Greek natural products exporters expand overseas

From Cretan medicinal herbs known since antiquity to mastic infused skin balms, Greece’s natural and organic product makers are penetrating overseas markets amid rising consumer awareness of the need for healthier and more sustainable lifestyles. Blessed with highly varied geography, Greece is home to almost 6,000 plant species, of which 1,000 are endemic to the country.

Greece has already spawned two internationally recognized natural cosmetics brands Korres and Apivita and boasts several unique wine vintages found nowhere else in the world. That natural bounty has put Greece at the forefront of growing European and global demand for natural and organic products. In November, 49 Greek natural products companies – a record number – participated in a leading trade show for Europe’s fast-growing market.

The Greek exhibitors held more than 1,000 business meetings with visitors at the Eco Life Scandinavia & Nordic Organic Food Fair 2019, which took place 13-14 November in Malmö, Sweden.

According to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, retail sales of organic products in the European Union have more than doubled in the last 10 years to more than €34 billion, accounting for almost 40% of the roughly €90 billion a year world market.

A recent report by IFOAM and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture shows that the Scandinavian countries of Sweden and Denmark are among the world’s market leaders, with consumers spending more than €200 per year on organic products.