SLU news
Swedish organic market – most increasing in the world
Published: 09 September 2014
Sales of organically increased by 30 per cent during the first half of 2014. It beats all previous records and is unique in an international perspective. This is shown in a report by the marketing consultancy bureau Ekoweb, commisioned by the organic association KRAV
The report lists several possible reasons for this large increase in sales; focus on the origin of the food, the desire to avoid pesticide residues in food, a positive media image, increased interest in the environment and animal welfare, and a general health trend. The health trend is the main reason, according to the report.
Huge increase in retail
Retail sales account for almost two thirds of the total organic sale. Virtually all players show strong increases:
• ICA +52 percent
• Coop: +37 percent
• Axfood: +44 percent (of which Axfood's discount chain “Willys” grew by 57 percent)
• Bergendahls: +44 percent
• Systembolaget (the Swedish alcohol monopoly) : +82 percent
• Lidl: no figure, but say a positive sales trend
• Martin & Servera: +20 percent
Almost everything is Swedish and KRAV-labelled
Approximately 80 percent of the organic food products in the consumer market are KRAV-labelled, the rest are certified according to the EU regulations for organic food.
The largest proportion of the products are grown and produced in Sweden. For example, all fresh KRAV-labelled meat available for purchase in retail is from animals raised in Sweden. This compares with ICA's sales, where 10 percent of all fresh meat is Swedish. Virtually all KRAV-eggs available in stores come from Swedish chickens. Dairy products account for a quarter of all organic food sales, and virtually the entire volume comes from Swedish dairy farmers.