Nearly two million organic farmers worldwide

Recently at BioFach, a new categorization of organic development in the last few years was introduced: the foundation (Organic 1.0) was created by organic pioneers in various disciplines on all continents. In the last few decades, there has been impressive development of organic farming (Organic 2.0). The traditional worldwide production of food is, however, anything but sustainable: poverty, social injustice and hunger determine the picture in many rural regions. Despite the International Year of Family Farming 2014 proclaimed by UNO, farmers are becoming less and less important. Moreover, agriculture is a major contributor to climate change and the loss of biodiversity. The discussion round Organic 3.0 – with its aim of developing strategies and innovation for more sustainable operations – comes just at the right time.

Organic 3.0 means the sustainable use of natural resources instead of exploitation, strategic focus on effectiveness instead of on perfection and full transparency along the value chain instead of greenwashing. “Thanks to its holistic approach, organic farming can make a positive contribution to solving global challenges,” says Markus Arbenz, the managing director of IFOAM. “The organic movement addresses many challenges such as nutrition and health, protection of the soil and water, free access to seed and land and animal welfare. It fights for the internalisation of external costs and against senseless subsidies. And we must ensure that the organic market – the driver of our development – is well provided.”

Global organic agriculture statistics in 2014: market, land area and farms. The market research company Organic Monitor estimates that the global market for organic products reached a volume of almost 64bn US-dollars in 2012 (ca. 50bn euros). The United States were the biggest market with 22.6bn euros and market growth of 10 %, followed by Germany (7bn euros) and France (4bn euros). The countries with the highest per capita consumption were Switzerland (189 euros) and Denmark (159 euros). According to the survey carried out by FiBL and IFOAM, approximately 80 % of the 1.9m organic producers worldwide (the previous year: 1.8m) live in developing countries. As in the past, the countries with the most producers are India (600,000), Uganda (189,610), Mexico (169,707) and Tanzania (148,610). In 2012, the area of land cultivated organically was 37.5m hectares. Compared with 2011, the area of organic land increased by almost 200,000 ha. In Africa it rose by 7 % and in Europe by 6 %.

Almost a third of all organically managed land is found in Oceania (32 %; 12.2m ha), followed by Europe (30 %; 11.2m ha) and Latin America (18 %; 6.8m ha). Australia continues to be the country with the biggest area of organic land (12m ha, of which an estimated 97 % consists of extensive grassland), followed by Argentina (3.6 m ha) and the United States of America (2.2m ha). The countries with the highest proportion of organically managed land are the Falkland Islands with 36.3 %, followed by Liechtenstein (29.6 %) and Austria (19.7 %) and some other countries in Europe. In ten countries, more than 10 % of all agricultural land is farmed organically.

Both the organic market and the organic land area in Europe have grown significantly in recent years. Detailed information on developments and trends are available in a new study that was published recently by the IFOAM-EU-Group, FiBL, Naturland and the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute (CIHEAM-IAMB). The study reveals the potential for future growth.
 

Tip:

“The World of Organic Agriculture” www.organic-world.net
Statistics: Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (FiBL), Helga Willer, Ackerstrasse, 5070 Frick, Schweiz, Tel. +41 (0)79 2180626, Fax +41 (0)62 8657273,
helga.willer@fibl.org ; www.fibl.org

Organic 3.0: International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Markus Arbenz, Charles-de-Gaulle-Straße 5, 53113 Bonn, Deutschland, Tel. +49 (0)160
8041557, Fax +49 (0)228 9265099, m.arbenz@ifoam.org; www.ifoam.org

Book orders and Downloads:
The print version (25 euros + postage; IFOAM members 12.5 euros) can be ordered via www.fibl.org/en/shop-en.html, order number 1636 and www.ifoam.org.  The book can also be downloaded here and at http://www.organic-world.net/yearbook-2014.html. The Study “Ökologischer Landbau in Europa. Perspektiven und Entwicklungen“

Another new publication:
The book “Ökologischer Landbau in Europa. Perspektiven und Entwicklungen” (200 pages) contains country reports and data on the current situation and the development of organic land, companies, the market and trade in the 28 EU member states, in the countries wanting to join the EU and in the EFTA countries. The German edition was published by IFOAM EU-Group, Naturland, FiBL and the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute (CIHEAM-IAMB). The book was conceived in the context of the IFOAM-EU-project "Mind the CAP", that is co-financed by the EU Commission, the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development.
Ordering the book: the print version (30 euros + postage; IFOAM-EU-members 15 euros) can be ordered via shop.fibl.org .