Agricultura Organica Ifoam

Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau
Institut de recherche de l’agriculture biologique

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
E X C E L L E N C E F O R S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
Fi B L AND I FOAM
the World of
Organic Agriculture
STATIST I CS & EM ERGI NG T R EN DS 2 0 1 5
Oceania 17.3 million ha

europe 11.5 million ha
latin america 6.6 million ha
asia 3.4 million ha
north america 3.0 million ha
africa 1.2 million ha
Supported by
www.organic-africa.net
AFRICAN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

TRAINING MANUAL

The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture It it envisaged that the manual is completed
(FiBL) in collaboration with the International and more training videos, posters and scripts
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements for radio programs will be produced. Some
(IFOAM) and African national organic agricul- translations are in progress.
ture movements (NOGAMU, FENAB and OP-
PAZ), as well as individual experts from Africa, African organizations are invited to test and
developed a training manual and correspond- validate the training tools and to provide
ing training tools on organic agriculture for feedback so that the training materials can be
Africa. improved.
The African Organic Agriculture Training Version 1.0 of the training materials is avail-
Manual aims to encourage the implementa- able for free download at www.organic-africa.
tion of organic and other sustainable farming net. This website also provides a directory of
practices, increase market access for farmers, organic agriculture in Africa with useful ad-
and improve food security throughout Africa. dresses and resource materials for farmers and
The training materials are designed for farmers, trainers.
extension workers, trainers and university
students. For those interested, CDs of the manual and
DVDs of the video are available at FiBL upon
The training materials include: request. In Africa the CDs and DVDs will be
> A training guide with technical and didacti- available at ecological organic agriculture
cal information stakeholder institutions such as AfrONet
> Illustrated presentation materials (Tanzania), ISD (Ethiopia), PELUM Association
> Illustrated flyers and booklets for farmers (Regional Secretariat Lusake, Zambia), FENAB
> A video on marketing (Senegal), and others to be identified.
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For further information contact:

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) | Ackerstrasse 113
21 | | 5070
P.O.Box
Frick219 | 5070 Frick
Switzerland | Tel. +41 (0)62 865 72 72 | info.suisse@fibl.org | www.fibl.org
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) | Charles-de-Gaulle-Str. 5

53113 Bonn | Germany | Tel. +49 (0)228 926 50-10 | headoffice@ifoam.org | www.ifoam.org
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL &
IFOAM – Organics International
The World of Organic Agriculture

Statistics and Emerging Trends 2015
For PDF version, corrigenda and supplementary material see

http://www.organic-world.net/yearbook-2015.html
All of the statements and results contained in this book have been compiled by the authors and are to the best
of their knowledge correct and have also been checked by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)
and IFOAM – Organics International. However, the possibility of mistakes cannot be ruled out entirely.
Therefore, the editors, authors, and publishers are not subject to any obligation and make no guarantees
whatsoever regarding any of the statements or results in this work; neither do they accept responsibility or
liability for any possible mistakes, nor for any consequences of actions taken by readers based on statements
or advice contained therein.
Authors are responsible for the content of their own articles. Their opinions do not necessarily express the
views FiBL or IFOAM – Organics International.
This document has been produced with the support of the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Swiss State
Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and NürnbergMesse. The views expressed herein can in no way be
taken to reflect the official opinions of ITC, SECO, or NürnbergMesse.
Some work for this publication was undertaken as part of the research project "Data network for better
European organic market information" (OrganicDataNetwork). This project has received funding from the
European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and
Demonstration under grant agreement no 289376. The opinions expressed in this contribution are those of
the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the European Commission.
Should corrections and updates become necessary, they will be published at www.organic-world.net. This book
is available for download at http://www.organic-world.net/yearbook-2015.html
Any enquiries regarding this book and its contents should be sent to Julia Lernoud and Helga Willer, FiBL,
Ackerstrasse 113, 5070 Frick, Switzerland, e-mail julia.lernoud@fibl.org and helga.willer@fibl.org.
Please quote articles from this book individually with name(s) of author(s) and title of article. The same applies
to the tables: Please quote source, title of table and then the overall report. The whole report should be cited as:
Willer, Helga and Julia Lernoud (Eds.) (2015) The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and Emerging
Trends 2015. FiBL-IFOAM Report. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, and IFOAM –
Organics International, Bonn
Die Deutsche Bibliothek – CIP Cataloguing-in-Publication-Data

A catalogue record for this publication is available from Die Deutsche Bibliothek
© February 2015. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and IFOAM – Organics International.
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse113, 5070 Frick, Switzerland,

