Martin Sawyer

Sawyer: 'This is a hugely exciting time for the sector'

The organic market enjoyed steady growth of 4.9 per cent in 2015, its third year of consecutive growth.

The market is now worth £1.95 billion, as sales of organic continue to outperform the non-organic grocery market which decreased by 0.9 per cent in the same period.

The findings were revealed in the Soil Association’s 2016 Organic Market Report, which was launched today (23 February) in London.

The report found that fresh produce's share of the market was up by 3.5 per cent, to 22.2 per cent, with organic fruit sales in 2015 up by 10.6 per cent. Organic vegetable and salad sales, though, were down by 0.3 per cent and 0.1 per cent, respectively.

Shoppers spent an extra £1.73m a week on organic products in 2015, and the steady rise of the organic market experienced in the UK mirrors a global trend of growth and widening interest in the organic sector.

Other key findings from the Organic Market Report 2016 included:

· Sales of organics in supermarkets grew by 3.2 per cent

· Organic product sales for independent retailers rose by 7.5 per cent

· Box schemes and online sales of organics are up by 9.1 per cent

· The organic catering sector has increased by 15.2 per cent

· More than £9m is now spent on organic food through the Soil Association Catering Mark, an increase of 28.5 per cent

· Organic has a 1.4 per cent share of the overall UK food and drink market

Martin Sawyer, chief executive of Soil Association Certification, said: “This is a hugely exciting time for the organic sector, with the market set to break through the £2bn mark in 2016 and reach levels seen before the recession. Thanks to the growth of online, it is now possible for retailers to connect consumers with the broadest choice of organic products.

'The sustained interest in organic is partially driven by an increase in young and socially conscious ‘millennials’ with strong social, ethical and environmental values.

'These consumers are increasingly choosing organic because they want to know the origins of their food and are willing to pay more for products with quality assurance standards supporting the environment, society and animal welfare.'

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