Germany: Organic grilling costs 80 percent more than a conventional one
Meat, grilled vegetables, salad and bread: these are the classic ingredients that end up on the plate during the barbecue season. If consumers value organic quality, they have to pay significantly more for a barbecue evening. IW economists have now determined how big the price differences are between a conventional, an organic and a vegan barbecue plate. To do this, they put together and compared shopping baskets with typical barbecue ingredients such as meat, grilled vegetables, salad, side dishes and sauces for four people.
The result: At an average of over 48 euros, an organic grill basket is a full 80 percent more expensive than the classic alternative with conventionally produced food (26.86 euros). Organic meat is particularly expensive: an organic sausage costs an average of 5.32 euros and an organic beef steak 5.98 euros more. But the costs for grilled side dishes, especially vegetables such as peppers (+2.28 euros), tomatoes (+2.03 euros) and salad (+1.37 euros), are also higher in organic quality. Those who use vegan products get off cheaper: a plant-based basket is still a little more expensive (+22 percent) than one containing meat, but it is significantly cheaper than the organic version. Per person, you pay more than 12 euros for the organic version, around 6.70 euros for the conventional version and around 8.20 euros for the vegan version.
"The high prices are responsible for the fact that organic products have not yet become a mass phenomenon in 2024. Not everyone can afford organic food", says IW economist Adriana Neligan. The reason for this is the additional costs for species-appropriate animal husbandry and environmentally friendly cultivation methods. A larger supply through more agricultural land could significantly reduce production costs. "Organic must become an even more attractive business model. Otherwise, we will not succeed in achieving the goal of converting 30 percent of agricultural land to organic by 2030", says Neligan. "Clearer communication and more transparent presentation of the advantages of organic products could also encourage behavioral changes towards more sustainable purchasing decisions", adds IW economist Jennifer Potthoff.
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