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
Banking & Fintech
UBS releases ‘hundreds’ of staff in fresh wave of job cuts
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Milei orders Argentina’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization
This content was published on
Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has announced plans to pull the country out of the Geneva-headquartered World Health Organization (WHO).
‘Europe’ initiative halts signature collection to focus on Swiss-EU treaty
This content was published on
The initiative sought to embed Swiss-EU relations in the Federal Constitution, but the organisers have now stopped signature collection.
Swiss study sheds light on link between obesity and metabolic diseases
This content was published on
ETH Zurich researchers collected cells from overweight individuals to identify biological markers that raise the risk of metabolic diseases.
Swiss retail sector sees slight decline despite strong online sales
This content was published on
Black Friday, which performed well in some areas of Switzerland, and Christmas sales could not make up for the losses of previous months.
Over 6,000 Swiss companies go bankrupt but start-ups see growth
This content was published on
Switzerland recorded a spike in bankruptcies last year, but there was also a rise in new start-ups. Trends varied significantly by region and sector.
Basel greenlights funding for Eurovision Village 2025
This content was published on
MCH Group Ltd. is set to receive CHF1 million ($1.1 million) for the Eurovision Village at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel.
Geneva researchers discover potential for targeted cancer drug delivery
This content was published on
Researchers in Geneva have discovered how some bacteria inject dangerous enzymes into cells, potentially enabling targeted drug delivery to cancer cells.
Macron denies involvement in Nestlé Waters scandal
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron denied any “agreement” or “collusion” with the Swiss company Nestlé over the bottled water scandal on Tuesday.
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.