MONTEREY, CA - With inflation continuing to impact various segments of the fresh produce industry, Organic Produce Network (OPN) and Category Partners have provided some details of its impact on the organic sector. According to the organizations’ Q3 2022 Organic Produce Performance Report, inflation resulted in higher retail prices of organic fresh produce during the third quarter of 2022, generating a 4.1 percent increase in total organic dollars but also contributing to a decline of 4.5 percent in organic volume compared to the same period last year.
“Comparing the third quarter of this year to third quarters of the past three years shows organic volume declining—and more than three percentage higher than the decline in conventional produce volume for Q3 of 2022,” said Tom Barnes, Chief Executive Officer of Category Partners. “Conventional produce outperformed organic produce in dollar growth, suggesting price increases in conventional produce have been more easily absorbed by consumers than the higher prices in organics.”
Utilizing Nielsen IQ syndicated data to track and report the performance of organic fresh produce, with specific attention to the leading 20 organic categories, the Q3 2022 report states that rising grocery prices may cause consumers to be more selective in their organic shopping.
As explained in a press release, organic fresh produce pricing per pound increased by 8.9 percent for Q3 2022 compared to the same period last year, with sales for the quarter surpassing $2.4 billion. During the same period, conventional produce’s average price per pound increased by more than 10 percent. In total, overall produce department sales gained 8.3 percent in dollars for the third quarter of 2022, while volume declined by 1.5 percent.
Berries and packaged salads continue to be the top two organic produce categories, responsible for nearly 40 percent of all organic produce dollars. The organic tomato category also saw an impressive 19 percent increase in volume and a 30 percent increase in dollars.
“Inflation and supply chain challenges have impacted pricing in the short term; however, organic fresh produce will remain an important component of weekly food shopping as consumers look for healthy, safe, and nutritious products for their families,” said OPN Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Matt Seeley.
To view the full Q3 2022 Organic Produce Performance Report, click here.
