Most
acquisitions of organic processors occurred between December, 1997 when
the draft USDA standard was released,
and its full
implementation in October, 2002. Few companies identify these ownership
ties on product labels.
Most
introductions of organic versions of well-known brands occurred after
the USDA standard was implemented in October, 2002
Venture
capitalists currently describe organic processing as "fragmented." They
are acquiring brands within the same sector
(bread,
meat, etc.) with plans to sell them for significant gain at a later
date.
Most
remaining independent organic processors have resisted substantial
buyout offers (typically 2 times annual sales; Ben & Jerry's
was
acquired by Unilever for 1.1 times annual sales).
Mass
market channels accounted for 46% of all organic foods sold in the US
in 2005. An increasing number of supermarkets, wholesale
clubs and distributors are introducing organic private label
products
clipped from: www.msu.edu 
