Spain: Domestic Market for Organic Food

According to a recent government study the organic market in Spain is growing. Export plays a major role.

In 2009, 3,038 organic companies were registered with an annual turnover of 685 million Euros, employing 18,000 people.

Seventy-five percent of the organic produce is plant products and 25 percent is animal products. Roughly 5.3 percent of the Spain's agricultural area is organic and 2.4 percent of the farms are organic. The main organic products are vegetables, olive oil, wine, animal products, bakery products, and canned vegetables. These account for 74.5 percent of the total domestic turnover of organic food.

The turnover of organic foods and beverages in Spain is approximately 905 million Euros. This constitutes about 1 percent of the domestic market; the average per-capita consumption in 2009 was 19.5 Euros.

Export of organic products amounted to 454 millions Euros in 2009. Processed and packaged food account for 356 million Euros and raw materials for 98 million Euros. Fruits and vegetables, olive oil and wine account for 74 percent of the exported products, and about 85 percent are sold to Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, and Belgium. The Spanish organic processing sector is mainly oriented towards export: 32 percent of the organic processed produce is exported.

Organic imports are estimated to be in the area of 190 millions Euros. Most of the imported products are processed and packaged organic products.

The study on the Spanish organic food industry was started in 2009 and was finalized in 2010. It was carried out by the Ministry of Environmental, Rural and Fisheries Affairs (www.marm.es).

English summary supplied by Victor Gonzálvez Pérez, Spanish Society of Organic Agriculture SEAE.

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Victor Gonzálvez Pérez, Spanish Society of Organic Agriculture SEAE