Organic Despite Recession

Natural and organic food sales are holding steady during the recession, according to a new survey from market research firm Mintel. Its research indicates that only three percent of consumers completely stopped buying organic products because of the down economy, and 40 percent of consumers have not changed the amount of organic foods they purchase. Occasional buyers of organic goods were the least likely to have changed their behavior. Supermarket sales of organic food declined 0.3 percent in 2009 and are expected to recover in the next two years. Meanwhile, Mintel reports that only 33 percent of survey participants trust the label “natural,” and 45 percent trust the label “organic.”