• Mestemacher GmbH leads the organic market in Chile, with a value share of 13.3% in 2023, followed by Ama Time SPA, with a value share of 10.2%, and Jammin Java Corp, with a share of 9.9%.
• Chile ranked 42nd globally in terms of organic market size in 2023, with a value of US$126.9 million. It was also the fourth largest consumer market for Organic Packaged Food and Beverages in Latin America.

• Organic products in Chile represent roughly 0.2% of global demand and 3.3% of the market in the Latin American region and recorded per capita expenditure of US$6.5 in 2023.
• The Chilean market for organic products is projected to increase by a value CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period 2023-2028 at constant 2023 prices and fixed US dollar exchange rates, reaching a value of US$174.0 million by 2028.

• The Organic Packaged Food and Beverages category in Chile registered a value increase of 14.8% in 2023 in current price terms, to record a market size of US$126.9 million.
• Over the review period of 2019-2023, the Organic Packaged Food category registered a strong CAGR of 22.0% in current price terms. However, over the forecast period between 2023 and 2028, growth is predicted to slow, with a projected CAGR of 6.4% at constant prices.
• Organic Beverages grew historically at a 34.9% current CAGR, but its growth is predicted to grow at a slower pace to a 6.8% constant terms CAGR over the forecast period.
• Growth in Organic Packaged Food was driven primarily by Organic Staple Foods which recorded an exceptional 38.0% current CAGR during the review period. For the forecast period it is predicted to grow at a constant CAGR of 4.6%.
• Within Organic Beverages, Organic Hot Drinks led historic growth with a substantial 44.4% current terms CAGR, while Organic Soft Drinks are set to drive growth over the forecast period, with a 9.6% constant terms CAGR.

• Even with increased budget-consciousness among the population regarding products like food and drinks, overall demand for healthy variants has remained reasonably robust, highlighted by an increase in health awareness among Chileans. According to Euromonitor International’s Voice of the Consumer survey, undertaken in January-February 2024, 57% of consumers in Chile look for healthy ingredients in the food and beverages they consume, and 40% of respondents stated that they closely read the nutritional labels of food and beverages.
• Chileans are becoming more aware that being overweight or obese can put them at higher risk of serious conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and certain forms of cancer, thus low fat and low sugar were among the best performing health and wellness claims in 2023. Natural and organic options also fared well amidst rising awareness of the potentially harmful effects of various artificial flavors, colors, preservatives and other additives widely used by packaged food manufacturers.

• Mestemacher GmbH led the Organic Packaged Food market in 2023, with a 19.1% share of value, having seen a 4.3 percentage points increase in share since 2019. The company offers mainly bread products with various different health claims, including organic, natural, protein and whole meal breads.
• Jammin Java Corp continued to lead Organic Beverages in 2023, with 32.8% of market value, thanks to the success of Marley Coffee, a brand of sustainably grown, ethically farmed and artisan roasted premium organic coffee, offered in coffee shops, supermarkets and, recently, through e-commerce as well.

• Demand for vegan and plant-based staple foods is predicted to increase steadily over the forecast period, as more Chileans consciously reduce their consumption of meat, or give it up entirely, whether for the sake of their health or due to ethical concerns related to the environment and animal welfare issues. In particular, the appeal of vegan and plant-based staple foods among flexitarians should be broadened by the growing availability of products that not only closely resemble standard alternatives when it comes to taste, aroma, texture and appearance, but are also more affordably priced.
• Over the forecast period, sales of Organic Soft Drinks are set to grow at the fastest pace, with retail sales projected to rise at a 9.6% constant value CAGR to reach US$30.5 million in 2028. This growth will be attributable to a variety of complementary claims, including drinks that can give support for a better immune system, drinks marketed as offering brain health, and probiotic drinks to increase digestive function. Over the forecast period, Organic RTD Tea will be the leading product in the Organic Hot Drinks landscape, reaching sales of US$15.8 million, supported by a forecast constant CAGR of 19.0%.

• Lactose free remains one of the leading claims across a number of Health and Wellness categories, including Dairy Products and Alternatives, Snacks and Staple Foods, as close to half of the Chilean population is believed to have some level of lactose intolerance. The claim has gained momentum in recent years due to better education about the critical role the gut plays in the functioning of the immune system, and that lactose can be the root cause of recurrent digestive complaints such as bloating, diarrhea, stomach pains and nausea.
• Chile recently approved a law prohibiting the use of meat terms for products of plant origin. This new regulation clearly defines what is meant by “meat” and prohibits the use of terms such as “hamburger”, “chorizo”, “sausage” or “jerky” to describe or market products that are not of animal origin. The objective of the new standard is to provide more transparent, clear and truthful information to avoid confusing consumers when choosing between products of animal or vegetable origin.

Economy:

• Chile’s economy is projected to continue its slow growth in 2025, with an expected 2.1% increase in real GDP – a slight slowdown from the 2.6% growth seen in 2024. This does, however, mark a significant increase from the sluggish 0.5% growth in 2023, with the acceleration driven by strong manufacturing output in the food processing and agricultural sector, and expansion of the services sector, driven by an increase in healthcare and personal services.
• Real GDP growth is anticipated to maintain a similar trend in the years after 2025, standing at 2.2% in 2026 and averaging around 2.3% annually through 2028.
• Inflation averaged 3.9% in 2024, and is predicted to rise to 4.4% in 2025.

