LONDON—UK sales of organic foods and beverages climbed 22 percent in 2006, spurred by concern about rising obesity rates and farming’s effect on the environment.

British sales of organic products advanced to £1.94 billion ($3.9 billion) last year, the Soil Association, which awards organic status in the country, said Saturday in an e-mailed statement. Worldwide spending on organic foods increased 16 percent to 19.3 billion pounds.

The UK is Europe’s third-largest organic-food market after Germany and Italy. Tesco Plc., the largest British supermarket chain, raised sales of organic goods by 40 percent in the fiscal year that ended in February after expanding its product range. Rival J Sainsbury Plc has more than 400 items in its SO line of organic goods, the company’s second-largest in-house brand.

“With the government’s own studies confirming that organic farming typically uses 30 percent less energy than nonorganic farming, it’s no surprise more people are choosing to purchase planet-friendly food,” Helen Browning, director of food and farming at the association, said in the statement.

More than half of shoppers bought organic fruit and vegetables in the past year, and a quarter purchased organic meat or dairy products, the association said, citing research by Mintel Ltd.

Two-thirds of the fresh organic food sold by UK grocery chains in 2006 was produced in Britain, unchanged from the prior year, the statement shows. Sales of organic products by direct delivery to homes from farms rose 53 percent to 146 million pounds. A shortage of domestically grown organic grain worsened, dragging self-sufficiency below 50 percent for the year.

Outside of food and beverages, the number of health and beauty products licensed with the association rose 30 percent last year. The UK market for products made from organic cotton will be worth 107 million pounds by 2008 at current growth rates, the statement shows.

Londoners and people living in southern England and Wales are most likely to buy organic food, the report shows. More than four-fifths of mothers view organic goods as a better choice for families, the association said, citing a poll it commissioned from UK web site Mumsnet. (Bloomberg)

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LONDON—UK sales of organic foods and beverages climbed 22 percent in 2006, spurred by concern about rising obesity rates and farming’s effect on the environment.

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