Trend n°1: More than organic – sustainable

At a time when purpose and commitment are prerequisites, the organic sector is redesigning and improving itself and pushing its realm of commitments even further: ecological, ethical and authentic.

We can no longer only talk about “pesticide-free” or organic because 46% of French people want to know the environmental impact of the products they buy^[i].
Consumption has become an equation of reassurance. The ingredient is no longer the only star of the organic-ecological equation – the pack now plays a major role too. Not only upstream (growing, sourcing), but also downstream and especially afterwards. Known as circularity, it covers every step in a product’s life span.

Brands, distributors and labels are now tackling the new ambitions of the organic sector. For example, the leader in specialised organic distribution, Biocoop, is focusing on its structuring values, its militancy and is aiming to achieve 30% of its turnover from fair trade by 2025. Carrefour is now applying blockchain to its own-brand organic products to guarantee complete traceability (a QR Code to track the journey of each batch).

Cosmébio now proposes a more global approach to cosmetics, a commitment that includes packaging, with, in the future, bringing the standard in line with CSR requirements.

Proof in products:

1. Water-free toothpaste made using a cold production process in a workshop in Brittany. A minimalist formula of seven natural ingredients, Duralex glass pack and cork stopper, by Ecodis, stand J08.
2. Kignon Citron-Amande, biscuits made and packaged by people with disabilities (30 disabled workers trained), produced from unsold organic bread (4,000 baguettes saved, i.e. the equivalent of 600,000L of water saved), supplied locally and with ecological packaging, by La Biscuiterie Handi-Gaspi, stand J152.
3. Sequoia Circulaire, a programme to buy back the brand’s wooden shelving units after their use, to restore them in a sheltered employment establishment and offer them a second life, by Sequoia Factory, stand K89.
4. Organic white tuna fillet with olive oil, 100% local with full traceability, by La Sablaise, stand H118.
5. IGP label palm flower sugar from Cambodia, traceability guaranteed, a remunerative and stable price for the producers, an accessible price for consumers, by Café Michel-Terra Etica, stand F111

 

 

 

Trend n°2: Beyond local – food sovereignty

In this uncertain context of war, restrictions and uncertainty, are we moving from a society of abundance to a world of forced austerity?

Food security is becoming essential, challenging our vision of the world and globalisation and giving local produce new momentum, like a shield against raw material price increases and shortages (think of sunflower oil). 77% of consumers now prefer a local product to an organic product^[ii].

While the European Union has just authorised the cultivation of fallow land to offset the expected drop in global cereal production, this year marks a historical breakthrough for the organic sector in France. For the first time, we have reached self-sufficiency for wheat: 100% of the organic wheat we consume is French. In the same way as for milk, eggs and meat. The organic sector is leading the way in food sovereignty.^[iii]

Growing organic produce and manufacturing locally not only seems like an act of resistance, but a promise of resilience, both ecological and economical. For brands, it means being able to communicate on the fact that they offer more than a product at a certain price, and on real values: improving the quality of water, soil and air, but also quality of life of farmers and consumers on a regional rather than national scale.

Proof in products:

1. Mini raspberry cookie, “hand-made in Lyon” with 97% of ingredients from France, by Comme des Grands, stand I’154.
2. Organic black garlic, “grown and processed in Drôme”, by Maison Boutarin, stand L152.
3. Vanilla skyr, made in Vendée from milk collected in the Loire, by La Lemance, stand G101.

 

Trend n°3: Ecology with pedagogy 

Making organic produce available to as many people as possible in order to amplify its impact and motivate everyone on the path to the ecological transition is now being carried out with pedagogy and a certain degree of facility. It’s the advent of happy restraint and happy ecology.

Organic brands focus on universal care for the whole family rather than hyper-segmentation. They present fun, minimal and practical offers to introduce children to zero plastic and less waste.

Loose and unpackaged goods are becoming more widespread, while at the same time making all the stages of this new supply mode more fluid for parents. Finally, retailers are facilitating access to products in every circumstance by switching to the era of service 2.0.

Like Les Nouveaux Robinsons, which are now offering Click & Collect for their entire catalogue in 14 of their 20 stores. La Fourche is integrating Aurore Market and thus strengthening its position in online organic retail. Both retailers, which operate a membership system, will thus provide access to a catalogue of 4,100 products (compared to 2,500 for Aurore Market), around one hundred co-created La Fourche products, all from France, zero-waste delivery in large towns and suburbs (40% of the country is eligible in 2022 and 80% in 2023), a no-waste section, a glass deposit return system in Ile-de-France, etc.

Pedagogy in support of the organic sector and ecology.

Proof in products:

1. Denti’Freeze for the whole family, large, refillable bottle with pump, by Coslys, stand I11.
2. Children’s strawberry chewable toothpaste, easy and fun zero-waste for children, by Lamazuna, stand K11.
3. Vracomètre, an automated system with integrated scales and labelling, by Smartvrac, stand J’78.

 

 

Download the Natexpo 2022 trend sheet 
#1 The extension of the organic commitment

 

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^{[i] Appinio survey for LSA, March 2022
[ii] IRI 2021
[iii] Loic Guines, Chairman of Agence BIO, Sandrine Faucou from the Permanent Assembly of the Chambers of Agriculture, Jean Verdier from Synabio, Bruno Martel from Coopérative Agricole and Philippe Henry from Fnab, in an article for LSA Green, April 2022}