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Denmark’s organic exports set new record

Luke Roberts
December 8th, 2020


This article is more than 4 years old.

New markets and new products put Danish products in demand

More traditional foodstuffs still lead the way in Danish organic exports (photo: pikist.com)

Denmark has long been known for its tasty foodstuffs, and now sales of the country’s organic goods are rocketing across the world. In 2019 organic exports were up by 4 percent on the previous year – surpassing 3 billion kroner.

The latest figures from Danmarks Statistik show that this has occurred despite a significant fall in exports to Denmark’s closest neighbours. Organic exports are down 12 percent to Sweden and France as the countries look to increase their own domestic supply.

New horizons
Dairy products, eggs and other more traditional foodstuffs remain the largest export in the sector, accounting for 56 percent of organic exports, but recent growth has largely been driven by other foods.

Exports of milk powder and infant formula increased by 52 percent during the period: up to 503 million kroner. The growth is a result of increased sales to a completely new market in Indonesia, as well as large increases in existing Chinese, Middle Eastern and US markets.

“It is pleasing that the door has been kicked in to new, distant markets. It shows that Danish companies and Danish ecology can do something completely unique,” says Pernille Bundgård from the Økologisk Landsforening.

“We deliver a combination of high food safety and ecology, and our companies have a long tradition of developing and exporting quality products.”


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Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”