Since 2010, the area devoted to organic farming has grown by almost two million hectares. Similarly, an upward trend can be observed for the number of registered organic producers. At the end of 2015, 271 500 organic agricultural producers were registered in the EU, an increase of 5.4% compared with 2014.
Among Member States, Spain, Italy, France and Germany registered the largest organic areas as well as the largest numbers of organic producers in 2015, accounting together for over half (52%) of both total EU organic crop area and organic producers in the EU.
This information shows only a small selection of the wide range of data on organic farming available at Eurostat. Organic farming combines best environmental practices, a high level of biodiversity, the preservation of natural resources and high production standards based on natural substances and processes. It provides for a specific market responding to a specific consumer demand while at the same time delivering public goods in terms of environmental protection, animal welfare and rural development.
Recently, the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL (www.fibl.org) started its 18th annual survey on organic farming worldwide (www.organic-world.net) and the latest data on Europe as a whole, including market data, will be released at BIOFACH 2017 together with the latest global data on organic agriculture. The 18th edition of the yearbook “The World of Organic Agriculture” will also be launched at BIOFACH.
Further information
Contact
Helga Willer
Links
- ec.europa.eu: Organic crop area on the rise in the EU
- ec.europa.eu: Organic farming statistics
- ec.europa.eu: eurostat - Your key to European statistics (Database Agriculture)
(See: Organic farming (org)) - ec.europa.eu: eurostat - Your key to European statistics (Organic Farming)
- organic-europe.net: Eurostat
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