Spain with more than 2 million hectares of organic land

Spain recorded a permanent growth in organic farming and manufacturing.

According to statistics from the Ministery the certified, organically cultivated area in Spain exceeded the 2 million hectares mark for the first time in 2016. Compared to 2015, the area has grown by 2.6 % to 2.02 million ha. However, many areas are still in the process of conversion, so that the area actually converted to organic farming is actually declining slightly (-0.8%). 

Production and consumption rising

The proportion of the converted area as a percentage of the total ecologically classified area did not reach the level of previous years and remained at around 69%. However, this has not led to a decline in Spain's organic production, nor has it led to a decline in domestic consumption. The largest share of the total organic area is permanent grassland, with more than 1.05 million hectares or 52% - a share higher than that of conventional agriculture, where around 33% of the areas are dedicated to permanent grassland.

According to an report by the German Agricultural service AMI the most important crops in the field and permanent crops are cereals (10.7%), olives (9.7%), dried fruits (6.7%), vines (5.3%), vegetables, potatoes and pulses (2.8%). Together, they make up around 74% of the total organic area designated for arable farming and permanent crops. The largest organic area within Spain is in Andalusia (48%), AMI reports.