Organic produce moves from trendy to mainstream
By Gillian Cook | theage.com.au | 03 March
The popularity of organic food, it seems, can no longer be considered a market glitch. Australians are beginning to believe that organic really is better - better taste, better for health and better for the environment - and are shopping accordingly.
Dr Andrew Monk, director of the Biological Farmers of Australia, says organic food is the future. "It has been a very sustainable growth and it's going up healthily. Some of these curves going up parabolically can fall over, but we have had sensible growth."
New stores, products and producers are buying into the unprocessed food trend; more people bought organic in 2007 than ever before.
Macro Wholefoods Market has been providing organic products free from additives and preservative for 22 years but has experienced huge growth over the past three years, with sales increasing by 800 per cent.
Monk says the popularity of organic food is growing in conjunction with the slow food and locally grown movements.
"Consumers are getting sick of not knowing where their food comes from, or knowing and not being happy. There is a drive for knowledge about the farmer and the farmer's story."
There are no government regulations on the organic industry in Australia, Monk says, so consumers need to make sure that they choose certified products only.
Peta Wiles-Paterson, 32, from North Sydney, goes to Macro Wholefood Market often but doesn't do all her shopping there because of the cost.
"They have a lot of the products that I like that you can't get at Woolworths and the fruit and veg is better," she says.
Organic produce costs more as many of the production costs are higher and more labour-intensive.
"It is pretty expensive," Wiles-Paterson says. "You wouldn't see me coming in with a trolley. I just sort of come in and get bits and bobs."
Sarah Fozard, 25, shops at Macro because she grew up on a farm and likes fresh produce.
"I actually live in Newcastle and I come down here and shop every now and then because I work in North Sydney. So I stop off here because you can't get anything up there that is organic," she says.
Monica Waters from Nourish Foods created the Whole Kids range, which includes organic, convenient snacks such as corn chips and juice from 100 per cent crushed apple.
"Sales are growing as people get to know us and because there are so many children in Australia with obesity, diabetes and allergies there is a real market," she says.
"We developed the Whole Kids snack range in response to working in the fitness industry and advising people on health products for their children, and finding that there was a need for certified organic products free from preservative, additives and chemicals."
First published by TheAge.com.au on March 03 2008
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