Global organic food sales may hit $150bn in five years ― NEPC boss

May 20, 2021

The Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Olusegun Awolowo, disclosed that global organic product sales may move from $100 billion to $150 billion within the next five years.

Awolowo who made this known in Abuja at the inauguration of the local organising committee for the 2021 Organic Agriculture Business Summit, said it is an opportunity to develop Nigeria’s organic food sector with the high demand for organic product both locally and internationally.

Represented by the Deputy Director, Product Development Department, Salami Akinshola, Awolowo said many Nigeria agro products such as ginger, hibiscus, moringa, tigernut sesame seed, turmeric, soybeans, with proper certification are easily organic.

He said it took over 15 years for global organic product sales to reach $50 billion in 2008, adding that in 2018, it surpassed the $100 billion mark.

“It took over 15 years for global organic product sales to reach $150 billion in 2008. 10 years later in 2018, they surpassed the $100 billion mark.

“With COVID-19 changing the way we shop and eat, the next leap to $150 billion could be within the next five years,” Awolowo said.

He, therefore, stated that the value of organic food demand has risen significantly due to global awareness on the essence of food safety concern and focus on organically produced crops.

“Statistically, the global demand for organic foods rose from $15.2 billion in 1999 to $97 billion in 2017. Recently, the action plan under the world food summit identifies the importance of organic input technologies, farming techniques and other sustainable methods as organic farming,” he added.

The Organic Agriculture Business Summit scheduled for September this year would focus on improving the quality of organic produce and products from Nigeria to address the rejection of produce from the country.

Part of the expected achievement of the Summit is to increased organic production and business in the country, increase the availability of organic produce in the country to contribute to food safety.

Also, the summit is expected to achieve mainstreaming of organic agriculture into regular activities of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies.