Organic and Non-GMO Feed Suppliers See Strong Demand During Pandemic
Suppliers of organic and non-GMO feed are seeing increased demand for their products during the COVID-19 pandemic. The demand is driven by increased sales of organic eggs, chicken, turkey, and dairy products and by the growing trend of people staying at home to produce their own food and wanting to increase their own food security.
April 1, 2023 | Source: The Organic & Non-GMO Report | by Ken Roseboro
Washington State-based organic feed supplier Scratch and Peck Feeds has seen a 25% to 30% increase in sales since the pandemic began, says Rich Fowles, company CEO.
“We’ve seen a spike in demand. People believe in organic, ethical treatment of animals, sustainable agriculture.”
“Food insecurity becomes real to people during a pandemic like this,” says Diana Ambauen-Meade, Scratch and Peck’s owner and chief integrity officer. “They think ‘we have to grow our own food’ rather than rely on the mass market.”
As much as 80% of Scratch and Peck’s business is selling to people who raise chickens in their backyards, a growing market with some 10 million U.S. households.
“That’s a whole lot of people,” Fowles says. “We’re just scratching the surface, and there’s a lot of opportunity for us to grow.”
Ryan Schwieterman, CEO of The Harvest Company, which supplies non-GMO feed to backyard chicken farmers and small farms, says COVID-19 was a “perfect storm” to encourage people to produce their own food.