In March, in the midst of the coronavirus emergency, sales of organic products in large-scale retail grew by 19.6 per cent, in discount stores by 23.7 per cent, and in small neighbourhood supermarkets by 26.2 per cent. These are the figures released by Assobio in collaboration with Nielsen, according to which growth was even greater in specialist shops where, based on surveys of a sample of around 500 businesses, a 28.8 per cent increase in purchases was recorded. We discussed this with Roberto Pinton, secretary of Assobio.

What are the factors behind this surge in organic sales at such a difficult time as the one we are living through?
Consumers, certainly, are more attentive to health, quality and the safety of the products they buy at times like these, but I would also say it is a response to a newly acquired awareness of the profound interconnection between countries and people, people and the environment, the environment and health — and therefore a desire to return to an uncontaminated world that re-establishes more sustainable relationships.

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It might seem paradoxical that at a time when so many people are in financial difficulty, they are buying organic products that often cost more than standard ones…
First of all, it should be said that the higher price of organic is justified, among other things, by production costs (for example, it costs a producer more in terms of space and feed to raise a free-range hen than a caged one). Secondly, the reality is that in moments like these, consumption patterns change. People are careful about what they spend, but also about getting the best value for money. We have seen clearly, with the explosion in sales of flour and yeast for bread or pizza, that consumers who are not going to restaurants are not simply eating tinned food — they are cooking at home and seeking out the best ingredients.

Will this organic growth trend continue after the Covid-19 emergency?
In 2008, during the great global economic crisis, everyone wrote organic off as finished, yet since then we have consistently recorded double-digit growth. In difficult periods, organic always grows for the reasons mentioned above. Once the emergency is over, some consumers may go back to buying standard products, while others, favourably impressed by organic products, will make up new shares of consumption.

Aside from the occasional shortage of eggs, flour and yeast, did organic companies manage to meet the increase in demand?
Yes, and I would say they did so better than conventional farming companies, which instead had to depend on the supply — not always possible — of pesticides and animal feed. Among organic producers, those who suffered most were those running agritourism businesses or farmers' markets; on the other hand, we received confirmation from several producers of an e-commerce boom in the organic sector as well.

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In recent days, the minister for agricultural policy Teresa Bellanova called for the rapid approval of the organic law in Italy. What will happen, meanwhile, to the organic plan contained in the European green new deal after the emergency?
Just in these days we were informed that, even if with a delay on the timetable due to the current problems, the European Commission intends to press ahead along the path already set out, ruling out any softening of the targets as some have requested on the pretext of reviving the economy. Europe is convinced of the soundness of the new "green" direction and will continue along this road.