Arla, the farmer-owned dairy company, is responding to the resurgence of organic in the UK with the launch of its first branded organic product, Arla Organic Farm Milk.
The launch will see the farmer-owned business engage consumers in organic produce, through a comprehensive marketing campaign in the New Year.
This year's Organic September has helped the organic market celebrate renewed growth over the past year, thanks to promotional and marketing support from the industry.
Soil Association Certification, which certifies over 70% of all organic products sold in the UK, is announcing renewed growth beating last year’s sales data (according to supermarket figures) and further indicating that organic is now a core part of the market.
The organic food industry in Western Europe and the US has been experiencing a prolonged period of high single-digit to low double-digit sales growth—and, on the back of ongoing health, food safety, environmental and animal welfare concerns, and thinktank Rabobank expects this trend to continue.
'Food producers should increase their focus on organic, through new products and brands, or through the reformulation of existing products to help grow their top lines', the Rabobank report suggests. It states this transition will also help them to position themselves as 'responsible businesses'.
'Our organic story'
Tomas Pietrangeli, managing director, Arla Foods UK said: “It’s a significant milestone in our growth agenda and enables us to start telling and showcasing our organic story. As the category is on the rise, we see lots of potential for us to drive more value into the milk category.”
Arla is the world’s largest producer of organic dairy products, with its farmers providing around 700 million litres of organic milk each year, including the UK, where it already produces own-label organic milk, cheese and butter.
Tomas Pietrangeli continued: “I have seen what can be achieved in other markets, such as Denmark, where up to 30 per cent of overall fresh milk sales are organic. The strategy has been focused on making organic more accessible to everyone, new product development and providing choice and availability.”
Clare McDermott, Business Development Director, from Soil Association Certification, said: “We believe it’s a natural step for the world’s largest organic dairy producer. Organic farming has great benefits for animals, farmers and the environment and we have enjoyed working with Arla’s farmer owners and colleagues to ensure the product upholds the highest animal welfare standards that organic brings.”
