The Future is Looking Bright

After several years of large increases of 29 and 33 percent in the sales of organic products, Organic Denmark is still very excited about the 4 % increase in sales from 2009 to 2010. It is expected that the sales of organic products decrease dramatically when the economy is in a slump, but surprisingly the sales of organic goods have progressed in this period and have actually experienced a higher increase compared to conventional products.

This just goes to show that once you have tried organic products, you do not go back to conventional products. The decision of buying organic products is a conscious prioritisation made by the consumer.

It is expected that Danes will spend even more money on organic goods in the following years. Denmark is already the country in the world where the citizens spend the most money on organic products and where organic products have the largest market share. In 2009, every Dane spent €139 each on organic products and the organic market share on the grocery market was between 7 and 8% in 2010.

However, we are not back to the golden years before the start of the recession even though consumers are yet again demanding high quality goods. As a result of the difficult economic period the consumers have become more price-conscious.

It is therefore important that the price difference between organic and conventional goods do not become too large.

Another new trend in the retail industry is that supermarkets have noticed that consumers show an increased interest in wanting to know the origins of the products they buy. As a result, the supermarkets are now open to provide shelf space for smaller producers’ products from the local area.

The new wave of New Nordic Cuisine is also expected to boost the interest in Danish organic products. The manifesto behind promotes a cuisine based on purity, simplicity and freshness and a cuisine that reflects the changing seasons. Menus are to be inspired by traditional dishes and of course the use of special ingredients that come from the Nordic region’s climate, water and soil.

To read more about the New Nordic Cuisine, click here.