Global investor resource publishes trends in the USA

According to a recent research by RedOrbit.com, one of the few certain and consistent trends for American grocers has been the growing popularity of organic food. From 1997 to 2006, sales of organic food grew by almost 80 % to $ 17.7 billion. The Canadian organic market is booming with an annual growth of more than 20 %.

This trend emerges, according to InvestorIdeas.com, in parallel to the World Bank stating that food prices increased by 83 % worldwide over the past three years and food shortages are becoming a global issue.

The need for health awareness is a growing concern for North Americans and they see organics to be the way for a healthy lifestyle. Accompanying the organic food movement, there is a positive trend in the vitamin and supplement sector.

Gourmet Retailer reported that consumers were willing to pay more for green, environmentally friendly products in 2008. This was revealed in a study by Mambo Sprouts Marketing, a leader in natural and organic product marketing and promotions. The buying habits of 1,000 natural product consumers were surveyed as well as their expected purchases for 2008 were forecasted.

Economists are predicting a decline in consumer spending, yet many consumers still see green as their priority. Most natural food consumers stated they would pay more for environmentally friendly products, with seven of ten of the surveyed showed themselves willing to pay up to 20 % more. The study also revealed that consumer interest in healthy, organic and sustainable products was on the rise, showing a commitment to organic foods and green products for personal health benefits and for the environment.

Coming to grocery spending in particular, natural category consumers were most likely to choose organic options for produce (60%), dairy products (54%) and child/baby food products (50%). Natural and organic consumers will increase their use of environmentally friendly grocery bags, with 63 % ready to increase their use of green reusable bags and 62 % expected to decrease their use of disposable plastic bags in 2008.

Some organic and health sector stocks were also published.

http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/33062/