The Soil Association's Organic Food & Farming report published on November 19, shows that the UK retail market which has grown by £200million to £802m over the past year, is not only growing faster than other European markets, but is increasingly dominated by the multiples.

UK supermarkets now have the highest organic food sales in Europe accounting for 80 per cent of domestic organic retail sales. But the bad news for independents is that this growth has come at their expense. Sales through farm shops fell by six per cent on the previous year and specialist independent retailers saw their market share shaved by two per cent.

'Despite strong continued support from consumers for organic food – and a huge increase in the amount of organic land – reliance on imports, price pressure from retailers and centralised buying policies mean that many small organic businesses are seriously questioning whether they can continue to run a viable enterprise,' said Soil Association director Patrick Holden.

The association has also made a submission to the government's commission on the future of farming and food in which it calls for increased government support for organic producers in the UK. Acreage under full organic production has doubled over the past year, but increased financial support will be required in order to help growers convert to organic production. The UK has the lowest government financial support rate of any EU member state for organic conversion and post-conversion.

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