Organic fruit and vegetable sales reached €147 million in the Italian grocery-retail channel in March 2017, up 28% year on year.
A 9% growth in overall fruit and vegetable sales occurred in the same period, according to Nielsen data revealed at the recent Macfrut trade show.
Fresh organic fruit accounts for 11% of total organic product sales in the retail channel, with further potential for market growth – organic sales account for 4.4% of total fruit and veg sales – given the increasing interest of consumers.
Consumption
Fresh-fruit and -vegetable consumption grew 2.2% in volume, compared to 2016 (over nine million tonnes sold in all channels, at 152 kilos per head), according to a Nomisma survey published to coincide with the Macfrut Bio fair.
The survey shows that 60% of Italian households purchased organic fruit and vegetables on at least one occasion in 2016, ahead of other organic products, such as extra-virgin olive oil (52%), eggs (50%) and yoghurt (42%).
Several factors motivate consumers to buy organic fruit and vegetables, including increased health security (for 25% of those polled), respect for the environment (22%), and the availability of organic fruit and vegetables in mainstream supermarkets (16%).
Significantly, 63% of consumers believe that fresh organic fruit and vegetables have organoleptic properties – i.e. those that an individual experiences via the senses – that are superior to conventional ones.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
