Who Owns Organic?
31 August 2007
Looking at the labels of many well known organic brands, you'd have no idea they were owned by corporate giants. Dr. Phil Howard created the charts below to show who owns what. He explains, "Although the owner of an organic food company told me 'consumers don't care' about this trend, hiding their corporate ownership suggests otherwise."
Information Graphics courtesy Phil Howard, Ph.D.
Organic Industry Update January 2016
Organic Industry Update February 2014
Organic Industry Structure: Top 100 Acquisitions and Alliances - 2013 Update
Organic Industry Structure: Top 30 Acquisitions
Changes since June 2009 include (1) Coca-Cola fully acquiring Honest Tea in March 2011; (2) Nestle's acquisitions of Cadbury (and Green & Black's) in January, 2010, and Sweet Leaf Tea in May, 2011; (3) Sara Lee's acquisition of Aidell's Sausage for $87 million in May, 2011.
Note that most of the acquisitions occurred between December, 1997, the date USDA published the first draft of the proposed national organic standards, and October 2002, the date the national organic standards were implemented.
Organic Industry Structure: Top 30 Introductions
Note that most of the introductions occurred after October 2002, the date the USDA national organic standards were implemented.
Organic Industry Structure: Significant Acquistions and Introductions
Organic Industry Structure: Major Independents and Their Brands
Organic Industry Structure: Private Label Brands
Last Updated 28 February, 2014