The growth in the German organic food market is unbroken

According to a report by the German Farmers’ Association (DBV), the German organic food market may have grown by more than 5% in 2024, signalling the sector’s recovery from the difficulties caused by inflation.

The growth is mainly due to an increase in demand for packaged, long-life organic foods such as pasta, muesli, cakes and ready meals, supported by an expanded organic offer in traditional supermarkets.

Although the fresh organic food segment – dairy, meat, fruit and vegetables – showed a smaller increase in sales, the overall market could still return to its previous average annual growth of 7-8%.

The organic food industry suffered a severe downturn in 2022 due to inflation, which curbed demand for more expensive products, but a recovery was already visible in 2023, when turnover in the sector increased by 5% to €16.1 billion, according to the German Organic Food Association.

Based on data for the first nine months of 2024, the DBV expects the market to continue to strengthen. The development shows that consumers are again increasingly choosing organically grown products, which is a positive sign of the growing commitment to sustainable food consumption.