2023 EU report on organic imports: Decreased overall but growth in certain categories, with China showing a notable recovery.

By the end of July 2023, the EU officially released the 2023 EU Organic Products Import Report. This report organized and analyzed the EU’s organic product import data for 2022 and made it publicly available.

According to the report, the total import volume of organic products in the EU in 2022 decreased by 9.1% compared to the previous year, dropping from 2.87 million tons in 2021 to 2.73 million tons. This decrease reflects the impact of inflation in 2022, which led to a general increase in food prices and a reduced consumer demand for organic products. Notably, there was a significant decline in the import of organic fruits and vegetables, sugar, olive oil, palm oil, sunflower seeds, and pet food. However, imports of organic soybeans, oil cakes, citrus fruits, rice, and honey continued to grow, with organic soybean imports increasing by 51%.

The top ten countries exporting organic products to the EU are Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Ukraine, Peru, China, India, Togo, Colombia, Turkey, and Brazil.

In terms of the types of organic products imported by the EU, organic fruits accounted for the largest share, 32% of the total imports, followed by oil cakes and soybeans, mainly used as protein feed.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic-related restrictions in 2022, China’s total export of organic products to the EU saw a positive growth of 30% after a sharp decline. The total volume reached 194,100 tons, of which 120,100 tons were oil cake products. Additionally, in 2022, China exported 19,400 tons of organic tropical fruits, nuts, and spices, 10,500 tons of oil seeds, 10,000 tons of fresh, refrigerated, or dried vegetables, and 5,662 tons of cereal milling products to the EU.

Summary

The 2023 EU Organic Products Import Report indicates a general decrease in organic imports by 9.1% compared to the previous year, due largely to inflation and higher food prices. However, certain categories like organic soybeans, rice, and honey have shown growth. Notably, China demonstrated a significant recovery in its exports to the EU, with a 30% increase, especially in organic soybeans and oil cakes.

Adding to this, ETprotein, a company specializing in organic rice proteins and organic pumpkin seed protein, has shown exceptional performance in exporting to Europe. Their success in penetrating the European market amidst overall declining trends underlines the growing demand and popularity of organic rice protein products in the region. This achievement marks a bright spot in the organic food sector and highlights the potential for continued growth in specialized organic product segments.

Data source from EC (2023), EU imports of organic agri-food products. European Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, Brussels