Conflicting claims on organic sales

The government says organic food sales declined for the first time in history, but the Organic Trade Association says they increased by four per cent and at twice the rate of increase in 2021.

The government’s figures were presented by Sharon Raszap Skorbiansky, research economist with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, during the 100^th anniversary Agriculture Outlook Conference.

Raszap Skorbiansky said the difference is that the USDA’s numbers are inflation adjusted to 2023 dollars, while the OTA is using nominal dollars.

She said the organic foods market “was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, by high food price inflation, the economic downturn and changes in consumer purchase patterns.

Sales fell by three percent in 2021 and another 3.5 percent in 2022, the last year for which there is available data.

The Organic Trade Association said food sales reached a record $61.7 billion in 2022 and said the market “grew despite challenging headwinds.”