Evolution of a hippy diet

Organic Salad WHILE organic food may not yet be mainstream it has evolved beyond a bunch of hippies selling food to hippies. Mainstream is taking organics seriously. The recent acquisition by Woolworths of Australia's largest retail organics group, the Pierce Cody-controlled Macro Wholefoods chain, is testimony to that.

Woolworths is to add Macro to its expanding Thomas Dux premium grocery chain and although neither party disclosed the price, estimates range from $16 million to as much as $30m.

Biological Farmers of Australia director Dr Andrew Monk says organic is becoming harder for major operators to ignore.

"The acquisition of Macro by Woolworths is a sign the organic industry is gathering momentum," Monk says.

He believes the acquisition signals increasing interest in organic from major and mainstream retailers.

Organics has its critics too, some saying it is inhabited by many "fanatics", retail staff included, who are downright obsessed with everything from hormone-free milk to homeopathic remedies.

"It can be offputting to the ordinary buyer, who just wants something that's fresh and wholesome," says Nici Andronicus, the founder of Sydney organic food service company Organicus.

"Organics does attract a lot of idealistic people."

The US's largest organics retailer, Whole Food Markets, is thriving, with the company working very hard to brand itself as a leader in environmentally friendly and animal family practices.

Its green projects include eliminating the use of disposable plastics bags, using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, and creating local green taskforces to make decisions for individual stores.

The company's top executive salaries are capped at 19 times that of the average annual salary of a full-time staff member.

Consumers apparently like what they see. Whole Foods now has 280 stores across the US, Canada and Britain. It achieved $US8 billion in sales in 2008 and is still growing.