Population demographics:

• Chile’s population reached 19.7 million in 2024, and is projected to grow by 0.3% to 19.8 million in 2025. The country is experiencing an ageing trend, with the proportion of its population aged over 65 years old increasing from 12.6% in 2020 to 14.2% in 2024, while the share of the population aged 0-14 years old decreased from 18.7% to 16.9% over the same period.
• The median age in Chile was recorded at 37.0 years in 2024, an increase of 1.8 years from 2020.

Income & expenditure:

• The savings ratio in Chile reached 2.7% of disposable income in 2024, continuing the steady upward trend of recent years. This was the first year since 2021 that Chileans saved more than they spent, with the country registering a negative savings ratio from 2022 to 2024.
• Consumer expenditure per capita increased by 4.8% in 2024 in current US dollar terms. In constant US dollars, it is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 2.0% over the period to 2028. This growth is expected to be driven by increased spending on transport, although food and non-alcoholic beverages is projected to remain the largest consumer spending category.
• Disposable income per capita was US$9,825 in 2024. It is predicted to grow at an average annual rate of 2.1% over the period to 2028, higher than the average for Latin America.

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 Chile

Note : Total organics is the sum of all exports in a particular year 

Authorized Government Agency(s):

The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) is the leading Government agency for the organic sector; its Agriculture and Livestock Service (Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero – SAG) regulates organic production and certification.

Agency(s) Contact Information:

Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG)
Av. Presidente Bulnes 140
Santiago, Chile
Telephone: (562) 2345 11 00

National Director of SAG is Andrea Collao Veliz (appointed March 2022)

SAG Home Page
Organic products information

Name(s) of Regulation and/or Standard:

Organic Law No. 18.755, from Agriculture and Livestock Service, modified by Law No. 19.283

See General Documents below for English translations of technical standards.

• Supreme Decree No. 3/2016 (.pdf in Spanish) came into force June 2017 and established the requirements and protocols for assignment to the National System for Certification of Agricultural Organic Products
• Supreme Decree No. 2/2016 (.pdf in Spanish) contains technical rules of Law N ° 20.089

Law and Decrees in one documment: http://www.sag.cl/sites/default/files/dto-2_09-abr-2016_consolidado_con_el_123.pdf

Detailed information on laws, regulations, guidelines, and forms can be found here.

Date of Implementation: 2007

Regulation and/or Standard Scope:

The regulation establishes requirements for the production, processing, labeling and marketing of organic products, and applies to processed products, plants, animals, livestock, beekeeping, fungal products, and wine.

Small ecological farmers: Organizations made up by small producers, families, farmers and natives with juridical personality whose annual sales do not exceed the equivalent to 25000 Index-Linked Units (Unidades de Fomento, UF1) are required to register but not to be certified. Can use their own standards but must have a system that is an alternative to certification and allows consumers and supervising agencies free access to the

Organic products must be certified.

Imports have the following options:
1.  Imported products do not have to be certified to to the Chilean regulations and standards, however the importer of organic products must be registered and inspected by SAG and two certificates are required: 

• Master certificate that verifies that the product is certified to a national (country of origin) and be produced in that country or international organic standard by competent authorities; and 
• Transactional certificate issued by a certification body, indicating the product quantity traded and lot numbers.
  • If importers cannot meet these requirements, then they must be certified by SAG.
  • Products imported in bulk and/or those used as raw materials to produce organic products in Chile, must be certified by a certifying body registered with SAG.  

2. Organic products are certified to the Chilean regulations and standards by certifying bodies accredited and registered by SAG.

3. Chile has an equivalency arrangement with a third country.  There is a bilateral agreement between Chile and Brazil for products certified by third-party certifying agents or products certified through participatory certification.  There is a qualified bilateral agreement between Chile and the EU that designates only certain items that can be imported from the EU to Chile and exported from Chile to the EU.

More details (.pdf, in Spanish)

Certification:

In order to be recognized as organic, products must be certified either by a third-party certification body or by a Small Ecological Farmers Organization registered with the competent authority. Certification is mandatory for marketing products as organic or its equivalents, such as "ecological products" or "biological products" and use the official seal that expresses said quality.

A register of certifiers is available.

Accreditation:

National Institute of Standardization (INN) or by another accreditation body that is a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) or the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC)

U.S. International Trade Administration

USDA’s GAIN Report Chile Exporter Guide (2023)
USDA’s GAIN Report Chile Food Processing Ingredients (2022)
USDA’s GAIN Report Food Service - Hotel Restaurant Institutional (2023)
USDA’s GAIN Report Chile Exporter Guide Excellent Opportunities for U.S. Exports of Agricultural and Related Products (2017) 
USDA's GAIN Report Chile Retail Food Guide (2023)
USDA’S GAIN Report Chile Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Country Report (2023)
USDA’S GAIN Report Chile Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Export Certificate Report (2023)