Organic Market Report

Consumers want to buy organic produce. They also seek an even broader range. Yet many still arrive at the checkout with conventional products in their shopping baskets.

And this is not simply because they cannot find organic products on the shelves. Price is often the deciding factor.

While many have the intention to buy organic products, they find themselves thinking about all the other things they want to buy, their many bills and the tight-fisted bank advisor.

It is also an ingrained instinct for many of. us to choose the cheapest alternative. Danes are also. among the consumers in Europe who spend the least. amount of money on food, which is a shame considering the impact on quality, health and sustainability.

In other words, price is an organic party killer. Even though we are seeing good demand figures for organic products, they are not nearly as high as they would be if organic prices were more competitive compared to conventional products.

While price is king, visibility, awareness and marketing are very important. We know that more people buy organic products when they are visible and promoted in the store, and when there is general awareness of organic produce in society. It has to be easy for consumers to choose organic, and retailers must achieve the best possible sales for their efforts. Visibility, marketing and good arguments are a big help.

Given the amazing benefits offered by organic produce, I am confident that many more would buy organic if they knew more about all the advantages, and also the disadvantages of not choosing organic. For example,

I was saddened to read in this report that only 1.9% of the strawberries sold in Denmark are organic. Especially when you consider that pesticide residues are found in 94% of non-organic strawberries from abroad, while there are zero pesticide residues in organic strawberries.
If this knowledge was more widespread, and also clearly communicated at the supermarket shelves, I am convinced that many more people would choose organic strawberries.

Who wants to consume pesticides, even if served with milk or cream or on top of a sponge cake?

The supermarkets’ own goals would also be more ambitious if all the benefits of organic products were reflected not just in the supermarkets’ CSR policy, but also in concrete action plans, goals and KPIs. For too long, many players have focused solely on carbon emissions, even though there are many other crucial indicators to measure if we want to live healthy andfor humanity to survive on this planet.

I would like to see much clearer organic marketing in Danish supermarkets, and crystal clear information on the climate, environment, biodiversity and animal welfare benefits of choosing organic.
We know that informed, information-seeking consumers buy more organic products than those who are not.

The key to increasing organic demand is therefore more information – ideally presented at eye level as people pick the product off the shelf and put it in their shopping basket.
So even though we are celebrating 35 years since the launch of the red organic Ø label with great pride and excitement this year, we need to step up our game if the organic segment is to grow.

The organic narrative needs to be retold, with renewed energy and conviction.

I hope you enjoy reading this market report. I hope it provides a good overview and new insights.

Enjoy your reading!

POSITION OF ORGANIC
PRODUCTS ON SUPERMARKET SHELVES

Does this mean organic produce has come of age? It certainly means that retailers are placing the exact same demands on organic food as they are on conventional food in terms of branding, food certifications, marketing subsidies, competitive pricing, etc. But it also means organic products are no longer the bold new feature on supermarket shelves getting all the attention. There is a battle going on for organic customers – and the share of sales is increasing for both the private label and discount segments.

However, organic sales in grocery stores are on the rise again, and volume also rose in the second half of 2024. This is partly due to consumers buying more frequently and – especially in supermarkets – putting more organic products in their shopping baskets.

In late 2024 and early 2025, the three major grocery groups in Denmark launched new strategies – Salling Group (Aspire ’28), Coop (MOD2028) and Dagrofa (gro’27). It will be interesting to see how large and clear a role organic products play in these strategies.

However, one thing is certain – families with young children and older couples without children still remain the primary consumers of organic products. Each group expects – in their own way – a broad and deep range of organic products on grocery store shelves. During 2024, the ‘Elderly without children’ group became the consumer group that buys the most organic food overall, and this group is increasingly demanding food products with more added value and great taste.

However, one group stands out – young people aged 18-39 – the new organic consumers in the food chain. They have a lower for demand organic products, and we need them on board if we are to achieve the EU goal of 25% of food consumption and agricultural land being organic by 2030. It is therefore important that the entire value chain works to clearly market how organic food contributes to the green transition.

Organic produce can and must play a major role in our future meals – but this requires that we remind each other to tell the story again and again – also to the new generations of consumers.

Organic Market Share

According to Statistics Denmark, the organic market share of retail trade in 2024 was 11.6% measured by value. Inflation and rising prices continued to impact consumers’ purchases. In terms of volume, there was a small increase of 2% compared to 2023. The value of consumer grocery purchases increased overall in 2024 according to Kauza shopper data, and organic food sales really took off in the second half of the year. This is because organic consumers shopped more often, but also put more items in their shopping basket per trip. According to Kauza shopper data, this trend has continued into the first quarter of 2025, with organic consumers still shopping more frequently and the number of items in their shopping baskets remaining stable.

Organic Export Market

Organic food exports rose by 4% from DKK 3.4 billion in 2022 to DKK 3.5 billion in 2023. Imports of organic products fell by 4% in 2023. This was the first drop in imports seen in 20 years, according to the latest figures from Statistics Denmark. “The rise in total organic exports shows that customers abroad have great confidence in Danish products, and that our companies produce high-quality products,” says Dennis Hvam, International Market Director at Organic Denmark.

Dairy products still remain Denmark’s largest export category, but other beverages are slowly catching up with milk, cheese and yogurt. The beverage category includes plant-based beverages, precisely the type of product that is responsible for the impressive 39% increase from 2022 to 2023. Organic food imports, conversely, fell by 4%, and this is the first time this has happened in 20 years. It is especially beverages, animal feed and sugar that Danes are sourcing less from abroad. “Organic exports face interesting opportunities, especially in Central Europe.” Germany, Austria and Switzerland are seeing increasing demand for organic products. Germany is seeing a greater organic focus among retailers and discount chains, making organic produce more accessible to consumers and the product range broader. Yet even though the retail and discount segments are taking organic market share, organic chains are maintaining their sales, such that the total market is growing.

Read the whole Organic Marked Report here