In order to delve deeper into this topic and explore why Swedish organic food is growing in popularity in countries such as Germany, France, United Kingdom and China, we interviewed four Swedish industry experts representing different companies within the food industry. Here are their thoughts and opinions on these two questions.
– What distinguishes Swedish organic food seen from an international perspective?
– What does the future look like for Swedish organic food?
Thomas Berglund, CEO, Almnäs Bruk
“I think that a concern for animal welfare and a different gastronomy based on simplicity and our geographical position are distinguishing features of Swedish organic food. That we produce pure food and are at the forefront of the discussion about how to sustainably produce food in an ethically justifiable way are also important.”
“The future for Swedish organic food looks bright. A challenging task that lies ahead is to inform the rest of the world about Sweden and Swedish organic food. There is a big and curious market out there.”
Wiveca Almgren, CEO, Magnihill
“For me, Swedish organic food is characterized by crops full of flavour grown on our nutrient rich clean soils or in our fantastic lush forests. Sweden also has a reputation for long-term planning, innovation and credibility, which is reflected in the superior products produced throughout our country. There are not many countries that can produce such good peas and root vegetables or as tasty forest berries (lingonberries and blueberries) as we do in Sweden.”
“The future for Swedish organic food is very bright. The only question is whether we can meet the demand at the right pace. Sweden is investing in more unique organic products as well as increasing the area for organic farming. Magnihill’s efforts to innovate and closely cooperate with customers make us better equipped to meet the increased demand and develop products with unique added value.”
Jens Fylkner, CEO, Malmö Chocolate Factory
“I think the purity of Swedish organic food is the most differentiating value. Whether it is Absolut Vodka, Swedish pork without a lot of antibiotics or Swedish chocolate without unnecessary additives, Sweden as a food nation has worked for a long time to establish a reputation for exceedingly clean products.”
“Organic is without a doubt going to be Sweden’s most important feature in the process of breaking into new markets. Both the markets that have already come a long way (such as the United States and Canada), and those who have lagged behind but have great potential (China and the rest of Asia), prioritize organic and clean, safe food. Malmö Chocolate Factory, for example, exports to Japan, and we believe that they appreciate our short list of ingredients and the lack of unnecessary additives in our chocolate, and of course that it is organic.”
Christian Gylche, Business Developer, Kronfågel
“Sweden has a very good reputation and is considered to have very safe food. Sweden has come a long way towards achieving zero antibiotics, no GMOs and no salmonella. Further, the Swedish organic certification, KRAV, is a good guarantee of product quality.”
“Finally, there are customers in other parts of the world who can and want to pay for our quality-focused Swedish food products. Purchasers place increasingly higher demands on quality and inspections, and at the same time are willing to pay for it. In my opinion, we have only seen the beginning of this.”
