Can you tell us a bit about yourself: who are you, where do you come from, what do you do?
I founded the Ineldea laboratories more than 20 years ago in the south of France. In parallel, I have spent many years working to support our profession. I strongly believe that collective action by companies within their trade association is essential to make the voice of the sector heard by our stakeholders, especially those in the political and regulatory arenas. In this respect, I was elected Chairman of Synadiet in 2023, and I am also vice president of our European federation EHPM.
The future is starting to look a little brighter for the organic sector. What does the situation look from your perspective?
The situation is indeed brightening up. However, the organic outlet-sold dietary supplement market is still slightly down, and in pharmacies, which are our main sales channel, the growth observed for organic products is for the first time lower than that of conventional products. We are therefore a far cry from the era of continuous growth we enjoyed up until 2022. The ever-tighter regulations being applied to the organic market are preventing some of the active ingredients (vitamins and minerals, substances, probiotics, etc.) demanded by consumers from earning a label. This state of affairs is severely curbing the development of organic in dietary supplements, and is exacerbating the current climate in the organic market as a whole.
What are Synadiet plans to support the sector?
Synadiet trains, informs, mobilises, structures and supports all its members in the performance of their missions. In 2025, we are going to continue this course of action. Alongside other representatives in our supply chain, we are going to form an interprofessional body for fragrance, aromatic and medicinal plants in a bid to unite all the players in the chain around structural projects. Moreover, we also have plans to become a mission-driven supply chain.
What are you expecting from the next edition of Natexpo in 2025?
Natexpo is a long-standing gathering for the profession. The network in attendance, the innovation exhibited, and the information distributed are all important for our members who are heavily involved in the organic sector. While dietary supplements account for a small proportion of our shop shelves, they are nonetheless big contributors to the business of specialist organic shops. The space given over to dietary supplements and the increased presence of retailers alongside our manufacturing companies will be crucial to the success of this edition.
What’s your everyday organic reflex?
For more than 10 years, I have been starting my day with a coffee, an organic apple, and my dietary supplements.