Liberals and College Grads Eat Organic, Says U.S. Poll
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany on 10. 9.07
According to a poll conducted by Harris Interactive, there's a good chance you are a liberal or a college graduate (or both), if you eat organic food. The survey says college graduates (11%), Liberals (11%), Westerners (10%), Echo Boomers (those aged 18-30; 10%), and Gen Xers (those aged 31-42; 9%) buy organic food regularly.
In general, people have positive feelings about organic food, the poll continues. Although only seven percent of all adults polled report buying organic food all the time, 31 percent buy it regularly, and the majority of people surveyed believe it is safer, tastier, better for the environment (79%), and healthier (76%).
Even though most people (95 percent) believe it more expensive, organic purchases are on the rise. All organic purchasers say they will probably buy more organic food in the future--not less.
What does this mean? The market is ripe for organic. According to the pull, “the increase in consumption of organic food is likely to continue and, in a few years time, could account for a much larger share of the food market.”
The survey was conducted online within the U.S. between September 11 and 18, 2007 among 2,392 adults (aged 18 and over). ::Via Environmental News Network More polls by Harris Interactive ::U.S. Residents Support Environmental Regulation ::Poll Shows Americans Wising Up to Global Warming ::23 Percent of Americans Don't Recycle Also see ::Food Flight! The Argument Over Flying Organic Food ::The Produce Riddle Part 1: Organic VS Local
While this is a very interesting article, the term "organic" is becoming a word defined by broad criteria that is rapidly changing and can be a confusing term for consumers. Just because something says it is organic does not mean it was produced in environmentally safe, clean and humane conditions for workers, animals and the land.
I intern at the Eat Well Guide in New York, which is part of Sustainable Table- a nonprofit organization that promote Sustainable agriculture- a way of raising food that is healthy for consumers and animals, does not harm the environment, is humane for workers, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and supports and enhances rural communities. It is a great guide and source for people interesting in practicing organic and sustainable eating the RIGHT way.
Check out http://www.eatwellguide.org/ and http://www.sustainabletable.org/- I promise you'll find this stuff interesting.