• Grupo Lala SAB de CV Grupe leads the organic segment in Mexico with a value share of 17.8% in 2023, followed by Flowers Foods Inc with a value share of 10.8% and A Tu Salud with a share of 4.9%. 
• Mexico ranks 19th globally in terms of market size, with a value of US$617.5 mn in 2023, despite being the second-largest consumer market in Latin America, which indicates that per capita demand for organic products in Mexico is still small.

• Organic products in Mexico represent roughly 1.0% of global demand and just under 16.0% of the market in the Latin American region, recording a per capita expenditure of US$4.8 in 2023. 
• The Mexican market for organic products is projected to increase with a value CAGR of 0.8% for the forecast period 2023-2028 in 2023 constant prices with fixed USD exchange rates, reaching a value of US$641.7 mn by 2028.

• The Organic Packaged Food and Beverages category in Mexico registered a value decline of 1.0% in 2023 in current prices to record a market size of US$617.5 million. 
• During the historic period of 2019-2023, the Organic Packaged Food category registered a strong CAGR of 16.5% in current prices. However, for the forecast period from 2023 to 2028, the growth is expected to slow significantly, with a projected CAGR of just 0.2% in constant prices.
• On the contrary, Organic Beverages grew historically at 4.6% current CAGR, and its growth is expected to accelerate to 6.3% constant CAGR over the forecast period.
• Growth in Organic Packaged Food was primarily driven by Organic Staple Food, which recorded an exceptional 30.5% current CAGR during the historic period. However, it is now expected to decline by a constant CAGR of 6.8% over the forecast period.
• Within Organic Beverages, Organic Hot Drinks led both historic and projected growth, with CAGRs of a current 9.2% and a constant 12.7%, respectively.

• An increased focus on maintaining health and improving wellness emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic and has remained strong in Mexico during the post-pandemic era. According to Euromonitor International's Voice of the Consumer: Lifestyles Survey 2023, 56% of consumers in Mexico look for products that contain healthy ingredients in their food and beverages.
• The growing consumer demand for natural products with perceived health benefits has fueled the rise of health and wellness claims such as "natural," "gluten-free," and "organic". Many consumers view organic products as inherently healthier, and this perception is often linked to higher quality and premium value.

• • Grupo Lala SAB de CV is leading the Organic Packaged Food category with a market share of 19.6% in 2023, growing 4.3 p.p. from the previous year. The company has leveraged its large distribution network to position its 100% organic milk. 
  • Distribución Orgánica Campo Vivo, S de RL de CV continued to lead Organic Beverages in 2023. However, the company has lost 19.1 p.p. of market share since 2019 as new competitors have entered the market.

• Mexican consumers will increasingly demand natural products, looking to select natural ingredients above other options. This ongoing shift will be driven by rising awareness of the potential dangers of artificial ingredients, with media and professional advice also discussing ultra-processed foods and the negative consequences of a high intake of these. In addition to the natural claim, the organic claim will also benefit from the same trend, with many consumers considering the word organic to be interchangeable with natural.
• Across the forecast period, sales of Organic Hot Drinks are set to grow, with retail sales projected to rise at a 12.7% constant value CAGR to reach US$36.4 million in 2028. Besides consumers increasingly viewing organic products as natural and free from artificial ingredients and pesticides, these products are also typically seen as being of better quality than their non-organic counterparts. Across the forecast period, Organic Coffee will be the leading product in the Organic Hot Drinks landscape, reaching sales of US$29.8 million, supported by forecast CAGR of 11.2%.

• The COVID-19 experience has heightened awareness of the importance of exercise for maintaining a healthy body and a balanced diet. Thus, exercise and diet are increasingly valued as key components of an active lifestyle. The government has installed exercise areas in public parks and various disciplines have become popular towards the end of the review period, such as padel, barre, cycling, running, etc. Reflecting this shift, snack companies are adapting by developing products that cater to health-conscious consumers, offering fortified and natural snacks that align with active lifestyles.
• Stronger regulation around low-nutrient snacks and sugary drinks is becoming an increasingly prominent trend in Mexico’s public health strategy. A notable example is the recent ban on the sale of unhealthy snacks and sugary beverages in schools. Instead, institutions are encouraged to provide healthier options such as fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain snacks. These school-based regulations aim top promote better eating habits from an early age and address growing concerns around childhood obesity and long-term health.

