Market Evolution Organic Food

The market for sustainable food, spoiled by decades of success but battered in recent years, finally seems to be recovering. Yet not all players are benefitting from the renewed market growth. “Now more than ever!” calls alternate with insolvency headlines. Brands wrestle with private labels. And in society, even in the second half of 2025, sustainability is far from a top-of-mind topic. Political tailwinds? Highly unlikely at the moment. Economic conditions? More volatile than ever. So what’s next for the sustainable food sector? And how can we continue to drive the transformation of the food system?

In the second edition of the SustainableFutureLab (SFL) at and with BIOFACH, we dedicated three sessions to key questions about the market’s future, turned them into provocative theses, and put them up for discussion – with decision-makers and thought leaders from the industry as well as the professional audience in the room. These are the following Key Takeaways: 

1. Organic companies need strong marketing with new narratives 

SFL “Vollkorn strikes back?! Growth potential between lifestyle and planetary health” 

In “Vollkorn strikes back?!”, we asked Estella Schweizer (Green Plate Movement), Jannis Meseke (Voelkel), Philipp Stahr (Wholey), and Prof. Dr. Jan Niessen (TH Nuremberg): How can impact brands communicate in times of multiple crises, when the classic narratives no longer work to stimulate sustainable consumption and remain successful?

The thesis “Sustainability is dead” was a deliberately provocative invitation to recalibrate. Sustainability alone no longer works as a selling point – because it’s either taken for granted, perceived as inauthentic, or simply not relevant enough right now. Instead, we need positive storytelling with substance. The added values and core identity markers of the organic movement – soil fertility, animal welfare, transparency, and climate contribution – are often just add-ons for consumers today. Their first question is: “What’s in it for me?!” Taste, health, and positive lifestyle must therefore be front and center in product management and communication. 

More and more brands demonstrate: communication must not only show purpose, it must also entertain. The times when taste and brand experience were sacrificed for sustainability are long gone. Organic products must compete with conventional ones on all levels. And cutting-edge marketing may be the single biggest lever for positive development – especially in light of the strong growth and persuasive offers from organic private labels and conventional lifestyle brands.

Strong brands will endure. The future belongs to those who communicate with positivity and emotional appeal – offering not just sustainability, but a holistic and engaging brand experience.

2. Retail holds the power – and the responsibility 

SFL “Transformative Power of Retail: Unlimited Growth Potential for Organic?” 

The “elephant round” on the transformative power of retail brought together Kathrin Jäckel (BNN), Kerstin Erbe (dm), Theresia Quint (EDEKA Quint), Hans Martin Herrmann (Lidl), Lukas Nossol (dennree), and Stephan Rüschen (DHBW Heilbronn), exploring the question: What role and responsibility does retail hold in driving transformation? It was an attempt to push the discussion beyond the usual, predictable statements.

Whether specialty stores, drugstores, discount, or mainstream grocery: retail fundamentally shapes consumer food choices. The discussion in the Lab made one thing clear: this is not about channel competition, but about redefining roles and focusing on each channel’s strengths. Target groups may overlap less than one might assume – and each retail format can contribute to a more sustainable food system.

Organic must be both accessible and affordable so that the pragmatic mainstream will pick it up. At the same time, there remains creative space for pioneer brands to keep inspiring the committed consumer base.

Retail likely holds the greatest power to transform the food system. But as long as regulatory frameworks (from true cost accounting to social standards) are not in place, retail will continue to play by the rules of the current degenerative economic system. There is still huge potential for organic growth, even in rough winds. But we should keep reminding the “elephants” of their power – and appeal to them to use it more actively for the common good.

3. Nature must become part of the economic system – without losing sight of its complexity 

SFL “Sold! The financial future of agri-food systems” 

This year, we also zoomed out to the global perspective and a topic that still lingers in the background but is rapidly gaining importance: the quantification and monetization of ecosystem services in the food sector.

Sarah Compson (Soil Association), Ivo Degn (Climate Farmers), Tobias Bandel (The Landbanking Group), and Ryan Zinn (Dr. Bronner’s) contributed their expertise from diverse angles in this co-creative panel.

“Is regenerative the new organic?” we already asked at the 2024 premiere of the SustainableFutureLab. And regenerative agriculture or carbon farming is indeed booming, with many conventional farms jumping on the bandwagon. But CO₂ alone is not the ultimate metric. Regenerative practices primarily benefit large, livestock-free operations.

The panel agreed: Nature must be accounted for in balance sheets. Farms that protect soil, water, climate, and biodiversity should be able to monetize these contributions. But the contributions are multifaceted, and regenerative agriculture can only be a starting point. How the global organic sector will co-shape this development is likely one of the most exciting dynamics to watch in the coming years. Concrete approaches already exist that can do justice to the system’s complexity.

Across all discussions, one thing became clear: Sustainability’s not dead! Market evolution continues, and behind the driving brands stand people with purpose – and with the understanding of the immense potential we hold: both for sustainable transformation and for economic performance.

About the GOOD FOOD COLLECTIVE 

As a business network, we unite people and brands that drive change together – while becoming more successful and effective in the process.

As a consultancy, we support impact companies in the areas of business strategy, sustainability consulting, innovation, and transformation.

The GFC aims to be a bridge between old and new school, a harbor for startups and pioneers with purpose, and a voice for the conversations that.