Tel. +41 62 865 72 72, Fax +41 62 865 72 73, e-mail info.suisse@fibl.org, Internet www.fibl.org
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM – Organics International), Charles-de-
Gaulle-Str. 5, 53113 Bonn, Germany, Tel. +49 228 926 50-10, Fax +49 228 926 50-99,
e-mail headoffice@ifoam.bio, Internet www.ifoam.bio, Trial Court Bonn, Association Register no. 8726
Layout: Julia Lernoud and Helga Willer, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
Cover: Simone Bissig, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
Maps: Bernhard Schlatter, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
Cover picture: Organic supermarket in Germany. Picture: Kai Kreuzer, Organic-Market.info, Lauterbach,
Germany
Graphs (if not otherwise stated): Julia Lernoud and Helga Willer, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
Printed by Medienhaus Plump, Rolandsecker Weg 33, 53619 Rheinbreitbach, Germany
Price: 25 Euros, IFOAM – Organics International affiliates: 20 Euros
Printed copies of this volume may be ordered directly from IFOAM – Organics International and FiBL (see
addresses above) or via the IFOAM – Organics International website at www.ifoam.bio or the FiBL shop at
shop.fibl.org (order number 1663)
ISBN FiBL 978-3-03736-271-6 – ISBN IFOAM 978-3-944372-12-9
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Glossary 12
Foreword from SECO and ITC 13
Foreword from FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International 15
Acknowledgements 17
Organic Agriculture 2015: Key Indicators and Leading Countries 23
The World of Organic Agriculture 2015: Summary 24
Helga Willer and Julia Lernoud
ORGANIC AGRICULTURE WORLDWIDE: CURRENT STATISTICS 31
Current Statistics on Organic Agriculture Worldwide: Organic Area,
Producers, Markets and Selected Crops 32
Julia Lernoud and Helga Willer
› Scope 32
› Indicators 33
› General notes on the data 34
› Organic agricultural land 35
› Shares of organic agricultural land by region and country 39
› Development of the organic agricultural land 43
› All organic areas, including non-agricultural areas 50
› Organic producers and other operator types 56
› Market and international trade data 62
› Organic farming in developing countries and in emerging markets 66
› Land use and crop data 68
› Arable land 72
› Permanent crops 74
› Wild collection and beekeeping areas 76
› Beehives 80
› Statistics on selected crops 83
› > Cereals 84
› > Citrus fruit 88
› > Cocoa beans 90
› > Coffee 92
› > Fruit: Temperate fruit 94
› > Fruit: Tropical and subtropical fruit 98
› > Grapes 102
› > Oilseeds 104
› > Olives 108
› > Protein crops 110
› > Vegetables 112
› Data collection on organic agriculture worldwide: Background 116
FiBL & IFOAM (2015): The World of Organic Agriculture 2015. Frick and Bonn 3
Table of Contents
THE GLOBAL MARKET FOR ORGANIC FOOD & DRINK 119

The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink 120
Amarjit Sahota
› Introduction 120
› Europe 121
› North America 121
› Other Regions 122
› Challenges & growth outlook 122
STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS 125
Standards and Regulations 126
Beate Huber, Otto Schmid, and Christiane Mannigel
› Organic legislation worldwide: current situation 126
› The Codex Alimentarius Guidelines: Recent developments 129
› EU regulation on organic production 130
› Import requirements of major economies 130
Overview of Participatory Guarantee Systems in 2014 134
Cornelia Kirchner
› More than just an alternative way to certify organic products 135
› PGS worldwide in figures 135
The Organic Market Framework: Becoming Organic 3.0 137
David Gould
› A rationale for metamorphosis 137
› Paradigm shift to a compatible methodology 138
› Brave new world 139
AFRICA 141
Latest Developments in Organic Agriculture in Africa 142
Jordan Gama
› The African Organic Network 142
› Preparation for the Third African Organic Conference 2015 in Nigeria 143
› The Productivity and Profitability of Organic and Conventional Farming Systems
(ProEcoOrganicAfrica) project 143
› Outlook 144
Africa: Current Statistics 145
Julia Lernoud, Helga Willer and Bernhard Schlatter
Organic Agriculture in Africa: Graphs 146
Organic Agriculture in Africa: Tables 149
ASIA 153
Organic Asia 2014 154
Ong Kung Wai
› Lighthouse Bhutan 154
› Bangladesh 155
4 FiBL & IFOAM (2015): The World of Organic Agriculture 2015. Frick and Bonn
Table of Contents
› China grows more for domestic 155

