Countries Buying The Most Organic Groceries

Organic produce at a grocery store.
Organic produce at a grocery store.

The production of organic groceries has been on the rise over the recent years. The processes used in organic food production prohibits the use of chemicals such as herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics, and hormones, among others. Instead, organic production purely involves the use of natural resources which conserve biodiversity and protect the environment. Many countries are now using various organic methods to boost food production. However, consumption of organic food varies from one country to another. Notably, Switzerland, Denmark, and Sweden had the highest organic grocery revenue per capita in 2016 as compared to other countries globally.

Countries Buying The Most Organic Groceries

Some countries are known for consuming more organic food than others. Among the countries which had highest organic per capita 2016 were; Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, United States, and Germany. The others included France, Canada, Norway, United Kingdom, and China. Many of these countries have ready markets for the organic groceries thus there is need to increase supply to cope with the high demand

Switzerland bought the highest amount of organic food, recording a per capita revenue of $337 in 2016. Thus, it was the world’s leading buyer of organic grocery that year. Denmark and Sweden followed suit in second and third respectively. Denmark had a per capita income of $279 whereas Sweden had $242. The United States was the fourth leading buyer recording $146 per capita revenue with Germany closing the list of the top five with an organic per capita income of $142.

The sixth leading buyer of organic groceries was France. Here, organic per capita income in the year 2016 was $124. Canada’s organic per capita income of $106 was the seventh highest in the world; thus emerging as one of the leading markets for the organic products. Norway also had the best market for organic agricultural products, having recorded a per capita income of $93 that same year. The United Kingdom’s organic per capita income of $47 was the ninth leading market of the organic food. China completed the list of the top ten leading countries buying organic food with a per capita income from organic groceries being $4.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Organic Groceries

Organic groceries entails the use of natural methods in the production and processing. Therefore, use of artificial means and chemicals is prohibited. For example, the natural means may involve the use of manure to improve soil fertility. These methods of processing and production are environmental-friendly. Thus, organic groceries encourage environmental conservation and minimize pollution. Organic food also helps in the preservation of wildlife and biodiversity since their production does not emit harmful substances. Also, organic groceries are safe for consumption. Non-organic food may not be safe since the excess fertilizers and pesticides may lead to long-term health effects. It is, therefore, advisable to choose organic groceries over conventional ones.

One of the demerits of organic production is cost. Most organic groceries are expensive since firms are supposed to meet set standards to be recognized as organic food producers. Besides, natural groceries face stiff competition from conventional food which involves excessive use of fertilizers. Ready-made fertilizers for improving soil quality undermine the use of manure. Finally, the climate change due to greenhouse gases and environmental pollution have had adverse impacts on the natural ways of production and processing food.

Countries Buying The Most Organic Groceries

RankCountry Per Capita Revenue
1Switzerland$337
2Denmark$279
3Sweden$242
4United States$146
5Germany$142
6France$124
7Canada$106
8Norway$93
9United Kingdom$47
10China $4
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