In contrast… European sales have increased 25% since the start of the global economic downturn

In Germany organic arable farmers receive an average payment of £138 per hectare maintenance payment compared to the UK payment of £30 per hectare. German organic farmers also receive up to approximately £455 per annum to cover inspection and certification costs (as well as several extra per hectare payments – for cover crops, for example). Germany – CAP payments

Sweden Sweden has among the highest consumption of organic foods - 53% of Swedes buy organic food sometimes and 19% buy it as often as they can. The Government’s target that 25% of public procurement should be organic by 2010 was not met - in 2009 they reached 9.3%. Many Swedish cities are setting their own targets for organic: Malmö – 100% by 2020 and Södertälje - 50% by % of land farmland is currently organic – the Government target was 20% by 2010 New targets for organic production are being developed by the Board of Agriculture and will be included in the Rural Development Program ICA is the leading food retail company in Sweden - in 2011, sales of their organic line “I love Eco” products rose by 23%.

Lessons from the recession the UK is unique among all major national organic food markets in seeing sales fall since 2008 also unique in having lowest levels of government support for organic farming in the EU, and unique in having 70% of organic sales through supermarkets those that came through the recession best were those that focussed with clarity and determination on organic quality– dumbing down did not work demand for significant growth in retail sales is there if organic products are available

outside the multiple retailers, specialist retailers like Planet Organic have held sales steady, and sales of the national box schemes appear to be holding up (flat, but not dropping) growth in food services – the Food for Life Partnership is now working with 1,400 schools and the Food for Life Catering Mark covers schools (50% of London schools), hospitals, nurseries, care homes, community meals, workplace catering – now nearly 800,000 meals/day organic a very small part of the catering market (0.5%), but this market nearly equal in value to all food retailing; price of ingredients is less sensitive; environmental, animal welfare, climate and health issues are as important as in retail, so growing this market remains a Soil Association priority Lessons from the recession and developing the food service market

Positive messages to consumers organic does all this and more but this is poorly recognised – because it is a complex message but this has not stopped growth in every other major organic market in the world in the UK we suffer from lack of government promotion, and lack of positive communication by most major brands and retailers for organic dairy farmers brands like Yeo, and OMSCO, have done a brilliant job