Health food stores started opening as early as the 1920s in the United States. The stores became more common in the 1960s, in connection with the newly emerging ecology movement and counterculture at the time. Over the last decade, organic food in particular has entered the mainstream, and companies have profited greatly and grown substantially during this expansion.
Surveys conducted in the past two years reveal that people have more than doubled their organic purchases, and claim that they purchase organic food products whenever they have a choice. It has even been predicted that the organic food and beverage market will surpass $86 billion in 2009, with consumers increasingly going organic in search of health and safety in their food products. Health and well-being is becoming a front-runner on consumer priority lists, and this has provided for a double-digit annual growth rate for health food stores and the global organic food and beverage market at large.
The food of thy soul is light and space; feed it then on light and space. But the food of thy body is champagne and oysters; feed it then on champagne and oysters; and so shall it merit a joyful resurrection, if there is any to be.
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
The growing trend is playing such a significant role nowadays that regulatory bodies across the world have come together to negotiate the equivalencies of their organic programs. Standards are constantly being developed and refined, in order to level out the organic foodstuff playing field for everyone.
Although consumer demands are increasing each year, the market is still fairly new to such regulation. However, with most countries currently working to educate their organic food industries on regulation issues, this trend is set to change. With government support, heightened awareness and the proven authenticity of products and its benefits, the organic food market and health food stores are moving away from being a 'health niche.' Already, the push for organic food to go mainstream is evident in products such as chocolates, cheese and condiments. shopOrganic is a company with time-tested expertise in the organic and natural food industry. The company stands head and shoulders above most other health food stores with their strong and proven commitment to producing clean food, clean water and a clean planet. Visit their website, http://www.shoporganic.com or contact 520-792-0804 for more information.
As a mother I am often confused about how to help my children make wise decisions for themselves. One day I extol the virtues of a free and open education and the next I tell them they can’t watch TV until they finish their homework. One day I tell them to eat what they like, their bodies know intuitively what they need; and the next I say, “Okay, that’s it—no more junk food in this house!” I flounder like this because I have no training and very little support for this work and there are days when I’m the one who needs the parenting, even more than they do.
—Martha Boesing (20th century)
Jeff Paul is a writer and copy editor who likes to share information on many different topics.