Bananas continue to be the dominant category for volume growth, larger than the next two categories (carrots and apples) combined. Per the report, the top three categories — bananas, carrots and apples — also share a common trait: retail prices for organic options are priced relatively close to their conventional counterpart.
A broader trend reflected in the report is consumer purchases of organic ingredient products. “Of the top 15 organic volume growth categories, nine were vegetables," said Steve Lutz, senior vice president of insights and innovation at Category Partners. “Large volume increases in products like organic cauliflower, celery, herbs, mushrooms and broccoli continue to reflect a shift in consumer home food preparation habits since the beginning of the pandemic in March.”
The full May 2020 Organic Produce Performance Report is available on the Organic Produce Network website.