Consumer demand for organic food and beverages in Germany has risen significantly again in 2019.

The number of households buying organic continued to rise at a quick pace. Compared to the previous year, shoppers bought organic products much more frequently (+8 percent) and added more organic goods to their shopping carts on this occasion (+4 percent). These are the findings of a new GfK survey, which examines the purchasing behavior for organic products in German households.

There is almost no household in Germany that does not buy an organic product at least once a year. The percentage of private households buying organic/organic products in all households in Germany is currently over 96 percent. Over the past ten years, the organic share of household expenditure on food and beverages has almost doubled from 3.2 percent (2009) to six percent (2019). Overall, around 85 percent of expenditure is attributable to this area. The remainder is spent on natural cosmetics, detergents, cleaning agents and products, and paper products.

Measured against the total purchasing volume in the category, the organic share is highest for eggs. About one in seven eggs comes from an organic hen. Dairy products from the white line (milk, yoghurt, etc.) have an organic share of almost ten percent, fruit and vegetables account for a good seven percent. Consumers are paying considerably more for organic eggs in particular than for comparable conventional products.

Most organic food and drinks are purchased in food retail outlets, including drugstores. Food retailers account for around two thirds of all expenditure on organic products. The strongest growth is seen at the weekly markets, probably also a consequence of the trend towards regionality. However, the level here is much lower at around three percent.

More than a quarter of shoppers (28 percent) now regularly prefer organic products when buying food, according to their own statements, as far as they are available. Around a fifth of all consumers can be described as “uncompromising organic shoppers”. They spend some 70 cents of every euro on organic products. They are most often found in the southern federal states and in Berlin. In the eastern federal states, however, the proportion of consistent organic shoppers is clearly disproportionately low.

Related Report:  Global Market for Organic Food & Drink

Source: GFK (01/03)