Regional diversity of organic food sales in the European Union

The article discusses regional differences on the organic food market in the European Union based on retail sales data. The analysis was based on Eurostat, FiBL, IFOAM, USDA and literature data for 2016. Selected descriptive statistics were used. The analysis demonstrated considerable regional differences in both total and per capita retail sales of organic food on the EU market, which can be attributed to the unique characteristics of the compared countries. The absolute values of organic retail sales are influenced mainly by population and GDP. Per capita sales are strongly determined by GDP and final consumption expenditure of household. Therefore, organic retail sales were higher in countries with a higher GDP and higher household consumption per capita. Organic food sales and consumption were highest in Germany, France, Italy, the UK and Switzerland. The analysed variables were lowest in Cyprus, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Estonia.