Doha: Qatar’s organic food market which has been witnessing a steady pace of growth over the past several years, is building further traction as more residents are coming out of the pandemic with a renewed resolve to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Speaking to The Peninsula yesterday, CEO of Gulf International Enterprises (GIE) Prince Stephen said the Qatari market currently sees growing demand from consumers due to greater awareness towards healthy, organic, and gluten-free products.
“Organic products were already popular in Doha a couple of years back. But there was still a lack of awareness towards healthy food products then. Many consumers still believed it was just completely commercial, and that companies only wanted to take profits. But years later, many people now realize the need to adopt healthy food products to prevent certain illnesses,” he added.
GIE supplies food items to leading supermarkets in Qatar including Carrefour, Al Meera, Lulu, Safari, and Mega Mart among others, said Stephen.
He added: “I still remember two years back, the organic section corners were very small in some supermarkets. Just one or two shelves. Now, supermarkets have expanded their previous corners into entire sections or areas. Though the prices are high, people who are really health conscious are definitely going after them. And earlier, there were only a few products. Now, we see a huge variety of products in the market. Most companies want to have organic food products, because the manufacturers know it’s going to be the future”.
Export agency Bolst Global noted that the increasing popularity of organic products throughout Qatar presents great opportunity for international brands to enter the market.
According to Global Organic Trade Guide, health & wellness products consumption in Qatar was valued at $728.4m in 2021 with a CAGR growth rate of 5.4 percent, and is expected to reach $778.9m this year. Organic beverages consumption was estimated to grow from $14.1m last year to $16.6m in 2022 with a CAGR rate of 15.2 percent.
The report also estimated that organic packaged food and beverages consumption in Qatar will grow from $17.2m in 2021 to $20m this year, while organic packaged food consumption will grow from $3.1m last year to $3.5m this year with a CAGR rate of 8.3 percent .
Qatar’s most popular organic product categories are savory snacks, grab-and-go fruit, seed and nut bars, and kitchen staples such as oils, flours, tinned goods, and preserves, the report added.
Similarly, a post-COVID consumer habits study published in the Sustainability journal investigated the “immediate impacts of COVID-19 on Qatari consumer awareness, attitudes, and behaviors related to food consumption” resulting in “clear changes in the way consumers are eating, shopping , and interacting with food”.
The study highlighted a clear shift in consumer attitudes towards healthy eating in Qatar. It noted that 32.4 percent of the respondents increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables, 32.3 percent ate much more healthy foods, and 44.6 percent drank more water.
Also, about 44.5 percent of the respondents decreased their consumption of unhealthy foods such as fast food, while 32.4 percent decreased their consumption of unhealthy snacks, and 28.7 percent have eaten less candy, cookies, cakes, and pastries.
“Right now we’re still seeing the growing demand coming particularly from the middle and upper class earners who are going for the organic food products. Below middle income segment is hindered by the high value of the items. But I think in time to come, with even greater awareness on healthy and organic foods, definitely people will no longer mind spending more because it’s an investment for their health,” said Stephen.
He added that as healthy organic foods are the way forward, there will also come a time when these products will become more readily accessible for everyone.
.