Organic hip: popular picks at health food stores.(Organics: all things purely organic)(organic food consumption on the rise)

The way Holly Givens, communications director for the Organic Trade Association, sees it, there are three main reasons why people buy organic products: They think organics are better for them, they think organics are better for fire environment, or they have specific health reasons for limiting their exposure to pesticides. But, there could easily be a fourth reason: Organics are hip.

According to international research firm Organic Monitor, the global market for organic foods and drinks reached $23 billion in 2002. The increased demand for organic goods in the United States helped fuel the 10.1 percent increase, and North America passed Europe to become the world's largest organics market. The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service reports that organic products are now available in nearly 20,000 natural food stores across the country.

Your Average Buyer

Organic options are no longer limited to fresh produce and baby food. There are organic cookies, organic TV dinners, organic wines, organic pet snacks and even organic clothes. The 2002 Organic Consumer Trends Report found that 39 percent of the US population buys organic products, and 37 percent of those buyers are "organic integrated," meaning they consume organic products--from salad greens to snack chips--more than once per day. And while organic users represent a broad cross section of the overall population, there does seem to be special interest from baby boomers and 18- to 25-year-olds concerned about health, wellness and nutrition.

"Ongoing growth and continued availability of organic products introduces them in more places and to more people, which then enables people to find products that meet their tastes," says Givens. "As more people learn about how food is grown, and as there is more interest in food, nutrition and health issues, people see organics as a choice that fits in with the decisions they are making about their lives."

The growing popularity of organic products also means that prices are edging closer to those of conventional products. "One thing to really keep in mind [when you. are thinking about price] is that you are talking about two kinds of agricultural production: organic and conventional systems," says Givens. "The conventional, non-organic systems have costs that are not included in the prices at the grocery stores. For example, the ...