EUROPE – Demand for organic milk and its derivative products is growing in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Germany.

The best performer in this sector has been Austria, whose sales of organic milk have increased steadily over recent years, and are expected to reach 350 million litres this year. Around 70% of this is processed into cheese, butter and yogurt.

At the moment, 8.2% of all milk produced in Austria is sold as organic drinking milk or derived product. A further proportion goes to processors, schools and hospitals.

Switzerland has reported an estimated rise of five to 6% in sales of organically produced milk and related products for this year, which will take total production to 181 million litres.

Organic milk production in Germany appears to be static so far this year, but from 2000 to 2003 its production increased by 16.2% to 418 million litres – 1.5% of the total national milk sales to dairies.