Bio c’ Bon Japon JV to boost organics

Japanese supermarket giant Aeon has set up a joint venture with a European company to establish an organic supermarket in Japan, to be called Bio c’ Bon Japon.

Bio c’ Bon, an affiliated company of business investment firm Marne & Finance Europe, runs a specialty organic supermarket business in Europe, mainly in France. Its headquarters are in Paris.

The joint venture aims to lead the expansion of an organic market in Japan through specialty supermarkets.

Across the world, the organic market is growing at 15 per cent or more a year, especially in France where the annual sales of organic products reach about US$5.241 million. It is the third-biggest market in the world following America and Germany. Japan ranks seventh with annual sales of about 143.1 billion yen ($1308.85 million).

Established in 2008, Bio c’ Bon has 90 organic supermarkets in Paris, and as well as France is also expanding in Milan and Madrid.

Since the organic Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) system was introduced in 2000, Aeon has been working on expanding the organic market in Japan in co-operation with public organisations and producers, and has offered Japan’s first certified organic products.