Despite the presence of pesticides in equal amounts, organic consumers won’t switch.
A recent study found pesticide levels in organically grown foods is equal to that of conventionally grown foods. That’s right, consumers are paying more for organic foods to avoid pesticides but it’s not helping. Think they’ll switch to conventionally grown foods?
Not likely, according to NPD’s National Eating Trends®, which continually tracks all aspects of how U.S. consumers eat. Organic consumers hold a strong belief in their nutritional knowledge and healthy lifestyle and are not likely to be swayed by the research.
NPD cited a recently released report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) that found pesticide levels in organically grown foods are equal to those in conventionally grown foods. NPD said consumers have opportunities to consume organic foods and beverages 9.7% of the time, up from 7.5% just three years ago. The group also said about 10% of the U.S. population consumes all organic foods over a seven-day period. Another 19% consume a combination of all-natural and organic foods, with 20% consuming only all-natural foods, the study said.
The NPD group’s study also identified organic-only consumers as most likely to be female, span the ages between 35 to 44 and 55 to 64, live on the West Coast and have a household income of more than $75,000 per year. The study found 51% of the population are non-users of organic and all natural foods.
“Organic consumers will hold steadfast to their beliefs and continue to seek organic foods despite negative reporting, and all-natural consumers will continue to place convenience and taste first,” said Darren Seifer, food and beverage industry analyst at NPD.
