THIS REPORT CONTAINS ASSESSMENTS OF COMMODITY AND TRADE ISSUES MADE BY USDA STAFF AND NOT NECESSARILY STATEMENTS OF OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICY - Date: GAIN Report Number: Post: Report Categories: Approved By: Prepared By: Report Highlights: In 2012, organic sales in Russia reached $148 million which is 7.8 percent growth compared to 2011. The lack of a Russian certification system continues to be a challenge to the steady expansion of demand for Russian organic food. Absent this, Russian producers keen to operate in the organic food market under the auspices of an official organic certifying body have to obtain official certification from third countries (e.g. the United States or EU) or to import the products from abroad which increases the final prices significantly. In 2012, Russian industry and government collaborated on a draft law on the production of organic agricultural products that was introduced by the Russian Ministry of Agriculture in November 2012. The law is anticipated to come into force in 2015. This is expected to boost development of the Russian organic market in coming years and provide a benchmark for consumers who buy products labeled, “organic”. Experts estimate future sales of organic products could reach $167 million in 2013 and up to $225 million in 2015. This growth will be also driven by new product development, improved distribution and increasing demand from more affluent Russian consumers. General Information: Olga Kolchevnikova, Marketing Specialist Deanna Ayala, ATO Director Special Certification - Organic/Kosher/Halal Russian Organic Market Continues to Grow Moscow ATO Russian Federation RSATO1302 2/25/2013 Public Voluntary
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THIS REPORT CONTAINS ASSESSMENTS OF COMMODITY AND TRADE ISSUES MADE BY
USDA STAFF AND NOT NECESSARILY STATEMENTS OF OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
POLICY
-
Date:
GAIN Report Number:
Post:
Report Categories:
Approved By:
Prepared By:
Report Highlights:
In 2012, organic sales in Russia reached $148 million which is 7.8 percent growth compared to 2011.
The lack of a Russian certification system continues to be a challenge to the steady expansion of
demand for Russian organic food. Absent this, Russian producers keen to operate in the organic food
market under the auspices of an official organic certifying body have to obtain official certification from
third countries (e.g. the United States or EU) or to import the products from abroad which increases the
final prices significantly. In 2012, Russian industry and government collaborated on a draft law on the
production of organic agricultural products that was introduced by the Russian Ministry of Agriculture
in November 2012. The law is anticipated to come into force in 2015. This is expected to boost
development of the Russian organic market in coming years and provide a benchmark for consumers
who buy products labeled, “organic”. Experts estimate future sales of organic products could reach
$167 million in 2013 and up to $225 million in 2015. This growth will be also driven by new product
development, improved distribution and increasing demand from more affluent Russian consumers.
General Information:
Olga Kolchevnikova, Marketing Specialist
Deanna Ayala, ATO Director
Special Certification - Organic/Kosher/Halal
Russian Organic Market Continues to Grow
Moscow ATO
Russian Federation
RSATO1302
2/25/2013
Public Voluntary
Section I. Market Overview
Russia’s organics market is in the early development stage but it is quickly expanding. In 2012, organic
sales accounted for about $148 million which is 7.8 percent growth compared to 2011. Nevertheless,
organic packaged food remained one of the smallest categories within health-positioned food in Russia,
accounting for about a 0.2 percent share of total packaged food retail sales in the Russian market in
2012. This is mainly due to high prices of organic products and the lack of a national certification
system in Russia. A national certification system, slated for 2015, is expected to boost development of
the Russian organic market in the future.
Figure 1. Russia: Organic Products Sales, 2002-2013, U.S. Million Dollars
Source: Euromonitor International from trade sources/national statistics
*- Forecast
Currently, most organic products in Russia are imported from EU countries, e.g. Germany, France and
Italy, and positioned as premium or super-premium. They are sold in specialized stores in areas where
upper income Russians live, as well as other premium retail chain outlets like Azbuka Vkusa and
Globus Gourmet in Moscow, which are well known for the distribution and promotion of value-added
green and healthy products. Organic goods are typically 20 to 400 percent more expensive than their
conventional equivalents and they account for two to seven percent of supermarket sales.
The main consumers of organic food in Russia are high-income urbanites, largely in Moscow and St.
Petersburg, who tend to be aware of their diet. Currently, Russian consumers have no reliable standard
to refer to when purchasing organic foods.
Figure 2. Sales of Organic Products by Type, 2007-2013*, U.S. Million Dollars
Source: Euromonitor International from trade sources/national statistics
*- Forecast
As disposable income levels continue to rise for more Russian people, it is expected that in coming
years they will be ready to pay more for ecologically sound and so-called “natural” products. Growth in
green and organic products is expected to be most significant in the larger cities, such as Moscow and
St. Petersburg, where consumers are wealthiest and most open to following Western trends. An
increasing interest in health issues among consumers, partly in the run-up to Russia's hosting of the
winter Olympics in 2014, will offer retailers new opportunities to market health-related goods and
services.
Rising consumer incomes and the development of the organic legislation will not only help to
strengthen consumer demand for organic food and beverages, but also encourage manufacturers to step
up investments in new product development and marketing campaigns. Multinationals are likely to play
a leading role in this regard, but there will also be plenty of opportunities for smaller domestic
companies, particularly in less well-known and niche categories that are still underdeveloped.
Overall, organic packaged food sales are projected to grow by 30 percent in retail volume over the
2010-2015 periods, according to Euromonitor International estimations. Value sales are forecast to total
$225 million in 2015. This growth will be driven by new product development, improved distribution
and increasing demand from more affluent Russian consumers.
