Organic continues to grow despite the now permanent state of crisis. The eighteenth edition of the Bio Bank Report reveals the data of the sector, where Italy excels.
The organic market grows
The organic agri-food market shows sustained growth both at global level, with a turnover of 145 billion euros in 2024 (+6% compared to 2023, +142% compared to 2014), both in the European, where it reached 59 billion euros (+7% compared to 2023, +124% compared to 2014).
The sector accounts for almost 99 million hectares and about 4.8 million producers in more than 180 countries, according to Fibl-Ifoam data.
The Italian organic market reached 10.4 billion euros in 2024 (+6% compared to 2023). Exactly half, 5.2 billion euros, is recorded in the retail channel where organic grows by 6% in value, four times more than the overall retail food market (1.5%).
More moderate is the growth of Italians' out-of-home consumption, reaching 1.3 billion euros (+5%).
The top rankings of organic Italy
TheItaly marks several records in the European macro-region comprising 41 countries:
a) in first place, for:
- number of certified organic farms, as many as 87,000;
- number of processing companies, over 24,000, more than a quarter of the total at European level (93,000). Germany has almost 22,000, France over 20,000;
– export, with a turnover of 3.9 billion euros (6% of total agri-food export). Italy is followed by Spain, almost aligned, and far ahead of France (1.1 billion euros);
b) in third place, for:
– agricultural surfaces Bio (2.5 million hectares), after Spain (2.9 million hectares) and France (2.7);
– sales in the retail channel, equal to 5.2 billion euros, after Germany (17) and France (12);
- number of certified operators and cultivated surfaces in biodynamic agriculture (4,800 companies), after Germany and France. The Italian biodynamic sector stands out for a strong export vocation, which absorbs the majority share of Demeter certified production. The destination to foreign markets is particularly high in various sectors: up to 98% for some fruit-based products, 87% for vegetables, apples, table grapes and processed products, 77% for extra virgin olive oil and 68% for biodynamic wine.
c) in sixth place for organic share on UAA (Utilized Agricultural Area) total, equal to 20%, compared to an average of 11% in the European Union.
Italian performances are less bright on:
- share of organic sales on total food sales, equal to 4% (ninth place behind Switzerland and Denmark with 12%, Germany around 7% and France about 6%);
– annual per capita consumption of organic foods (88 euros). Tenth place in the ranking led by Switzerland (481 euros), with Germany in fifth place (204 euros) and France seventh (178 euros).
Domestic consumption
The trend of 3,200 organic businesses in Italy
The Bio Bank 2025 Report also analyzes the trend of about 3,200 organic businesses registered in Italy in 2024 (-2.8% compared to 2023), highlighting an internal reconfiguration of the system: shops -3.2%, restaurants -2.7%, perfumeries -1.7%, cosmetics e-commerce -1.4%. Organic food e-commerce stable (+0.5%).
Significant decline, however, for cosmetics and cleaning companies (-8.2%), where the phenomenon of de-certification advances due toabsence of European regulation, excess bureaucracy and costs, as well as pressure from greenwashing.
Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto remain leading regions for the absolute number of organic businesses. Trentino-Alto Adige, Marche and Emilia-Romagna also remain leaders in density (number of businesses per million inhabitants). TheEmilia-Romagna is still the only one present in both rankings, confirming the role of Food Valley of Italy also in organic.
The role of the Large-Scale Retail Trade (GDO)
The large-scale retail trade remains the major player in the sector, carving out increasing market shares, as also highlighted by the Focus Bio Bank – Supermarkets & Specialists 2025.
In Germany, the largest European market for organic sales, in 2024 65% of sales go through the GDO, compared to 22% from about 2,000 organic stores. In France, a pioneer in the development of organic chains, organic sales in GDO are at 48%, compared to 29% from about 2,700 organic stores.
In Italy, 64% of sales go through large-scale retail and 20% through about 1,000 specialized stores.
The pitfalls of success
In this scenario, the risk of distorting organic products begins to become evident. Large-scale retail has expanded the spread of organic, but its evolution remains linked to the coexistence of different and complementary models, with specialized channels essential as an identity and value safeguard.
‘In a context where organic consolidates as a strategic lever also for investors and industry, the real question is no longer whether the sector is growing, but how it is redefining its balance between value, accessibility, and system rules.
And at this point other questions arise: what would organic be without its culture? What would remain of organic without pioneers, specialized stores, and direct sales? Could large-scale distribution have driven the expansion of organic without that cultural background? And to those who believe organic is outdated we ask: how can we chase the megatrend of active longevity without respect for the land, water, air, food? It is from the growing interest of investment funds and industrial groups that we must recognize thestrategic value of organic?’ chiosano Rosa Maria Bertino, Achille Mingozzi and Emanuele Mingozzi, authors of the Bio Bank Report 2025.
Marta Strinati
Credit cover Being Organic in EU
References
Bio Bank Report 2025. Organic in the world, in Europe and in Italy according to the elaborations and data of Bio Bank. From food to cosmetics https://issuu.com/biobank/docs/rapporto_bio_bank_2025
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'.
