Future European market for organic products from ruminants

Summary

The market for organic food is increasing in most Europe countries and it is expected to increase in the future. The present market share of organic food in European countries is however quite low (0-4%). The market shares are very different between countries. The highest market shares (3-4%) appear in Austria, Switzerland and Denmark. Market shares below 1% are seen in many other European countries.
The market shares are also very different from product to product. Drinking milk/milk for consumption shows some of the highest market shares. Market shares for meat from ruminants and processed milk (i.e. cheese) are often considerable lower than for drinking milk/milking for consumption.
The main barriers for increased organic sales can be identified as:
- Confusion or mistrust in organic standards and labelling systems
- High prices and low product quality
- Poor product availability and visibility
The future market for organic products from ruminants might be promising. This is mainly because organic production based on ruminants is relatively easy to adopt to organic standards, the products can be produced at a competitive price and quality, and it is relatively easy to make available and visible to the consumers. This is exemplified very well by milk, which is a high ranking organic product in many countries. In addition agricultural systems based on ruminants add multi-functionality to agriculture in particular in regard to nature and landscape values. However it is very important to be aware of the last barriers: confusion or mistrust in organic standards and labelling. So this is a great challenge to the organic movement and producers.