SALES of organic products have continued to escalate as consumers increasingly opt for food choices that they perceive as healthier.
New figures from the Soil Association show that sales of UK organic produce between July 2016 and July 2017 grew by 7.4%, a trend that SA attributed to a more health-conscious public. Sales of organic fruit, in particular, grew over the year by 12.6%.
SA's head of farming Liz Bowles said: "The demand for organic food is nearing an all-time high and, with ever more research showing the potential benefits of organic, the uplift in demand for organic produce comes as no surprise."
This market expansion is good news for Scottish farmers, with the Scottish Government reporting this May that just under a quarter of the UK's organic land is in Scotland.
Steven Jacobs of Organic Farmers and Growers was equally upbeat: "This news is very pleasing. Organic sales have been increasing on-and-off, and throughout the recession. The grocery market across Britain hasn't seen an awful lot of growth, but specific markets have. Organic is one of the few growth areas," he said.
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