The organic movement used to be a \fascist health movement,"" MaryJane Butters said in a recent article in ""The New Yorker.""
The piece, written by Dana Goodyear, examines how Butters wants to take her mail-order, organic business to people who don't think organic food is easily available. It goes on to quote Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, as saying there ""is essentially a two-class system-this high-end, expensive organic food and the mass-marketed other kind, which is much cheaper.""
Nestle's statement may have been true a decade ago, but it could very well be wrong within a few years. The status of organic food is rapidly changing as it evolves from an exclusive market to a widely available, mainstream option. Previously, it seemed like only die-hard farmers, back-to-the-earth flower children and fitness fanatics consumed organic foods. Now, large chain stores like Woodman's and Roundy's make sure to stock a variety of foods that are grown without herbicides or pesticides.
How has organic food gone from a niche phenomenon to ordinary items?
John Lyons, produce manager at Mifflin Street Co-op, noted that people are noticing the co-op's drift from its original, alternative status.
""I think people have more concern partly with what they're eating and partly with the environment,"" he said. ""It's becoming more acceptable and mainstream. It's not just something that weird hippies do.""
The co-op, ground zero for Madison's sustainable and organic movement, has long sold food that is grown nearby and not genetically modified. It used to function as a lonely island of organic that stood in a sea of conventional food. Now its former obscurity has become the big thing.
Meanwhile, one area grocer has seen constant growth with the rise of organic. Willy Street Co-op is always adding new members, as organic food sales are growing by about four times the rate of conventional food.
Lynn Olson, member services manager at the co-op sees organic catching on everywhere. She notes that 55 percent of all households have bought some form of organic food. According to her, the two-class system of food is inaccurate.
""The [idea] that it's for wealthy folks is skewed,"" she said. ""I would say it's become more a focus for people concerned about health issues and not a class issue. It's maybe an awareness level.""
Willy Street Co-op offers free memberships for low-income families and 10 percent off their groceries. This helps alleviate the price of the generally more expensive organic items. Olson said the price of organic food will probably come down as it adjusts to the market.
To Jack Kloppenburg, professor of rural sociology, social class still has some influence on who buys organic food.
""Because organics cost anywhere from 10 to 50, 75 or 100 percent more than conventional foods, it's usually those people with disposable income to spend on organics,"" he said. ""You see this reflected in Madison. You walk around the Farmer's Market or you go to Whole Foods and it's reasonably clear what sorts of socioeconomic groups are taking advantage of the availability of organics.""
Though those demographics are visible to Kloppenburg now, he thinks awareness of organics and catastrophes connected with conventional food production will continue to swell the organic movement.
""I think with the growth of organics generally you're going to see a rise throughout all income levels simply as the material contradictions of agriculture become more apparent to people,"" he said.
""Whether it's the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico or it's concern over mad cow disease, industrial agriculture is clearly having some difficulties and people are choosing to put more of their income into organic and sustainably produced foods.""
That choice is moving organic products to the shelves of standard grocers. Eric Wichmann, assistant to the manager at Sentry-Hilldale, said the store is stocking more and more natural items because people want to buy them.
""Obviously there's more demand for it, so that drives it,"" he said. ""That's the number one reason, the driving force behind it.""
While the co-ops support organic food for ideological reasons, like the growth of regional markets, many larger stores are taking advantage of the organic surge because it's good business. Wichmann mentioned that expanding organic sections is a good move on the financial side.
""We respond pretty much immediately to the market, or we definitely try to,"" he said.
As organic food grabs its piece of the natural pie by chipping away at standard agriculture, stores of every size will flock to its promise. From Mifflin to Willy to Sentry, consumers are seeking what they perceive as a viable, healthy counterpart to what they've always eaten. Though the market forces behind it may conflict with a purist's idea of organic, it seems like this former ""fascist health movement"" is going to become business as usual.
Ben Schultz is a fifth-year student majoring in English and history. He can be reached at blschultz@wisc.edu.
