It is not breaking news that in the UK, and worldwide, we are facing tough economic times. All of us are watching our spending, and in all areas of retail the reports are of decreasing sales and consumers tightening their belts.
But put in a global context, organic is bucking that trend. Internationally, organic sales grew by 8% in 2010 and sales are now valued at ¤44.5
billion. Strong growth has continued in all the major European markets, and the US, and the outlook for this year is positive. The organic market in China has quadrupled in the past five years, while Organics Brasil reports an annual growth rate of 40% in the Brazilian market. Market analysts predict that organic sales in Asia will grow by 20% a year over the next three years. Thirty-seven million hectares of land worldwide are now farmed organically.The UK scene is more complex. As our report shows, some sectors continue to grow: sales of organic baby food are up 6.6% and it has also been a good year for meat, with lamb and poultry enjoying increases and beef holding its own. In the non-food sectors, health and beauty, and textiles (although still a small share of the overall market)continue to expand their reach.
