four years earlier. “We see that Americans from all demographics are seeking more natural and organic foods; especially if the price is right,” said A.C. Gallo, president and COO of Whole Foods Market.
The U.S. organic market continues to grow. The OTA’s 2012 Organic Industry Survey found that the U.S. organic industry grew by 9.5 percent overall in 2011. The OTA’s 2013 Organic Industry Survey found that in 2012 consumer sales of organic reached $31.5 billion and experienced double digit growth for the first time since 2008. Last year, analysts forecast that the the global organic food and drink market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3 percent from 2012 to 2016 partly due to an increasing focus on organic farming.
Read more about the reasons to eat organic
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