“For all the hoo-ha, organic food is not making much of an impact on the way Americans eat,” according to a recent New York Times article. Sales of organic foods and beverages added up to just under $17 billion in 2006, according to the Organic Trade Association – that’s less than 3 percent of overall U.S. sales in the category.

And, to the possible chagrin of some organic enthusiasts, “the organic food business is now big business, and getting bigger,” according to the NYT.

Major companies grow and market about 25 percent of all organic foods sold in the U.S.; that figure jumps to 40 percent when only processed organic foods are tallied.

The federal government rolled out its Certified Organic program six years ago. Since then, sales of organic foods have doubled. Most (about 75 percent) U.S. grocery stores carry at least some organic foods and 30 percent of American consumers buy organics at least on occasion.