• Las Brisas SA leads the organic segment in Argentina with a value share of 14.1% in 2023, followed by TerraSana Natuurvoeding BV with a value share of 7.9% and Nestlé SA with a share of 7.9%. 
• Argentina ranks 71st globally in terms of market size, with a value of US$40.5 mn in 2023, the eight largest in Latin America, smaller than neighboring countries Chile, Uruguay and Brazil.

• Organic products in Argentina represent roughly 0.1% of global demand and just 1.1% of the market in the Latin American region, recording a per capita expenditure of US$0.9 in 2023. 
• The Argentinian market for organic products is projected to increase with a value CAGR of 5.2% for the forecast period 2023-2028 in 2023 constant prices with fixed USD exchange rates, reaching a value of US$52.2 mn by 2028.

• The Organic Packaged Food and Beverages category in Argentina registered a value increase of 108.8% in 2023 in current prices (i.e. includes inflation) to record a market size of US$40.5 million. 
• During the historic period of 2019-2023, the Organic Packaged Food category registered a CAGR of 124.6% in current prices. For the forecast period from 2023 to 2028, the projected CAGR stands at 5.0% in constant prices.
• Organic Beverages grew historically at a 93.0% current CAGR, and its growth is expected at 5.6% constant CAGR over the forecast period.
• Growth in Organic Packaged Food was primarily led by Organic Dairy Products and Alternatives, which recorded a 251.8% current CAGR during the historic period. It is now expected to grow by a constant CAGR of 2.1% over the forecast period.
• Within Organic Beverages, Organic Hot Drinks led both historic and projected growth, with CAGRs of a current 251.8% and a constant 2.1%, respectively.

• The introduction of health warnings in various products has increased Argentinians consumer concern over the negative health impact of a diet that is high in sugar, whilst increasing awareness of the benefits of consuming healthier snacks. According to Euromonitor International's Voice of the Consumer Survey from January-February 2024, 63% of consumers in Argentina look for products that contain healthy ingredients in their food and beverages and 40% claimed they actively monitor what they eat in order to manage their weight.
• Although organic products remain relatively niche in Argentina compared to other health and wellness trends, consumers have increasingly demanded more natural products without the use of chemical pesticides, with the perceptions being that these are not only more sustainable but also taste better. This coupled with the increasing popularity of the natural claim could help propel organic sales across the country.

• TerraSana Natuurvoeding BV is leading the Organic Packaged Food category with a market share of 11.2% in 2023, declining 11.2 p.p. from the previous year. Although the company currently has a portfolio of over 400 organic products, the increase of organic alternatives and products, such as Nestlé SA’s Nestum organic cereal or Essentia organic chocolate, have impacted the market penetration of TerraSana Natuurvoeding BV over the past few years.
• Las Brisas SA continued to lead Organic Beverages with a 40.8% in 2023, decreasing by 2.7 p.p. from the previous year. The company offers organic variants of various types of soft drink, including juices, smoothies and carbonates.

• Gluten free is set to grow across various categories across the forecast period. While there are relatively few people among the Argentinean population who avoid gluten on medical grounds due to the low incidence of celiac disease, there has been a growing movement away from consuming gluten among the general population. This is a trend which can be attributed largely to the adherence to the health and nutrition advice offered by numerous influencers, as many social media personalities that comment on nutrition advise their followers to avoid gluten for improved digestion, reduced bloating and overall better health, and this has led significant numbers of local people to take steps to avoid products that contain gluten.
• Across the forecast period, sales of Organic Cooking Ingredients and Meals are set to grow, with retail sales projected to rise at a 7.3% constant value CAGR to reach US$12 million in 2028, the fastest growth among Organic Food categories. The challenging economic situation has encouraged consumers to cook more meals at home to save money, which has led to consumers becoming more conscious of the ingredients they bought, with a strong focus on natural, gluten free, no fat and vegan claims. Across the forecast period, Organic Sauces, Dips and Condiments will be the leading growth in the Organic Cooking Ingredients and Meals landscape, reaching sales of US$4.1 million, supported by a forecast constant CAGR of 10.1%.

• Good source of vitamins is a claim on the rise, as increasing numbers of Argentinian consumers are responding to rising concerns about the long-term health impact of a diet that is high in ultra-processed foods and that is lacking in nutritional benefits. In response, many of the leading manufacturers in Argentina have tailored their product ranges to cater to the needs of consumers looking to improve their long-term health outcomes, with the claim often paired with others including high protein, high fiber and/or omega-3, all of which are seen as essential nutrients, making them the ideal partner for good source of vitamins. 
• A new revision was made to the Argentinian Front of Packaging food labelling law in December 2024. This law, enacted in October 2021, mandates that packaged foods and beverages carry black octagonal warning labels when they exceed certain levels of sugar, sodium, saturated fat, or calories. For this new revision the Argentinian government aimed to update the law, reinforcing advertising restrictions for products targeting children under 16 and clarifying that the warning labels are only required when some nutrients—such as sugar, sodium, or saturated fat—are added during processing, and not when these nutrients are naturally present in the product.

