Americans are buying more organic food and household products than ever, according to a new survey published last week.

The research, conducted by the Organic Trade Association, the nations leading organic industry group, offers a glimpse into where there is the greatest demand for organic products and where such demand might be the weakest.

Sales of organic food and goods crested $47 billion in 2016, an increase of more than 8 percent over the previous year. And while there is a growing number of organic personal care and household products on the market, organic food still accounts for the vast majority of all organic sales with $43 billion last year. Organic food now boasts more than 5 percent of the nations total food sales.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are most consumers gateway purchase into organic. It is easier for most people to understand the potential benefits of buying raw produce that was grown using organic methods than it is to grasp how organic standards translate into a processed or packaged food.

Meat and poultry is another segment showing strong consumer demand for organic. Sales of organic meat and poultry grew more than 17 percent to $991 million last year, marking the categorys biggest yearly gain.

All segments included, organic food sales grew 8.4 percent last year compared with the overall food markets nearly flat growth rate of 0.6 percent. This year-over-year growth has been consistent for more than a decade. In fact, the segment has more than doubled since 2007, when organic sales were just below $20 billion.

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Survey finds Americans are eating more organic food than ever - Grand Island Independent