Organic Trade Association Survey Shows Committed Young Organic Consumers

A survey released by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) finds that organic’s benefits to personal health and nutrition are resonating deeply with Millennials and Gen Z, making them the most committed organic consumers of any generation. In its new “Consumer Perception of USDA Organic and Competing Label Claims” study, OTA partnered with Euromonitor International to survey more than 2,500 consumers across the country in October 2024. Survey participants were asked about their familiarity with organic and other food label claims, their priorities in making food choices, how often they bought organic, and how willing they were to pay a premium for the organic label. The results showed that not only do members of the Millennial and Gen Z generations buy the most organic, but that the USDA Organic label garners the deepest trust from consumers of all ages and is synonymous with health in the minds of most shoppers. While older demographics may worry about the affordability of organic, younger consumers at every income level are more willing to pay a premium for organic. Another revealing finding was that claims tied to the health and nutritional benefits of organic are more important to younger consumers in their purchasing decisions than broader environmental claims.
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