According to data from PwC, the consumption of organic food in Germany has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. In 2016 only 16% of buyers preferred to consume organic food that was certified, a figure that has risen to 24% today, according to the consultancy.
The results of a survey carried out by PwC to a thousand German citizens over the age of 18, concluded that 55% of consumers trust the seals that certify organic products, 29% trust them less, and 6% don't trust them at all.
Organic food must be produced in a way that respects the environment without using any artificial elements, components, and processes. Their cultivation, processing, packaging, storage, and distribution must meet certain standards. The normative bases of the seal are found in the European Union's regulations834/2007 and 889/2008.
The seal guarantees that at least 95% of the ingredients are organic; that no synthetic substances were used during cultivation (herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, insecticides); that they protect the environment; the product's sustainability; the free grazing of animals; the use of organic fodder, pasture, and feed, and that the land and farm water used to grow them wasn't contaminated, among other more specific aspects.
Germany's organic vegetable production does not account for more than 20% of its total consumption. As a result of this difficulty to supply itself, the country imports these products, mainly from Spain. The export data reflects the increase in demand for these foods: in 2019 the HaciendasBio company, based in Badajoz, exported 22,000 tons.
According to data from the specialized portal Statista, Germany is the eighth country with the highest organic food consumption per inhabitant. This trend is expected to increase. According to the 2020 Ökobarometer survey, commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, 37% of its respondents answered that they regularly consume organic products, and 90% responded that they plan to eat them in the future.
Source: thegourmetjournal.com