Organic food continues to enjoy rising popularity. Following a peak in the first Corona-year, sales of organic products increased further by 5.8 percent to 15.87 billion euros in 2021. According to preliminary estimates by market experts, the organic share of the food market will thus increase to 6.8 percent.
This long-term trend is also confirmed by the results of the current organic barometer, which is regularly commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture: 38 percent of respondents said they would buy organic products frequently (33 percent) or exclusively (5 percent) in 2021. Looking ahead, as many as 47 percent of respondents estimate they will purchase organic food frequently (41 percent) or exclusively (6 percent), according to the BMEL.
Key findings of the 2021 Organic Barometer:
- In 2021, respondents again said they would most often buy organic eggs, fruits and vegetables, followed by potatoes, dairy products and meat and sausage products.
- Organic products continue to be purchased most frequently in supermarkets: nine out of ten organic shoppers surveyed alone take advantage of the organic offerings in supermarkets.
- Regional origin, species-appropriate animal husbandry, a healthy diet and food that is as natural as possible are the most important reasons for buying organic food, with approval rates of more than 90 percent in each case, with regional origin coming ahead of species-appropriate animal husbandry (92 percent) for the first time this year with an approval rate of 93 percent.
- In the survey on "Awareness of the German organic label," 82 percent said they were familiar with the German organic label by sight, although the respondents did not have the organic label on hand. The survey showed a particularly high level of awareness in the group of young people up to 29 years of age (93 percent) and within the age group between 60 and 69 years (91 percent).
Background
According to market sector projections, a total of 1,784,002 hectares of agricultural land were managed organically by 35,716 farms in Germany in 2021.
The Eco-Barometer has been commissioned regularly by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture since 2002 and is an integral part of the federal program Organic Farming and Other Forms of Sustainable Agriculture. It is a representative survey on the consumption of organic food. The current study was conducted by infas from September to mid-October 2021. A total of 1,022 interviews were analyzed for the results.
For more information: bmel.de