What is in this article?:
- Sales of third party-certified products explode
- Non-GMO takes off
- Fair trade hits its stride
- Whole grains grow
- Selling customers on labels
- Sales of certified products
Consumer demand for certification labels beyond organic is on the rise. New data from Schaumburg, Ill.-based market research firm SPINS shows that in 2010 non-GMO, fair trade and whole grain led the way.
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Consumer demand for certification labels beyond organic is on the rise. New data from Schaumburg, Ill.-based market research firm SPINS shows that in 2010, sales in the combined natural and conventional retail channels rose 13.3 percent for Whole Grain Council-certified products, 16.6 percent for Fair Trade USA-certified goods and a stunning 25.3 percent for Non-GMO Project-verified products.
The growth was not as significant in the naturals channel—15 percent for Non-GMO-labeled products, for example—largely because environmental and health concerns that were once the provenance of committed naturals shoppers have now gone mainstream. Here’s a label-by-label look at what each certification means, and how retailers can drive sales through education.