› 3rd party certification blues in Indonesia 156
› No significant development for Japan 156
› A national organic agriculture strategy for Laos PDR 157
› Nepal subsidy for export certification awaits accreditation 157
› Malaysia 157
› Sri Lanka rules 157
› Public vs Private in Thailand 157
› Hundreds points of lights in Vietnam 158
› ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations moves forward 159
› ASEAN today; tomorrow the World 160
› Managing imports for small countries or markets 160
› Reducing the cost of certification 161
› E-learning 162
Statistics and Emerging Trends of Organic Vegetable Production in China 163
Xue-qing He, Yu-hui Qiao, Min Su, and Friederike Martin
› Status of organic vegetable production 163
› Domestic and foreign trade of organic vegetables 164
› The development potential of organic vegetables 165
› Conclusions and development proposals 165
Asia: Current statistics 166
Julia Lernoud, Helga Willer, and Bernhard Schlatter
Organic Agriculture in Asia: Graphs 167
Organic Agriculture in Asia: Tables 169
EUROPE 173
Organic Farming in Europe 174
Helga Willer and Stephen Meredith
› EU regulation on organic farming 174
› EU policy support for organic farming 175
› Research 176
› Organic action plans 179
Organic Farming and Market Development in Europe 181
Helga Willer and Diana Schaack
› Key data for the organic sector 2013 181
› Organic agricultural land by country and country group 184
› Shares of organic agricultural land 186
› Growth of the organic land 188
› Organic Land Use and Crops 190
› Land use 190
› Arable and permanent crops 192
› Animal husbandry 194
› Producers, processors and importers 195
› Domestic market development 197
Table of Contents
› Retail sales by country 197

› Market growth 199
› Market shares and Purchasing Power Parities 200
› Shares of products and product groups with the organic segment 202
› Comparison of organic products and product groups with the total market 204
› Marketing channels 205
› International trade 206
› Conclusion 207
Organic Agriculture in Europe: Tables 209
MEDITERRANEAN REGION 215
Organic Agriculture in the Mediterranean Region: Updates 216
Patrizia Pugliese, Marie Reine Bteich, and Lina Al-Bitar
› Structural aspects and trends 2014 216
› Spotlight on the organic exports in the Mediterranean region 217
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 225
Organic Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean 226
Patricia Flores
› Introduction 226
› Mexico 228
› Central America and the Caribbean 229
› South America 229
› > Peru 229
› > Bolivia 230
› > Ecuador 230
› > Colombia 230
› South Cone sub-region. 230
› > Brazil 230
› > Argentina 231
Latin America and the Caribbean: Current statistics 233
Julia Lernoud, Helga Willer and Bernhard Schlatter 233
Organic Agriculture in Latin America and Caribbean: Graphs 234
Organic Agriculture in Latin America and Caribbean: Tables 236
NORTH AMERICA 239
2014 Farm Bill was a major milestone for the U.S. organic sector 240
Barbara Fitch Haumann
› Organic data 241
› International trade 241
› Challenges and opportunities 243
Canada 245
Matthew Holmes and Marie-Eve Levert
› Organic production 245
› Seed initiatives 246
Table of Contents
› Japan equivalency, expansion of EU scope 247

