VALENCIA, CA - As the organic agriculture segment to continue to grow at an unprecedented rate, Sunkist Growers is making moves to expand its organic offerings to meet the high demand from retail shoppers.
“Consumers are broadening their food choices, and we’re seeing that in the growth of organics,” Joan Wickham, Manager of Advertising and Public Relations for Sunkist, said in a press release. “With more acreage coming into production, Sunkist has a growing supply of organics to meet this increasing demand.”
According to Sunkist, IRI Worldwide Data noted that retail sales of organic citrus in the U.S. were up 14 percent in 2015, a rate three times as high as the demand for conventional citrus.
“Sunkist offers retailers both conventional and organic citrus to meet expanding consumer demands,” Julie DeWolf, Sunkist Director of Retail Marketing, added. “We also offer retailers tools to promote citrus in their stores and drive sales, including materials that educate consumers about our growers’ commitment to providing safe, quality fruit while also preserving the land for future generations.”
Among its wide organic offerings, Sunkist’s program includes:
- Navel
- Cara Cara Navel
- Valencia oranges
- Mandarins
- Minneolas
- Grapefruit
- Lemons
- Limes
Sunkist is also showcasing its Sunkist Family Story program, a project in which the company’s cooperative family farmers share their stories with the consumer.
A video featuring a snapshot of those stories can be viewed below.
The video is located on a microsite (located here) with imagery and vignettes, as well as social media content and retail point-of-sale materials. Combined with its strong supply of both organic and conventional citrus, this ability to bring consumers into the groves of Sunkist citrus allows it to supply retailers with their entire citrus program and a story for shoppers who want to know where it all comes from.
