Japanese firms can tap into rising demand for organic and natural produce and products in the US by learning best practices and getting to grips with the latest market trends.
Speaking at the FoodEx Japan show in Tokyo, Monique Marez, the US-based Organic Trade Association's international trade director, said there was a perception at the Tokyo event that organic sales in the US were steady.
"But I'm here to tell you they are actually growing," she said.
She cited research showing $43bn of organic sales in the US last year, the largest dollar value increase in the history of the industry.
"This was an 11% increase, compared to just 3% for the conventional food industry," she said.
"We know that 13% of all produce sold in the US is now organic, with fresh produce often a gateway category," she added.
"Overall 51% of organic buyers are buying more organic today than they were a year ago, and that's very important," she said.
