A large nationwide campaign is to bring organic products back into shopping carts.

Ecology has long been too invisible in the retail sector, and several organic producers have for some time been calling for a larger nationwide organic campaign that could truly boost the sales of the Ø-marked foods. This is part of the background for a new nationwide campaign, which instead of focusing on price, aims to highlight the special qualities and requirements associated with organic production. This includes considerations for nature and groundwater, fewer additives, high standards for animal welfare, and fewer pesticides. The campaign is led by the Organic Association and Agriculture & Food in collaboration with a broad range of producers and companies such as Friland, Aarstiderne, Arla Foods, Thise Dairy, Food People, Coop, and Naturmælk. To create maximum visibility, a number of interest organizations, retail chains, companies, wholesalers, hotel chains, and canteen chains are invited to share and use the campaign materials. "We all agree that we need to significantly increase organic sales, and I am proud that we stand here as a united industry supporting organic farming and the red Ø label. Organic needs a proper boost, and this mainly involves us succeeding in finding new consumers who want organic products. We do this best together," says Michael Kjerkegaard, chairman of the Organic Association, in a joint press release. Special focus on young people Specifically, the campaign consists of a series of shared messages that all involved will share and spread on social media. The effort is especially aimed at younger consumers and Danes who only occasionally put organic products in their shopping baskets. The goal is to make the added value of organic products more visible at the point of purchase and to show what extra consumers get in their shopping cart when they choose the red Ø. "We have some of the world's most skilled organic farmers in Denmark, who deliver foods with particularly high qualities every day. But organic can only develop if there are consumers who choose it. Therefore, it is crucial that we clearly communicate why organic is an active choice. The red Ø stands for qualities that many Danes demand, and now we need to be better at getting them into the shopping cart. The numbers show that there is great potential—especially among young people," says Hans Erik Jørgensen, chairman of Agriculture & Food Organic. This is the first time that organizations and a broad range of organic companies, dairies, and representatives from Danish retail are coming together for a single organic campaign. The partnership aims to create a stronger demand for organic foods and thus provide a better foundation for Danish farmers and food companies to continue developing organic production.