May 23, 2007 – Canadians are consuming more organic products, according to a survey by communications firm Nielsen1. Almost 52% of Canadian households purchased at least one food certified organic in 2006. This is 5% more than in 2005.
The best-selling organic products in the country are fresh vegetables (25%), fresh fruit (13%), beverages (18%) and dairy products (11%).
Almost 35% of respondents said they chose organic foods because they would not contain traces of pesticides and artificial fertilizers. Consumers of organic food are mostly parents of young children and are generally under the age of 44.
Demand for organic foods is on the rise in all regions of the country: British Columbia recorded the strongest growth in 2006, and Quebec the weakest. Nationally, the purchase of certified organic products, however, represents less than 1% of total grocery store sales.
“The sale of organic products has nevertheless experienced an increase of 31% compared to 2005. This is huge considering that overall sales are increasing by around 4% per year,” notes the senior vice-president of marketing and sales at Nielsen, Dave Mann.
According to the authors of the report, the popularity of organic foods will follow a clear upward trend over the next few years.
Emmanuelle Bergeron – PasseportSanté.net
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1. The study combines two types of data. First, the report’s authors analyzed the results of two consumer surveys conducted among 12,300 Canadian households. Second, they took into account retail consumption data provided by barcode scanners in supermarkets, drugstores and big box stores.
