Consumers spent a record €1bn on organic food last year, up 14% on 2011, according to economic affairs ministry figures.

Some 90% of organic products were bought in ordinary supermarkets such as Albert Heijn and Jumbo, while the rest was sold at specialist shops, farm shops and farmers markets.

‘Organic food is now widely available,’ said Bavo van den Idsert, director of Bionext which carried out the research for the ministry. ‘In addition, a quarter of organic farms now do direct sales and have an online shop or farm shop.’

While demand for organic meat, potatoes, vegetables and fruit rose, sales fell slightly for organic dairy products.

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