UK organic sector reports record growth in 2020

 This is the highest growth rate seen in 15 years, with over £50 million per week spent on organic food and drink during 2020.

The online channel has fuelled much of this growth, with e-commerce sales up 36.2% in 2020. This channel now accounts for almost 25% of total sales. Meanwhile, sales of organic items in supermarkets increased by 12.5% per cent, with fresh produce sales up by 15.5%. Organic carrots performed best in this category, with sales soaring by 17.2%.

Sophie Kirk, senior business development manager, Soil Association Certification, said:

“The unprecedented crisis of 2020 has brought immense challenges for organic farmers and the entire food supply chain. So it’s heartening that in times of crisis, more people are supporting home – grown organic produce, with many British organic products such as eggs, cheese, carrots, beef and lamb benefitting from strong sales growth through supermarkets this year.”

The UK organic market is on track to be worth £2.9 billion by the end of 2021, with many new organic shoppers expected to remain loyal to the sector.