Sales of organic food and drink soared during lockdown having already been rising faster than other products.

Figures from the Soil Association, released at the start of Organic September, showed sales of organic products were up 6.1 per cent in the 12 months up to the end of May.

That compares to a 3.2 per cent growth for non-organic food and drink across the same period.

And those figures soared to an 18.7 per cent rise over the last 12 weeks of the year - which included the first 10 weeks of lockdown - with non-organic equivalents growing by 14.2 per cent.

The Soil Association's Louisa Pharaoh said: "Organic faming is a whole system approach that nurtures the soil, biodiversity and our planet.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has meant more people appreciate where food comes from and, with the increased interest in growing veg in our gardens and home baking, there's never been a better time to talk to people about the benefits of organic farming."

Tesco reported a five per cent rise in organic fresh produce sales over the past year - topped by Fairtrade bananas - with a 12 per cent rise during lockdown.

Waitrose also said sales were up 13 per cent this year.

Organic September is a month-long campaign which aims to encourage people to make small changes to their purchasing habits by generating awareness of how organic products and brands support farming practices, protect wildlife and the environment.