Denmark: Organic sales increase by 6%

The desire for foods that promote animal welfare and are free of pesticides is clearly reflected in the increased sales of organics, Organic Denmark reports. New figures from Statistics Denmark reveal that organic sales rose to DKK6.2 billion (about €830 million) in 2014, an increase of 6% on the previous year. Measured in volume (tonnes), sales even increased by 8%, as prices for most product groups fell in 2014. The increases were most visible in meat, as well as in fruit and vegetables. The largest organic product groups in Denmark are still milk, cheese, and eggs, representing 35% of the total turnover, as well as fruit and vegetables with a total of 23%. More information from Statistics Denmark (in Danish) is available here.

“2015 has begun with double-digit growth for organic fruit and vegetables, dairy products and meat, and especially Føtex registered a significant growth regarding organic fruit and vegetables in the first quarter of 2015”, says Jeppe Dahl Jeppesen, purchasing director of fresh goods at Dansk Supermarked, which expects the positive trend to continue. Organic sales are also on the rise at Coop. Here, the reduction of prices (financed by Coop) had significant effects on the sales of organics in the first four months this year: “2015 has been fantastic so far. Customers have acknowledged the cost reductions we have made, putting 20% more organic products in their shopping carts. We can also see that buying organics is no longer just a city phenomenon but has come out in the country too”, says Jens Visholm, Food Director of Coop. More information is available from Organic Denmark.