Organic fruits and vegetables are all the rage. More than ever before, consumers are trafficking the organic produce aisle with over half of all households in the U.S. now purchasing organic produce products, according to a report on the produce-buying habits of Americans compiled for the Organic Trade Association by Nielsen. The sale of organic bananas alone – now a $165 million market – soared by more than 30 percent last year. Organic “value-added” vegetables such as chopped kale, peeled carrots and ready-to-cook squash, grew 54 percent in 2015 to almost $150 million.
“The organic produce market is growing and strong, and it is driving trends in produce innovation across the board,” says Laura Batcha, executive director and CEO of the Organic Trade Association (OTA).