Saudi Arabia: The appetite for organic foods in Saudi Arabia is on an upward trajectory, with a third of consumers (33%) purchasing more in the last 12 months compared to the previous year, according to a new survey.

A survey conducted by YouGov revealed that over half of Saudi consumers (55%) purchase organic foods more than once a month. The leading driver of this trend is health reasons (64%) with 49% of consumers believing organic food to be healthy, more natural (45%) and safer for consumption (44%) when compared to non-organic food due to production methods that are free from pesticides, added hormones and antibiotics. According to the survey, over half of the Saudi consumers (51%) also believe organic products taste better. Ethical food choice motives – concern for environment (19%) and animal welfare (12%) – also have a strong influence on consumers’ attitudes in Saudi Arabia.

Responding to the market needs, local and international companies introduced new organic products such as Arla who launched Arla Organic Milk across markets in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, as part of its commitment to make organic accessible and affordable to families in the Middle East.

Fruit and vegetables is the dominant organic category, making up 66% of the market, followed by dairy (50%), eggs (49%), poultry (45%), cereals and bakery (44%), fish (36%), followed by red meat (35%).

Of the 24% of consumers that never purchase organic, 51% of consumers are simply not in the habit of purchasing organic. This may be attributed to the fact that one in four said that there is limited availability in stores.

Price is also considered a major barrier cited by almost a third (32%) of respondents.

Companies are now working towards making organic products more accessible to consumers in the Middle East so that it becomes mainstream rather than a niche market.

 

Source: Arabian Business