Every far-seeing farmer or manufacturer considers the overall growth of the category in which he sells his goods important to his own, long-term sustainability. Our goal is the far-reaching vision of an organic future, and so we are dedicated to building the entire organic dairy category. This will be good for all of the organic dairy producers in the country. The more that all organic dairy producers can work together towards an overall category growth, the more small, medium and large organic dairies will be needed to meet the growing consumer demand.
Milk is a central part of the American diet. In many households, milk is consumed on a daily basis, in addition to all the other dairy products that are a regular part of the diet. Because of milk’s freshness and high rate of regular consumption, it is an item that is purchased with great frequency.
Organic milk has been one of the fastest-growing segments of the organic food industry for more than a decade. It is a “gateway” product for consumers who are not current organic food consumers. That means that, often, the first organic product a consumer buys is organic milk. Along with organic fruits and vegetables, organic milk leads the way for a developing awareness of the health and environmental benefits of organics for new organic consumers.
The organic dairy category, like many other organic and non-organic food categories, benefits from a wide range of different types of milk products to serve consumer need. National organic dairy brands, such as Horizon Organic and Organic Valley, have served the category by creating recognizable brands that occupy certain premium positions of the category. Additionally, there are a number of small, regional dairy brands that meet a consumer desire for local products. Each of these types of milk products builds the overall category by servicing different elements of consumer need in terms of branding, product offerings and pricing.
Additionally, in order to fulfill a broader consumer need, there is a need for Private Label (or “store”) brands of organic milk. The Private Label brands often appeal to consumers who are loyal to their local food retailer and buy products featuring their store’s brand. At Aurora Organic Dairy, this is the segment of the category that we serve. The role we play in the organic category expands and contributes to the overall development and expansion of organic dairy in the United States. As more and more consumers are introduced to organic dairy through Private Label products, many of them will continue on to incorporate other types of organic products into their lives. As a result, Private Label organic milk sales help to build the overall organic category.
In the long run, having a robust category that meets all of our consumers’ varying needs and expectations will build the organic category. Healthy competition, sustainable “farmgate” prices to dairy farmers which reflect the true cost of production, a variety of regional, national and private label brands, as well as small, medium and large dairies and manufacturers are the way to continue to convert our current agricultural system to one utilizing predominantly organic methods.