Micro Trend #1: More than organic, sustainable

At a time when purpose and commitments are becoming prerequisites, organic farming is rethinking itself as 'augmented' and pushing its commitments further: ecological, ethical and authentic.

We can no longer just talk about 'pesticide-free' or organic, when 46% of French people want to know the environmental impact of the products they buy.^[I].
Consumption has become a reassurance equation. The ingredient is no longer the sole star of the bio-eco equation; packaging now plays a major role. It's not just the upstream (cultivation, sourcing) that counts, but also the downstream and, above all, the post-circulation: all stages of the product's life cycle are integrated.

Brands, distributors, and labels are already addressing the new ambitions of organic. For example, the leading specialist organic retailer, Biocoop, is emphasizing its core values ​​and activism, and is aiming for 30% of its turnover to come from fair trade by 2025. Carrefour is now applying blockchain to its own-brand organic products to ensure full traceability (a QR code to trace the journey of each batch).

While with its manifesto, Cosmébio now offers a more global approach to cosmetics, a commitment that includes packaging, with the adaptation of the CSR framework in the future.

The proof in products:

1. Fresh toothpaste, cold-processed without water in a Breton workshop, minimalist formula of 7 ingredients 100% of natural origin, Duralex glass pack and cork stopper, by Ecodis, stand J08.
2. Lemon-Almond Kignon, biscuits made and packaged by disabled people (30 disabled workers trained), made from unsold organic bread (4000 baguettes saved, the equivalent of 600000L of water saved), with local sourcing and ecological packaging, by Handi-Gaspi Biscuit Factory, stand J152.
3. Sequoia Circular, a program to buy back the brand's wooden floor displays at the end of their use, to recondition them in an ESAT and give them a second life, by Sequoia Factory, stand K89.
4. White tuna fillet in organic olive oil, 100% local with full traceability, by The Sablaise, stand H118.
5. Cambodian PGI Palm Blossom Sugar, guaranteed traceability, a remunerative and stable price for producers, an accessible price for consumers, by Café Michel-Terra Etica, stand F111.

 

Micro Trend No. 2: Beyond local, food sovereignty

In this uncertain context, faced with war, restrictions and climatic uncertainties, are we in the process of shifting from a society of abundance to a world of enforced sobriety?

Food security is becoming essential, shaking up our vision of the world and globalization, and breathing new life into local products, as a shield against rising raw material costs and shortages (see sunflower oil). 77% of consumers now prefer a local product to an organic one.^[ii].

While the European Union has just authorized the cultivation of fallow land to compensate for the upcoming decline in global grain production, this year marks a historic milestone for organic farming in France. For the first time, we have achieved food self-sufficiency in wheat: 100% of the organic wheat we consume is French. Just like milk, eggs, and meat. Organic farming, first in terms of food sovereignty^[iii].

Growing organically and manufacturing locally then appears not only as an act of resistance, but as a promise of resilience, both ecological and economic. For brands, it means being able to communicate that they offer more than a product at a certain price, and on real values: improving the quality of water, soil, air, but also the quality of life of the farmer and the consumer in a territory that is more regional than national.

The proof in products:

1. Mini raspberry cookies, “Lyonnaise artisanal production” with 97% ingredients of French origin, by Like the Greats, stand I'154.
2. Organic black garlic, “cultivated and transformed in Drôme”, by Maison Boutarin, stand L152.
3. Vanilla Skyr, made in Vendée from milk collected in the Pays de la Loire, by The Lemance, stand G101.

 

Micro Trend No. 3: Ecology with education

Spreading organic food to as many people as possible to amplify its impact and motivate everyone on the path of ecological transition...is now done with pedagogy and a certain degree of ease. The advent of happy sobriety and a 'happy' ecology.

Organic brands are focusing on universal care for the entire family, rather than hyper-segmentation. They are creating fun, understated, and practical offerings to introduce little ones to zero plastic and less waste.

Bulk delivery systems are becoming more widespread, streamlining every step of this new supply chain for parents. Finally, retailers are facilitating access to products in all circumstances by moving into the era of Service 2.0.

Like Les Nouveaux Robinsons, which now offers 'Click & Collect' for its entire catalog, in 14 of the network's 20 stores. La Fourche is integrating Aurore Market, thus strengthening its position in online organic products. The two retailers, which rely on a membership system, will thus provide access to a catalog of 4100 products (vs. 2,500 for Aurore Market), around a hundred co-created La Fourche products, 100% French-origin products, zero-waste delivery in major cities and suburbs (40% of the territory eligible in 2022 and 80% in 2023), an anti-waste section, a glass deposit system in the Ile-de-France region, etc.

Pedagogy in the service of organic and ecology. 

The proof in products:

1. Denti'Freeze for the whole family, large refillable bottle with pump, by Coslys, stand I11.
2. Strawberry chewable toothpaste for children, easy and fun zero waste for children, by Lamazuna, stand K11.
3. Bulk meter, an automated system with integrated scale and labeling, by Smartvrac, stand J'78.

 

 

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#1 The extension of the organic commitment

 

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^{[I] Appinio Survey for LSA, March 2022
[ii] iris 2021
[iii] Loic Guines, president of the BIO Agency, Sandrine Faucou of the Permanent Assembly of Chambers of Agriculture, Jean Verdier of Synabio, Bruno Martel of the Agricultural Cooperative and Philippe Henry of the Fnab, in a column for LSA Green, April 2022}