Southeast Asia goes organic

presence in the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia have told PET worldwide that pet owners in their respective markets are increasingly buying food and grooming products made from natural ingredients. Southeast Asia, currently the world's sixth largest economy when taken as a bloc of 10 countries - namely, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - is among the world's fastest growing pet care markets. Industry estimates place the region's compound annual growth rate for the pet care industry at 6.8 per cent from 2014 to 2020, or from 952 mio dollars in 2014 to 1.412 bn dollars by next year. Among other things, this is due to the growth in demand for organic products.
Globally, the organic pet industry has been growing by nine per cent annually. Concerns over pet safety and health are the biggest drivers of natural pet products in the region, with pet owners wanting their animal companions to live as long as possible. "When we explain to customers the use and safety of organic products, they are interested," said Siti Sofia Ramli, director at Medic-Pets. The company manufactures organic medicated balms and natural sprays for all kinds of small pets and sells these in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei.

As they increasingly view their animals as treasured companions, pet owners - particularly those who are young, single, female and affluent - become more willing to spend on their fur babies. The organic consumption trend in the region is also bolstered by easier access to both information and organic products. Millennial and Generation Z pet owners - those aged 36 and below - are known to read labels when they make purchases, since they care aboutwhat items they buy and how these are made. This habit of making informed choices extends to purchasing pet products. Georgianna Carlos, founder of Philippine pet products manufacturer and online seller Fetch! Naturals, noted that city dwellers are more open to buying organic pet products than rural residents, who may not be able to get the goods easily. "However, I can see that eventually, even they will prefer purchasing natural products," she said, adding that e-commerce has opened up the market to platforms that make it easier for companies to sell and for consumers to buy alternative products.