Top organic food firms in the UK plan to launch a campaign to boost organic sales by 50 per cent, or €1.1bn (£1bn), in the next five years, as a response to the slowdown in sales caused by the recession, the Guardian newspaper reported.
According to analyst TNS, the market for organic food fell by 13 per cent in the year to 9 August, with sales of organic vegetables decreasing by more than a third and organic fruit by almost 16 per cent.
Following years of rocketing growth, the organic industry has recently suffered, with supermarket sales and sales of box schemes falling. In July, a study by the Food Standards Agency found that there were no health benefits in choosing organic.
The Organic Trade Board (OTB) is set to lead the campaign, which will be aimed at consumers that occasionally buy organics and will seek to educate them on the benefits of organics beyond health, including issues such as sustainability, animal husbandry and pesticide-free production.
