Washington, DC—A new survey released by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) evaluated what today’s consumers understand about organic, as well as their willingness to pay for USDA Organic products and the individual attributes supported by organic certification. OTA partnered with Euromonitor International for the survey, which was conducted in December of 2023 with approximately 1,200 consumers across the U.S.

Key findings and takeaways shared by OTA:

  • The survey rated consumers’ familiarity with common food and beverage claims found on food and beverages.  88% of consumers are familiar or somewhat familiar with organic claims, followed by natural (86%), local (85%), and grass-fed (83%) (see below).
  • The USDA Organic seal is trusted by 70% of consumers – the most trusted of any agricultural label, and the second-most trusted of food labels in the survey, second only to the American Heart Association checkmark.
  • When asked about the value of various claims,survey respondents ranked organic as the most valuable, with nearly 60% of consumers saying that the organic claim warrants higher prices.  
  • The more consumers know about organic, the more willing they are to pay the higher costs.  
  • Most consumers are aware that organic products do not contain toxic synthetic pesticides or synthetic hormones, or GMOs, but are often unaware of other attributes like sustainable animal welfare practices, OTA reported. 
  • A large portion of consumers remain unaware of organic’s ability to contribute to biodiversity, help mitigate the causes of climate change and improve the health of our planet.
  • Less than half of consumers are aware that certified organic agriculture is regulated and enforced by the federal government. 

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“The results of our survey were incredibly encouraging,” said Tom Chapman, co-CEO of OTA. “As organic has become more accessible to consumers, the benefits of organic have become more widely known, boosting the trust in the organic seal. That’s why our advocacy efforts to honor that trust and to ensure that organic standards keep evolving and strengthening are so critical.”   

That said, Chapman added, “Education is key to expanding organic. Even in this lack of understanding, the survey shows organic incorporates most of what consumers care about. Organic has a tremendous opportunity here to use the trust and the recognition of the USDA Organic seal to help consumers understand even more about its attributes and to expand the organic sector.”