Nils-Gerrit Wunsch
Research expert covering food & agriculture in the UK & Europe
Get in touch with us nowOrganic food sales growth in the U.S. 2000-2019
From 200 to 2019, the annual sales growth of organic food in the United States has decreased from nearly 21 percent to nearly five percent.
The exact definition of organic food differs across countries and certifiers. However, it often refers to crops grown without artificial pesticides, genetic modifications, or petroleum-based fertilizers. For meat, dairy, and eggs to be labelled as organic, the animals must not be raised on organic feed, given adequate time outdoors, and not fed growth hormones. In 2019, there was a total of approximately 22,687 certified organic farms in the United States. Roughly 69 percent of the certified organic farms were on cropland and roughly 31 percent on pasture- and rangeland.
The sales of organic food in the United States have continuously increased from 2005 to 2019. Starting with approximately 13 billion U.S. dollars in 2005, organic food sales in the United States now amount to approximately 50 billion U.S. dollars. The share of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 who rather or almost only purchase organic food is roughly 36 percent. By contrast, only 12 percent of 50-to-64-year old’s have similar purchasing habits with regards to organic food.
Organic Agriculture in the United States
The exact definition of organic food differs across countries and certifiers. However, it often refers to crops grown without artificial pesticides, genetic modifications, or petroleum-based fertilizers. For meat, dairy, and eggs to be labelled as organic, the animals must not be raised on organic feed, given adequate time outdoors, and not fed growth hormones. In 2019, there was a total of approximately 22,687 certified organic farms in the United States. Roughly 69 percent of the certified organic farms were on cropland and roughly 31 percent on pasture- and rangeland.
American consumers of Organic Food
The sales of organic food in the United States have continuously increased from 2005 to 2019. Starting with approximately 13 billion U.S. dollars in 2005, organic food sales in the United States now amount to approximately 50 billion U.S. dollars. The share of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 who rather or almost only purchase organic food is roughly 36 percent. By contrast, only 12 percent of 50-to-64-year old’s have similar purchasing habits with regards to organic food.
