Bulgaria: Organic Market Annual

The Bulgarian organic market continued to grow in 2021 with an estimated annual growth of 2.5 percent to $39 million. The main driver behind the growth was the stronger consumer focus on a healthier lifestyle and increased popularity for organic products perceived as healthful, which led to higher retail sales. The better summer tourist season, open farmers’ markets, and a more liberal regime for food service industry operations also supported the increase in sales. Demand growth is expected to continue in 2022 due to favorable consumer trends and improved prospects for the hotel and restaurant sectors. However, the accelerating food inflation is forecast to have a negative impact, shifting consumers’ choice to conventional foods/beverages. The domestic organic sector shrunk in 2021 with a decline in land under organic production and the number of operators. Certification, compliance, the labor deficit, increasing production costs, and domestic support for organic farmers remained policy priorioties.