Despite a global rise in the consumption of organic products, Sweden is experiencing a decline in organic sales and faces significant challenges in promoting sustainable agriculture.
This year, the organic food producer Saltå Kvarn in Ytterjärna received the sustainability award from Södertälje municipality, highlighting the ongoing struggle for many organic businesses in Sweden. Saltå Kvarn's mill master, Peter Friberg, expressed concerns about the lack of media and political attention toward crucial issues such as biodiversity and soil health, noting a disconnection between public interest on social media and institutional support.
While a new report from the World of Organic Agriculture indicates that organic product sales reached a record high globally in 2024, Sweden contradicts this trend with a reported decline in total organic sales. Emma Rung, the CEO of KRAV, which certifies organic food producers, emphasized that although there is significant potential for organic agriculture in Sweden, the momentum needs to shift towards increasing consumer engagement and sales.
The findings illustrate a troubling dynamic in Sweden’s organic market where, despite one hundred years of EKO farming, Swedish farmers and businesses are grappling with a market that seems to be heading in the opposite direction from the global wave of organic goods consumption. Rung's statements emphasize the urgency for more dialogue and support to catalyze growth in this sector for it to thrive in alignment with international trends.
