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Trade in organic food

Are sales of organic apples increasing in supermarkets? How much organic meat is sold to professional food services? Here you will find statistics on the turnover of organic foods in supermarkets and department stores as well as the sales of organic food and beverages to food services (catering establishments etc.).

Explainer on…

Food and beverages that are produced and marketed as organic according to the EU's regulations. Goods which are neither defined as organic nor conventional are not covered (e.g. game meat, wild fish, salt and some other products).

The Danish red "ø-label" (the Danish Food Agency), the EU's organic labels or other labels that comply with the EU's organic rules.

Selected statistics on Trade in organic food

This page shows selected popular statistics on the subject of Trade in organic food. In Statbank Denmark, you can find more data and compile your own statistics.

Retail trade in organic foods

Here you can see the development in the turnover of organic food and beverages in supermarkets and department stores.
More about the figure
Last update
26.4.2024
Next update
20.5.2025
Source data

Survey population: the major supermarket chains and wholesalers, who sell food to retailers (in total less than 20 data suppliers).

Farm shops and specialized shops are not included. These sales channels covered less than 5 p.c. of the organic turnover in 2020. Source: Økologisk Landsforening ”Økologisk Markedsnotat 2021”, Numbers from Gfk ConsumerScan.

These sales channels can be assumed to have a different composition of the organic turnover than the covered population.

Retail trade in organic foods by commodity group

Here you can see the retail trade in organic foods broken down by commodity groups for the past three years.
More about the figure
Last update
26.4.2024
Next update
20.5.2025
Source data

Survey population: the major supermarket chains and wholesalers, who sell food to retailers (in total less than 20 data suppliers).

Farm shops and specialized shops are not included. These sales channels covered less than 5 p.c. of the organic turnover in 2020. Source: Økologisk Landsforening ”Økologisk Markedsnotat 2021”, Numbers from Gfk ConsumerScan.

These sales channels can be assumed to have a different composition of the organic turnover than the covered population.

Sales to food services by commodity group, organic and conventional goods

Here you can see the distribution of organic and conventional sales respectively to food services within main commodity groups. 
More about the figure
Last update
5.7.2024
Next update
26.8.2025
Source data

The survey is carried out as a questionnaire-based total count of food wholesalers with a floor limit of DKK 40 million. DKK turnover according to Statistics Denmark's business register of active enterprises (ESR). you swear.

The number of commercial kitchens, restaurants, canteens, cafes, etc. is quite comprehensive. In order to limit resource consumption and respondent burden, data is instead collected among food wholesalers. A general minimum limit of DKK 40 million is also used. DKK in turnover.

The frame population is drawn from the ESR. Delimited by primary or secondary industry code, in some cases supplemented by industrial companies or other industries with wholesale sales. In general, only food wholesalers are included (significant suppliers from other industries may, however, be included). Answers and units from previous surveys are also included in the structure of the population.

Sale of school milk is included. Foreign companies are not included as they are difficult to identify and get answers from. Their significance for the statistics is probably low.

Sales to food services by customer group, organic and conventional goods

Here you can see the distribution of organic and conventional sales to food services within customer groups.
More about the figure
Last update
5.7.2024
Next update
26.8.2025
Source data

The survey is carried out as a questionnaire-based total count of food wholesalers with a floor limit of DKK 40 million. DKK turnover according to Statistics Denmark's business register of active enterprises (ESR). you swear.

The number of commercial kitchens, restaurants, canteens, cafes, etc. is quite comprehensive. In order to limit resource consumption and respondent burden, data is instead collected among food wholesalers. A general minimum limit of DKK 40 million is also used. DKK in turnover.

The frame population is drawn from the ESR. Delimited by primary or secondary industry code, in some cases supplemented by industrial companies or other industries with wholesale sales. In general, only food wholesalers are included (significant suppliers from other industries may, however, be included). Answers and units from previous surveys are also included in the structure of the population.

Sale of school milk is included. Foreign companies are not included as they are difficult to identify and get answers from. Their significance for the statistics is probably low.

On the statistics – documentation, sources and method

Gain an overview of the purpose, contents and quality of the statistics. Learn about the data sources of the statistics, the contents of the statistics and how often they are published.

See the documentation of statistics to learn more:

Sale of Organic Foods in Retail Shops

These statistics cover the size and composition of the turnover of organic food in supermarkets and department stores. The study was conducted for the first time for the year 2003. From 2017 companies who exclusively sell online, including subscriptions, have been included in the survey.

Sales of food and beverages to food service

The purpose of the statistics is to provide an overall picture of sales of food and beverages to commercial kitchens, restaurants, institutions, etc. There is a special focus on organic foods, as a supplement to Retail sales of organic foods. The statistics have been compiled annually since 2013 with grant funding from the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.

Need more data on Trade in organic food?

You can go on searching on your own in Statbank Denmark. Find more detailed figures, for example for detailed commodity groups (rye bread, pork, apples, etc.) and quantities in tonnes.

Contact

Martin Lundø
Phone: +45 51 46 15 12