› Major standards revisions underway 247
› Regulatory modernization 248
› New investment for Organic Science Cluster II announced 248
North America: Current statistics 249
Organic Agriculture in North America: Graphs 250
Organic Agriculture in North America: Tables 252
OCEANIA 253
Organics at all-time high in Australia 254
Australian Organic
› The organic industry 254
› Most certified organic land 255
› Farm gate sales 255
› Retail sales 256
› Exports 256
› Imports 256
› The Australian organic shopper 257
The Pacific Islands 259
Karen Mapusua
› Recent important developments 259
› History 260
› Key actors 262
› Exports 262
› Domestic markets 263
› Legislation 263
› Government and international support 264
› Outlook 264
Oceania: Current statistics 265
Organic Agriculture in Oceania: Graphs 266
Organic Agriculture in Oceania: Tables 268
OUTLOOK 271
Moving Toward Organic 3.0 272
Markus Arbenz
ANNEX 275
The FiBL-IFOAM Survey: Overview Table 277
Data Providers and Data Sources 281
Compiled by Julia Lernoud and Helga Willer
Table of Contents
Tables
Table 1: Countries and areas covered by the global survey on organic agriculture 2013 33
Table 2: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) and regional shares of the global
organic agricultural land 2013 35
Table 3: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) by country 2013 (sorted) 37
Table 4: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas)
and shares of total agricultural land 2013 39
Table 5: World: Shares of organic agricultural land by country 2013, sorted 41
Table 6: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) by region: growth 2012/2013 43
Table 7: World: Development of organic agricultural land by country 2010-2013 46
Table 8: World: Organic areas: Agricultural land (including conversion areas) and further
organic areas by region in 2013 51
Table 9: World: All organic areas by country 2013 51
Table 10: World: Development of the numbers of producers by region 2012 to 2013 56
Table 11: World: Organic producers and other operator types by country 2013 58
Table 12: Global market data: Domestic sales, per capita consumption, and exports by country 2013 64
Table 13: Countries on the DAC list: Development of organic agricultural land 2008-2013 66
Table 14: World: Land use in organic agriculture by region (including in-conversion areas) 2013 69
Table 15: World: Land use and crop categories in organic agriculture worldwide 2013 71
Table 16: Use of organic arable land (including in-conversion areas), 2012 and 2013 compared 72
Table 17: Use of organic permanent cropland (including in-conversion areas), 2012 and 2013 compared 74
Table 18: Wild collection and beekeeping areas by region 2013 76
Table 19: Wild collection and beekeeping areas by crop group 2013 76
Table 20: Wild collection and beekeeping areas by country 2012 78
Table 21: Number of beehives by country 2013 82
Table 22: Selected key crops in organic agriculture 2013 (overview): Land under organic management
(including conversion areas) 83
Table 23: Organic cereal area 2013 86
Table 24: Organic citrus fruit 2013 89
Table 25: Organic cocoa bean area 2013 91
Table 26: Organic coffee area 2013 93
Table 27: Organic temperate fruit by crop 2013 94
Table 28: Organic temperate fruit 2013 96
Table 29: Organic tropical and subtropical fruit 2013 99
Table 30: Organic tropical and subtropical fruit 2013 100
Table 31: Organic grape area 2013 103
Table 32: Organic oilseeds 2012 104
Table 33: Organic oilseeds area 2013 106
Table 34: Organic olive area 2013 109
Table 35: Organic protein crop area 2013 111
Table 36: Organic vegetable area 2013 113
Table 37: Countries with regulations on organic agriculture 127
Table 38: Countries in the process of drafting regulations 128
Table 39: Countries with a national standard but without a national legislation 129
Table 40: Africa: Organic agricultural land, share of total agricultural land and number
of organic producers 2013 149
Table 41: Africa: All organic areas 2013 150
Table 42: Africa: Land use in organic agriculture 2013 151
Table 43: Africa: Use of wild collection areas 2013 152
Table 44: China: Area and production of various organic vegetables by vegetable group 2013 164
Table 45: Asia: Organic agricultural land, share of total agricultural land and number of producers 2013 169
Table 46: Asia: All organic areas 2013 170
Table 47: Asia: Land use in organic agriculture (fully converted and in-conversion) 2013 171
Table 48: Asia: Use of wild collection areas 2013 172
Table 49: Europe: Key indicators by country and country group 2013 183
Table 50: Organic agricultural land by land use type 2013 190
Table 51: Organic livestock in Europe and the European Union 2013 194
Table 52: Shares of organic products and product groups of their respective total
markets for selected countries 2013 204
Table of Contents
Table 53: Europe: Organic agricultural land, share of total farmland, and producers 2013 209
Table 54: Europe: Land use in organic agriculture 2012 and 2013 210
Table 55: Europe: All organic areas 2013 211
Table 56: Europe: Organic producers, processors and importers by country group, 2013 212
Table 57: Europe: The market for organic food 2013 213
Table 58: Organic statistics in the EU, candidate and potential candidate (CPC)
and southern and eastern Mediterranean (SEM) countries 2013 217
Table 59: Latin America: Organic agricultural land, share of total agricultural land and
number of producers 2013 236
Table 60: Latin America: All organic areas 2013 237
Table 61: Latin America: Land use in organic agriculture 2013 238
Table 62: Latin America: Use of wild collection areas 2013 238
Table 63: North America: Organic agricultural land, share of total agricultural land
and number of producers 2013 252
Table 64: North America: All organic areas 2013 252
Table 65: North America: Land use in organic agriculture 2013 252
Table 66: Pacific Region: Main crops, which are currently organically certified and exported 263
Table 67: Oceania: Organic agricultural land, share of total agricultural land
and number of producers 2013 268
Table 68: Oceania: All organic areas 2013 268
Table 69: Oceania: Land use in organic agriculture 2013 269
Table 70: Organic agricultural land, share of total agricultural land,
number of producers, and domestic sales 2013 277
Figures
Figure 1: World: Distribution of organic agricultural land by region 2013 36
Figure 2: World: The ten countries with the largest areas of organic agricultural land 2013 36
Figure 3: World: Countries with more tha 10 percent of organic agricultural land 2013 40
Figure 4: World: Distribution of the shares of organic agricultural land 2013 40
Figure 5: World: Growth of the organic agricultural land 1999-2013 44
