UK Organic Market Continues to Grow – 2021 Soil Association Report Published

Soil Association 2021 Organic Market Report published this week reveals the highest year-on-year growth in 15 years for the UK’s organic market, a +12.6% with the market now worth £2.79B (approx. 3,180 milion euros). Soil Association’s report is the only one summarising trends in the organic market in the UK today, and an essential read and reference document for anyone researching or working within the organic industry.

Finn Cottle, trade consultant, Soil Association Certification, said to the journalist Jim Manson: “It’s significant that in times of crisis, people are turning to organic products for the assurance of transparency, integrity and quality they provide. Organic is now rightfully recognised as the cornerstone of a resilient food and farming system and a vital part of the solution to the climate, nature and health crises”.

Soil Association 2021 Organic Market Report

According to the 2021 Organic Market Report, the UK organic sales rose 12.6% in 2020, the highest rate of growth seen in 15 years. Download the Report.

1. Organic market year on year sales growth outperformed in the non-organic sector reaching 12.6% in 2020.
2. It is the highest rate of growth seen in 15 years, with a 10^th consecutive year of growth. The market is on target to reach £2.9B by end of 2021.
3. Total sales of organic hit £2.79 billion as shopping needs and habits changed dramatically due to the pandemic.
4. Online and home delivery sales fuelled much of the growth in the organic market in 2020, with sales increasing by 36.2%, meaning this channel to market accounts for almost 25% of the total sales.
5. Sales of organic items in supermarkets increased by 12.5% with many categories

The organic market is now on track to reach £2.9 billion by the end of 2021

The pandemic has changed the way people buy and consume, in fact consumers increased their interest in high quality healthy food, and this helped to drive sales of organic. 

The power of online sales

The report reveals stand-out growth in organic via online and home delivery at +36.2%. With almost 1 in 4 organic products purchased online in 2020.

Increased interest in online shopping choice during the pandemic has driven up substantially strengthening the success of this longstanding organic channel.

Laura Henderson, head of buying fresh & frozen from Ocado said to the journalist Jim Manson: “We saw a marked increase in the sale of our organic food and drink products at Ocado over the past year. We’re delighted to offer our customers such variety of choice – all with the effortless convenience of shopping online”.

The report also showns that the organic market is now on track to reach £2.9 billion by the end of 2021, with many new organic shoppers expected to remain loyal to the sector as they look to support a food and farming system that supports a safe climate, better biodiversity and improved health.

Organic certified cosmetics

The growth of the organic market in the beauty and wellness and textile sectors was also reported. Sales of Soil Association certified beauty and wellness products grew 13% to a total of £ 120.2 million in 2020. Sales of certified organic textiles grew 9% to a value of £ 49.5 million, despite a 20% decline in fashion sales in 2020.

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