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Organic Food Market of Belgium

Justmeans Staff | Wednesday 28th October 2009

When it comes to organic food, the market of Belgium is growing at a fast pace. It is worth 300 million euros with over 2,800 product references. In the last few years, there has been a tremendous increase in the sale of organic produce in the country. Even the global crisis last year did not affect its growth as the sales improved 25%. Not only consumers are choosing sustainable food items over the conventional items but food joints are also offering locally grown seasonal food items to the customers.

If you are looking for organic produce in Belgium, look for products with the Belgian label Biogarantie. This is private label that is used on products only when it has been tested as sustainable and received an additional certificate. However, this is not a compulsory label as some products just mention 'biologique' or 'biologisch' along with the name or code of the inspection body. It was during the 1960s that the first switch from conventional to organic farming took place in Belgium. However, based on studies it has been found that a large number of farmers started using organic farming methods in the country only in the last ten years. Walloon Region is one of the places in Belgium where farmers are certified organically as conventional farming in this region is very extensive.

Thanks to the popularity of sustainable food movement across the world, food consumer behavior in Belgium is also changing. According to climate change experts, rise in popularity of organic food items is a welcoming fact because organic production will help address serious global issues such as climate change and crisis of energy. The growth rate of global organic food market in 2007 was 19% and it is being predicted to grow at a faster pace. At the same rate, the global organic food market will reach to 70.2 billion US dollars by the end of 2010. If industry experts are to be believed, the sale of organic produce in Belgium will increase considerably in the coming years.

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