By David Sevitt
Past the front door, beside the cash register, the cardboard sign reads: “Remember to put on your shirt, shoes and pants before entering!” A magazine entitled Feminista and a container of recycled bottle caps are on the counter. Sporting tongue, lip and nose rings, youngsters scope out the goods.
For environmentalists and the health conscious, Herb and Spice, a 20-year-old Centretown grocery store, means soul shopping.
Such specialized shops are catering to a growing number of Canadians who take a more holistic approach to eating. Annual growth rates for organic food over the past decade have been 10 to 20 per cent, an achievement unequaled in food history according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Sales of organic food in Canada neared $1 billion dollars in 2000, according to Deborah Boyle, founder of Pro Organics, Canada’s largest distributor of organic produce.
“Its got healthier food than anywhere else,” says customer Camille Dessaint. She has been buying grains and cereals at Herb and Spice for 18 years.
On Bank Street, just south of Gilmour Street, Herb and Spice sells a variety of what owner Susan Rose calls “wholesome foods.” Organic field tomatoes, fair-trade coffee, free-range eggs and exotic spices from masala to thyme – it’s all there.
Excluding produce, over 4,000 items line the shelves. All products are natural. One quarter are organic. No preservatives. Not a trace of MSG.
Local food is preferred over imported food. But Rose, who puts in 50-60 hours a week at the store, provides both and lets customers choose. She admits importing food contradicts the “think global, buy local” philosophy, but adds that “I wouldn’t stay in business if I supplied only local products.”
Customers are mainly young, university educated progressives, says Rose. As to their purchasing patterns, Rose seems uncomfortable answering such questions. “An educated few think about what they eat,” she offers.
The customers know eating organically comes at a higher price. One kilogram of organic apples at Herb and Spice costs $5.92. At Hartman’s, a kilogram of apples goes for $4.39.
Organic food costs more because organic farmers must pay for an annual inspection. They also have to keep detailed records that no chemicals have been used, costs that are passed on to the consumer.
But some consumers are clearly willing to pay a premium for food that is pesticide free and environmentally sound.
Rose says she believes organic foods have a bright future. Loblaws’ recent launch of organic food is evidence people are becoming more interested in healthy eating, she says. Rose predicts Herb and Spice will profit from growing organic consumption.
But the organic food industry still has a ways to go. Only 18 per cent of Canadians regularly purchase organic foods, according to Agriculture Canada. Twenty-nine per cent have never purchased any.