Organic-conventional price gap narrowing

The gap between the price of organic and conventional produce in Italy is narrowing for many products, according to a study by Agroter’s Fruit and Vegetable Monitor. In fruit and citrus, the organic basket in 2016 cost on average just over 80% more than the non-organic one, but in the space of six years the price differential has practically halved. In the case of lemons, little has changed – organics cost 31% more in 2016 and 27% more last year – but for other fruits such as apples, kiwis, pears, strawberries and (until 2018) bananas there are higher differentials and in these cases almost dizzying reductions.

However, there are some products where there is a growth in the price difference (oranges, avocados, cherries). Blueberries have experienced a fluctuating trend with growth up to 2018 (90%) and then a collapse in the price difference from 2019 onwards.

Moving on to vegetables, the situation is different. The differential in the sales values ​​between organic and conventional shows a wider gap but has decreased over the years, but the contraction has been more gentle: from 120% in 2016 to 90% in 2021.