Nowadays there are 37.5 million hectares certified for production in the world, of which 2.2 million are in the U.S. and 800,000 in Canada.
In 2012, global organic product sales were worth 63.8 billion. 44% was sold in the U.S. and 41% in Europe.
Meanwhile, Canadian sales of organic foods reached nearly 3.7 billion in 2013; 64% of which through specialised organic supermarkets. 58% of households purchase organic products at least once a week.
A survey by the Organic Trade Association in the United States revealed that 81% of families buy organic products. For most families, the interest in organic products is mostly due to concerns about providing their children with a healthy diet.
It is noteworthy that 74% of kindergartens in the United States offer organic food.
Eco-friendly products have been on the rise for several years, but the sector is still small compared to the traditional, even though it has registered a year on year growth of between 8% and 20%, despite the recession of 2008.
"Since traditional supermarkets started selling organic products, sales volumes soared," said Adriana Michael, editor of Organic Wellness during her presentation at Expoalimentaria 2014, held in the city of Lima, Peru.
Three out of four supermarkets in the United States sells organic products.
"The United States is a country that likes organic products, but has, in relation to consumption, a very small certified area for production," said Adriana.
In the United States and Canada, the average age of growers is 65. Who will cultivate our food if all young people want to be doctors, lawyers or executives?
"More than fifty million people in the United States speak Spanish, that gives us Latin Americans an advantage," she says.
Nowadays, many Latin organic products, such as Peruvian organic banana, have achieved great success in the United States and Canada.
According to Adriana, to be successful the packaging must offer good data to help connect the producer with the consumer, as well as to show that the producer is committed to organic practices.
"Packaging formats today are mostly still toxic and conventional. That has not changed much and there is much work to do," concluded Adriana Michael.