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bananas organic marketing Organic Bananas Ripe For Growth
Buoyant demand keeps consumers looking for more.
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solutions for organic bananas can help cap- ture additional sales for the category.
“Since demand for conventional bananas has remained somewhat at, with the excep- tion of promotional boosts and retailer programs, the organic market is a strong opportunity to grow the category,” says Bil Gold eld, director of corporate communi- cations at Dole Food Company in Westlake Village, CA.
With a program that has now been running for more than two decades, Dole says it is the largest grower and distributor of organic bananas for the U.S. market.
“Demand for organic bananas initially started in coastal areas of the United States, but in the past few years we have seen growth in the demand for organic bananas in the Central states too, re ecting the general consumer interest in organic produce,” says Gold eld. “Retailers, recipe-developers, food media, bloggers and other third-party in u- encers have the biggest impact on spreading the organic message, initially on the coasts and
now increasingly in the Heartland.”
Organic now comprises 8% of Dole’s banana supply, as the result of growth that Gold eld expects will continue into the future. Jamie Postell, director of sales, North America at Chiquita Fresh North America, LLC in Fort Lauderdale, FL, echoes Gold-
eld’s sentiments.
“Organics have been gaining sales
momentum over the last few years, and it appears they will continue to do so,” says Postell.
e Chiquita executive draws attention to a Nielsen Perishables Group study showing organic bananas grew in dollar sales at an annual rate of more than 20 percent between 2011 and 2018.
Postell also notes that organic banana distribution has increased, “meaning that the total organic banana o ering is found more consistently on a weekly basis across U.S. supermarkets.”
In terms of demographics, Postell points to research from NPD Group that notes organic consumption traditionally comes from Millen- nials and less-price-sensitive households.
Dionysios Christou, vice president marketing at Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. in Coral Gables, FL, says household income, the number of children and education levels could be possible drivers of the steady growth seen over recent years.
“As more and more people across the country look to adopt a healthier lifestyle, we
believe we will continue to see growth in this category,” says Christou.
“Consumers are more health-conscious, they are more conscious of social responsi- bility, and that’s what’s driving the market,” notes Victor Heredia, U.S. sales manager at Phoenix-based Coliman Paci c Corporation. “ e consumer is more educated about pesti- cides and that eating organic food is good for you. ey also know it’s healthier for the workers, as they don’t have to be in the elds with products that are bad for their health.”
Coliman’s Mexican parent company started growing organic bananas in Tecomán, Colima in 2012, and over time all production has been converted to both organic and Fair Trade certi ed.
is is the same state where San Diego- based Organics Unlimited has its origins. e company’s president and chief execu- tive, Mayra Velazquez de León, has a clearer picture than most of how far the category has come — after all, her father Carlos Cortes pioneered organic bananas in the U.S. market in 1972.
“ at was when hippies were getting into organics, and my dad was already growing that way without even knowing it because they were growing them without any chemical fertilizers or fungicides,” she says.
PRICING AND MERCHANDISING
Velazquez de León laments the price pres- sures retailers and large multinationals have
mature industry will always be tough to grow, especial- lyifyoudealinoneofthe world’s most-traded sweet fruit, but the right in-store
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