Britain Organic food sales reach £1bn

Sales of organic food in the UK have topped £1bn (€1.46bn) for the first time, according to a report by the Soil Association published today.

The demand for Organic produce is growing by 10% each year in Britain - faster than any other food and drink sector, the Soil Association says.

One of the biggest rises was in sales of organic baby food, up 20% over the past year.

The supermarket share of the organic market has fallen slightly, for the first time in five years, from 82% to 81%.

Part of the reason is the growing popularity of farmers' markets, farm shops and direct delivery, which now account for a tenth of all organic sales - up by a third on last year.

In Ireland, according to recent research by the Agriculture and food development authority Teagasc, total Irish organic sales are worth €25m.

The Irish lag behind their European counterparts in Organic food consumption.

People in Ireland purchase 0.5% of their food as organic compared to an EU average of 2%.