Spain: Catalonia is the organic hub

Spain recorded a permanent growth in organic farming and manufacturing. (Photo © Karin Heinze)

Catalonia concentrates 25.7% of manufacturing operators, 36.1% of importers, 39.13% of exporters and 26.01% of organic sector marketers throughout the state, says the statistics of the organic production in Spain 2016.

Operators as plant producers, ranchers, manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers and retailers,Catalonia repeats the third position, with a total of 3,942 operators (almost 9.44% of the state total), surpassed by Andalusia (14,489, 34.69%) and Castilla-La Mancha (7,128, 17.06%). But in terms of manufacturing operators Catalonia heads the table with 979 operators (25.7% of the state total), followed by Andalusia (608, 15.96%) and Valencia (450, 12.26%). It leads prominently in marketers with a total of 367 operators (26.01% of the total state), followed by the Valencian Community (173, 12.26%) and Andalusia and Asturias (171, 12.12%); And it is also the community with most importers, with a total of 74 operators (36.1% of the state total), 46 (22.44%) of the Valencian Community or 44 (21.46%) of Andalusia.

Surface and crops

Spain exceeds for the first time the 2 million hectares enrolled in the ecological farming system, which represents an increase of 2.55% compared to the previous year. In 2016, Catalonia closed it with 171,925 ha dedicated to organic farming (8.52% of the state total), holding third place behind Andalusia (976,414 Ha, 48.37%) and Castile- La-Mancha (391,353 Ha, 19.39%). For crops, Catalonia stands out as the first crop fodder (7,546 hectares), second in cultivation of the vineyard (13,852 hectares), and third in fruit trees (873 hectares). In addition, it is second in the ranking of meadows and pastures (124,380 ha).

Livestock and livestock farms

With 834 (10.64% of the total state) livestock farms remain second in the ranking, after Andalusia (4,934 holdings, 62.97%). Catalonia is the first community in poultry meat (31 holdings, 40.79% of the state total) and poultry (54, 22.04%), and second in beef (426, 12.04%), goat meat (81, 14.29%), milk goat (19, 9.9%) and equine (77, 15.4%). It is worth mentioning that it is the only one registered ecological farming (2 holdings).

Agri-food industry

Although Catalonia is leading in the number of registered transformers, grouping the activities carried out according to the type of product transformed, for the third consecutive year, becomes the third Autonomous Community with more agro-industrial activities related to plant production (790 activities) and animal production (205 activities), with 15.04% of the entire State. Only Andalusia, with 26.94% of industrial activities, and Valencia, with 16.02%, exceeded Catalonia.
Catalonia stands out as the community with most agribusiness related to the preparation of drinks (202 activities, 19.57%), of which 190 are wineries (21.86%); Feed manufacturing (27 activities, 22.88%) and meat and meat products (112 activities, 28.35%). Second in the preparation of bread (110 activities, 21.11%) and in the production of dairy products (24 activities, 17.52%). And third in the fruit and vegetable transformation (185 activities, 8.94%), oil production (82 activities, 10.21%).

State statistics

The surface recorded in Spain in the organic production method has reached 2,018,802 hectares in 2016,  Of these, a little more than half correspond to permanent pastures, which is an important asset for the development of ecological livestock, which reaches 7,836 livestock farms, with a 3.75% increase compared to 2015. With regard to operators (producers, processors, wholesale and retail traders, exporters, importers), 2016 reached 41,771, 10.3% more than in the previous year.

CCPAE - The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and the Environment (MAPAMA) publishes the state statistics of organic production of 2016, which annually offer a comparison between autonomous communities and provinces in very varied indicators of the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. The data refer to the leading position in Catalonia with regard to the state-owned agri-food sector.

Source: MAPAMA
More information: Dossier of statistics of the organic production in Spain 2016