SCOTTISH organic food has outperformed the rest of the UK in the last 12 months with an 11.7% increase in retail sales.

The Soil Association’s 2017 organic market report, published this week, also recorded that the overall UK organic sector is in its fifth year of growth, with the total UK market now worth £2.09billion – and stressed that farmers should take note of the opportunities this sales boom offers them.

The Scottish Government has recently opened a window to applications for organic conversion funding, in parallel with Soil Association Scotland offering support to farmers considering conversion, while research by the SAC suggests that Scottish consumers are increasingly sold on the principles of organic production.

These consumer drivers include a more conscious search for products they can trust, a heightened understanding of where their food comes from, and a wish to reconnect with farming and nature. As a result, growth has been reported across the spectrum, with supermarket sales of organic up by 6.1%, independent retailers up by 6.3%, sales through home delivery up by a whopping 10.5%, and sales into the foodservice market by an astonishing 19.1%.

SA Scotland business development manager Alison Muirhead said: “Organic is extremely relevant for trends towards eating better food and ‘free from’ diets. Our changing relationship with food means consumers increasingly see organic as a shortcut to healthy lifestyle choices. With the market in steady growth, and the funding window for organic farmers currently open through the Scottish Government, the future looks positive for Scottish organic producers.”

With reference to Brexit, Ms Muirhead suggested that Scottish organic products would have a headstart finding new export deals as, around the world, British and Scottish-produced organic was seen as the best that you can possibly buy – particularly by consumers in the Far East, US and Europe.