the share of organic products in the basket of French people fell in 2022

The share of organic food products in the shopping basket of the French fell from 6.4% to 6% in 2022. This was announced by the Agence bio, Thursday, June 1, during a press conference . The share of organic in purchases is falling in a context of “unprecedented decline” household food consumption at home (-5.1%), which saw their purchasing power shrink due to inflation.

In comparison, the share of organic exceeds 10% in the shopping carts of other European countries such as Denmark or Austria, which have policies “very proactive”underlined Laure Verdeau, director of this agency in charge of the development and promotion of this mode of agriculture.

A drop in visits to organic stores

Sales of organic products for home consumption, which represent 92% of outlets in the sector, fell by 4.6% in value last year (12 billion euros). “The biggest drop affects the 3,000 organic stores, with a drop in footfall and nearly 200 closures”, said Laure Verdeau. Their sales fell by 8.6%, against 4.6% for those of large retailers. Conversely, the 26,000 organic farms, “which combine organic and local, are growing”with sales up 3.9%.

In 2021, sales of organic products intended for home consumption (supermarkets, on-farm sales, etc.) had already fallen by 1.4%, an unprecedented drop since 2010. Sales of organic products for consumption outside for their part, increased by 17% in 2022, the first year of a return to full activity for restaurants after the Covid-19 pandemic.