Figure 6: Growth of the organic agricultural land by continent 2005 to 2013 44
Figure 7: World: The countries with the highest increase of organic agricultural land 2013 45
Figure 8: World: Distribution of all organic areas 2013. Total: 78 million hectares 50
Figure 9: World: Distribution of organic producers by region 2013 (Total: 2 million producers) 57
Figure 10: World: The ten countries with the largest numbers of organic producers 2013 57
Figure 11: Global market of organic food: Distribution of retail sales by country 2013 63
Figure 12: Global market of organic food: Distribution of retail sales by single markets 2013 63
Figure 13: Global market: The countries with the largest markets for organic food 2013 63
Figure 14: Global market: The countries with the highest per capita consumption 2013 64
Figure 15: Countries on the DAC list: The countries with the largest areas of organic
agricultural land in 2013 67
Figure 16: Countries on the DAC list: The ten countries with the highest shares
of organic agricultural land in 2013 67
Figure 17: World: Distribution of main land use types by region 2013 69
Figure 18: World: Distribution of main land use types and crop categories 2013 70
Figure 19: World: Development of organic arable land, permanent cropland
and permanent grassland/grazing areas 2004-2013 70
Figure 20: World: Distribution of organic arable cropland by region 2013 73
Figure 21: World: Use of arable cropland by crop group 2013 73
Figure 22: World: Distribution of permanent cropland by region 2013 75
Figure 23: World: Use of permanent cropland by crop group 2012 75
Figure 24: World: Distribution of organic wild collection and beekeeping areas in 2013 77
Figure 25: World: The ten countries with the largest organic wild collection
and beekeeping areas in 2013 77
Figure 26: World: Distribution of organic beehives by region in 2013 80
Figure 27: Development of the organic beehives 2007-2013 81
Figure 28: The ten countries with the largest number of organic beehives in 2013 81
Figure 29: Cereals: Development of the global organic area 2004-2013 85
Figure 30: Cereals: Distribution of cereal types 2013 85
Table of Contents
Figure 31: Citrus fruit: Use of organic citrus fruit area 2013 88
Figure 32: Cocoa beans: Development of the global organic area 2004-2013 90
Figure 33: Coffee: Development of organic area 2004-2013 92
Figure 34: Temperate fruit: Distribution by crop 2013 95
Figure 35: Temperate fruit: Development 2004-2013 95
Figure 36: Tropical and subtropical fruit: Distribution by crop 2013 99
Figure 37: Tropical and subtropical fruit: Development 2004-2013 100
Figure 38: Organic grape area: Development 2004-2013 102
Figure 39: Organic oilseed area: Development 2004-2013 105
Figure 40: Organic oilseed area: Use of oilseed area by crop 2013 105
Figure 41: Organic olive area: Distribution by continent and top 10 producing countries 2013 108
Figure 42: Organic olive area: Development 2004-2013 109
Figure 43: Organic protein crop area: Development 2004-2013 110
Figure 44: Organic vegetable area: Development 2004-2013 113
Figure 45: Growth of the global market for organic food and drink, 1999-2013 120
Figure 46: Africa: The ten countries with the largest organic agricultural area 2013 146
Figure 47: Africa: The countries with the highest share of organic agricultural land 2013 146
Figure 48: Africa: Development of organic agricultural land 2000 to 2013 147
Figure 49: Africa: Use of agricultural land 2013 147
Figure 50: Africa: The ten countries with the largest number of organic producers 2013 148
Figure 51: China: Development of organic vegetable area 2009-2013 164
Figure 52: Asia: The ten countries with the largest organic agricultural land 2013 167
Figure 53: Asia: The countries with the highest share of organic agricultural land 2013 167
Figure 54: Asia: Development of organic agricultural land 2000 to 2013 168
Figure 55: Asia: Use of organic agricultural land 2013 168
Figure 56: European Union: Logo for organic products. 175
Figure 57: Distribution of organic farmland in Europe 2013 (11.5 million hectares) 184
Figure 58: Europe: Organic agricultural land by country 2013 185
Figure 59: Europe: Distribution of the organic shares of all farm land 2013 186
Figure 60: Europe: Shares of total organic agricultural land 2013 187
Figure 61: Europe: Development of organic agricultural land 1985-2013 188
Figure 62: Growth of organic agricultural land by country group, 2000-2013 189
Figure 63: The 10 countries with the highest growth of organic agricultural land in 2013 189
Figure 64: Land use in organic agriculture in the Europe, 2013 191
Figure 65: Growth of organic agricultural land by land use type 2004-2013 191
Figure 66: Growth of selected arable and permanent crop groups in Europe 2004 and 2013 192
Figure 67: (Left): Europe: Distrbution of organic arable land by country 2013 193
Figure 68: (Right): Europe: Distrbution of organic arable land by crop group 2013 193
Figure 69: (Left): Europe: Distrbution of organic permanent cropland by country 2013 193
Figure 70: (Right): Europe: Distrbution of organic permanent cropland by crop group 2013 193
Figure 71: Distribution of producers and processors by country 2013 195
Figure 72: Europe: Numbers of producers 2013 196
Figure 73: Distribution of retail sales in Europe 2013; Right: Distribution of retail sales
by single market worldwide 2013 197
Figure 74: Europe: Retail sales by country 2013 198
Figure 75: Organic retail sales in Europe and the EU, 2004-2013 199
Figure 76: European Union: Market development in selected countries 2004-2013 199
Figure 77: Europe: The ten countries with the highest market shares of the total retail sales 2013 201
Figure 78: Europe: The 12 countries with the highest per capita consumption adjusted
by purchasing power parity 2013 201
Figure 79: Czech Republic: Distribution of organic retail sales by product (group) 2012 203
Figure 80: France: Distribution of organic retail sales by product (group) 2013 203
Figure 81: Germany: Distribution of organic retail sales by product (group) 2013 203
Figure 82: Switzerland: Distribution of organic retail sales by product (group) 2013 203
Figure 83: Europe: Marketing channels for organic products in selected countries 2013 205
Figure 84: Denmark: Development of organic exports and imports 2003 to 2013 206
Figure 85: Morocco: Share of organic export volumes by group of products 2013 219
Figure 86: Morocco: Export volume by destination country 2013 220
Figure 87: Morocco: Evolution of organic exports 2000-2013 220
Figure 88: Serbia: Share of organic export volumes by group of products 2013 221
Table of Contents
Figure 89: Serbia: Export volumes by destination country 2013 222

