Over 50 representatives from across the fruit and vegetable industry in the UK, including retail, processing/packing and growing, converged at G’s Fresh main site in Cambridgeshire on Tuesday 17th May 2016 to discuss improving prospects for the organic produce sector. Ocado, the Soil Association, England Marketing, NCB Foodservices and the NFU were amongst presenters, exploring ideas for the future to build on an already growing organic market, and hearing recent research from the NFU on the nation’s success in eating our ‘five a day’.
Finn Cottle, trade consultant at the Soil Association said; “For the first 4 months of the year, organic fruit, veg and salads have been growing in line with a buoyant organic market at approx. 5% while the non-organic sector continues to deflate.
“It seems there is a renewed interest in organic produce among shoppers and retailers – and processors are ready to seize this opportunity through innovation while highlighting the benefits of organic specifically during the Soil Association's Organic September. The importance of organic in the sector has created the need to have a dedicated focus from 12 – 18 September when we hope to see lots of activities in store and online raising the profile of the quality organic produce category.”
Speakers agreed that the fresh produce sector must continue to innovate to drive demand and increase consumption of organic fruit and veg. Ocado noted the increasing consumer interest in organic fresh produce amongst ‘millennials’ as well as the desire for more convenience foods.
Liz Bowles, head of farming at the Soil Association said; “We are now living in an ‘obesogenic’ environment where so many options available are not conducive to a healthy diet. There is clearly a demand for more organic produce yet more and more people are eating meals outside of the home, whether lunch or in the evening. Convenience is a clear trend here and the industry needs to respond; innovation is needed not just in restaurants but also in the supermarket aisles where many of us are purchasing our lunch and sometimes even our evening meals too.”
The importance of alternative channels for organic fruit and veg was highlighted by NCB Foodservice who spoke about their experiences of being certified with the Soil Association and benefits of the Catering Mark Supplier Scheme. They reported a huge uplift in sales of organic produce to Catering Mark caterers with early years catering a star performer.
The Soil Association is continuing to drive sales of organic products and support organic businesses through trade events, public facing campaigns and industry research. Recently the BOOM Awards celebrated the ‘Best of Organic Market’ including a specific fresh produce category and already several supermarkets and brands are looking forward to a more joined up push for Organic September.
