As organic continues to go mainstream with broader reach outside of the natural channel where it began, it faces increased competition from other attributes and production methods as well as skepticism about the certification’s veracity and value, new consumer research reveals.

According to the Hartman Group’s recently published Organic 2022 report that surveyed more than 2,800 American consumers, 83% of US consumers now use organic products at lease occasionally.

She explained that Hartman Group research found 60% of consumers believe that organic is “just an excuse to charge me more money,”​ which reflects a 4 percentage point increase since 2020 among those who agree somewhat with the statement and a 3 percentage point increase among those who agree completely.

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The most frequently cited reason consumers do not buy more organic is price, although this concern appears to be dwindling in recent years, according to the research, which found 50% of organic buyers noted the products are “too expensive.”​ While high, this is a ten percentage point drop from 2020, Demeritt highlighted.

Other limitations to organic sales include lack of accessibility, cited by 20% of organic buyers, and an inability to tell if something is “really organic,” cited by 18% of organic shoppers, according to the study.

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