Figure 90: Tunisia: Share of organic export volumes by group of products 2013 223
Figure 91: Tunisia: Export volumes by destination country 2013 223
Figure 92: Tunisia: Evolution of organic export value 2000-2013 224
Figure 93: Latin America and Caribbean: The ten countries with the largest areas
of organic agricultural land 2013 234
Figure 94: Latin America and Caribbean: The ten countries with the highest shares
of organic agricultural land 2013 234
Figure 95: Latin America and Caribbean: Development of organic agricultural land 2000-2013 235
Figure 96: Latin America and Caribbean: Land use in organic agriculture 2013 235
Figure 97: North America: Organic agricultural land in Canada and the United States 2013 250
Figure 98: North America: Organic share of total organic agricultural land in Canada
and the United States 2013 250
Figure 99: North America: Development of organic agricultural land 2000-2013
(for the US the latest available data are from 2011) 251
Figure 100: North America: Land use in organic agriculture 2013
(for the US the latest available data are from 2011) 251
Figure 101: Australia: Growth of organic retail sales 1990-2014 (including non-food products) 256
Figure 102: The two best known Australian logos: Australian Certified Organic and NASAA 258
Figure 103: Oceania: Organic agricultural land by country 2013 266
Figure 104: Oceania: Share of organic agricultural land 2013 266
Figure 105: Oceania: Development of organic agricultural land 2000-2013 267
Maps
Map 1: Organic agricultural land and wild collection areas in 2013 31
Map 2: Map of PGS by country 134
Map 3: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Africa 2013 141
Map 4: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Asia 2013 153
Map 5: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Europe 2013 173
Map 6: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean 2013 225
Map 7: Organic agricultural land in Canada and the US 2013 239
Map 8: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Oceania 2013 253
Glossary
Glossary
€/person: Per capita consumption in euros
AMI: Agrarmarkt-Informationsgesellschaft - Agricultural Market Information Company, Germany
AROS: Asia Regional Organic Standard
ASOA: ASEAN Standard for Organic Agriculture
ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations
CAP: Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union
CIHEAM: Centre international de hautes études agronomiques méditerranéennes
CPC: Candidates and Potential Candidates for the European Union
CTAB: Technical Center of Organic Agriculture, Tunisia
CNCA: China National Certification and Accreditation Administration
COROS: Common Objectives and Requirements of Organic Standards (COROS) are the Standards Requirements of
IFOAM – Organics International
COTA: Canada Organic Trade Association, Canada
DGAB: Direction Génerale de l’Agriculture Biologique, Tunisia
EACCE: Etablissement Autonome de Contrôle et Coordination et des Exportations
EFTA: European Free Trade Association
EIP-AGRI: European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability
EOA: Ecological Organic Agriculture; Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative for Africa
EU: European Union
EU-13: The countries that became a member of the European Union in or after May 1, 2004
EU-15: Member countries in the European Union prior to the accession of ten candidate countries on 1 May 2004
EU-Med: European Mediterranean Countries
Eurostat: Statistical office of the European Union, Luxembourg
FAO: Foo d and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations
FAOSTAT: Statistics Division of FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations
FiBL: Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau – Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Switzerland
GATS: USDA’s Global Agriculture Trade System, United States of America
Ha: Hectares
Horizon 2020: Research and Innovation programme of the European Union, running from 2014 to 2020
Hivos: Dutch Humanist Institute for Cooperation
HS codes: Harmonized System Codes (HS Code)
IAMB: L'Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari – Mediterranean Agronomic Institute Bari, Italy
IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural Development
IFOAM – Organics International: International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, Germany
IFOAM EU Group: European Union Group of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
IISD: International Institute of Sustainable Development, Canada
ISOFAR: International Society of Organic Agriculture Research, Germany
ITC: International Trade Centre, Switzerland
MAEP: Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, Serbia
Mio.: Million
MOAN: Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network, Italy
NASAA: National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia
NASS: USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Services, United States of America
OrganicDataNetwork: Data network for better European organic market information
OrMaCode: ORganic market data MAnual and CODE of Practice - Manual and Code of Practice for the initiation and
maintenance of good organic market data collection and publication procedures
OTA: Organic Trade Association, United States of America
OWC: Organic World Congress of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
PGS: Participatory Guarantee Systems
POETcom: Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community
SECO: State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Switzerland
SEM: Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Countries
SPC: Secretariat of the Pacific Community
SÖL: Stiftung Ökologie & Landbau – Foundation Ecology & Agriculture, Germany
SSI: State of Sustainability Initiatives, Canada
TIPI: Technology Innovation Platform of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
TP Organics: European Technology Platform for Organic Food and Farming
USDA: United States Department of Agriculture
VCO: Virgin Coconut Oil
VSS: Voluntary Sustainability Standards
Foreword from SECO and ITC
Foreword from SECO and ITC

