Household purchases of organic food have increased over several years. But in 2021 there has been a trend break. In total, we bought food products in 2021 for SEK 233 billion, of which SEK 19.3 billion was organic.
In 2020, we bought approximately SEK 276 billion worth of food, of which SEK 20.3 billion was organic. So even though we spend more and more money on food, the interest in organic is decreasing.
The difference in kronor is close to one billion between 2020-2021.
– The issue of sustainability is very broad and organic is a solution. Many people think that locally grown is more important, says Coop Sweden’s sustainability manager Mattis Bergqvist.
Competitors Axfood and Ica also see reduced interest.
– The organic range has received competition on the shelf from other sustainable products, such as locally grown and vegetarian, says Ica’s sustainability manager Anders Axelsson.
Will decrease even more
There is no simple answer as to why organic consumption is decreasing, say the store chains. Some foods are more expensive, which contributes to reduced consumption.
The forecast for 2022 shows continued extreme price increases for food. Therefore, no one believes that organic food sales will increase this year.
– We have a long list of measures that authorities and politicians could take. One of the proposals is to lower the VAT on sustainability-labelled goods, says Axfood CEO Klas Balkow.
The price gap is getting smaller
At the same time, the price difference between organic food and conventional food is getting smaller. This is shown by a review by the interest organization Ekologiska lantbrukarna of the analysis company Nielsen’s statistics.
– I think many people have the idea that organic should be more expensive, so you don’t even look at that shelf, says Erika Olsson, chairman of Organic Farmers.
However, the price differences vary greatly for different goods. Now organic minced lamb costs SEK 10 more than conventional, but chicken costs SEK 67 more. In some stores, however, a certain product may be cheaper organic than conventional.
Hear Erika Olsson about why the price difference between organic and conventional foods is decreasing in the clip above.