The Italian market for organic food grew by 5.4 per cent year-on-year during 2008, according to figures released by Ismea-Nielsen.
For fresh and processed produce, the growth was even more pronounced, with sales up 20 per cent on the previous year.
The sector also outperformed the conventional food market, which grew by 4.4 per cent.
However, the rate of growth declined during the course of last year, with the market unable to match or exceed the 10.2 per cent increase posted in 2007.
The majority of organic food sales took place in the north of Italy, with 44.1 per cent in the north-west and a further 27.2 per cent in the north-east of the country.