This book provides a clear statement on the resilience of the organic trend. On the
consumer side, organic products with a total value of almost 72 billion US dollars were
sold globally in 2013. A growth rate of more than 10 percent was recorded in the most
advanced markets for organic products. The market in the United States grew by more
than 11 percent in 2013, and in Switzerland that same year, where the market has been
evolving over several years with high growth rates, it grew by 12 percent. The production
side is also keeping pace: The latest data for 2013 show that organic farmland has grown
in many countries and the total organic area increased to 43 million hectares. In
particular, for some tropical crops such as cocoa, area growth rates of more than 10
percent were reached in 2013. Six “new” countries have joined the community of organic
producers, so there are now 170.
One challenge is the total world volume of organic production compared to the
overwhelming majority of “conventional” production. For cocoa, the organic area
represents only about 2.3 percent, and for banana, less than one percent of the total
world area for these crops.
On the other hand, the importance of sustainability standards is increasing, and organic
is increasingly in competition with other sustainability labels. However, data on the
performance of these Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) are still scarce and,
therefore, collecting timely and accurate market data to facilitate policy and investment
decisions is important for policy makers, market actors, and donors. The Research
Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), IISD’s 1 State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI),
and the International Trade Centre (ITC) are partnering with the support of SECO in
joint data collection efforts to ensure continuous, accurate, and relevant reporting. This
group has already developed a list of indicators and is currently collecting data on several
crops from several VSS. We hope to publish the first set of VSS data in next year’s report.
It is essential for the organic community to gather relevant information on market
trends in order to continue attracting the various stakeholders. Transparent
information enables credibility and informed decisions on the costs and benefits of
organic production for both the producer and the buyer. This book makes a major
contribution to such transparency.
Considering the latest figures and the continuous and sustainable growth over many
years, the organic movement can look confidently into the future.
Thierry Buchs Joseph Wozniak

