Bord Bia is on track to deliver several projects in the autumn to best support future growth in Irish organic production.
These include a project to quantify the volume of Irish organic produce available for both the domestic retail sector and for export. This insight will enable Bord Bia to plan targeted lead generation and promotional activities in 2023.
Meanwhile, in early autumn, Bord Bia will present the results of an in-depth study into opportunities for Irish organic produce in the Nordic region, building on an investment in a similar study focusing on the German market in 2021.
Value of the European organic market
In 2021, Bord Bia commissioned Zenith research to conduct a study into the ‘Opportunities and barriers for Irish organic produce’.
In Europe, the study examined opportunities in France, Germany, Italy, Austria, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The cumulative organic market in these eight countries was valued at €27.7 billion in 2020, growing from €19.5 billion in 2015.
Fruit and veg accounted for the largest share, at just over a third of total value, followed by dairy (19.3%) and eggs (11.4%), with beef, seafood and lamb all accounting for less than 10% share collectively. However, beef was the fastest growing category, having grown by 8.7% annually since 2015. Across these markets, imported organic produce accounted for 18% of the total organic market in 2020.
Currently, Ireland’s organically farmed area is approximately 2% of its total agricultural area. Under the Programme for Government, the aim is to increase organic farmland to 7.5% by 2027.