Survey shows younger, health-conscious consumers are embracing organic

Millennials, Gen Z putting high value on organic’s health benefits 

A $70 billion market now, organic may be maturing, but younger consumers—including new parents and their babies—are eating it up. A survey released by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) finds that organic’s benefits to personal health and nutrition are resonating deeply with Millennials and Gen Zers, making them the most committed organic consumers of any generation.

In its new “Consumer Perception of USDA Organic and Competing Label Claims,” OTA partnered with Euromonitor International to survey over 2,500 consumers across the country in October 2024. Survey participants were asked about their familiarity with organic and other food label claims, their priorities in making food choices, how often they bought organic, and how willing they were to pay a premium for the organic label.
The results showed that not only do members of the Millennial and Gen Z generations buy the most organic, but also that the USDA Organic label garners the deepest trust from consumers of all ages and is synonymous with health in the minds of most shoppers. Organic’s benefits to personal health outrank its benefits to environmental health in purchase decisions, especially with younger consumers, and the sometimes-higher prices of organic products are not an obstacle to those health-conscious individuals.

While older demographics may worry about the affordability of organic, the younger consumer—at every income level—is more willing to pay a premium for organic. The Gen Z generation (those born between 1997 and 2012), in particular, is leading the way in prioritizing organic, with nearly 90 percent of consumers surveyed in that age group already either a committed or relatively new consumer of organic. As this generation matures, has families, and advances professionally, all signs point to the Gen Zers being the drivers of organic into the future.

USDA Organic: most trusted certification

The survey also found that USDA organic is the most trusted certification among all certifications including Non-GMO Project Verified, Fair Trade, Certified Humane, Regenerative Organic Certified, and Regenified. Non-GMO Project Verified is a close second as a trusted certification.

While regenerative agriculture is a growing trend, consumer awareness of regenerative remains low. The OTA survey found that over 40% of consumers surveyed said they were unsure about what regenerative means.

“There’s lots of good news in this report: younger consumers are embracing organic; consumers of all ages value the Organic label more than any other food label or claim,” said Tom Chapman, Co-CEO of the OTA. “The challenge to the organic sector is to demonstrate the distinct value of the USDA Organic label and break through the noise of all the other health, nutrition, and sustainability claims in the marketplace.”

Organic & Non-GMO Insights April 2025