Economy: 

• Mexico's economy is projected to stagnate in 2025, with no real GDP growth expected (0.0%). This sluggish performance is primarily attributed to ongoing uncertainty surrounding potential changes in trade policy, the upcoming USMCA1 revision, and a projected slowdown in the US economy.
• Real GDP growth is anticipated to gradually recover, reaching 1.4% in 2026 and averaging around 1.9% annually through 2028.
• Inflation closed 2024 at 4.8% and is expected to decelerate further to 3.6% in 2025.

Population demographics: 

• Mexico's population reached 129.8 million in 2024 and is projected to grow by 0.7% to 130.7 million in 2025. Since reaching a below-replacement fertility rate in 2020, the country has been on a path toward an aging population. 
• The median age in Mexico was recorded at 29.8 years in 2024, an increase of 1.8 years from 2020.

Income & expenditure: 

• The savings ratio in Mexico reached 16.2% of disposable income in 2024, continuing a steady upward trend in recent years, driven by increasing financial inclusion.
• Consumer expenditure per capita grew by 6.9% in 2024 in current USD terms. In constant USD, it is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 1.3% through 2028. This growth is likely driven by increased spending on hotels and catering, although food and non-alcoholic beverages are projected to remain the largest consumer spending category.
• Disposable income per capita was US$11,962 in 2024. It is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 1.8% through 2028, outpacing other Latin American countries.

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 Mexico

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

Authorized Government Agency(s):

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER)

Agency(s) Contact Information:

National Health Service, Food Safety and Food Quality (SENASICA)
Insurgentes Sur 489 Hipódromo 06100 Mexico City
Phone: 55 5905-1000
Citizen Service: 800 987 9879
Website
Organic products section

M.C. Aurora Josefina Lobato Garcia
Head of the Department of Regulation and Organic Operation
Aurora.lobato@senasica.gob.mx

Name(s) of Regulation and/or Standard:

Central page with all the organic laws and regulations in English. 

The Law of Organic Products (in English)
Download .pdf (in Spanish)
Download .doc (in Spanish)

Guidelines with most recent revisions (in English) [Note: this is the most similar document to the NOP Rules.  The law and regulations are not as detailed]

Mexico Organic Seal (in English)

Regulations to the Organic Products Act (.pdf in Spanish)

USDA's GAIN Report Mexico Publishes Changes to Organic Product Labeling (December 2021)
USDA's GAIN Report Quick-reference Guide to Mexico's LPO Enforcement in 2022 (December 2021)

Date of Implementation: December 28, 2020, with extension to January 1, 2022


Regulation and/or Standard Scope:

The Guidelines contain detailed crop, livestock and processing standards and require written organic plans, as well as contain detailed record keeping and livestock feed standards.  In addition, specific standards are included for wild plants, wild animals, non-traditional capture (larvae, insects), and beekeeping.  While aquatic animals are mentioned in the definition of Animal Production, there are no standards that specifically address aquaculture.  Hydroponic production is not allowed.

The expressions organic, ecological, biological, and denominations with prefixes such as bio and eco used on labels are considered equivalent synonyms and terms in national or international trade.

Organic agricultural imports entering Mexico must be certified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) to Mexico’s organic standards under the Organic Products Law (LPO) starting on June 26, 2021, unless an equivalency agreement is in place. During recent years, the United States has been working with Mexico to make an equivalency agreement for organic products.  In an April 27, 2017 meeting with Mexican retailers, SENASICA outlined its regulatory plans, including removing the requirement that organic certifiers must have a physical office in Mexico, revising the regulations to allow products from third countries that are certified to the SENASICA standard to display Mexico's organic seal, and developing new inspection procedures to implement the requirement for SENASICA to verify the organic certificate and document of control. Until new regulations are published in the Diario Oficial, there will be no change to the current procedures to import U.S. organic products. Representatives from the Federal Attorney's Office for the Consumer (PROFECO) confirmed that they only conduct enforcement based on the Spanish language version of the label.

