Poll Finds Consumers Prefer to Go Organic

Organic beats out processed in recent poll of American-consumer preference

Check out the Fairmount Farmers Market for colorful organic veggies.

Organic farmers, rejoice! A recent health poll [PDF] by NPR and Thomson Reuters found that, when given a choice, more consumers prefer to eat organic foods rather than nonorganic. Let’s go to the score board: Organic food-1, Conventionally-processed food-0.

Of the 3,000 participants interviewed in the national telephone poll, 58 percent said they side with organic food in the ongoing battle against those way-too-long-of-a-shelf-life wannabes. The numbers of organic supporters rise even more among young adults and those with higher educations: Sixty-four percent of voters with a bachelor’s degree prefer organic food, as well as 63 percent of voters under the age of 35. (And they think we’re still shoveling Twinkies down our throats at night—this will teach ’em!)

But the big win here lies in why people choose to go organic. Thirty-six percent said they do so to support local farmers’ markets. And when asked where they prefer to obtain produce, 43 percent said farmers’ markets, 20 percent cited their own gardens, and 5 percent said CSA programs. I’d bet if you asked residents of the Greater Philadelphia Area, that CSA number would be considerably higher—we’ve got a whole slew of farmers’ markets and CSAs right in our own backyard.

Chalk it up to a win, farmers. Looks like you have the upper hand now.

So tell us, Philly, where do you turn for all of your organic needs?