Africa in pole position to grow organic food market share

One of the main reasons why people eat organic food is because they believe it is healthier for them. For this segment of the market, the primary objective is?healthy eating.

They may also believe that organic food is more nutritious because it is grown in more natural conditions.

Organic food is grown without the use of synthetic chemicals, such as human-made pesticides and?fertilizers, and does not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

• With the new global realignment, Africa is poised to tap into the EU organic food market, the continent already has organic food producers.
• The global organic food and beverages market size was valued at US$188.35 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.0 per cent from 2022 to 2030.

But who makes up the target market for organic products? Is it just a niche group of people interested in healthy eating, or is the target market much broader?

Read:?AI shows potential in climate-smart agriculture mechanization in Africa.

The global organic food and beverages market size was valued at?US $188.35 billion in 2021?and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.0 per cent from 2022 to 2030.

According to Grand View Research, fruits and vegetables emerged as the market’s leading sector and accounted for a 40 per cent share of the organic food revenue in 2021. The trend of organic vegetables was initiated in developed regions, including North America and Europe and has extended to emerging economies such as India and China.

North America and Europe are the largest consumers of organic foods. Nonetheless, organic meat, fish and poultry consumption is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 14.9 per cent by 2030.

The demand for organic ingredients has grown over the past few years, owing to the desire for improved overall health among consumers and the awareness regarding the harmful effects of synthetic ingredients.

According to?the FiBL survey 2022,?in 2020, the EU imported a total of 2.8 million metric tons of organic agri-food products. The biggest was the Netherlands, followed by Germany and Belgium. Compared to 2019, organic imports declined by 1.9 per cent Imports of tropical fruit (fresh or dried), nuts and spices represented the single biggest category, totalling 885’930 tonnes or 27.3 per cent of total imports, followed by oilcake, cereals other than wheat, as well as rice, and wheat.

China was the biggest supplier of organic agri-food products to the EU, with 433’705 tonnes; this corresponds to 13.4 per cent of the total organic import volume.

Learn more about Africa's opportunity to tap into the growing global organic food market

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