The pandemic has not halted the trend of growth in the number of organic food consumers in Brazil. Even with all the logistical and income challenges imposed by Covid-19, more people have started to resort to pesticide-free products in the country, and most of them have either maintained or increased their purchases in the last almost two years.
This is what indicates the research conducted by Organis — the Association for the Promotion of Organics — in partnership with consulting firm Brain and the initiative UnirOrgânicos. The results of the work were compiled from 987 interviews conducted throughout the country between September 15 and October 5 last year. They confirm reports from producers, retailers and online channels.
Among those who had consumed organic foods in the 30 days prior to the survey, 66% said they had maintained the same level of consumption during the pandemic, while 23% had increased and only 11% had reduced their purchases. Of the total universe, 45% had been consuming these products for more than five years, and 19% between three and five years. But 25% started to explore this market between one and two years before, and 12% in a period below one year.
According to the survey, the most consumed organic products are vegetables (75%), grains (12%), cereals (10%), sugar (8%) and cookies (6%). For 47% of the interviewees, organics are important for improving health, and 26% consider them healthier. The fact that organics are produced without pesticides is the main motivation for 13% of consumers, and for 24% of them these products have higher quality.
Fewer people who consumed organic products during the survey period were doing so more than five times a week — there were 35% in 2019, and the percentage dropped to 27% in 2021 — but more people were consuming some organic item twice a week (up 16%, to 34%). And supermarkets were the main sales channels for 48% of respondents, followed by marketplaces (47%).
But while this market shows that it is solid during the pandemic, the survey also points out that there are challenges for the pace of consumption to continue to increase. “People report consuming organic products for individual reasons, with the collective dimension not showing up significantly,” say Organis, Brain and Unir Orgânicos.
“The numbers show the need to insist on disseminating the advantages of organics on issues that concern society, such as the preservation of the environment, the climate crisis and the reduction of socioeconomic imbalances, among others,” they continue. The unawareness of organic food brands by consumers, as well as the existence of organic non-food products, are other challenges cited by the survey’s authors.
Source: Valor international