Who is the Organic Consumer?

“Organics are here to stay.” That’s what Bob Borda, vice president of organic sales for Cal-Organic Farms, a division of Grimmway Farms, based in Lamont, Calif., told me this month as I began researching a story for our August issue about organic produce. In that story, Overcoming Organic Obstacles, I cited a 2014 Gallup poll that found nearly half of consumers (45 percent) reported that they actively try to include organic foods in their diets. A new study from The Hartman Group indicates that number may be higher. The Organic & Natural 2014 report by The Hartman Group reveals that 73 percent of U.S. adult consumers buy organic products occasionally. The study attributes the growing number of consumers that are gaining more awareness about the benefits of these products—including seeing them as “healthier” choices—as a reason the organic market continues to grow at a rapid pace. Jessie Gunn, marketing specialist at Wholesum Harvest, based in Nogales, Ariz., agrees. “People are more health- and longevity-driven now than ever before, and with the increased access to data, people know that choosing a less chemically driven, cleaner food source is a smarter choice,” she says. “That’s the choice they are making for themselves and their children.” So who is the organic consumer? The Hartman Group recently sent me an infographic detailing a Profile of Organic Users. The complete profile can be seen in the infographic below.