Italy: organic farms in Alto Adige on the rise

There were 758 organic farms in Alto Adige in 2011, including businesses that are were in transition. The number of organic farms in the province of Bolzano rose by 47, equal to an increase of 6.5 % on 2010. Apples were grown on 1,391 hectares, representing about 7.5 % of the fruit-growing land in the region. 15 hectares of land were dedicated to berries and 11 hectares to stone fruit, Greenplanet reports.

Organic viticulture covered 256 hectares. Also notable is the increase among the companies that market organic agricultural products, reflecting the huge demand for organics by consumers. In 2011 the number of those companies increased from 193 to 228. These findings were revealed during a course on the introduction to organic fruit and wine at the Centre Laimburg (picture) from 11 to 13 January 2012.

Greenplanet