The interest for organic food increases less than expected

"The interest for organic food increases less than expected,"

"the Swedes continue to shop organic, but the increase is not as large as expected, according to a new report."

"– Retailers have moved their focus from organic to vegetarian and Swedish, " says the analyst Cecilia Ryegård."

"The independent marknadsbevakaren Ekoweb presents for the eleventh year in a row, its report for the sale of organic food in Sweden. They saw an increase of four percent in 2018, but the long term prognosis for continued gains is halved. Cecilia Ryegård, analysts at Ekoweb, says that this year the increase has not corresponded to expectations and that the rate of growth is now slowing."

"From ekomjölk to the vegetarian"

"Above all, it is for the organic dairy and meat products as the interest of the customers seem cooler than expected."

"– Mejerisegmentet have been very much beating in the sustainability debate. Many consumers who purchased organic milk has gone over to the vegetarian options like almond and soy milk, " says Cecilia Ryegård."

"Ekoweb writes that the slowdown can be explained by"

" We have had cases where, for example, Coop has been condemned for its promotion of the ecological value. It has done that you don't want to, or dare to promote organic in the same way now, they are extremely careful."

"another aspect is, according to Cecilia Ryegård to many markets both organic and conventional products at the same time, which makes it difficult to lift what she calls ecological value."

"– Take up of added value, high welfare, free from pesticides and no chemical fertilizers, then it can come across as talking down other products."

"the long term prognosis now is cut, even if it still is an increase of a billion dollars a year," explains Cecilia Ryegård with that at the moment do not see any major changes going on."

"At Coop increased organic sales are less than the total supply in 2018. Åsa Wickholm, responsible for Coop's own brands, says that customers in select Swedish and vegetarian, to a greater extent."

"– organic has been a little more negative at later time, for example, it has been highlighted that imported organic products may not be so sustainable. It has made customers choose Swedish and locally, regardless of whether it is organic or not, for it is felt nevertheless that is more sustainable, " she says."

"Åsa Wickholm do not think that the Coop has become more cautious in their marketing of the organic range after that the man was convicted in the patents and market court for the advertising campaign"

" No, I would not say, we are highlighting it too. We are investing in sustainable supply, which is ecologically one of the options."

"For Sweden's largest player in the retail sector, the Ica, continues the organic supply may be important, according to the environmental manager for Ica Sweden, Maria Smith. She describes it as that customers with interest in sustainability has now more options to choose between."

" We have seen a jätteökning for including vegetarian and Swedish. But we will continue to invest in eco, " she says."

"The organic food market in Sweden increased by sek 1.1 billion during 2018. That means four per cent up."

"the Monopoly that player in the country that will increase the most in sales of organic products (+9 percent). The increase amounted to a half billion and is responsible for half of the market's full sales in 2018."

"the Drought had a severe impact on the exports of organic food, which in 2018 decreased by 200 million as a result of the bad harvest."

"the Sales of organic in the largest Ica, Coop and Axfood has cooled down following several years of record."

"Ekowebs wxsim forecast (2019-2028) are written down from +2 billion per year to 1 +billion per year."

"Source: Ekowebs market report, 2019"