Organic products are increasingly featured on the menus of public establishments, bars, and restaurants. According to the ISMEA survey conducted in collaboration with FIPE and AssoBio and presented on May 23, 2023, during the event 'Organic in commercial catering', organic reaches half of the bars and 70% of the restaurants.
Organic in bars and restaurants, the numbers
Data collection It was conducted in the months of September and October 2022 on a representative sample of national bars and restaurants and collected over 2,000 telephone interviews.
ISMEA, which for the first time analyzes (organic) consumption outside the home, provides a new analytical perspective for organic products.
In a context that sees a physiological slowdown in the growth of organic food consumption within households, after the significant growth rates to which organic had accustomed us for years, Horeca monitoring, even on purely qualitative aspects, can indeed provide valuable insights to guide political and supply chain decisions.
(Fabio Del Bravo, Head of the Services Directorate for Rural Development at ISMEA)
Breakfast and aperitif, the organic offer in one bar out of two
Of the approximately 111 thousand bars active in the Italian territory, one out of two offers organic foods and beverages. The incidence is higher in sales points in Central and Northern Italian cities and with a staff number greater than 6.
On average almost 20% of foods and beverages offered at these establishments consists of organic products, with greater representation particularly regarding fruit, milk, and wine.
Breakfast and aperitif are indicated by operators as the most suitable consumption occasions for the introduction of organic proposals. The organic product is sold at almost 15% more, on average, compared to the conventional equivalent.
Organic in two restaurants out of three
In restaurants the presence of organic food and beverages is more widespread. It concerns two-thirds of the over 157 thousand active restaurants in the Italian landscape.
Organic products is more widespread in restaurants in Central Italy (over 76%) and North West (69%), in linear progression with the number of employees. From 60% in restaurants with only one employee to 81% in those with more than 49 employees.
Within these establishments, organic products represent over 30% in value of purchases, with peaks of 42% in the case of vegetables and 34% ofextra virgin olive oil. Also in this case the organic product generates an almost 17% premium, justified by an additional cost in procurement.
Side dishes and appetizers are the dishes where the presence of organic products is most significant.
Promising prospects
Finding organic food and beverages in bars and restaurants could be easier in the near future:
– over 80% of restaurateurs and almost all interviewed bar managers declare the intention to confirm the purchase of the same quantities of organic products,
– 13.5% of restaurants could become exclusively organic venues, a share that drops to 6% for bars.
I driver of out-of-home consumption
The research emphasizes the driver of out-of-home consumption: sustainability, environment, ethics, and fair remuneration along the supply chain. It also highlights the fundamental role of organic farming in highly topical areas such as food security, healthy nutrition, environmental sustainability, and combating climate change.
‘Attention to organic productions is evidence of how consumers today are increasingly aware of the need to combine their own well-being and health with the well-being and health of the planet respecting the territory, seasonality, quality and safety. All values promoted by FIPE with the Restaurant Manifesto presented and signed last April 28 on the occasion of Restaurant Day’ (Luciano Sbraga, Director of the FIPE-Confcommercio Study Center).
Marta Strinati
Notes
(1) FIPE, ASSOBIO AND ISMEA: catering looks to organic. ISMEA, press release. 26.5.23 https://www.ismea.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/12336
Professional journalist since January 1995, she has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and magazines (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). Author of journalistic investigations on food, she published the book 'Reading labels to know what we eat'.
