Over the last decade, sales of organic products from locally certified farms/plants in Hong Kong have grown steadily at an average rate of about 10 percent. In 2021, U.S. fresh and chilled organic exports to Hong Kong dropped 11 percent to $10 million compared to 2020 but held above the five-year average. In addition, the slowdown in U.S. organic exports was far less than the 20 percent decline in conventional U.S. exports. While most U.S. agricultural exports faced shipping logistics challenges last year, the smaller contraction in U.S. exports of organic products reflects the growing popularity of these products in Hong Kong. 

With carbon farming a priority on the European Union’s agenda for climate change mitigation in agriculture, IFOAM Organics Europe’s new position paper urges the use of a holistic approach which includes not only on the amount of carbon stored in soils but also encompasses biodiversity protection, as in organic farming. A companion document outlines the environmental benefits organic agriculture, including reduced energy use, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon sequestration.

With a market share of 10.9 percent, sales of organic products in Switzerland were over four billion Swiss francs in 2021, according to Bio Suisse. Eggs, bread and vegetables are the most popular products.

China’s leading online food retailer JD Super has seen certified organic food sales increase 78 percent year-over-year in 2021, and up 110 percent between 2019 and 2021. Other key trends include increased sales of low fat, low sugar and grain-based staple foods; increase interest in products that indicate their geographical provenance (i.e. Wuchang rice); and new instant foods (such as dried mushroom soup mix) and cooking oils (i.e. avocado oil).

Organic products were 11 percent of purchases and valued at nearly 800 million Euros in Austria in 2021, according to the information from the rolling agricultural market analysis. Overall, Austrian households spend less on food retail in 2021 compared to 2020, but still 13 percent more than before the pandemic. Baking and cooking are down, but sales of ready-made meals and mixes are growing. Although online sales are a minor part of food purchasing at two percent, organic products are ordered more often than average. 

 In 2020, organic wine production in France increased 22 percent from 2019. A total of 9784 organic vineyards encompassed over 137,000 certified or transitional organic hectares. The land area represents 17 percent of the country’s surface area dedicated to wine production. A survey of French consumers revealed that 54 percent have consumed organic wine, up from 36 percent in 2015; 75 percent of the Paris metropolitan area have tried organic wine. About 4.7 percent of wine consumed in France is organic, with 45 percent of sales from direct sales, 10 percent from organic wine specialty shops, 23 percent from wine merchants, and 21 percent in supermarkets.

Both the amount and frequency of processed food purchases were up in the past year, reports a South Korean government survey. Nearly 24 percent of all households are buying processed foods two to three times per week, a 3.1 percent increase over 2020, and 68.4 percent of households purchase more that once per week. The pandemic is a main driver of this shift, and dumplings, pizza, ready meals were the most popular processed food items.

IFOAM—Organics International offers a guide to the updated European Union organic regulations.  The guide simplifies understanding the regulations by grouping the legislation in a logical way. For example, organic food processors find all the requirements relevant to their activities presented in a logical order and without having to open and consult many different legal acts. IFOAM members receive discounts on the guide.

The USDA Foreign Agriculture Service is hosting the virtual US & Chile: SaborUSA Market Showcase May 9-10 to expand U.S. exporter knowledge on Chile’s trade and economic conditions, and connect exporters with potential buyers through one-on-one, virtual business-to-business meetings. Sign up by February 25.