The market for organic food and drink in the UK “outperformed” conventional fare last year, certification body The Soil Association has said.

However, the sales performance of organic beer, wine and spirits was mixed, the data showed.

UK sales of organic food and drink rose 7.3% in 2024 to £3.7bn ($4.68bn), data published today (26 February) by The Soil Association showed. The figures incorporated sales across retail and foodservice.

Citing figures for sales made through supermarkets, discounters and online retailers such as Ocado and Amazon, the organisation said sales rose 8% to £2.43bn.

When looking at the same basket of retailers, unit sales grew 4.7% year on year, the Soil Association said. It added the increase was “four times” more than total UK food and drink sales in the same channels. The organisation does not capture volume data for home delivery, independent stores or foodservice.

According to the figures, the value of organic food and drink sales in the UK has almost doubled in a decade. In 2014, sales stood at £1.86bn.

A spokesperson for The Soil Association said that rate of growth “also reflects significant volume growth over this time”.

He added: “However, we have seen relatively low unit growth and some stagnation in recent years during the cost-of-living crisis and with spiralling food prices. In 2024, we saw promising unit growth in organic food and drink of 4.7% … which is a great indicator that organic is now outperforming the total market and in good health.”

In value terms, UK sales of organic food and drink through home delivery were up 3% at £540.9m. Sales at independent retailers increased 9% to £517.6m. Foodservice sales grew 6.5% to £208.2m.

“Economic storms have created a tough climate for organic in recent years but this year’s report shows a striking bounce-back,” Dominic Robinson, The Soil Association’s CEO, said.

Among the major retailers in the UK, Sainsbury’s, the country’s second-largest grocer, accounted for just over 25% of organic food and drink sales last year, the figures showed.

By category, dairy accounted for the largest share of sales by value at 26.4%. Sales of organic dairy products increased 6% in 2024. The sales of organic fresh produce rose 10.4%, with the category accounting for 22.7% of the market among major retailers.

The combined sales of organic beer, wine and spirits, inched up 0.5%. According to the Soil Association, sales "remained flat through major retail but enjoyed significant growth in non-major grocery outlets".

The drinks account for just over 5% of the market for organic food and drink in the UK, the organisation says.