For most people in the natural products’ trading world, the organic movement is not large enough of a market segment to warrant much attention. But keen observers who look at emerging trends will see that the fastest growth category in essential oils is the organic category.
Growth
Currently, the organic market segment is miniscule in size; less than 1 percent of the trade in essential oils is in the organic sector. However, the rate of growth for the organic essential oil sector in the United States is close to 20 percent per annum, which is far above the growth rate of the total market. It is apparent that in every essential oil market the growth of the organic sector clearly outweighs that of the remainder of the market.
At the 2005 IFEAT conference, held in Cochin, India, a segment of the technical program was dedicated to discussing the essential oil organic market. It was the first time that the organic market was deemed important enough to warrant its own program. Although it was scheduled for the final spot on the last day of the conference, ultimately, 150 people attended the session. This indicated the interest generated by this one topic within the essential oil industry, and this last IFEAT program became, for many, a highlight of the conference.