Section II. Market Sector Opportunities and Threats
Exporters should review some of the advantages and challenges of the Russian organic market (please
see Table 1 below) when considering their marketing strategy.
Table 1. Russia: Advantages and Challenges for U.S. Exporters of Organic Products
Advantages Challenges Population of 143 million people who are potential
consumers. Significant number of consumers can
afford purchasing high-quality food products.
Large group of poor and low-income
population. Per capita spending in the
regions outside Moscow and St.
Petersburg remains quite low.
U.S. companies can supply a range of high-quality and
innovative organic products, many of which are yet to
be sold in Russia.
Strong competition with European
organic producers and exporters, who can
more quickly supply the Russian market.
Several supermarkets already stocking
organics have strong links to Europe.
Russian Government policy aimed at improving food
safety and quality standards should result in the
introduction of a unified organic certification system in
coming years.
Currently, no unified and official system
for organic certification in Russia. Lack
of general development concept and
regulations on organic farming. USDA
certified products have to compete with
products that might be following less
strict requirements, due to lack of
regulations governing the term organic.
Changing consumer preferences in favor of healthy
eating and choosing high quality natural products. Lack of knowledge of what exactly
organic products are.
With consumer interest in organics on the rise, the
penetration of organic products in more mainstream
supermarkets/hypermarkets chains is improving
steadily.
At present, imported organic products are
offered mainly by a few elite organic
supermarkets and specialized stores.
Development of the mass grocery retail industry. In
general Russian retailers are open to new healthy and
organic products in order to attract customers.
Development of internet retailing.
Spontaneous development of major retail
chains in Russia without planned
diversification of organic products import.
Unlikely that domestic organic production will take off
in the near future. Low interest in organic farming in
Russian regions with favorable conditions for it; poor
social advertising which results in misunderstanding of
the essence of organic farming by many agro-
enterprises, and lack of governmental support to
organic farmers.
Great potential for organic production, as
extensive areas of the country have never
been subjected to agrochemical
treatments.
Paying in dollars is advantageous for exporting to
Russia compared to Europe due to the lower cost of the
dollar relative to the euro.
High price of imported organic products.
Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization
(WTO) is expected to create positive changes that will
provide a more predictable trade environment for the
U.S. companies.
Competition with products imported from
EU and other countries may rise.
Main Obstacles for Developing Organics in Russia
There are three main obstacles for expansion of the organic market in Russia – high prices of organic
products, the lack of certification system and the lack of general knowledge about organic products.
According to CIS Insight, a survey held in several Russian cities (including Moscow and St. Petersburg)
showed that the main obstacle to the expansion of the Russian organic food market is the price gap
between conventional and organic food. Since more than 90 percent of organic products in Russia are
imported the cost of these products on the shelf is significantly higher due not only to the organic nature
of the products but also to transportation expenses, customs fees, etc.
Another significant obstacle is that Russians do not trust to local systems of certification. This stems
from the post-perestroika era when more than half the product labels and lists of ingredients did not
correspond to the facts. According to market research conducted by AgriCapital, about 60 percent of
the customers in Moscow supermarkets are willing to pay more for products if their packaging contains
a special “organic” sign. The survey also shows that currently 45 percent of Russian manufacturers
place on their labels the words “BIO”, “natural” or “eco friendly” without any appropriate certification.
As usual, suppliers set the price for these products 20-35 percent higher. Only 54 percent of respondents
answered “yes” to the question “Do you trust the information on the package which says that the
product is “natural”, “eco friendly” or “organic”?” Customers need reassurance that products sold as
organic have indeed been produced using organic methods which must be defined and protected by a
federal law. Development of organic legislation and certification is expected to satisfy the demands of
most of the population.
The last obstacle for developing the organic products market in Russia is the lack of general knowledge
about organic products both at the governmental level (there are no statistics of existing organic
production initiatives in Russia) and at the consumer level (barely half of the respondents of the survey
are know the meaning of organic labeling). As part of the draft law the Government f the Russian
Federation plans to educate consumers and producers about organic farming and organic labeling which
is expected to increase the consumers’ demand for organics in coming years.
Legislation
Sanitary requirements for organic food production came into force in July 2008, issued by
Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian consumer safety regulatory and monitoring body. However, there were no
clear rules for the labeling of organic products and no official certification system or certifying agency.
As a result, Russian producers keen to operate in organic food have to obtain official certification from
third parties, e.g. the United States or the EU, in order to label their products as officially certified bio
or organic, and be able to export them outside Russia.
In November 2012, as a result of collaboration between the Government of the Russian Federation and
organic food suppliers, the Russian Ministry of Agriculture published the draft law "On the Production
of Organic Agricultural Products and Amendments to Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation". A
definition of organic products, where its main feature is compliance with the requirements of national or
international standards of organic agricultural products, is provided in the draft law.
According to the law, in order be able to put an "organic" or “bio” label on packaging it is necessary to
pass a voluntary certification. At this stage, the specific requirements of that certification have not been
laid out. The development of a national standard will begin after the draft law's approval by the State
Duma. Until then, government experts are studying U.S., European and Japanese certification schemes
for organic products. The committee reports that harmonization of international and national standards
is their main task. The law also covers issues related to state support of the production of organic
agricultural products by means of directed lending, risk hedging, and informational and methodological
support of production. The draft law also provides amendments to be made in a wide range of federal
laws. The law is expected to come into force in 2015.
To find more information on this topic as well as to see unofficial translation of the draft law please
follow the link: http://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/Development