The growing organic food sector goes global.
Organic is going great guns. In case you still think of organic foods as “fringe,” consider this: The global organic food sector continues to grow by 15 percent to 22 percent a year, according to Just-Food.com, while the rest of the food industry is growing by only 2 percent to 6 percent a year.
Organic foods garnered $36.7 billion globally in 2005, and by 2012, the industry is expected to reach $133.7 billion. The 2005 organic business increased in Europe by 47 percent, with Germany capturing the highest overall market value in the world, although per capita consumption remains low. Brazil is adding 650 organic food sales outlets, and polls show large increases in Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, as well.
In spite of premium pricing, shorter shelf lives and complicated marketing, the growing organic food sector shows increased consumer demand, making organic foods attractive to food companies and food producers.
