The growing demand for organic products in the EU provides opportunities for exporting, among other things, organic sweet potatoes and nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts and pistachios). In the first 10 months of 2019, the US mainly exported berries and asparagus to the EU, but also exported pears, apples, grapefruit, cherries and carrots. The United Kingdom is the largest buyer of American organic products to date. Whether this will remain the case after the Brexit is uncertain and hard to predict.
In 2018, the EU market for organic products increased by 18% to almost 41 billion euros. Germany and France are the largest players in the organic market in the EU. These two countries together represent more than half of this market. The entire organic market showed growth in 2018, with the exception of Italy. In 2018, almost 14 million hectares of European land was designated for organic cultivation. The largest growers are located in Spain, Italy, France and Germany.
The new lifestyle trend of wanting to live and eat more healthily means that large supermarket chains have included organic products in their regular assortment. As a result, these products have become available to a larger and growing public, in particular (childless) dual-income households, the elderly (50-75 year old) and trend-seekers. Consumers spend the most money on organic products in Sweden, Denmark, France and Germany.
The USDA report provides information about the rules of the EU market and stock market information. For example, the BioFach, the world's largest organic trade fair, is being promoted. This organic trade fair offers a unique opportunity for both newcomers to the market and established companies to make new contacts and learn about the global organic market.
BioFach 2020 will be held in Nuremberg (Germany) from 12 to 15 February 2020.
Source: USDA - Good Prospects for US Organic Exports in the EU