IRISH ORGANIC food sales have increased year on year by 13.2 per cent to €124 million, An Bord Bia, the Irish food board, announced at the beginning of National Organic Week yesterday.
The board said last year Irish organic sales reached €104 million in the year ending July 2008 and it expected sales to continue growing.
“To celebrate National Organic Week, producers, retailers and farmers’ markets nationwide will host over 50 events including cookery demonstrations, workshops, BBQs, farm walks and in-store tastings,” said Teresa Brophy of An Bord Bia.
The event, now in its fifth year, aims to continue to raise consumer awareness of organic food, how to recognise it when shopping and where to buy it.
She said the week was an ideal opportunity for organic producers and processors to organise events at a national and local level to increase consumer awareness of locally produced organic food.
Recent research for the board found 73 per cent of Irish grocery shoppers purchased an organic product in the last month, compared to 20 per cent in 2003 and 45 per cent in 2008.
Fruit, vegetables and dairy products account for the most popular purchased categories.
Bord Bia research has shown it is the perceived health benefits of organic food, conferred through its “free from” status, that are most important to Irish consumers.
Seventy three per cent of those surveyed stated “not having added chemicals or pesticides” as the main benefit of buying organic food.
Event highlights during National Organic Week include Darina Allen’s Organic Farm Walks in Ballymaloe, Shanagarry, Co Cork.
Clodagh McKenna is holding a cookery demonstration at the Nano Nagle Centre, Co Cork, tomorrow.
Women in Organic Horticultural Training will hold courses and seminars at the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim, tomorrow and the Organic Centre’s Annual Harvest Celebration will take place on Thursday.
Jenny and Peter Young of Castlefarm Shop, Athy, Co Kildare, will host an organic farm walk on Saturday, including vegetable harvesting and cookery demonstrations, while Peter Ward from Country Choice, Nenagh, Co Tipperary, is organising the annual Blas an Fhomhair organic lunch, Further information, recipes and a full listing of National Organic Week events can be found at www.bordbia.ie