Seattle-based Amazon and Whole Foods Market Inc., Austin, Texas, announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire Whole Foods Market for $42 a share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $13.7 billion, including Whole Foods Market’s net debt.

Chicago-based Technomic Inc. announced that its new 2016/17 U.S. Food Industry Universe analysis will provide coverage of all channels within the $1.74 trillion U.S. food industry, including retail grocery and foodservice. 

The movement to become closer to one’s food source and consumers craving more healthful food and beverage options have buoyed the growth of the $53.5 billion natural and organic business, according to Rockville, Md.-based Packaged Fact’s July 2014 report titled “Natural and Organic Foods and Beverages in the U.S., 4th Edition.”

Demand for organic products is booming, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA), Brattleboro, Vt. In 2013, organic product sales jumped 12 percent compared with 2012 to $35.1 billion, setting a new record, it reports.

American consumers’ desires for organic products continue to gain steam. According to data from the Washington, D.C.-based Organic Trade Association (OTA), sales of organic products reached $35.1 billion in 2013, an increase of 11.5 percent compared with the previous year.

Approximately two out of three “health and eco” consumers identify selection of healthy and organic products or produce as the most important factor when deciding where to shop regularly, according to the August 2013 “Market Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) MamboTrack Health & Natural Shopper Research & Beverage Market Industry Insight” report.

 As consumers continue to think about the quality of the food and beverages they consume and gain more curiosity about where their food comes from, they often turn toward natural and organic channels to find brands with the health and ecological benefits they crave.