New York, May 13 - Organic coffee imports to the United States and Canada climbed nearly 30 percent in 2007, compared to the year previous, according to the North America Organic Coffee Industry Survey.
Certified organic coffee imports to the U.S. and Canada were pegged at approximately 84 million lbs in 2007, up 29 percent from 65 million lbs in 2006, according to the survey conducted by Daniele Giovannucci, an industry consultant based in Philadelphia.
Organic coffee, which is grown with little environmental impact while avoiding toxic chemicals, accounted for 3 percent of the total U.S. green coffee imports in 2007, Giovannucci estimated.
While this figure is small, the sector has grown at an average of 32 percent annually since 2000, when organic coffee imports to the U.S. were estimated at 11.8 million lbs, said Giovannucci, a former senior consultant to the World Bank Group.
The steady increase was the result of consumers' desire to support organic farming as well as concerns about personal health of food safety, he said.
Consumers have increased their organic coffee purchases for various reasons including their efforts to support organic production practices and personal health of food safety concerns, Giovannucci said.
Mexico used to be the biggest exporter of organic coffee to the U.S. but Peru recently moved into the top slot, he said.
The study had a 5 percent margin of error.