Netherlands: organic exports increase by 11 %

Organic exports from the Netherlands increased by 11%, up from 826 million euros in 2013 to 938 million euros in 2014. The Dutch umbrella organization Bionext that brought this number to the Ministry of Economic Affairs expects the one billion mark for exports to be broken this year. (Picture: Dutch girl offering cheese from the Netherlands at BioFach)

Sales increased most rapidly for organic grains, nuts and dried fruits, juices and oil. In this category, exports rose by over 30% to 313 million euros. Organic fruit product trading companies, which also have a strong import – export function in the European market, increased their sales by 1% to 230 million euros. Organic greenhouse vegetables grew by 15%, from 43 to 50 million euros, and the relatively small category organic meat increased by 15% to 20 million euros. 

An increasing demand for organics with additional certification, for example for Demeter products, was also reported, especially in the "fresh" categories. This demand came primarily from the German market, which is also the main export country. Further important markets in Europe are Belgium, France, Scandinavia and the UK. Outside the EU, the USA and South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China are important countries to export to.

Further information (in Dutch) is available here and here.