Last year UK organic food sales fell by 13 per cent but a new report by the Soil Association offers hope for the coming year.

It predicts that sales will increase by between 2 - 5 per cent with 60 per cent of the UK's leading organic firms preparing for a growth spurt in 2010.

Soil Association policy director Peter Melchett said: "It has been a tough year for the organic market, but we have seen businesses that are most committed to communicating the many, real benefits of organic food and farming to the public perform best."

The UK's organic food and drink market was one of the hardest hit in 2009 despite increased sales in Europe.
But land farmed for organic produce grew by 9 per cent in the UK.

Melchett said: "Confidence is now returning, and with the growing recognition of the need for environmentally sustainable production systems that are less reliant on fossil fuels, we are confident that the organic market, having weathered the recession, will return to growth."

The Soil Association report added that sales were still more than 50 per cent higher than five years ago.