A few years ago not many expats were interested in organic food in Shanghai.
With the large number of food safety scandals in China, however, not only expats, but more and more local Chinese are choosing organic food in China.
Today you can shop for organic food in Shanghai through various channels including large supermarkets and online stores. You can also purchase organic produce directly from many organic farms in Shanghai or around China for delivery to your home.
At the end of this article we have a Shanghai Organic Food Guide, listing a selection of suppliers including organic farms, stores and restaurants.
If you are based in Beijing you can check out our organic food in Beijing article for information on suppliers there.
Organic Produce at Supermarkets in Shanghai
In the last few years a number of organic farms have begun to sell their organic vegetables at large supermarkets including Carrefour, Olé and BLT in Shanghai.
The word for organic in Chinese is “yǒu jī“ (有机). Only products that have received the official organic food certification can display this word on their labels. There is also a special sticker with a bar code you can scan to confirm the authenticity of the organic certification.
Locally produced organic milk, organic vegetables, organic eggs, organic fruits, organic soya-sauce and even organic meat are now also available at many large supermarkets in China.
Organic food in Shanghai is normally 2-4 more expensive than their equivalent non-organic variety, so not cheap! Organic vegetables are also smaller and appear less appetizing than those grown with chemical fertilizers. So consumers need to decide if the health benefits outweigh these disadvantages of organic produce.
Farmer Markets Selling Organic Produce
Farmer Markets held in Shanghai including the bi-weekly Saturday Jiashan market carry many organic products from nearby farms.
Organic Food Delivery Services in Shanghai
Organic food delivery services in Shanghai are a popular way for you to have organic produce delivered directly to your home.
Nearby organic farms offer a weekly home delivery service based on 3, 6, or 12-month subscriptions. You can normally choose one or two deliveries per week.
You have a limited choice of two or three types of vegetable baskets, and the contents will change according to the growing season, so you must accept what is delivered.
Imported Organic Food in China
Some imported organic food items can also be purchased at supermarkets or online stores in China.
In order for imported products to be legally labeled and marketed as organic food in Shanghai foreign producers must go through the Chinese organic food certification process, which can be quite expensive and time-consuming. So you will not find a lot of imported organic foods in China.
Organic Food Fair in Shanghai
In May of each year Biofach, the world’s leading organizer of organic food and agriculture trade fairs, hosts an organic products exhibition in Shanghai.
Here you can find a wide variety or exhibitors including:
- Organic farms
- Chinese organic food manufacturers
- Organic clothing manufacturers
- Online food stores
- Overseas organic food companies
- Media and social groups promoting organic lifestyle
Consumer Trust for Organic Food in China
A pop-up organic food market this writer attended in Xujiahui district, Shanghai was followed by a salon where the audience asked the local organic farmers many questions about their business.
The biggest hurdle and challenge these farmers face in marketing organic food in Shanghai is consumer trust. Shanghai expats and locals both question whether or not their organic certificates were obtained through legitimate and rigorous testing, or through good relations alone.
Consumers are also suspicious of the air, water and soil quality of these farms so close to downtown Shanghai.
Most of the farmers admitted Shanghai farmland still had soil and water quality issues, but that after much investment they could certainly guarantee their soil was of higher quality than non-organic farms, and that testing had shown their water quality was not as bad as people suspected.
After many years of being cultivated with chemical fertiliser and pesticides, organic farms are required to ‘clean’ the soil for three years before they can obtain official organic certification in China. One farm representative stated that they had invested several million US dollars in their farm over the last five years to obtain the official organic food certification for China.
In order to build up consumer trust, many of these businesses open up their organic farms for individual or group visits as well as hold activities for the public. Some of these farms such as Mahota Farm target the Shanghai expat community and welcome them to attend these activities.
Weekend travel packages including accommodation on site or nearby, barbeques, and training sessions are available at some organic farms located on Shanghai’s Chongming Island.
Shanghai Organic Food Guide
Organic Farms in Shanghai
- Shanghai organic farm article
- Tony’s Farm
WeChat ID: tonysfarm2013
Tel: 400 820 2162 - Mutian Farm
WeChat ID: renrenyimutian - BioFarm
WeChat ID: BIOFarm - Shangshanyuan
WeChat ID: shangshanyuanyouji
Tel: 400 820 4633
Shanghai Organic Restaurants
- Organic Kitchen Shanghai
Add: Nanyang 1931, Yude Road 111, 1/F. Xujiahui District - Green & Safe Shanghai
WeChat ID: greenandsafe
Add: No. 6, DongPing Rd. (Near Hengshan Rd.)
Tel: 5465 1288 - BMS Organics
WeChat ID: gh_929fb5816de1 - Hunter Gatherer
WeChat ID: behuntergatherer - Ming Tang Organic Restaurant
Huangpu District, Lane 505, Zhongshan South Road
Organic Clothing
Online Organic Food Stores
Organic Bakeries
- Abendbrot
- Sun Flour
WeChat ID: SunFlour2014