willing to spend more on it. Shoppers perceive it as healthier, natural and better for the environment. One in three consumers also believe organic to be healthier.
However, sales growth in the supermarkets was dwarfed by that in independent retailers and caterers. In foodservice, sales rose by 10% to £17.5m, fuelled by the popularity of the Food for Life Catering Mark and demand from high- street chains such as McDonald’s and Pret A Manger.
Government backing has also helped says the Soil Association – the Department of Education’s School Food Plan highlighted the Catering Mark as an effective way to raise food standards. About 6,000 schools now serve meals accredited under the scheme.
The creation of a new Catering Mark supplier membership last year is also driving interest. The network already has over 100 members, including large wholesalers and distributors such as 3663, Brakes, E-foods and NCB.
The Soil Association is now hopeful that the sector can return to its pre-recession heyday, when double-digit year-on-year sales growth was the norm.
Number cruncher
10% - growth in foodservice sales of organic food
£1.79bn - UK organic sales
37% - consumers who buy organic due to fewer chemicals
33% - consumers who buy organic because it is ‘healthier’
605,629 – hectares used to grow organic food – down 7.3%
