Despite there being no respite to the financial downturn in the UK, with GDP falling by 1.9 per cent in the past year and retail sales falling by 1.8 per cent, organic food has still recorded an increase, to the surprise of most.
In the UK, sales of organic food increased by 1.7 per cent last year to €2.33bn, which the Soil Association believes is indicative of the organic market’s resilience. Fresh fruit and vegetables accounted for just over a quarter of organic sales.
Although the Soil Association concedes that organic shoppers, like the rest of the nation, have been tightening their belts by shopping less often and switching to lower cost retailers, it states that sufficient numbers of organic consumers are loyal enough to drive sales.
“There is a core of consumers who are in no mood to ditch their commitment to organic products,” the report said. “They are far more likely to cut their spending on eating out, leisure activities and holidays than to reduce what they spend on organic food. They would rather economise by buying cheaper cuts of organic meat or by buying frozen organic vegetables than by compromising their organic principles.'
According to the report, 36 per cent of these committed organic consumers expect to spend more on organic food in 2009, with only 15 per cent expecting to cut spending.
