Cities known for organic eaters

Did you know that U.S. sales of natural and organic products have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to $26.7 billion in 2010? That’s the case according to the Organic Trade Association’s 2011 Organic Industry Survey. The same survey also shows that organic food and beverage sales represented approximately 4 percent of overall food and beverage sales in 2010.

So why is it that eating organic has become such a trend?  We assume it’s because people like that organic foods meet such strict government standards—the USDA regulates how they’re grown, handled and processed. Organic products are free (or severely restricted) of chemical fertilizers, spray insecticides, herbicides, antibiotics, growth hormones, disease-preventing medications, growth-inducing medications, and food additives.

In order for foods to tout that a product is “100 percent organic,” it must be either completely organic or made of all organic ingredients. In order to tout “organic,” products must be at least 95 percent organic.

If you’re an organic consumer, obviously it’s important to live in an area where organic products are readily available.  Sometimes it’s even a deal-breaker when folks are considering moving to a new city.  U-Pack just released an infographic depicting the Top U.S. Cities for Organic Food Consumption.  It’s safe to say that the cities with the most organic food consumers are likely also those cities with some of the highest availabilities of organic products. 

Are you an organic eater?  We would love to know how you save money buying organically.