During the 30th SANA international exhibition of organic and natural products, the results of the survey of Italian food agriculture, promoted by BolognaFiere with the support of FederBio and Assobio and curated by Nomisma were presented. The survey was based on a sample group of 200 retail points for the section dedicated to the retail channel and 800 families for the analysis of purchasing habits and motivations. The main results of the survey were:

• 8 out of 10 consumers have purchased an organic product in the last year. 42% of them are “frequent users”, who purchase organic products each week.
• It is an informed and conscious choice; according to the research, for 52% of respondents the choice is determined
  by health reasons but there are others whose choices are motivated by the quality guarantees safety for these
  types of goods (47%) and those who choose organics because they prioritize respect for the environment.
• Among the categories that are purchased the most are fruit and vegetables (chosen by 61% of consumers), followed
  by milk and dairy derivatives (57%) and eggs (53%). While 44% of organic users purchase products in regular
  supermarkets, 19% continue to prefer the specialized channel, especially led by the offers available (24%) and a
  greater trust in the products sold there (19%).
• The number of specialized shops has increased by 13% compared with 2013 an by 111% compared with 1993 (source: BIOBANK). Of these 60% of are concentrated in northern Italy and 45% have opened in the last decade.
• The typical clients of the specialized retail points – women were the prevalent gender according to 79% of respondents, belonging to the age group between 35 and 45 years old (50%), with children younger than 12 years old (43%), with medium to high income (78%) and “heavy users” of organics (whose shopping is composed of between 80 to 100% organic food products), who choose products based on a particular lifestyle (free from/vegetarian/light) and who develop a relationship of trust with their supplier, visiting the retail point at least once a week.

More info: http://www.sana.it/en/initiatives/sana-organic-survey/1556.html