Bio Suisse: All figures point to growth
In the past year, all important key figures in organic agriculture and the organic market showed a clear upward trend. This is shown in the new annual report of Bio Suisse. Switzerland is thus the world champion in organic consumption.
Organic is still booming: In 2016, Bio Suisse was once again able to achieve significant growth. This is shown in the latest annual report of the umbrella organization of the Swiss organic sector.
As of January 1, 2017, 6144 farms in Switzerland and Liechtenstein have been awarded the Organic Bud label, 386 more than in the previous year. This is the highest number since the 1990s. In total, the farms cultivate around 140,000 hectares of land, which corresponds to a share of 13.4 percent of the total agricultural area. Vineyards are experiencing a real boom: 26 winegrowers are now using the Bud label and increasing their vineyard area by a third in one fell swoop. Most organic farms are located in the cantons of Grisons (1302) and Bern (1162).
Market growth accelerates
The organic market also recorded an increase: sales of organic food reached a new high of over 2.5 billion Swiss francs. The market share has also grown, reaching a new value of 8.4 percent. And the growth has even accelerated: While in 2015 the market grew by 5.2%, in 2016 a growth of 7.8% was achieved.
In western Switzerland, sales and market share have grown at an above-average rate. Half of consumers buy organic products daily or several times a week. This amounted to CHF 299 per capita (2015: CHF 280). This makes Switzerland the world champion in organic consumption.
Coop and Migros are benefiting the most from the organic boom: together they generate three quarters of sales, while organic specialist retailers have to settle for third place.
The most popular products are egg, vegetables and bread
All product groups grew and gained market share. As in previous years, fresh products are the most important segment, with sales of 1.25 billion Swiss francs and a two-thirds share of the total organic product basket. Convenience products continue to gain in importance and are again growing at an above-average rate. The importance of fresh products is also reflected in the bestseller list for individual products: vegetables are now in second place, ahead of fresh bread. Eggs remain the most popular organic product. The market share for all three products is over 20 percent. The biggest sales drivers are dairy products: Including cheese, they account for sales of CHF 314.4 million.
Go to complete annual report from Bio Suisse
