Today's organic shoppers are more mainstream and diverse than most contemporary stereotypes of pro-organic shoppers, according to a survey conducted by Earthbound Farm, San Juan Bautista, Calif.
The "Annual Organic & Other Lifestyle Choices" survey yields fresh insights that compare a spate of lifestyle habits, including music and hobby choices, pet ownership, meal priorities and other factors not previously studied among organic shoppers. Health is still the No. 1 reason to purchase organic, and the younger the consumer, the more organic they say they buy. Of the 500-plus consumers surveyed, 40% say they plan to increase their household's organic consumption in 2019.
Findings show that organic shoppers are most likely to say they'll listen to any kind of music, followed by rap or hip-hop. Pet owners are more likely than non-pet owners to choose organic. Meanwhile, 49% of organic consumers consider themselves a sports fan, and those surveyed said they choose organic for wintertime holidays the most, with Labor Day and Memorial Day being the least.
"Organic should and can be for everyone," says Deverl Maserang, president and CEO. "We're thrilled that these results show a growing and diverse community of people who choose organic fairly frequently."
Meal occasions for organic show variance in prioritization. For instance, 71% of household shoppers with children in the home say it would be somewhat or very important to feed their child's classmates or teammates an organic snack if they were on snack duty. But, only 52% of house shoppers say it would be important to include organic food at a dinner party.
Who buys organic today?
- 48% of all organic consumers say they're open to any kind of organic product.
- People with kids at home are more likely than those without kids to buy organic (52% vs. 41%).
- Millennials, Gen Zers and Gen Xers are more likely than Boomers to choose organic (upwards of 50% for the younger generations, and only 30% for Boomers).
- Millennials/Gen Zers are the most likely to say they purchase organic food "all the time" (20% for Millennials/Gen Z vs. 8% for Gen X and 7% for Boomers).
- Only 8% of organic consumers in Rocky Mountain and Pacific states say they are "loud and proud" about their organic choices, while that number rises to 36% of organic consumers in South Central states.
What do organic shoppers like and dislike?
- Fresh fruits and vegetables are the most commonly purchased organic product category (84% say they purchase), followed by fresh eggs (56%), fresh dairy (55%) and fresh meat (54%).
- Fresh fruits and vegetables rank first as the most likely items to buy organic, followed by eggs as a distant second.
- Dinner is the meal occasion most likely for which to buy organic, with lunch as the the runner up.
Why do consumers choose organic?
- 75% of organic consumers say they choose organic because it's healthier for themselves or their families. The next closest reason (at a big distance) was because "it's higher quality," at 45%.
- 57% say it tastes better or because it's higher quality.
- 44% say they choose organic because it's better for the environment.
- 34% of organic consumers say they choose organic because it's better for the farmers and field workers.
