The organic food market in Switzerland experienced slower growth in 2021 than the previous year. However, consumers are spending more than ever on organic products.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/Keystone-SDA/jdp
Português
pt
Consumidores suíços gastam cada vez mais com produtos orgânicos
According to annual figures released by the organic food association Bio Suisse on Wednesday, the market for organic products grew 0.6% in 2021 to reach a share of 10.9% of the total market. In 2020, the association recorded a 4% growth in organic sales.
One of the reasons for the slower growth is that consumers ate out in restaurants more and bought less organic products for cooking at home than in the first pandemic year, a spokesman for the association told the Keystone-SDA agency.
Despite slower growth, organic sales exceeded CHF4 billion ($4.29 billion) for the first time. In 2020, the organic market reached CHF3.9 billion. Consumers in Switzerland spent more on a per capita basis on organic products. This amounted to CHF459 per person in 2021 compared with CHF445 in 2020.
Eggs remained the most popular organic products with 29.2% of the egg market, followed by bread (26.3%) and vegetables (23.8%). Dairy products represent the largest share when it comes to sales with CHF405 million, the same level as in 2020.
Need for more organic production
The share of land area that is farmed organically increased slightly to 17% but the number of new farms had decreased compared to previous years.
In 2021, around 7,473 farms (16.8% of farms) were operating according to Bio Suisse standards in 2021. Almost two thirds of these were in southeastern Switzerland. Only 23 additional farms were set up, which is lower than in previous years. This is in part due to a “generation change that is currently underway and is leading to more operational closures than in previous years,” writes Bio Suisse in a statementExternal link.
As organic becomes more popular, Bio Suisse says that it has intensified its search for farms interested in producing according to its standards.
Popular Stories
More
Workplace Switzerland
Trump tariff shock: how Switzerland is positioning itself
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
This content was published on
WEF founder Klaus Schwab has announced his immediate resignation as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum.
A twin of the Milky Way existed in the young cosmos
This content was published on
A billion years after the Big Bang, there was already a spiral galaxy that resembles the Milky Way, according to the James Webb Space Telescope
Trains resume service to Swiss ski resort Zermatt after heavy snowfall
This content was published on
Zermatt can once again be reached by train starting Saturday afternoon. The Alpine holiday resort was inaccessible by land for some time after heavy snowfall last Thursday.
Authorities urge vigilance after heavy snowfall in southern Switzerland
This content was published on
Vigilance remains the order of the day in the southern canton of Valais, despite a stable situation after heavy snow on Thursday, authorities said on Saturday.
Switzerland won’t be spared drug violence: criminal police head
This content was published on
It is only a matter of time before Switzerland, like other countries in Europe, experiences an escalation in drug-related violence, says the head of the Federal Criminal Police.
Organic farming grows as overall farm numbers dwindle
This content was published on
The number of farms and farmworkers continues to shrink in Switzerland, as existing holdings become larger through mergers.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.