World Organic Market to Grow 20% to 30% a Year

OXFORD, England—The world market for organic products could grow by 20% to 30% per year over the next few years, said Ulrich Hamm, an organic market analyst based in Germany.

Hamm spoke at the Fifth IFOAM Conference on Trade in Organic Products, held here Sept. 24-27. Hamm said Argentina, Canada, Chile, China, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and eastern European countries are set to join the EU, U.S. and Japan as major consumers of organic products.

In a video message recorded at Highgrove, his own organic estate, Prince Charles expressed his support of organic to conference participants and said that in the absence of comprehensive labeling requirements there is no place for genetic engineering in organic agriculture.

Also, EU Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler said that an EU-wide framework for labeling, producing and inspecting organic foods is essential to protect consumers and prevent an undermining of public confidence in organic.

The conference was sponsored by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the U.K. Soil Association and Hipp of Germany.

International News Briefs

The Magic Marketing Network Ltd., 45% owned by Mount Real Corp. (MRF) of Alberta, BC, acquired multi-level marketing companies Vitis International Ltd., Calgary; Summit 2000 Inc., San Diego; and IBC Corp., Olympia, WA.

Hoechst of Germany has taken six patents for uses of the compounds extracted from Coleus forskohlii, an herb used in ayurvedic medicine to treat cardiovascular diseases, abdominal colic, respiratory disorders, painful urination, insomnia and convulsions.

A delegation from the Japan Food Service Association (JFSA), representing approximately $43 billion in annual sales, was in Monterey, CA, in September to explore export opportunities for fresh produce and organic and natural foods to Japan. The trade mission included Takeshi Okawara, chairman of JFSA and president of KFC Japan.

Calgary-based nutraceutical, cosmetic and skin care company Fytokem Products Inc. on Sept. 2 completed an IPO of 2 million common shares at $.50/share, grossing the company $1 million. The Alberta Stock Exchange has conditionally approved the listing under the symbol FYT.

Market research group Euromonitor reports that Japan, recording 1996 sales of $5.21 billion, is the largest market for weight-loss and food supplements among the G-7 countries. The U.K. market notched growth of 9.6% on 1996 sales of $798 million. Vitamins and dietary supplements are the largest sectors of the market in every country but Spain, where weight-loss products amounted to 47.1% of total market sales in 1996.