Annual retail sales of organic food in Ireland are now valued at almost €100m, according to An Bord Bia. New customer research results have valued annual retail sales of organic food at €99.1 million, up from €97 million last year. This is the first time since 2010 that a return to growth in retail sales of organic food has been reported. The research for Bord Bia, carried out last year by Ipsos MRBI, has also shown that almost 60% of consumers surveyed purchased organic produce in the last 6 months. Retail sales of organic food reached a record high of €106 million in 2010. The studies carried out identified the main the organic consumer as female and urban-living.

There are currently 1,721 registered organic operators in Ireland and over 52,000 hectares of land is being used to produce organic food. The research has also highlighted that organic purchasing has remained stable amongst core shoppers over the last six years and more people are buying into the category than before. In the survey, 73% of current purchasers claim that a ‘local organic’ product proposition would increase their interest in buying organic produce. Price decrease, increase in the range and increase in the volume and variety of organic food produced in Ireland were identified as the top three factors that may encourage more Irish customers to buy organic produce.