A survey by Newspoll has revealed that 61 per cent Australian grocery buyers buy some organic products.

The Newspoll was commissioned by the Organic Federation of Australia, the peak body for the organic sector and was conducted nationally among 966 main grocery buyers.

A previous survey, conducted in 2003 by the University of Central Queensland, showed that 43 per cent of consumers purchased organic products.

“This is a 50 per cent increase in buyers in five years and confirms the other data that ‘organic’ is the fastest growing food category in the world,” stated Andre Leu, chairman of the Organic Federation of Australia.

The organic industry is emerging from a small niche to a significant part of the Australian food industry. A recent report showed that it is worth over $600 million.

“When we add flow on industries such as the compost industry that is worth over $400 million it is easy to see that the organic industry is worth over a billion dollars to the Australian economy.

“The federation would like to see industry and governments prioritize organic sector investments so that we can continue to facilitate more viable farms, increase employment and expand the range of organic goods and services across all areas of Australia,” said Leu.