“Organics in an Era of Inflation and Changing Consumer Behavior”

“Organics in an Era of Inflation and Changing Consumer Behavior” will be the subject of the fourth-announced educational session at the upcoming Organic Produce Summit 2022 and will feature an exclusive analysis of organic fresh produce sales through the first half of this year as well as an examination of how consumer purchasing behavior is changing in a time of inflation.

Moderated by Kevin Coupe of Morning News Beat, the session will include panelists Tom Barnes, CEO of Category Partners, and Richard Gonzales, Vice President of Global Produce Sourcing for Walmart. Barnes will kick off the session with an overview of organic fresh produce sales in the first six months of 2022, analyzing the price gap between conventional and organic produce, geographic differences, and the performance of specific produce categories.

Panelists Tom Barnes, CEO of Category Partners, and Richard Gonzales, Vice President of Global Produce Sourcing for Walmart

Walmart’s Gonzales will discuss how inflation and the changing economic environment is impacting consumer purchases and buying behavior of organic fresh produce. The session will also provide an overview of what the future may look like for consumer buying trends, exploring opportunities for greater organic fresh produce sales in the future.

“After the last two years of constant change due to the pandemic, supply chain issues, and now inflation, the US consumer is being forced to be more flexible in their buying behaviors, but the desire for consistency is still human nature, and we need to deliver that whenever possible,” Barnes said. “We see from the data that rising prices on organic produce is not affecting the volume to the same degree as conventional, meaning that there is a loyal consumer base looking for organic and willing to buy at these higher prices. Consistency and maintaining a healthy price gap between conventional and organic is paramount for success.”

“We see from the data that rising prices on organic produce is not affecting the volume to the same degree as conventional, meaning that there is a loyal consumer base looking for organic and willing to buy at these higher prices." - Tom Barnes

OPS 2022 is a two-day event specifically designed to bring together organic fresh produce growers, shippers, and processors with retail and buying organizations from across North America. The sixth annual event will be held July 13-14 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, CA.

In addition to the educational session on consumer purchase trends and sales analysis, other sessions slated for OPS 2022 will look at the growing importance of CEA (controlled environment agriculture), regenerative organic agriculture, branded vs. private label organic produce offerings, and sustainability across the supply chain.

OPS 2022 will also include two keynote presentations, a selection of field tours for qualified retailers and buyers, a gala opening night reception, and a sold-out trade show floor featuring over 150 producers and processors of organic fresh produce from across North America and the globe.

More information will be made available in the coming weeks as the event’s program becomes finalized. Registration to attend OPS 2022 is available at www.organicproducesummit.com.