Organic agricultural imports entering Mexico must be certified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) to Mexico’s organic standards under the Organic Products Law (LPO) starting on June 26, 2021. Imported products may be marketed in national markets as organic and with equivalent terms if they comply with the Mexican Organic Regulations and certified by a certifier accredited by Mexico or from a country with organic regulations and control systems recognized as equivalent by Mexico. Imports must be accompanied by an organic inspection document, or its equivalent, granted by the competent authority or body. Contact a certifier approved by Mexico’s National Service for Animal and Plant Health, Food Safety and Quality (SENASICA) for assistance with requirements for LPO certification and organic exports to Mexico.

Link to Control Document or International Transaction (Form O-SQ-F-03): (in Spanish)
https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/173654/Formato_DC.pdf

Imported seeds or vegetative material will be treated with methods or treatment including the use of hot water, copper sulfate pentahydrate, Trichoderma Spp, or Bacillus Subtilis.

Certification:

All organic operations in Mexico must become certified to the Mexican standard by a certifying agent approved by the Mexican government.

For a list of certification agencies approved to operate in Mexico, download the list (Padrón de Organismos de Certificación Orgánica).
Link to the registry of participatory organic certification systems (in Spanish) 

SAGARPA offers free certification through FIRCO (website in Spanish): The Shared Risk Trust FIRCO is a parastatal entity, created by presidential decree and operates as a sector in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), to promote agribusiness, rural development and acting as micro- technical staff in programs of agricultural and fisheries sector.

SAGARPA New Organic Law – 08/27/2018 (in Spanish)

Accreditation:

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) -

Certification bodies must apply to the Secretary of Agriculture and must be accredited by an accreditation body in terms of the Federal Law on Metrology and Standardization and/or to ISO Guide 65 or an equivalent country. 

Reference Standards:

CODEX, IFOAM Basic Standards, EU organic regulations.

Additional Information:

OTHER Agencies:

National Council for Organic Production (CNPO) (website; in Spanish): established by Law to be a consultative body of the SAGARPA, inclusive and representative of the interests of producers and stakeholders in the field of organic products.

U.S. International Trade Administration

USDA's GAIN Report Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Country Report (2024)
USDA's GAIN Report Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Export Certificate Report (2024)
USDA's GAIN Report Mexico Enacts the General Law on Appropriate and Sustainable Food (2024)
USDA's GAIN Report Mexican Organic Production and Trade (2024)
USDA's GAIN Report Mexico Exporter Guide (2024)
USDA's GAIN Report Mexico Food Processing Ingredients (2024)
USDA's GAIN Report Mexico’s Food Service Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Report (2023)
USDA's GAIN Report Mexico Retail Foods (2024)
USDA's GAIN Report Mexico Publishes Changes to Organic Product Labeling (December 2021)
USDA's GAIN Report Quick-reference Guide to Mexico's LPO Enforcement in 2022 (December 2021)
USDA's GAIN Report Update - Organic Products Imported into Mexico before LPO Enforcement Deadline are Safe (December 2021)
USDA's GAIN Report Front of Pack Labeling Manual Published (2021)
USDA's GAIN Report Phase Two Mexico Front of Pack Labeling NOM 051 (2023)
USDA's GAIN Report Interinstitutional Agreement on Standard NOM-051 FOPL Compliance (2021)
USDA's GAIN Report Mexico Releases Clarifications on NOM-051 for Refurbished Products (2021)
USDA's GAIN Report Mexico Front of Pack second phase implementation (2021)
USDA's GAIN Report Mexico Front of Pack Requirements for Endorsed Products by Organizations and Associations (2021)