Organic labels are ubiquitous and several reports show that consumer preference for organic products has been rising. But there is a clear evidence that the term organic is rather confusing to the consumers. Consumers don't understand how the USDA organic seal benefits them. In addition, there are many consumers who view it with suspicion.

What Does the Organic Term Mean?

According to a report by Natural Foods Merchandiser, the organic label is quite confusing to the consumers. Despite confusion with the organic label, it is noteworthy that a 12 percent increase in organic products' sales has been reported by 2013 Market Overview. The increase in sales in the organic category includes both food and non-food items. According to reports, over 80 parents buy organic products in some form today. The explosion of the organic sector according to these reports is due to the educated and aware generation that has wholeheartedly adopted an organic living and lifestyle.

According to the reports, the food sector within the organic category is currently witnessing a steep rise. While snack foods have witnessed 15 percent growth, the organic condiments have risen by 16 percent. The rising demand for organics is not very smooth. A large segment of consumers, according to recent surveys and industry observers, do not really know the purpose and meaning of USDA Organic Seal and the benefits associated with them. They are still suspicious of the Organic label.

According to the health and wellness trends survey of the NMI, the official USDA seal is meaningful to just about 33 percent of consumers. In fact this figure is slightly less as compared to the earlier figure. About 75 percent consumers find organic products to be too expensive. Surprisingly, 66 percent of the consumers question the authenticity of the label. Almost 40 percent of the consumers don't understand why they should pay a premium price for organic products. Finally, a very small minority of 18 percent actually trusted the organic label.

Careful Use of the Organic Term

There are consumer and marketing concerns about the organic term that cannot be overlooked. So, you need to be careful when purchasing eco friendly promotional items. Any and every company can claim that their products are organic but their claims need to be verified. One reason for the confusion among consumers over the organic tag has to do with intense proliferation of organic claims. With a plethora of organic influx in the market, anybody is bound to get confused. The consumers may want to know whether the product they are purchasing is really organic. The best way to identify organic is to see the organic label and the agency accrediting the label.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethhoffman/2013/07/17/organic-causes-confusion/