Demand for organic rises, supply lags behind

The organic market in the Netherlands continues to grow, but development remains uneven. New figures show that demand is increasing structurally, while supply is not keeping pace everywhere. This is putting pressure on the further development of the chain.

Retail growth continues

Total organic revenue in the Netherlands will exceed €2 billion in 2025. That represents growth of around 9%. Supermarkets account for the largest share, with €1.44 billion in revenue and an increase of 9.8%.

Within supermarkets, several product groups stand out. Bread and bakery grows by 61%, followed by meat and cold cuts (+18.6%) and fresh dairy (+15.2%). Organic specialty stores are also growing, with revenue increasing by 7.8% to nearly €0.5 billion.

Agricultural area grows, but lags behind

Organic agricultural land in the Netherlands increases to 95,509 hectares. That is a growth of 4.4% and represents 5.3% of total agricultural land. In addition, over 7,000 hectares are in conversion. Regional differences are clear. Drenthe records the strongest growth at 29.2%. Zeeland and Friesland follow with 14.3% and 6.8% respectively. In provinces such as Flevoland and Overijssel, there is stabilization or a slight decline.

The gap to the target of 15% organic farmland by 2030 remains significant. The announced Acceleration Plan for Organic Agriculture is seen by the sector as an important step.

Demand grows faster than supply

Growth continues internationally. In Europe, organic retail revenue rises to €58.7 billion (+4.1%). Globally, revenue reaches nearly €145 billion, an increase of around 5%. At the same time, growth in agricultural land is lagging. In Europe, the increase is limited to 0.5%, while globally there is a slight decline. This shows that demand is structurally growing faster than supply.

According to Bionext, the key to further growth lies in better balancing supply and demand. This requires support for conversion, a well-functioning market, and clear positioning towards consumers.

Bionext.nl