Jun 8, 2006 3:20 pm US/Eastern
Going Organic Could Be Getting Cheaper
by Sara Underwood
BOSTON (CBS4) ―
When it comes to organic food, Whole Foods or Trader Joe's may come to mind. And for pesticide free produce, some shoppers are willing to pay any price.
"So we want to be healthy and continue to be healthy," said one consumer.
And while it may not be for everyone, one thing is certain.
The organic foods business is now hotter than ever.
According to the Organic Trade Association, it's currently valued at 14 billion dollars and is expected to increase to 23 billion dollars over the next few years.
Nancy Kubilus is the Natural Foods Category Manager at Stop and Shop. She says, "We keep seeing increases of 25 to 30 percent on an annual basis so we recognized there was a need consumers wanted."
In order to capture a slice of the organic foods market, mainstream super market chains are now developing their own organic private labels. Just last spring, Stop and Shop introduced Nature's Promise.
Stop and shop started with 50 organic products under its Nature's Promise brand and today the grocery chain offers two hundred items including produce.
It also offers dairy, frozen foods, chicken broth and salsa, giving consumers healthy alternatives.
As for the price, it's pretty much comparable except for produce which tends to more expensive at places like Whole Foods.
Valeria Traynor is a spokesperson for Whole Foods. "Our quality standards are the highest in the industry. We visit every farm and our produce buyers hand select farms."
Even Walmart is expanding its offerings by doubling its line of organic foods. And as the demand for these products grow, expect to see more organic farming, more competition, and better prices.
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