Comprehensive go-to-market reports are available free online
The first comprehensive go-to-market reports covering the current organic industry in France, Germany and the United Kingdom have been published online by the Organic Trade Association’s new Global Organic Trade Guide. The world’s first user-friendly website to help U.S. organic producers and handlers export organic products, the site also features an in-depth Market Data section and the only map tool to communicate global organic trade information in real time.
“We’re excited to offer the U.S. organic industry the comprehensive, up-to-date information it needs to evaluate the challenges and opportunities of exporting to high-value markets,” said Christine Bushway, OTA’s CEO and Executive Director. “Together with the market data and map tool offered by the site, our market reports provide organic exporters an invaluable resource.”
Market report highlights include:
France, the major agricultural producer in Europe, has an organic food market valued at more than $5 billion in 2012, with organic fruits and vegetables at 16 percent and wine at 10 percent of the organic market. The market is expected to rise to $5.127 billion in 2014 and $7.8 billion in 2016. As with its non-organic imports, imported organic commodities are primarily products not grown in France, such as teas, spices, coffee, cocoa and tropical fruits.
Germany, which has one of the oldest populations in the world and continues to age, has the largest market for organic products in Europe, spending $8.5 billion on organic products in 2011. Despite being Europe’s largest producer of organic products, the country’s organic imports include 90 percent of its organic peppers, 80 percent of its organic tomatoes, and 40 percent of its organic carrots, its best-selling organic vegetable.
The United Kingdom is only 60 percent self-sufficient in agricultural production, and the proportion of imports is expected to increase in coming years. Among the 23 organic products with U.S. export codes, vegetables and salad items, such as onions, broccoli and head lettuce, lead organic shipments to the United Kingdom. They are followed by fruits, such as strawberries, apples and grapes. United Kingdom organic sales have fallen in recent years, down 1.5 percent in 2012 to $2.6 billion.
“The Global Organic Trade Guide is committed to publishing comprehensive, current reports on the organic industry in countries around the world,” said Laura Batcha, OTA’s Executive Vice President. “Our goal is to be a one-stop resource for any organic farm, ranch or value-added manufacturer of organic products that wants to find out how to export products worldwide.”
Features of the guide include:
Real-time Map Tool – Click on any country to find out about its organic regulations, agreements with the United States, certifiers, government agency contacts, import requirements and more.
Export Tools – Review up-to-date federal export information from the USDA’s National Organic Program and Foreign Agricultural Service, OTA and National Organic Initiative and examine in-depth export information and contacts for every U.S. state.
Import Tools – Get import information and contacts specific to the European Union, Canada, Japan and Taiwan.
Market Data – Find the latest news, market reports and trade show information for global organic trade.
Funded by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, the website is administered by the OTA’s Organic Export Program, which brings the U.S. organic industry to developing world markets through international promotions, exporter education, business to business connections, and trade negotiations.
NOTE TO EDITORS: To arrange a meeting at Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore to discuss the new market reports and other online features of the Global Organic Trade Guide, contact Sue McGovern (781-315-3400).
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing over 6,500 organic businesses across 49 states. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA's mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy.
OTA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation or marital/family status. Persons with disabilities, who require alternative means for communication of program information, should contact us.
