Consumer Trends: Growing Demand for Pesticide-Free Food

Health Concerns Drive Food Choices

Approximately 60% of consumers are now highly concerned about ultra-processed foods and pesticide use in their food, according to a PwC 2025 Voice of the Consumer Survey of over 21,000 consumers across 28 countries. For many consumers, these food safety concerns now outweigh price considerations.

Technology is reinforcing this health focus. 70% of consumers now use healthcare apps or wearable devices, with 9% reporting that these tools have prompted significant lifestyle changes, including shifts in dietary choices.

Organic Sales Hit Record High

Consumer concern about pesticides is translating directly into purchasing behavior. U.S. organic sales reached $71.6 billion in 2024, growing 5.2%—more than double the overall marketplace growth of 2.5%, according to the Organic Trade Association.

The Organic Trade Association attributes this growth to consumers increasingly seeking "free from" foods—products free from chemicals, toxins, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, dyes, and unnecessary additives. Organic certification prohibits over 900 synthetic pesticides that are allowed in conventional agriculture, and research shows eating organic can reduce certain pesticide exposure by up to 95% in one week.

MAHA Movement Amplifies Organic Interest

The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement has further boosted consumer interest in organic and pesticide-free foods. Industry experts report the movement's focus on eliminating artificial additives and ultra-processed foods is driving demand for cleaner ingredients across food categories.

These trends are building generationally due to strong interest in organic among younger generations with increasing purchasing power, rising demand for healthier food, and increased discretionary income. Together, these trends contribute to sustained organic growth. The Organic Trade Association projects organic sales will continue growing at 5.1% annually through 2029, adding $18 billion to organic purchases by decade's end.

Younger Generations Lead the Shift

Millennials and Gen Z are reshaping the food industry with their purchasing priorities. 30–40% of Gen Z and Millennials prefer shopping at natural and organic stores or farmers markets, according to SPINS market research. These younger consumers shop at two to three different stores per week, demonstrating more intentional, discovery-driven shopping patterns.

"Younger consumers are proactively looking to steer away from things that don't align with their health values," notes SPINS data analyst Evonne Chan. About 40% of Gen Z and Millennials voluntarily follow specialty diets and 90% actively avoid certain ingredients including artificial dyes, preservatives, and pesticides.

These generational preferences represent the industry's future: by 2030, Millennials, Gen Z, and younger generations will constitute the majority of U.S. consumers.

Consumer Activism Targeting Pesticide Use

Consumers are increasingly demanding corporate accountability on pesticide practices. In May 2025, 40,000 customers delivered a petition to Conagra Brands headquarters demanding the company eliminate neonicotinoid-coated seeds from its popcorn supply chain.

The campaign, led by Friends of the Earth and 45 other environmental and consumer organizations, targets Conagra's popular brands including Orville Redenbacher's, Act II, and Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP. Neonicotinoids—linked to pollinator collapse and human health risks including birth defects and nervous system damage—are applied to an estimated 95–99% of U.S. field corn as seed coatings.

Following similar campaigns, competitors Pop Secret and Pop Weaver committed to phasing out neonicotinoid-coated seeds. Conagra, which controls 28% of the U.S. popcorn market, has not yet responded to consumer demands.

The Bottom Line

Consumer priorities are shifting decisively toward pesticide-free, minimally processed foods. From wearable health tech revealing dietary impacts, to younger generations voting with their wallets, market forces are pushing food companies toward greater transparency and safer agricultural practices—even as many major corporations resist these changes.