The focus on quality and safety in food has intensified recently in the United States,The way larger producers have been able to reduce costs of operations has given them advantages over smaller producers. Some grocery chains have specialized in organic produce, and their sales have flourished. Managers of major supermarkets have also added organic produce counters in their stores as demand grew. Organic produce accounted for 11.4 % of all sales of fruits and vegetables in 2009, compared with 9.8 % in 2008. Sales of organic produce in the United States increased to US$9.8 bn in 2009, and a further rise to nearly US$ 12 bn may occur in 2010.
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