Anuga: Organic sector is sharpening its profile

Cologne. (km) The current economic situation is also posing challenges for the suppliers of organic products. That´s because the suppliers of organic products registered a drop of four percent compared with the same period of the previous year, according to the GfK market research institute, even though organic products have no longer been a niche segment for quite some time now and their market share in various segments is in the double-digit range. This is a good reason for the sector to set itself even further apart from the competition and to work even harder on sharpening its profile.

The perfect opportunity to do this is at Anuga Organic – one of Anuga´s ten specialised trade fairs under one roof, which will take place from 10th to 14th October 2009 in Cologne. Around 280 companies will present a broad range of products and services. Manufacturers will also be presenting their organic produce at some of the other Anuga trade fairs. They can be quickly and easily found using the Anuga database – over 1’500 suppliers of food and drink products are listed here.

Anuga: ten specialised trade fairs under one roof

At Anuga Organic, the suppliers are completely focused on organically produced and manufactured products. Among the suppliers are numerous renowned organic players. Furthermore, joint participations from China, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Morocco and the USA will also be exhibiting as part of Anuga Organic. The «1st IFOAM Organic Trade Forum at Anuga» will convene for the first time at Anuga Organic and will provide international producers of organic products and retailers with a platform to introduce and explain their products and concepts.

The «Centre of Expertise for Organic Products» will once again combine expert presentations with discussion forums encompassing all aspects of the topic of organic products. The main focus here will be on sustainability, food and drink trends and their effects on organic product ranges, the traceability of products’ origins, the debate on genetically modified organisms (GMO) in agriculture, and the development of organic product ranges in the retail trade. The complete supporting programme is available on the Anuga website. The «Fully Organic» special show will provide in-depth information on the broad range of developments in the organic foods sector.

The organic sector sharpens its profile

«Organic products are thriving despite the crisis» – this was the title of the announcement made recently by the market research specialists at The Nielsen Company concerning their latest study «Organic Trends 2009». And indeed, recent figures from the German market clearly support this announcement. Last year the trade in organic food products posted a turnover of 1,77 billion EUR – a plus of 22 percent compared to the previous year. The discounters are now playing an important role in the purchase of organic products. They managed to increase their market share by 37 percent. The most recent findings of the GfK are therefore not causing any panic in the organic sector. On the contrary, the sector is sharpening its profile and taking advantage of the current situation to differentiate itself from the competition.

This is because the signs in the organic market continue to indicate growth all over the world. According to a survey by the market research company Organic Monitor, the global trade in organic products already generates more than 46 billion USD. And agricultural land for organic products is continually being expanded – most recently from 1,5 million hectares to a total of over 32 million hectares.

Organic products increasingly need to feature additional value

However, the experts all agree on one thing: organic seals alone will not bring the market forward. The products increasingly need to feature additional value, which can best be described using the terms «authenticity» and «credibility». According to a current study by the organic experts Bioexperten Consulting Group, in the future the only markets that will survive are those that are credible, provide relevant added value and can already grab the attention of consumers at the point of sale. On the other hand, the duplication of conventional products won’t bring any success.

There is a clear trend towards high-quality organic convenience products. Chilled ready-meals and fresh soups made with unusual recipes are definitely popular among consumers. The sector is also providing innovations to revive the market in the delicatessen sector. Among other products, a variety of organic sauces and herbs have found their way on to the shelves of our supermarkets.

Info: With approximately 6’000 exhibiting companies, Anuga, which will take place from 10th to 14th October in Cologne, is the most important sector forum for the international food industry.