Organic food sector booming in France

Figures published on Friday by l’Agence Bio show the sector - already worth €7 billion in 2016 - to have increased by 14% in the first semester of 2017.

This includes organic fruit and vegetables, but also extends to wider groceries in general, including tins and jars (up 20%); as well as fruit juices and beers (up 30%), reports French newspaper Le Monde.

Over 40% of French adults say they have included a variety of organic products in their shopping habits, including eggs and dairy products, as well as fruits and vegetables, according to the most recent survey on the issue from the Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (Anses, the national agency for food safety, environment, and work).

Alongside this rise, Agence Bio estimates that more than 130 new specialist organic shops have opened their doors since the beginning of 2017, with new brands such as Bio c’Bon joining established groups such as Biocoop and La Vie Claire, the latter of which are themselves expanding.

Similarly, large supermarket groups, which still have 42% of the market, are also launching new organic initiatives, such as Carrefour’s ‘Carrefour Bio’, ‘Coeur de Nature’ by Auchan, and ‘Naturalia’ by Monoprix.