A new Soil Association report has revealed that organic food and drink sales have crashed through the £2 billion mark - with an average of £37 million spent on organic products every week.
The Organic Market Report, launched to coincide with the beginning of Organic Fortnight 2007, shows continued strong growth and dynamic public support for organic produce.
The report also found that sales of products through organic box and mail order schemes increased from £95 million in 2005 to £146 million in 2006 - a 53 percent growth, more than double that experienced by the supermarkets.
And consumer research conducted for the report showed that half of those surveyed had purchased organic fruit and veg in the last 12 months - with one in six buying packaged organic goods.
Other figures included the findings that households with children under 15 tend to buy more organic products than those with none; the consumers most likely to buy organic live in London, the south east, the south west, and Wales; and organic farmers are three times as likely to market their products directly as non-organic farmers.
Helen Browning, the Soil Association’s director of food and farming, said: “These figures are extremely encouraging, the year on year growth has moved well beyond a mere fad or niche.
“The staggering 53 percent growth in sales through box schemes and other direct routes confirms strong public support for local, seasonal and organic food that provides a fair return to farmers and growers, boosts the local economy, and also reduces your carbon footprint - consumers are increasingly linking everyday food choice to environmental action.”
