The marked increase in the turnover of organic products corresponds to an increase from 2.68 to 3.28 billion francs between 2018 and 2022.
Between 2021 and 2022, the turnover of foodstuffs in general fell by 4.6% in the retail trade. That of organic food fell by 2.2%, and that of non-organic food by 4.9%.
This downward trend is explained above all by the normalization of consumption after the end of the pandemic, the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) said on Tuesday. The increase in the organic market share observed between 2018 and 2022 will not necessarily continue in the same proportions. The increase in prices poses uncertainty on this subject, notes the press release.
>> See also the 7:30 p.m. topic on the impact of inflation on the consumption of organic products:
The pitfall of the price
The Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL) carried out a representative survey of around 1,000 people throughout Switzerland, the Biobarometer. According to this survey, the vast majority of participants plan to maintain or increase their organic consumption in the future as well.
However, the rising cost of living could put a damper on these intentions. Indeed, 16% of respondents indicated that they would consume less organic in the future because of inflation. It also emerges that price is considered the main obstacle to organic purchases.
In addition, discount stores, hitherto not very present in this market, have become the second distribution channel for organic food, after traditional retailers, as revealed by the analysis of data from the NielsenIQ household and retail panel. Switzerland. This enlargement should have a favorable impact on organic.
ats/again