Biologische Erzeugung: Erneut höhere Nachfrage nach Bio im zweiten Quartal

In the second quarter, demand for organic food products in Germany continued to rise. Retailers reported a turnover of 4.75 billion euros from April to July, marking a 3.8% increase compared to the same period last year. The total revenue for the first half of the year amounted to more than 9.6 billion euros, according to the German Association for Organic Food Industry (BÖLW).

While the sales growth was not adjusted for price increases in the food retail sector, it still exceeded those increases. BÖLW CEO Tina Andres emphasized that organic food remains a top item on Germans' shopping lists, even during crises. Notably, health stores like dm or Rossmann have been significant drivers of this demand, expanding their organic product lines in recent years, particularly in snacks, vegan products, baby food, and tea.

Sales of organic products in these stores increased by nearly 20%, representing around 12.5% of the overall organic food trade, though still untapped potential exists. In contrast, organic sales in specialty stores stagnated at 0.82 billion euros. The BÖLW attributed this stagnation to the overall subdued consumer mood and the changing market structure, with consumers increasingly opting for organic food in traditional supermarkets and health stores.

Full-line retailers such as Rewe or Edeka saw a 5% sales growth in organic products during the second quarter, largely due to the successful development of their own organic brands, according to the association. The data was collected in collaboration with the Agricultural Market Information Society (AIG), based on market research institute Yougov and NIQ Nielsen data.