Organic continues to grow despite the global polycrisis. The figures presented in the 18th edition of the Rapporto Bio Bank clearly show this.

In an unstable context marked by the post-pandemic period, geopolitical crises and inflation, the sector continues its omnichannel evolution, driven by solid demand and recognition of the value of organic products throughout the supply chain.

The global organic market reached approximately €145 billion in 2024 (+6% compared to 2023). The sector also counts nearly 99 million hectares and around 4.8 million producers in more than 180 countries, according to Fibl-Ifoam data.

The Italian organic market reached €10.4 billion in 2024 (+6% compared to 2023), including €5.2 billion in the retail channel, where organic products grew by 6% in value, compared with 1.5% for the overall food market, with inflation at 1%. Growth in out-of-home consumption was more moderate, reaching €1.3 billion (+5%). Export growth was stronger, reaching €3.9 billion in 2024 (+7%), according to Nomisma data for the Osservatorio Sana.

Italy: Europe’s organic leader

Italy’s leading role in the European organic landscape has been confirmed. Among 41 European countries, Italy remains first for the number of organic farmers, with 87,000, and for the number of processing companies, with more than 24,000 — over one quarter of the European total (93,000). Germany has nearly 22,000, while France has more than 20,000.

Italy also ranks first for exports, with a turnover of €3.9 billion, followed closely by Spain and, at some distance, France with €1.1 billion. It is also third for organic farmland, with 2.5 million hectares, after Spain (2.9 million hectares) and France (2.7 million). Italy also ranks third for retail sales, worth €5.2 billion, after Germany with €17 billion and France with €12 billion.

Italy is once again among the top three European countries for biodynamic farming in terms of certified operators and cultivated land, after Germany and France. It also ranks sixth for the share of organic farmland on total utilised agricultural area, at 20%, compared with an 11% average in the European Union.

Italy: the trend of 3,200 organic businesses

At the heart of the Report are Bio Bank data on around 3,200 organic businesses in Italy surveyed in 2024 (-2.8% compared to 2023), highlighting an internal reconfiguration of the system: shops -3.2%, restaurants -2.7%, perfumeries -1.7%, cosmetics e-commerce -1.4%.

Food e-commerce remained stable (+0.5%). A significant decline, however, affected cosmetics and detergent companies (-8.2%), where the phenomenon of decertification is growing due to the absence of European regulations, excessive bureaucracy and costs, as well as pressure from greenwashing.

Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto remain the leading regions in terms of the absolute number of organic businesses. Trentino-Alto Adige, Marche and Emilia-Romagna also remain leaders in density (number of businesses per million inhabitants). Emilia-Romagna is still the only region appearing in both rankings, confirming the role of Italy’s Food Valley also in the organic sector.

Not to be missed are the useful final pages featuring a highly updated overview of the most authoritative sources of organic data. All within 100 pages freely available in the Publications section of biobank.it.

Omnichannel evolution, identity affirmation

Large-scale retail is becoming increasingly dominant, gaining growing market shares, as also highlighted by the Focus Bio Bank – Supermercati & Specializzati 2025. In Germany, Europe’s leading market for organic sales, 65% of sales in 2024 came through large-scale retail, compared with 22% through around 2,000 organic shops.

In France, a pioneer in the development of organic retail chains, organic sales through large-scale retail reached 48%, compared with 29% through around 2,700 organic shops. In Italy, 64% of sales pass through large-scale retail and 20% through around 1,000 specialised shops.

In this context, organic is not only an expanding market but also an evolving ecosystem, with differentiated dynamics across channels and business models. Its stability depends on the ability to combine industrial scale, dedicated supply chains and cultural value.

The role of specialised channels therefore remains irreplaceable as an identity- and values-driven stronghold with a high rate of innovation. Without this background, organic risks losing its original driving force. Large-scale retail has expanded the reach of organic products, but their evolution remains tied to the coexistence of different and complementary models. And in a context where organic is consolidating as a strategic lever also for investors and industry, the real question is no longer whether the sector is growing, but how it is redefining its balance between value, accessibility and system rules.

• Read the Bio Bank report.