Kale — Commodity Profile

This commodity profile was rendered from knowledge.domain = commodity, key = kale (GDF v2.0, 984 attributes, 28 sections).

Renderer: commodity_profile_renderer v1.0.0. Source row version: knowledge_forge_gdf_v2.0_export_2026-04-06.

Identity & Botany

Attribute	Value
Canonical name	Kale
Scientific name	Brassica oleracea var. acephala
Family / Genus	Brassicaceae / Brassica
Produce category	Leafy Green
Produce subcategory	Cooking Green
FSMA 204 covered?	No
PLU — conventional	4627
PLU — organic	94627
AGROVOC URI	c_4070

Source: GDF v2.1.1 s01_identity. External: FAO AGROVOC.

Varieties

Estimated commercial varieties: 13.

Variety	Market share	Notes
Curly Kale	48%	Deeply ruffled green leaves, hardy bunch format, strongest commodity volume.
Lacinato / Dinosaur Kale	20%	Dark blistered leaves, flatter profile, slightly sweeter than curly kale.
Red Russian Kale	10%	Flat oak-like leaves with purple veins and tender stems.
Baby Kale	17%	Tender small leaves used in salad blends, smoothies, and premium packs.
Organic Kale	5%	Sold across curly and lacinato lines with tighter cosmetic tolerance and premium price positioning.

Source: GDF v2.1.1 s04_varieties.variety_summaries.

Post-Harvest Handling

Temperature

• Chilling injury threshold: null°F.
• Freezing point: 31.1°F. Hard limit.
• Handling urgency: 5 / 5.

Ethylene

Property	Value
Production class	very_low
Sensitivity class	high
Sensitivity threshold	1 ppm
Climacteric?	No

Mixed-load compatibility

leafy_greens_high_humidity

Operational flags

• Can be top-iced? No
• Light-sensitive? Yes

Source: GDF v2.1.1 s07_harvest_post_harvest.

Market Intelligence

Demand

Steady retail demand with foodservice support in soups, saute mixes, and wellness-positioned menus.

Elasticity

Metric	Value

Market share by variety

Variety	Share
Curly	48%
Lacinato	20%
Baby	17%
Red Russian	10%
Organic-focused lines	5%

Pack sizes

• 24 x bunch
• 12 x bunch
• 6 x 10 oz
• 4 x 2 lb

Source: GDF v2.1.1 s09_market_intelligence.

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Rendered by commodity_profile_renderer v1.0.0 on 2026-05-15T22:30:00.000Z.