Economy:

• Argentina's economy is projected to recover after a GDP decline in 2024 of 1.7%, with real GDP growth expected to reach 5.2% in 2025. This recovery is primarily attributed to a significant decrease in inflation and growth in economic activity mainly led by energy, mining and agriculture sectors.
• Real GDP growth is anticipated to continue its course, reaching 3.9% in 2026 and averaging around 3.6% annually through 2028.
• Inflation closed 2024 at 223.2% and is expected to decelerate further to 37.9% in 2025.

Population demographics:

• Argentina's population reached 45.7 million in 2024 and is projected to grow by 0.3% to 45.9 million in 2025. Argentina’s median age is slightly higher than the average for Latin America, with the country’s percentage of the population aged 14 years old or younger declining from 24.0% in 2020 to 22.0% in 2024. 
• The median age in Argentina was recorded at 33.6 years in 2024, an increase of 1.3 years from 2020.

Income & expenditure:

• The savings ratio in Argentina reached -0.1% of disposable income in 2024, meaning that Argentines are spending more than they are generating, mainly due to high inflation which affects the ability to save money.
• Consumer expenditure per capita grew by 214.8% in 2024 in current USD terms. In constant USD, it is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 3.0% through 2028. This growth is likely driven by increased spending on education, although food and non-alcoholic beverages are projected to remain the largest consumer spending category.
• Disposable income per capita was US$9,410 in 2024. It is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 3.1% through 2028, outpacing the Latin American average.

¹ Health and Wellness Definition: Health and wellness is the aggregation of organic packaged food and beverages, fortified/functional packaged food and beverages, naturally healthy packaged food and beverages, better for you packaged food and beverages and food intolerance products.

The above definition and more can be referenced from the definitions table at the end of the report

² Economic and Demographic Data has been updated to reflect final 2024 estimates, therefore using 2024 as the base year for exchange rates and prices. 

³ Historic current prices and forecast constant 2024 prices.

Top 5 Cities by Population:

Top 5 Grocery Retailers by Sales:

Top 5 Export Commodities to Argentina:

Note : Total organics is the sum of all exports to a country within a year

Authorized Government Agency(s):

The competent authority for the inspection system of organic production in Argentina is the "Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Alimentación" (Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Nutrition), through the "Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria" (National Agrifood Health and Quality Service; SENASA).

Agency(s) Contact Information:

SENASA - Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agro-alimentaria
Address: Av. Paseo Colón No. 367
Postal code: ACD1063 - Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Telephone:  (+54-011) 4121-5000/0800-999-2386
Email: respond@senasa.gob.ar

SENASA website (in Spanish)

Name(s) of Regulation and/or Standard:

In June 1992, SAGPyA, through Resolution 423/92, established the norms for organic, ecologic or biologic plant production, and the next year, through Resolution 1286/93, those of animal production. In addition, on September 8th, 1999, the National Congress issued Act 25.127, defining the concept, scope, and authority of the application of ecologic production.

The Ecologic, Biologic and Organic Production Act #25.127 was published in 1999 (the link for Act 25.127 is correct) and in 2001 the regulations were published in Decree 97/2001 and Decree 206/2001. Resolución 374/2016 (in Spanish) combines all previous regulations and revises sections of the previous regulations. 

Act 25.127 (in Spanish) See "General Files" below for an English translation.

Date of Implementation: 1992

Regulation and/or Standard Scope:

The production, characterization, processing, packaging, distribution, identification and certification quality of organic agricultural products.  "Green" or "organic" products subject to regulations issued by the Argentine Institute of Plant Health and Quality and provisions of the this resolution.

Imported products labeled as "organic" must come from a country whose organic standards have been evaluated by SENASA and found to be equivalent to the Argentine regulations on organic production. Otherwise, they must be certified by any of the Argentine certifying agencies approved by SENASA prior to export. Argentina is recognized as a third country by the EU.

Certification:

There are currently private sector certification bodies working in Argentina. Registration requirements for organic certifying agents: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/inscribir-certificadoras-de-productos-organicos

Accreditation Method:

Government

Accreditation:

"Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria" (SENASA)

Reference Standards:

Argentina’s organic regulation is  compliant with the Codex Committee on Food Labeling Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Food. 

Additional Information:

U.S. International Trade Administration

USDA's GAIN Report Argentina Exporter Guide (2024)
USDA's GAIN Report Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Export Certificate Report (2023)
USDA's GAIN Report Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Country Report (2023)