Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 3, 2008 2:35:15 AM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Shoppers Give Up Organics as Food Prices Soar

Posted May 9, 08 3:25 AM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – With a gallon of organic milk costing a whopping $7 and a conventional gallon going for $2.99, cash-strapped shoppers are skipping organic groceries. That means the $19 billion industry, which has ballooned 150% since 2001, may now be shrinking, Newsweek reports. “I miss it terribly,” said one former Whole Foods regular. “But I just can’t afford it anymore. Food everywhere is so expensive.”

In the last five years organic groceries have moved beyond health-food and gourmet shops to mainstream stores. But as farmers divert fields to grow grain for ethanol the price of food is soaring, and organic offerings, as usual, are well ahead of the curve.

Source Newsweek

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Supermarkets Downsize to Speed Up Shopping

    Sep 10, 08 4:19 AM CDT
    Supermarkets Downsize to Speed Up Shopping American supermarkets are starting to shrink after decades of getting bigger and bigger, the New York Times reports. The average supermarket is still larger than a football field, but retailers have begun opening smaller outlets to appeal to rushed consumers who want to pick up groceries without having to wander through dozens of cavernous aisles.
    More »

Organic food transitioned from shops like Whole Foods to more mainstream grocers. Now soaring prices may shrink the market.   (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)
Juan Perez stands in his field of organic corn. As more farmers target growing crops for ethanol, grocery bills are rising.   (AP Photo/ Tony Avelar)
Customers select produce at a supermarket in Chicago, Tuesday, April 29, 2008.   (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 3)

Tags

Wal-Mart • ethanol • organic food • Whole Foods • pesticide • organic • grocery stores • groceries


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Science & Health Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »