South America Organic Food & Beverage Market Outlook, 2027

South America is one of the regions with the highest use of agrochemicals like glyphosate. However, some producers in the region strive to keep soil and plants free from such synthetic ingredients by growing organic crops. The hectare of organic crops has gone through considerable growth in South America since its first measurement in 2000, with Argentina and Uruguay as the leading countries in terms of organic farmland area. In 2017, there were over 455 thousand registered organic producers in the whole region, and the key permanent organic crops were coffee and cocoa. The interest in this kind of agriculture is shown in the increased market value of bio pesticides and organic fertilizers. At the end of the industries supply chain, South American consumers also have a growing interest in agrochemical-free fruits and vegetables, dairy foods and beverages, and health and wellness foods.

In 2017, 8 million hectares were reported as being under organic production, which is 1.1% of the total agricultural land in South America. The country with the largest organic agricultural area was Argentina, with 3.4 million hectares and the country with the largest number of organic producers, with more than 210,000. According to the report titled- South America Organic Food & Beverage Market Outlook, 2027; a recent publication the region is positioned as the least contributing region in the global market with a value of USD 1.70 billion in the year 2021. The rapid rate of urbanization and the growth of emerging markets primarily drive South America’s organic food market. Even though the economy declined due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, it increased the need for people to shift towards organic intake. Through the forecasted period, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 12%. With the increasing health-consciousness of consumers, there is a growing demand for low-calorie and lactose-free dairy nutrition. All these factors are aiding the growth of the South American organic dairy food and beverage market.

In addition to being one of the most rapidly developing economies, Brazil is an emerging market in terms of organic dairy product consumption in the South American region. Price-conscious Brazilian consumers consider organic dairy products to be expensive. Therefore, the manufacturers offering these organic dairy products for lower prices reap the benefits. The improving economic status and the rise in health consciousness attract consumers towards organic dairy food and beverage products. Due to all these factors, the market for organic dairy foods and beverages is expected to continue growing in Brazil in the coming years. Furthermore, Brazil is a leading market in South America, and any changes in this market affect the regional organic dairy market as a whole. There has been a rising demand in the country for traditional dairy products such as requeijoo cheese; this is driving the demand for processed cheese. Also, milk is largely consumed in the region as a daily staple food across various income groups.

All these factors have led to an increase in the demand for organic dairy foods and beverages.

Argentina's organic crops extend from oilseeds to the traditional yerba mate. The food industry in the South American country also registers positive numbers in organic packaged food and beverage sales. The industry accompanies the expansion, as some important companies selling organic products are based in the country. Furthermore, sales of organic packaged food and beverages are expected to keep growing in these countries, as consumers of all ages, income levels, and genders show an interest in healthier eating habits.

The South American market is beginning to ripen in its demand for natural food and beverage products, which extends opportunities for organic offerings. Flavor producer Symrise has surveyed more than 1,500 consumers in Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia, with varied flavor preferences. While price remains an important consideration across the region, the survey found that high proportions of survey participants are willing to pay more for products that embrace true naturalness. Straus Family Creamery deals with the manufacture and sales of organic dairy products. It offers numerous dairy products via its portfolio, which includes organic butter, organic yogurt, organic cream-top milk, organic ice cream, organic sour cream, and a variety of wholesale and specialty organic dairy products.

The market has a high dominance of the organic food segment, while the organic beverage segment has hardly any existence in the market. The main organic permanent crops of the region, according to government sources in 2017, were coffee (almost 422,000 hectares), cocoa, and tropical and subtropical fruits. Organic coffee represented 8% of the total coffee area in the region and 47% of the world’s organic coffee. However, a recovering economy, increasing disposable income, and an increase in initiatives to inform consumers about the health benefits of organic non-dairy products are all expected to be key driving factors boosting growth in the coming years. Farm shops are getting popular where families cultivate plants and raise animals in a natural environment far from cities, and they sell their products in a house-shop. However, the modern retail segment is expected to dominate the market throughout the forecasted period, accounting for more than 45% of the market by the end of 2027.The increasing availability of organic food products through various e-commerce platforms is also contributing to the growth of the organic food and beverage market in the region.

The online stores are to gain more popularity in the region for their vast variety and heavily discounted prices. With the increasing need of the people to gather information about what they consume, the market share of other sales channels like trade shows and exhibition is expected to grow. Farm shops are getting popular where families cultivate plants and raise animals in a natural environment far from cities and they sell products in a house-shop.

The major challenges for the organic sector, in order of importance, are access to capital, sourcing ingredients, cost of ingredients, technical sourcing expertise, and sourcing ingredients near the facility and manufacturing in the region. The organic sector in South America feels the responsibility to improve the institutional regulations and control systems in place for the production, taking into account the perception of organic foods as healthier for people and more environmentally friendly. Currently, the key consumer group for organic products is high-income individuals. A significant factor for this low customer base is the current economic scenario, which includes higher unit price items of organic products accompanied by recovering consumer expenditure. However, sales are expected to increase in the short and long term in line with the predicted economic growth and due to an anticipated increase in consumer awareness.

COVID-19 Impacts:

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly boosted the growth of the global organic food and beverage market. Increased health-consciousness and a shift in consumer focus toward healthy food intake during the pandemic to improve immunity and gut health drive demand for organic food and beverages in the Americas region.

Major Companies considered in Report:

Danone - WhiteWave Foods, General Mills.

Considered In the Report

• Geography: South America
• Historical year: 2016
• Base year: 2021
• Estimated year: 2022
• Forecasted year: 2027

Countries covered:

• Brazil
• Argentina
• Columbia

Aspects Covered In the Report

• Market Size By Value for the time period (2015-2026F)
• Market Share by Type (Food & Beverage)
• Market Share by Food (Fruits & Vegetables, Meat, Fish & Poultry, Dairy Products, Frozen & processed Food)
• Market Share by Beverage (Non-Dairy, Coffee & Tea, Beer & Wine)
• Market Share by Sales Channel (Convenience Store, Modern Retail, Online Retail)
• Market Share by CountryThe approach of the report:

Intended Audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to the organic food and beverage companies, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.