This sector is driven in part by a desire for healthy eating and to consume products that are good for both mind and body. In addition, more people now want to buy products that limit the extent of environmental damage, including restricting the use of chemicals and pesticides. In conjunction with the Fair & Ethical sector, consumers here are also looking to achieve a degree of sustainable consumption and personal well-being as a consequence of what they buy. There are also comparisons with the Sport & Leisure sector in as much as many consumers here will share similar values.
We expect that consumers, especially middle-aged and older consumers, will continue to show increasing awareness of what they eat and the sort of personal care products they use. There will be more media attention on healthy eating, staying slim and to scandals in the food processing industry as a result of mass production.
For these and several other reasons consumers want more transparency in the food production value chain and more natural ways of cooking will evolve. The use of healthy ingredients will also expand into other product groups such as medicines, cosmetics and fragrances.
Almost half of all global organic sales take place in Europe. The turnover of organic food and drink sales in Europe in 2009 was € 18.4 billion. Germany was the leading market (€ 5.8 billion), followed by France (€ 3 billion), the UK (€ 2.1 billion), Italy (€ 1.5 billion) and Switzerland (€ 1 billion). Denmark and Austria registered the highest proportion of organic sales in relation to total sales.
The health & well-being sector has been boosted by the arrival of a range of products designed to address various food allergies and food intolerances (sometimes known as functional foods). The retail growth in foods free of gluten, wheat, lactose, cow’s milk, nuts, egg, soy and other additives has been driven in part by increased diagnosis of digestive health conditions, growing interest for gluten-free diets, better label regulations, and tastier products. For example, between 2007 and 2009 the functional food market in the UK has grown at rates well ahead of the standard equivalent products in the majority of the food markets in question.
