A new survey from the opinion institute Verian, conducted on behalf of Organic Sweden, shows that 73% of London’s conscious consumers have a positive image of Swedish organic food. The positive picture gives extra impetus to the three-year export initiative Organic Export UK, in which Swedish food companies with organic products work together to establish themselves on the British market.
Health is the strongest driving force behind organic
The survey, which was conducted among conscious consumers in London and its suburbs, also shows that the target group has good knowledge of organic production. Health and sustainability are the main reasons for choosing organic food and drink, closely followed by better taste and fewer additives.
“Organic Sweden runs the Organic Export UK project together with nine Swedish food companies. For three years, we will work to ensure that their products reach British consumers. The strong image of Swedish organic food and drink gives us a boost in our export efforts,” says Anton Järild, project manager at Organic Sweden.
Results from the survey in brief:
- Positive view of Swedish organic food – 73% of London’s conscious consumers have a positive image of Swedish organic food.
- Good knowledge of organic – 80% consider themselves to have good or very good knowledge of organic production.
- Health and sustainability in focus – The most important factors when choosing organic are health and sustainability, followed by better taste and fewer additives.
- Challenges: price and availability – The biggest barriers to buying organic are higher prices and limited supply.
“We see a positive development for organic food in the UK and a great interest in the type of products that we have with us in the export initiative. Through collaboration on concepts, fairs and campaigns, we hope to lower the thresholds and make it easier for our Swedish companies to succeed in the British market,” says Anton Järild.
Swedish organic food in focus at the NOPEX fair
The next step in the export initiative is a Swedish pavilion at the Natural and Organic Products Expo (NOPEX) in London on 12–13 May. NOPEX is the UK’s largest trade fair for organic food and beverages. There, the participating Swedish companies will showcase their products and meet British buyers and distributors.
“We look forward to gathering prominent food companies under a common umbrella and showcasing the strong added value that comes with Swedish organic. With the EU’s common label for organic production, companies can easily show and guarantee that their products make a difference for both the environment and the consumer,” says Charlotte Bladh André, CEO of Organic Sweden.
On Organic Export UK
Organic Export UK is a three-year project with the goal of increasing sales and production of organic food from Sweden through export promotion activities. Behind the initiative is Organic Sweden, the industry organization for organic food in Sweden. The project is mostly funded by the EU.
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