Sixth-year project tracks changes in consumer understanding and adoption of organic food
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) announced today the full results of its 2015 U.S. Families’ Organic Attitudes & Beliefs Study are now available for purchase. The study, which closely tracks changes in market demographics, shopping patterns, and consumer knowledge about the USDA Organic seal, provides deep insights to those with an investment in understanding the $39.1 billion U.S. organic sector. OTA revealed initial findings from the study this spring– including the fact that the demographics of the organic consumer are increasingly diverse, matching those of the overall population.
Key insights included in the full study:
- Attributes motivating buyers to purchase organic—while 72% of families cite health concerns as their primary motivator, the study reveals a nuanced understanding of and deepening appreciation for the benefits of organic.
- Attitudes, beliefs and behaviors relating to store brand organic products
- Organic products and categories families deem most critical to purchase—the study discusses the priority placed on purchases aisle by aisle
- Shoppers’ preferred retail outlets for organic purchases
- Trended analysis of consumer understanding of the USDA Organic seal and its requirements. The study also compares consumers’ trust of the seal against that of several other leading third-party verification marks.
The 2015 U.S. Families’ Organic Attitudes & Beliefs Study is available at www.ota.com.
This is the sixth year OTA has partnered with KIWI Magazine to conduct the study. The primary objectives of the tracking study are to identify any changes in the degree to which families are incorporating organic into their lifestyle, parents’ knowledge about organic products and benefits, the importance and use of labels when shopping for and choosing organic products, and the household shopping budget and retail channel preferences.
The target audience for the study consisted of more than 1,200 households, including a national online panel of U.S. households supplemented with KIWI Magazine’s Parents’ Advisory Board. All respondents had at least one child under the age of 18 in the household, and had sole or shared responsibility for household grocery purchases. The survey was conducted online January 16 - 23, 2015.
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing over 8,500 organic businesses across 50 states. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.
