November 15, 2007

Organic meat sales increase by tenfold in 5 years

Sales of organic meat have increased more than tenfold in the past five years, from US$33 million in 2002 to US$364 million this year.

Chicago-based Mintel said that the increased preference for organic meat is based on the general sense that the food supply is unsafe. The overall sales of organic food have grown to 132 percent since 2002. Currently, the organic food and beverage markets account for almost US$6 billion annually.

However, the US market for organic meat has mostly been import-reliant. The research pointed that high production costs, lack of certified slaughterhouses, inadequate distribution infrastructure are the main challenges for the US organic industry.