Organic Continues to Blossom

When I started buying organic products more than two decades ago, I first turned to the independent markets and co-ops that had a steady source of organic options available. Fast forward to 2026, and it only takes a visit to a larger format store or national chain to see how deeply organic foods have entered the so-called mainstream. In most cases, organic is no longer relegated to a tiny corner of large produce departments, as the USDA-certified organic logo is showing up across a number of familiar products, from berries and bananas to varieties of lettuce and beyond.

This proliferation of certified organic products in the produce aisle has been largely driven by consumer demand, slowly building over multiple decades, with a smaller movement pre-dating the existence of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 altogether. In fact, this market started building back in the 1970s, driven by passionate eaters and wellness advocates, many of whom were influenced by even earlier adopters such as J.I. Rodale, Rudolph Steiner and Rachel Carson with her 1962 book, A Silent Spring.

Organic has evolved into a powerhouse industry within the global food marketplace.

While organic continues to proliferate today with elements of that social activism intact, it has evolved into a powerhouse industry within the global food marketplace, with organic now available in an estimated 190 countries.

BY THE NUMBERS

Today, the U.S. holds the largest share of the overall organic market, with an estimated 74% of U.S. consumers now recognizing the USDA Organic seal. Organically produced food accounted for $71 billion in gross sales in 2024, with fresh produce making up over $21 billion as the leading category. This goes along with 5.2% year-over-year growth, more than double the conventional marketplace, which helps paint an optimistic picture of consumer interest and continued motivation to source organic foods.

While I got my introduction to organic food as a college student stocking shelves at a small independent food store in Burlington, VT, over two decades ago, it’s the younger generations, many of whom grew up with organic food from an early age, who are driving today’s organic market expansion to new heights.

According to OTA’s 2024 Consumer Perception Report, Gen Z consumers (those born between 1997-2012) are the core organic shopper base, over-indexing at all income levels, with 53% rating USDA Organic as important criteria when making a grocery purchase. This younger generation, along with Millennials before them, represent the first generations to come of age with organic more widely adopted and available in the larger marketplace.

Gen Z spending power is also expected to overtake Baby Boomers by 2029, and 90% of them in our study report being either aspirational or already committed to the health benefits of organic and importantly, are willing to pay more for it.

EXPECT CONTINUED GROWTH

Given this bright future, we’re not only proud to celebrate our 40th anniversary as the Organic Trade Association (OTA), but we are also excited about the potential for continued industry growth and evolution.

While OTA’s initial focus was on developing unified, regulated organic standards and an endorsement program for certification programs, we’ve evolved to be the leading organization promoting and protecting the organic trade. Like the early adopters, we know that much of the work is not only in building awareness for organic, but in creating access to simple educational information to help grocery shoppers assess a myriad of options.

At OTA, we have made significant progress and are more committed to our mission than ever — and, we still have considerable work to do to help educate consumers about the benefits of organic. We also need retail partners to support this goal.

With product shelves becoming increasingly cluttered and competing messaging coming at us at a frantic pace — from value pack deals and discounts, to varying health claims and certifications — grocery stores, and produce aisles specifically, have become ripe for consumer confusion.

This is why, in September 2025, OTA launched “The Seal Makes It Simple,” a multi-faceted integrated media, digital, and regional in-store campaign highlighting the benefits of organic.

With a strong member base of companies, including retailers, many of whom sell both organic and conventional products, we know that one size does not fit all and that there is room for options that suit consumers’ lifestyles, values and wallets. Our goal at OTA is to be a trusted source of clarity and to cut through the clutter — mainly to help facilitate a positive grocery shopping experience for consumers where making informed choices is as simple as choosing the USDA Organic seal.

Matt Landi is vice president of industry relations with the Organic Trade Association, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C.