Organic Lifestyle is on the Rise
March 2008: Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), the leading market research and strategic consulting firm specializing in health, wellness and sustainability, reported today that its recent Health & Wellness Trends Database™ survey revealed that consumer integration of organic into their lifestyles is growing. New data reveals that total organic household penetration across six product categories is up from 57% in 2006 to 59%, but some categories are experiencing significant penetration growth while others are flat. More importantly the number of core users, DEVOTEDS™, has grown. The chart below shows the percentage of general population/primary grocery shoppers who fall into each of NMI’s organic consumer segments for 2007 and 2006.
2007 / 2006
DEVOTEDS 18% / 16%
TEMPERATES 22% /22%
DABBLERS 41% / 44%
RELUCTANTS 19% / 18%
DEVOTEDS, as their name implies, are the most committed to organic and its ideals and are most likely to have changed their lifestyle to integrate organic. The more a category is used, the more it has to be organic. TEMPERATES have modern organic attitudes and fit organic into their lifestyle; the more they use a category, the more an organic version becomes a treat. DABBLERS are non-committal about organic – they can take it or leave it. For them, buying organic is more about hipness than the health benefits. RELUCTANTS are the least trustful of organic and believe that conventional products are just as good (if not better) than organics and that organics are not worth the extra cost.
Really good to see that things are moving back towards organic; Looking at the word “conventional” I am struck by the short memory span and rewriting of history that goes on, and I mean this not as an attack on NMI, but as an observation on culture. Clearly, from any sort of historical perspective, the conventional way to grow foods and feed society is, and has been for thousands of years, organic. I’m also sure that in the equally venerable history of cattle raising, the idea of “grass-fed” beef is by no means new. Although it is easy to see the last hundred years of agriculture as “conventional” as it is the most recent in our memories and cultural memory, it is in fact by far the most unconventional period of agriculture in history, brought on by technological developments that lead to mechanized factory farming techniques and pesticides, and more recently, to GMOs. Again, I mean this to be an observation, not a rant; this poll, to me, seems to show that we are heading back towards a more conventional form of agriculture, and hopefully a simpler and healthier lifestyle will come with it.
For those of you whom consider yourself Devoteds, and really for all of you, I suggest Eatwellguide.org, an online database of sustainable farmers, farmers markets, CSAs, and restaurants across the US and Canada– check out the site. It should help you find sustainable, ethical food in your area.
Comment by Chrisso Babcock — March 24, 2008 @ 2:07 pm
Organic Products…
Hmm, care to share some more?…
Trackback by Jessie — September 4, 2008 @ 10:55 am
healthy food restaurants…
Diet Fitness Health ” Blog Archive ” Home-Cooked Meals Are Great Food was very well written….
Trackback by healthy food restaurants — December 10, 2008 @ 2:23 am
gourmet food…
Raw Food Restaurants in Florida - Almond Blossom Cafe Opens made some good points. I did a search on gourmet food and found most people agree with your blog….
Trackback by gourmet food — December 23, 2008 @ 2:48 am