Sweden's Organic Market Growth Slowing

STOCKHOLM - Sep 8/04 - SNS -- Organically produced commodities have made substantial gains in penetrating Sweden's spice, egg and milk markets, but overall interest in organic products remains relatively low at just 3% of the total food market.

"For these products, where organics enjoy a market share of around 40%, market gains are expected to continue but at a somewhat lower rate," the U.S. agricultural attache here said in a report on the country's organic market sector. "The market share for milk is 5%."

Although self-sufficiency in many types of organic products in Sweden is high, imports will continue to exist for a number of products, including: spices, fruit and vegetables, meat, soybeans.

A large part of the organic fruit and vegetables consumed in Sweden are imported. This is especially true for fruits (where 90 % of consumption is imported) but to some degree also for vegetables (40%). Imports complement the short Swedish season, when local harvest is not enough to satisfy the market. Also, there is an increasing demand for organic products not produced within the country such as tropical fruit and coffee.

Subscribers can read the full text of the article by Clicking here