2024 saw the UK organic market expand by 7.3%, reaching a total value of £3.7 billion, double that of a decade earlier (£1.86 billion in 2014), as recorded by the Soil Association Certification in the annual ‘Organic Market Report 2025’, which it published on Wednesday, February 25.
Organic sales reportedly increased across all key channels and product categories, with independent retail, non-food, and hospitality enjoying particularly strong growth.
Organic sales in major food and drink retailers reached £2.43 billion in 2024, up 8% on last year, while unit sales grew four times more than non-organic food and drink at 4.7% (1.2% for non-organic), the report revealed.
In previous years, economic challenges led to reduced volume in categories like organic dairy, so a return to strong unit growth in 2024 serves as an indicator of performance and “robust demand”, the report maintained.
The report also showed that 67% of consumers intentionally buy organic, with younger (under 24), lower and middle-income households identified as the most active organic shoppers.
Additionally, the report cited data from vegetable box specialists, Locavore, who revealed that 28% of its shoppers have an annual household income of under £30,000 and half of those were under £20,000.
Soil Association Certification commercial and marketing director, Georgia Philips, said: “We saw strong growth in all food and drink channels and product categories with outstanding performance in the multiples, independents and home delivery.
“The signs are strong that this growth is here to stay with increasing consumer demand, particularly from Gen Z shoppers who are increasingly motivated by healthy and sustainable choices and seeking out organic products.
“Cost of living pressures haven’t gone anywhere but, now accustomed to higher prices, consumers are prioritising other areas, such as health and the environment. As these priorities become ever-more embedded in shoppers’ buying habits – the future looks bright for organic,” she added.
Organic Market Report 2025
Research by Soil Association Certification in its organic market survey found that 50% of organic suppliers reported a positive year for both volume and value sales in 2024, with 20% reporting to have experienced “a significant sales increase”.
Organic dairy and produce categories continue to record the highest share of organic sales – accounting for 49% of all organic sales made through major retail, the report declared.
Online also continues to be a strong performer, the report said, with organic twice as likely to be bought on online platforms, while home delivery, – accounting for 15% of this market – saw a 3% uplift in organic sales.
Foodservice also saw a 6.5% organic sales increase, largely thanks to a fall in inflation, the report found, while the non-food sector also benefitted from a boost, with organic beauty and textiles both up 11%.
Despite another year of growth, there’s still a widening gap between the organic market and organic production in England, with a heavy reliance on imports, the report found.
The percentage of British farmland zoned for organic production remained static at 3% in 2024, the report stated, but, the report proposed that organic farming is on the rise, with land in transition to organic almost doubling last year.
The Soil Association Certification has joined a number of environmental non-government organisations in a collective call for a 10% government target for land to be farmed organically – which will support a sustainable agricultural transition in the UK, it said.
Philips continued: “There are still some significant barriers to overcome to see UK organic market share scale as it has done in so many European countries where government and retailer support have been a catalyst for rapid organic growth.
“That’s why we have joined forces with leading nature and environmental NGOs to make the case for a 10% government target for land to be farmed organically, which will support a rapid transition with new financial opportunities for farmers and realise the significant health, nature and environmental benefits for the UK,” she added.
