Shoppers are still valuing organic

Time and time again, research is showing that, across the board (and despite financial strains on households) British consumers aren’t giving up on their mission to be more sustainable – especially when it comes to food and drink.

While terms like ‘regenerative farming’ are booming (given a boost most recently when Wildfarmed appeared on Jeremy Clarkson’s runaway Amazon Prime hit, Clarkson’s Farm), those in the organic sphere are doubling down their efforts to ensure the conversation around this method of production remains in the public consciousness.

This year, for example, Penny Nagle of Feltham’s Farm (maker of Renegade Monk and Rebel Nun) founded the Organic Cheesemaker’s Network, with a view to unite Britain’s organic dairy industry, tackle the challenges these producers face, and protect organic cheese as a category for the long term.

‘Regenerative’ could well be having its day, but according to statistics, organic food and drink sales aren’t slowing down. Analyst, Statista, says the UK organic market has experienced growth of 5.2% in 2024, with 36% of those asked in a survey this year saying they valued and would buy more sustainable and eco-friendly foods if they were available.

This sentiment especially rings true amongst younger shoppers such as Gen Z, who are thinking more frequently not only about their diets and the impact of what they eat on their health, but also the impact that diet also has on the world around them.

“Shoppers are increasingly getting on board,” Niamh Noone of the Soil Association said of the organic market, adding that last year “independent retailers did particularly well, growing 10%, and more than two-thirds of them expect to grow this year. We know there’s a market for making ethical choices when you shop. Organic certification means shoppers are investing in high standards, protected by law.”

Why organic matters for the environment

“Businesses and nature benefit when we prioritise organic,” Niamh continued. “It’s still the most evidence-based way to support food and farming that’s better for the planet. Working with nature, organic farms have an average of 30% more biodiversity, nurture soils so they store more carbon, and uphold the highest animal welfare standards in the UK.”

“Intensive food systems are wreaking havoc on human and planetary health,” added Roger Kerr, former chief executive of Organic Farmers & Growers. “New approaches to food and farming, such as regenerative, seek to mirror some of organic’s principles – a huge milestone, but not without challenges for consumers navigating the shelves. Sustainable, nature-friendly food brands are on the rise, and it’s becoming an increasingly competitive environment. Therefore, it’s important to promote organic’s distinct points of difference.”

One of the most hotly debated topics at this year’s National Organic Conference, Roger said, was how the sector can support sustained growth, from the percentage of land being farmed organically, to the market value of the products being bought by consumers.

“For too long voices of reason that champion positive action have been ignored,” Roger added. “With a new government in office, and the spectre of ever-increasing ‘greenwash’, it is critical we support production systems that not only make a difference, but are built on the solid foundations of integrity, longevity and principles. The industry needs a genuine, concerted effort to support cleaner, more nature-friendly food.”

The importance of organic to consumers

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for the enduring appeal of organic food and drink, particularly with the modern shopper, is its health benefits. “The nation’s poor diet costs the NHS £11 billion annually,” said Roger, “with a growing body of evidence on the effects of pesticides on the incidence of cancer and on the gut microbiome.” In contrast, he said, “Organic’s holistic approach delivers both positive environmental outcomes, and nutritious, healthier food, without harmful synthetic inputs and antibiotics.”

An organisation that is seeing first-hand the upward interest in organic produce from consumers conscientious of their health and diets, is Growing Communities, founded in Hackney more than 25 years ago by current director Julie Brown as a community-led initiative.

As well as operating the Better Food Shed, a not-for-profit wholesaler distributing more than 20 tonnes of fresh organic produce to farm shops, food shops, education services and food programmes, Growing Communities founded the UK’s only fully organic market in 2003.

When it started, said Growing Communities’ Kerry Rankine, the idea was to help improve the food system…to make it more sustainable.  “Which sounds like grand plans, but we were really thinking about how we could change the food system to provide better food, and to reward people who are growing more sustainably. It was true then, and it’s even more true today. We know more about climate change and the climate emergency we face, and food is a key part of that.” Kerry continued, “We can give up a lot of things, but we can’t stop eating. For us, being organic, and having organic certification for the market and farmers that supply us is really important.”

