Organic coffee and other organic food products are increasingly being sought by a growing number of consumers who want to help the environment. Although organic coffee is still only a small part, for example, of the overall coffee market in the United States, organic coffee as a market segment is growing faster than the non-organic sector. In other words, it is increasing its market share of the overall coffee market in the United States.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has some interesting facts about organic coffee consumption on its website. It notes, for example, “Organic coffee sales in the United States amounted to approximately $89 million in 2005, up 40.4 percent from the previous year.” The OTA further comments,  “According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), at least 56 percent of U.S. specialty coffee firms sell certified organic coffee.”

In terms of the size of the world market the OTA notes, “Globally, organic coffee represents about 0.6 percent of the coffee sold in the major consuming countries, according to estimates from The World Bank. Organic coffee consumption reached 700,000 60-kg. bags (42,000 metric tons) for major coffee-consuming nations in 2003, the last year for which data is available.”

For more information visit the Organic Coffee Facts Website