For Daniel Friedrichs, eating organic food was a wake-up call.
The Sweetbay Supermarket produce stocker in St. Petersburg, Fla., switched to a mostly organic diet more than two years ago. Since then, he said, he has more energy when he rises in the mornings.
Choosing energy over grogginess has not come without a cost. Friedrich said his grocery bill has almost doubled. And shopping takes more time. Friedrichs, 28, normally buys fresh vegetables and fruits to make stir fry or salad. That means more frequent trips to the grocery store, which is an inconvenience for the former culinary arts student, who doesn’t have a car.
But Friedrichs has joined the growing number of American willing to pay the price to eat organic.
Sales of organic food increased 16.2 percent in 2005 over the previous year, according to the Organic Trade Association’s Manufacturer Survey. In 1990, consumers spent $1 billion on organic food, according to association spokeswoman Holly Givens. In 2005, they spent $13.8 billion.
Organic foods can be twice as expensive as their conventional counterparts. For example, a 1-pound bag of organic celery costs $3.59 compared with $1.99 for non-organic celery at Publix Supermarket on 49th Street South in St. Petersburg. Natural ground chuck meat costs $3.99 per pound compared with $2.99 for regular ground chuck.
Organic foods cost more for a variety of reasons. It is still a relatively small market, so low supplies drive price up. And the production costs are higher: Farmers and growers don’t use pesticides, so the work is more labor-intensive.
Karen Leon, 61, doesn’t mind paying higher prices for organic produce because it is grown in the United States, and the profits go to farmers in the United States. She said organic produce also tastes better.
“A lot of them have a lot more flavor [than non-organic produce],” said Leon, a teaching assistant in Pinellas County. She said organic foods are better for her digestion as well.
Many grocers have added natural and organic sections to their stores in response to the growing number of consumers demanding healthier options. Consumers want the convenience of buying organic food in the places they do their everyday shopping, Givens said. Forty-six percent of all the organic food purchased in 2005 came from major chain stores.
At Sweetbay Supermarket on U.S. Highway 19, natural and organic products are in a section of the store called Nature’s Place.
“We’re always asked ‘Do we have an organic section’,” said Jackie Schaaff, floral manager at Sweetbay. “We’re selling quite a bit over there.”
In fact, it’s booming, according to Sweetbay spokesperson Nicole Lebeau. “It has grown by double digits every year for the past five years.”
However, non-organic produce still sells about 10 times more than organic produce, said Ted Cutler, assistant produce manager at Publix. He thinks the primary reason is price.
Despite the costs, Friedrichs believes more people would convert to organic foods like he did if they could experience the tangible benefits.
He credits his organic diet with healing the stomach ulcers he suffered for 10 years.
“It (organic food) keeps my ulcers from coming back,” he said. “And the women dig it.”