Kerry said the team love hearing people talking more openly about farming and agriculture today, and how it can be better, and believes organic (as it’s regulated) is the “cornerstone” of healthy, environmentally beneficial food and drink. “There are checks to ensure people are doing what they say they are doing. That baseline of organic farming is important!”

Interest in organic produce, Kerry said, increased dramatically during Covid, and hasn’t stopped. “We found, looking back to the pandemic, there was a huge, sudden interest in where food came from because people were panicking. All sorts of small veg schemes and farms thrived at that time.” After that peak she said there was a small drop off “but we’ve recently seen continued interest from people supporting the market. Sales are up 17% this year!”

Her experience, that organic is resonating with a younger profile of shopper, tallies with anecdotes from other organic makers and retailers. For Growing Communities that “partly reflects the demographic of where we are, but it’s also really positive in terms of the future. We also run farm trips once a year. On one of the visits to a farm in Kent, I was amazed talking to young people about why they’d come along.” They told Kerry they wanted to connect with nature, find out more about where their food comes from, and to understand the reality of farming.

“They found it enjoyable and stimulating, hearing the birdsong, talking directly to the farmer…finding out how much hard work it was. I was really encouraged by that.”

Topping the list of what shoppers want from the organic sector is fruit and veg, said Kerry, revealing that the four or so stalls the market has dedicated to fresh produce have lengthy queues every week. Also soaring in popularity are organic raw milk, and meat – with customers appreciating knowing the provenance of what they’re eating, and that animal welfare is being prioritised.

Why retailers should be valuing organic

“Organic represents a fundamental mindset shift when it comes to food production and consumption,” said Roger. “As such, there’s a real opportunity to deliver multiple positive outcomes. We believe organic has the power to really drive change.”

It’s a message, he added, that independent retailers and farm shops can get behind “by promoting the four principles that the organic system was built on: health, ecology, fairness and care. These remain core to the mission of the organic sector, and help maintain confidence in the market.”

Niamh agreed, saying that for retailers (and shoppers), organic is a “valuable mark of authenticity”.

“When retailers invest in organic products, they have a guarantee they are nature-friendly and customer-friendly,” Kerry added. “The food has been sourced and produced to a specific set of rules and standards, and that’s what people today are looking for.

“I would say retailers do, though, have to be careful about who is saying what. They need to make sure they know the businesses that say they are organic have certification to show for it – the proof is in the pudding!”

A sector really pushing its value for retail right now is organic cheese. “Organic products are incredibly important in retail,” said Godminster’s Sarah Norris. “It’s sad that there are some retailers who don’t want to list organic cheeses purely because of the price point.”

To miss out on listing an organic cheese, Sarah feels, is to “miss out on an important part of the cheese brand ecosystem”.

The cheese world is “a full and vibrant community, and organic cheeses have their place in the fixture as a great upsell for customers looking for brands that really commit to best-in-class farming and production standards,” Sarah said. “Organic has always been seen as shorthand for best practice when it comes to increasing biodiversity in our countryside, committing to the highest standards of animal welfare, and combatting climate change.”

When Eve Balfour set up the Soil Association, she was the laughing stock of the farming industry, said the Organic Cheesemaker’s Network’s Penny. “The farming industry has thankfully moved on, but there is still a way to go. The good news, is that more and more people care about where their food and cheese comes from, which is great for all of us in the industry – nobody in artisan cheese wants to farm to the lowest level.”

Penny said the discussion around cheese and organic needs to change within cheesemongers and at deli counters, with most of the conversation today focusing heavily on whether cheeses are made with raw milk. “The real question is what goes into your milk, not whether it’s pastuerised or not,” she explained. “Don’t get me wrong, we love raw milk cheese, and usually those cheesemakers are wonderful guardians of the cheese landscape, but it’s not the main question gatekeepers should be asking at this point in 2024 of climate change, soil crisis and nature depletion in the UK. Things have moved on. We need to be caring about organic more than pasteurisation.”

Boosting the profile of organic in-store

This Organic September, the Soil Association is celebrating with the theme ‘Love Organic’ and to help boost the profile of independent retailers, has produced a number of free resources, available online now.

“Very excitingly, and new for this year, we are collaborating with Clearspring to deliver 100-plus sample boxes to independent retailers, meaning they will have a great opportunity to delight customers with a range of samples.

“Independent retailers are the champions of organic in their local communities, so we always work hard to support them.”