Organic food is produced using particular farming and manufacturing methods, from the growing phase through to the processing stage. No synthetic chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers are used, and the food does not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In addition, organic livestock has to be raised according to organic regulations throughout their lives. Other regulations vary from country to country. The Scandinavian countries are among the most developed organic food markets, with Denmark and Sweden in the lead.
How is the organic food market developing in Denmark?
Since 2016, the
agricultural land area used by organic farms in Denmark increased and peaked at approximately 313,000 hectares in 2021. That year, the
land area used for organic seed production for industrial use reached almost 6,000 hectares. Compared to that, the land area used for organic production of seeds for sowing was nearly twice as large. Overall, the
number of organic livestock grew in line with the number of organic farms, but in contrast to the
production volume of organic milk. It has increased continuously in recent years until it fell significantly in 2020 and then only slowly began to grow again.
When looking at the
sales of organic food in retail shops, steady growth is also evident here. In 2021, annual sales of organic food in Danish retail stores amounted to around 16 billion Danish kroner.
Which products play a major role in the Swedish organic food market?
The share of
organic fish in the total food and non-alcoholic beverages revenue in the retail trade sector in Sweden amounted to nearly 20 percent. Organic fish thus had the highest share on the total revenue, ahead of products such as fruit, coffee and tea, and oils. ICA was the
leading Swedish retailer selling these organic food products and beverages, measured by organic food sales. Recently, the supermarket chain sold organic food and beverages with a value of eight billion Swedish kronor. Regarding the production volume of various organic products, increased demand for organic food can be seen:
organic milk, for example, has seen a general increase in production in recent years despite some fluctuations, and the same applies to
organic cheese.
Organic livestock and organic meat production in Norway
In the past decade, the total
number of organic cattle in Norway has fluctuated between 27,000 and 30,000 cattle. For
organic cattle slaughtered, the volume rose steadily until it fell sharply in 2019. Currently, the slaughter volume is growing again to an amount of roughly 1,400 metric tons. During the same time, the
number of organic laying hens has generally increased. By 2020, the number had more than doubled compared to ten years earlier to around 317 thousand organic laying hens.
Overall, the
retail sales of organic meat has in the past years increased annually. In 2019, figures started to slowly decline. In 2020, the revenue had decreased to a value of 105.8 million Norwegian kroner.
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