Organic products are increasingly finding space in the menus of public establishments, bars, and restaurants. According to the ISMEA survey carried out in collaboration with FIPE and AssoBio and presented on May 23, 2023, on the occasion of 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 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) out-of-home consumption, provides a new analytical perspective for organic products.
In a context where there is a natural slowdown in the growth of organic food consumption within households, after the significant growth rates to which organic products had accustomed us for years, monitoring Horeca, including purely qualitative aspects, can indeed provide valuable elements to guide policy and supply chain decisions.
(Fabio Del Bravo, Head of the Services Directorate for Rural Development at ISMEA)
Breakfast and aperitif, organic offer in one bar out of two
Of about 111 thousand bars active on the Italian territory, one out of two offers organic foods and beverages. The incidence is higher in the points of sale in cities of Central and Northern Italy and with a number of employees greater than 6.
On average almost 20% of foods and beverages offered at these establishments consists of organic products, with greater representation regarding fruit, milk, and wine.
Breakfast and aperitif are indicated by operators as the most suitable consumption occasions for the inclusion 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 foods and beverages is more widespread. It concerns two-thirds of more than 157,000 active restaurants in the Italian landscape.
Organic is more widespread in restaurants in Central Italy (over 76%) and Northwest (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 accounts for 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 a surcharge of almost 17%, justified by a surplus in procurement costs.
Side dishes and appetizers are the dishes where the presence of organic products is most significant.
Promising prospects
Finding organic foods and beverages in bars and restaurants could be easier in the near future:
– over 80% of restaurateurs and almost all bar managers interviewed declare their intention to confirm the purchase of the same quantities of organic products,
– 13.5% of restaurants could become exclusively organic venues, a share that falls to 6% for bars.
I driver of out-of-home consumption
The research highlights 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 eating, environmental sustainability, and climate change mitigation.
‘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 Manifesto of Catering presented and signed last April 28 on the occasion of Catering Day’ (Luciano Sbraga, Director of the FIPE-Confcommercio Study Center).
Marta Strinati
Notes
(1) FIPE, ASSOBIO AND ISMEA: catering looks at 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 volume 'Reading labels to know what we eat'.
