Planning your organic exports

As our 2022 Soil Association Organic Market Report reveals it’s not only the UK organic market that is seeing good growth, but also many others.

According to The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture* (FiBL) global sales of organic are growing steadily and are now worth €106.4 billion.

This significant growth in core EU organic markets means that whilst the EU will continue to be a major trading partner, limitations of the EU-UK Trade & Cooperation Agreement have reduced the ability of some exporters to trade with the EU bloc. 

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Opportunities for export

The UK market for organic food and drink is flourishing and has seen significant growth over the last couple of years. Despite equivalence of organics being included as part of the UK/EU Trade & Cooperation Agreement, Brexit means that opportunities to export to the EU may not grow in line with other destinations. As a result there are now added incentives to explore export opportunities beyond the EU, particularly where market access has been made somewhat easier as the result of new UK trade agreements.  

The UK now have equivalency with 13 other markets, some of which have new Free Trade Agreements in place with, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan which will bring further opportunities.

With growth of 12.4% in 2020, the US one such example. It remains the largest market in the world and with a trade agreement in place ensuring ongoing acceptance of UK organics, it continues to be a significant prosect for UK exporters who are prepared to commit resource to accessing this $62B market. 

Consumer trends in healthy eating and environmental concerns are fuelling the demand for these products and we are keen to assist companies throughout the UK to capitalise on these opportunities... We look forward to working with Soil Association Certification to help our UK organics companies realise their overseas ambitions and to promote our fantastic Organics sector. Rachel Gwyon, Director for UK Nations and Agriculture, Food and Drink, DIT

We anticipate all of these countries are set to be the focus for UK government efforts in support of export of organic food and drink in 2022, so UK organic businesses may well be getting a little extra support in reaching these important markets.

The Department for International Trade is committed to helping our companies grow internationally, whether they are new to exporting or looking to increase their international presence. Rachel Gwyon, Director for UK Nations and Agriculture, Food and Drink, DIT

Hear from trade experts representing the leading organic trade associations giving an overview of the trading situation, performance, and opportunities in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan:

To access the DIT’s range of services, please visit www.great.gov.uk where you will find a suite of interactive tools to help you on your export journey. These include lessons on how to export, finding the right markets for your products and guidance on how to formulate a unique business plan. There are also details on how to contact your local trade office for advice from an International Trade Advisor.