The world organic market has exceeded 80 billion US$ in 2015, according to organic industry experts, on 3 main milestones:
1. US market provided – and still does – strong growth impulses.
2. European organic farming increased by half a million hectares.
3. Germany has achieved a double-digit growth.
Germany is the biggest organic products country in the European organic industry with 2015 sales amounting to 8,6 billion EUROS or an 11,1% increase versus 2014.
France follows with an overall organic products sales amounting to 5,5 billion EUROS or a 10% over 2014.
Italy is a heavyweight exporter. Sales of organic products amounted to 4.2 billion EUROS in 2015. As the country is an important European supplier and producer of a broad range of fresh vegetables, pasta, olive oil and a number of processed food products, it is no wonder that almost one third of this amount, i.e. 1,5 billion EUROS was attributable to exports.
UK is back on the growth path. After several years of stagnation and shrinking of the organic foods market in the UK, the country is back on the growth path. A growth rate of 4.9% was recorded in 2015 with sales of 1,95 billion Pounds Sterling (2,6 billion EUROS).
Switzerland has become an innovative organic products producer, despite of the difficult agri-environment. For a long time, Switzerland and Denmark are the top consumers of organic food products. Together with Denmark, Switzerland holds 7,7% of the market share in the ranking of the European countries. With sales of 2,1 billion EUROS, the organic market volume also grew by 5% over the previous year.
The biggest per capita consumption are: Switzerland 235 US$, Denmark: 218 US$, και Luxembourg: 195 US$. The mean world per capita consumption is estimated to 10,9 US$.
Greece is a small organic market. The country is still suffering by the imposed austerity measures and is trying hard to recover. The prolonged economic crisis, the continued reduction of disposable income, the capital controls and the erratic tax raid, have created economic asphyxiation conditions, have destabilized the climate that discourages investments and have increased the psychological insecurity.
In this unprecedented mess and with the basic consuming goods (bread and milk) to record negative fluctuations, the Organic Products sector has suffered a major blow. Several manufacturing companies went bankrupt and dozens of retail stores closed.
The Greek organic businesses must overcome difficulties, meet new challenges and adopt new strategies to enable them to compete in the new turbulent business environment.
Businesses are required to implement “even better value for lesser money” concepts and to consider initiatives that will raise ethical values and emphasize on fair trade practices. By adopting such strategies it is estimated that businesses will ensure positive growth in the coming years, provided that the national economy will soon recover.