From field to table? The marketing of organic products in Norway

Summary

While 3 percent of the fields in Norway are grown organically in the advent of the 21st century, only a small share of the resulting products reaches the consumers as organic food. A number of factors can explain the relative lack of success of organic products through the value chain. Lack of differentiation from conventional foods may discourage consumers. Extra costs limit the interest of processors and retailers. The political decisions and subsidies are directed at production, and have few direct effects on the organization of the value chain.
The marketing of organic products has followed different strategies. Organic milk is handled through the national dairy cooperative, and around forty percent is sold as organic varieties of conventional brands. Meat producers have been less successful as only about twenty percent of the certified production is marketed as organic. In some of the more promising cases organic products are marketed in a niche strategy where organic production methods is one of several differentiating product attributes.