Denmark: Leader in the organic market

With a market share of around 12% in organic food, Denmark is the global leader. At the international conference ‘Organic Summit 2025’, which took place in Copenhagen from 18 to 19 August, Denmark's successful organic strategy was presented and discussed by 450 participants from 40 countries. At the end of the conference, the Organic Charter was presented, outlining the path to achieving 25% organic agriculture and food consumption in the EU by 2030 (with video recordings and interviews from the summit).

Typical scene in the organic capital of Copenhagen. Photo: Karin Heinze

Organic Charter shows the way to 25% by 2030

‘Everyone wants more organic products: consumers, retailers, producers and politicians,’ summarised Petter Aagesen, marketing director and board member of the organic dairy Thise, in an interview. The 450 participants from 40 countries, as well as Danish organic stakeholders and organisers, agreed that the EU's target of 25% by 2030 is ambitious but achievable and should definitely be pursued. Rasmus Prehn, former Minister of Agriculture and recently appointed CEO of the industry organisation Organic Denmark, wants to use his political experience and network to do everything he can to stimulate both organic production and consumption. Organic Denmark's 3,000 members include all stakeholders from producers to consumers and represent their interests in the organic sector.

Watch the video with the speeches of Nicolai Wammen, Financial Minister of the Danish Government, and of Connie Hedegaard, former EU-Commissioner for Climate and interviews with Petter Aagesen, board of Thise Organic Dairy and Richo Boss, CEO of Meny supermarkets.

Key role of the state organic label

The well-known state organic label ‘Red Ø’ was introduced 35 years ago as the world's first organic label. Consumer confidence in state-controlled certification is paying off, and Organic Denmark wants to use the anniversary as an opportunity to once again promote organic products. ‘We will tell the organic story and the benefits of the products again and again,’ explains Richo Boss, managing director of the MENY supermarket chain. Not all consumers are yet aware of all the benefits of organic food. Rasmus Prehn also emphasised this. In her closing speech, former EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said that the summit had demonstrated how many solutions the organic sector offers. Organic farming is a multifunctional tool for the manifold challenges of protecting the climate and soil, preserving biodiversity and maintaining clean water, air and the environment.

Rasmus Prehn, CEO of the organic industry association Organic Denmark, advocates further efforts and more communication to promote the further development of the organic market. Video: Karin Heinze

Organic is a growth market

Where does Denmark's leading role in the organic market share come from – it is almost twice as high as in Germany. Organic has been growing faster than the conventional market for years, confirms Richo Boss, managing director of the MENY supermarket chain, which belongs to the Degrofa Group. What are the Danes doing differently and right? Large retail companies such as Coop entered the organic business early on, as did large producers such as Arla. Today, organic products are represented in all Danish retail formats, and over 50% of organic goods go to the German organic market alone.

Take Thise, for example: the organic dairy started out very small, as an initiative of a few dairy farmers, even before the introduction of ‘Red Ø’. Thise has grown thanks to its partnership with Coop since 1995. But Coop's entry was a game changer for the entire young organic industry, explains Petter Aagesen, Marketing and Sales at Thise (photo: Karin Heinze) and member of the cooperative's board of directors (interview). Today, the Thise range at Coop includes over 100 products. Aagesen emphasises that the innovative strength driven by the cooperative's farmers is crucial to its success. He cites ‘climate milk’, ‘animal welfare milk’, the ‘cheese revolution’ and the introduction of skyr to the Danish market as examples.

The Danish organic model stands for strong alliances and partnerships, according to Rasmus Prehn, Organic Denmark. Continuous support from politicians is also of great importance. The sustainability potential of organic products was recognised early on. The MENY supermarket chain, for example, invests heavily in communication and the presentation of organic products. Depending on the size of the market, the 116 stores have 1,000 to 2,500 organic products on their shelves and are specially advertised. Here, too, creativity and an interesting product range play an important role.

Richo Boss, Managing Director of MENY Supermarkets at the Organic Summit. Photo: Karin Heinze

Pioneering role of out-of-home catering

Catering services, public kitchens and the catering sector are particularly important in the Danish organic sector. Commercial kitchens serve around 650,000 main meals every day in Denmark. Many public commercial kitchens are required to use organic ingredients; in Copenhagen, the proportion is already over 90%, and a total of around 3,500 kitchens have the three-tier organic catering label. In his opening speech, Copenhagen's mayor Weiss said that 110,000 organic meals are served every day in the capital. Public procurement for out-of-home catering is an important building block in advancing the organic sector towards the 25% target.

Of course, the catering during the summit was also organic. Photo: Karin Heinze

Support from politicians

In order to meet the increased demand for organic products and achieve the 25% target, more farms in Denmark must also convert from conventional to organic farming. According to the relevant authorities, advisory services for farmers are well developed, and new methods in organic farming are being tested and researched in an innovation centre for organic farming. However, it is up to each individual farmer to decide whether they see their future as an organic farmer. Politicians have recently stepped in to help by launching a Green Transition Programme, which involves the ecological recultivation of intensively farmed land in favour of biodiversity, water protection, etc. A CO2 tax is also planned.

The Organic Charter was handed over to Finance Minister Nicolai Wammen at the end of the summit. ‘We need more organic,’ he stated. Photo: Karin Heinze