Spain: Spain is one of the best positioned countries organic sector internationally

The consumption of organic increase if the usual outlets are used, according to the study “Organic Food: context, perspective view of the sector and consumers”

This month has been held in Mercabarna Day “Organic products: trends and opportunities” to present, before hundreds of professionals throughout the food chain, the conclusions of the study “Organic Food: context, perspective view of the sector and consumers” , commissioned by the Observatory of Trends Mercabarna.

According to the general director of Mercabarna, Josep Tejedo, they commissioned the study after observing the tremendous growth in domestic consumption and exports of organic food in recent years in Catalonia, despite the economic crisis. “We did -HA saying continued to present new business opportunities to processors and distributors of fresh produce from Mercabarna, on expectations of growth of organic products in Europe,” said Tejedo.

The study presented by Ricard Madurell, Marked Aad, states that organic farming is emerging as productive model-defined and regulated by legislation and active europea- as a main focus of the agrifood competitive development of the Community area. The evolution and growth in the sector over the last decade in Europe predict good prospects in the short and medium term (2015-2020). Currently, the turnover at European level is 22,000 million euros a year.

Symptoms of stagnation in Spain

According to the study, Spain is one of the best positioned countries organic sector internationally, the fifth in the world in area devoted to this crop; 6.5% of its agricultural area (the EU average is 6.1%). Moreover, it is the second EU in number of farms (more than 30,000, according to Italy which has 45,000).

In 2003-2013 the volume of business has quadrupled (currently EUR 1,000 million per year). Since 2013, however, stagnation symptoms are detected in the Spanish ecological production structure (agricultural area, number of operators … Only slightly increases processing area), mainly due to lack of processors and distributors.

Great growth in Catalonia in recent years

However, the growth dynamics in Catalonia in recent years is fully consolidated and remains in expansionary phase to symptoms of wear statewide.

The remarkable presence of organic operators (both farmers and, mainly, processors and distributors) can concentrate more than a fifth of the entire volume of government business (210 million euros in 2013, 38% more than in 2012). Moreover, in the last three years it has doubled domestic consumption (40 to 80 million euros) and at 1 year (2012-2013) exports to the EU have increased from 20 to 40 million euros.

Also in 2012-2014, the Catalan sector has increased the agricultural area and the number of operators 20% and 30%, respectively. Catalonia is the sixth autonomous region in number of farmers, but the first processor (780), accounting for more than 27% of the state total; and the first in number of wholesalers (239, 44% of the state total).

An informed consumer predisposed

The study concludes that the Spanish and Catalan consumers are becoming more willing and informed about the added value of organic products. The great Spanish ecological production structure, however, does not correspond to a similar development of processors and distributors, making it difficult to stimulate demand.

Moreover, this latent predisposition of consumers of organic products is confirmed by the increasing use of e-commerce to provide this unmet demand.