Is There a Career in Organic Foods for You?

There is strong supportive evidence that the organic food industry is only going to get healthier and bigger. Health conscious baby boomers are avid customers of natural food chains like Whole Foods Market and Better Health. These stores cater to health minded people who want to live long healthy lives. In an age where life expectancy is rising, consumers are looking for ways to enjoy the additional years that experts like Dr. Eric Plasker says “will be added to your life whether you like it or not.”

 

The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported that “Commodities that are grown or raised organically make up one of the fastest-growing segments of Georgia’s $6.85 billion agriculture industry, according to the non-profit group Georgia Organics Inc. The number of certified organic farmers grew 220 percent between 2004 and 2009, to 64 farmers statewide. The total acreage certified for organic produce grew 892 percent to 4,100 acres statewide by 2009." It went on to report that “North Carolina, sold $52.8 million of organic products the same year, and Florida, sold $43.4 million of organics.” The Atlanta Business Chronicle added that, “New companies are popping up around the organic food industry in some parts of the U.S. A startup software company formed last year in Eugene, Ore., that aims to create online farmers markets for organic producers, according to Sustainable Business Oregon, a publication of Portland Business Journal, a sister publication of Atlanta Business Chronicle.”

 

What this all indicates is that, if you are looking to make a career change, the organic food industry could be a great place to start looking for your next dream job. Examples of organic food industry jobs include organic food buyers, food store managers, food preparers, prepared food buyers, food safety auditors, writers, organic chefs, restaurant wait staff and the list goes on and on. And don’t forget about the pet industry where there are jobs like healthy pet food sales representatives, pet health bakeries, holistic veterinarians, and their assistants.

 

With the continual increasing awareness of eco-friendly trends, business experts predict that this industry will only grow bigger and bigger. People like working for companies with a planetary “conscience.” For example, Wikipedia reports that “Whole Foods Market launched the Whole Trade Guarantee, a purchasing initiative emphasizing ethics and social responsibility concerning products imported from the developing world. The criteria include fair prices for crops, environmentally sound practices, better wages and labor conditions for workers and premium product quality. Whole Foods is working with TransFair USA and the Rainforest Alliance to ensure the transparency and integrity of the program. One percent of proceeds from Whole Trade certified products goes to the Whole Planet Foundation to support micro-loan programs in developing countries. The company’s goal is to have at least half of its imported products from these countries fully certified within ten years.”

 

With organic food companies espousing ethics and social responsibilities like the one stated above, people can get a sense of purpose by working in an industry that is planet friendly. So check out the organic foods industry. There may be something there for you.

 

Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC. He is a business consultant, speaker, coach and author. Please see more of his blogs at AdministrativejobsBlog.com and if you are interested in a better career in administrative jobs visit our site today job postings at Nexxt