Head of the Division for Trade Promotion Manager of the Trade for Sustainable
Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Development (T4SD) Programme
Affairs (SECO) International Trade Centre (ITC)
Bern, Switzerland Geneva, Switzerland
1
IISD is the International Institute of Sustainable Development, www.iisd.org
Foreword from FiBL and IFOAM
Foreword from FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International

Data collection is a major and constant concern of the Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
(IFOAM – Organics International). The comprehensive data provided in this publication
serve as an important tool for stakeholders, policy makers, authorities, and the industry,
as well as for researchers and extension professionals. The information provided here
has proven useful in development programs and supporting strategies for organic
agriculture and markets, and crucial for monitoring the impact of these activities. The
data collection of FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International has become one of the most
frequently quoted literature in scientific, technical and descriptive papers and reports on
organic agriculture.
With this edition, FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International are presenting “The World
of Organic Agriculture” for the 16th time. The data and information compiled in this
volume document the current statistics, recent developments, and trends in global
organic farming. The statistical information and all chapters have been updated. As in
previous editions, regional reports were also compiled.
We would like to express our thanks to all authors and data providers for contributing
in-depth information and figures on their region, their country or their field of
expertise.
We are grateful to Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)/Economic
Development and Cooperation and the International Trade Centre (ITC) for their
support.
Furthermore, we are happy to count on the continuous support of NürnbergMesse, the
organizers of the BIOFACH, the World's leading trade fair for organic food.
Frick and Bonn, February 2015
Prof. Dr. Urs Niggli Markus Arbenz

Director Executive Director
Research Institute of IFOAM – Organics International
Organic Agriculture FiBL Bonn, Germany
Frick, Switzerland
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Federation of
Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM – Organics International) are very grateful to
their sponsors for granting financial support for the global data collection and for the
2015 edition of “The World of Organic Agriculture”: the International Trade Centre
(ITC), Geneva, Switzerland, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO),
Economic Development and Cooperation (within the framework of its support activities
for organic production in developing countries), Bern, Switzerland, and NürnbergMesse,
the organizers of BIOFACH, Nürnberg, Germany. Furthermore, the data collection on
organic agriculture in Europe received support through the OrganicDataNetwork project
funded by the European Union under the 7th Framework programme for Research,
Technological Development and Demonstration.
Numerous individuals have contributed to the making of this work. The editors are very
grateful to all those listed below, without whom it would not have been possible to
produce this yearbook.
Said Aboulfaraj, Ecocert Maroc, Morocco; Gyorgyi Acs Feketene, Control Union
Certifications, Zwolle, The Netherlands; Olugbenga O. AdeOluwa, University of
Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; Raymond Aendekerk, Institut fir biologesch Landwirtschaft
an Agrarkultur asbl IBLA Luxemburg, Munsbach. Luxembourg; Denise Aguero, Quality
Certification Services, United States of America; Uygun Aksoy, Ege University, Bornova
Izmir, Turkey; Lina AL Bitar, Centro Internazionale di Alti Studi Agronomici
Mediterranei - Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari - CIHEAM- IAM Bari,
Valenzano, Italy; Gulzaada Aleshova, HELVETAS Swiss Association for International
Cooperation, Jalal-Abad, the Kyrgyz Republic; Mohammed Al-Oun, Jordan National
Centre for Research and Development, Jordan; Saif Mohamed Al Shara, Ministry of
Environment and Water, Agricultural Affairs and Animal Sector, Dubai, United Arab
Emirates; Mirit Amrani, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Israel;
Stoilko Apostolov, Bioselena: Foundation for organic agriculture, Karlovo, Bulgaria;
Markus Arbenz, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements IFOAM,
Bonn; Lidya Ariesusanty, Indonesia Organic Alliance IOA, Bogor, Indonesia; Raymond
Auerbach, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, George, South Africa; Elhag Meki
Ali Awouda, Federal Ministry Of Agriculture& Irrigation, Sudan; Roberto Azofeifa,
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica; Vugar Babayev,
Ganja Agribusiness Association (GABA), Ganja City, Azerbaijan; Christian Báez,
Agrocalidad, Quito, Ecuador; Khaoula Baghdadi, Ministère de l'Agriculture, des
Ressources Hydrauliques et de la Pêche, Tunis, Tunisia; Andrew Bayliss, Soil
Association Certification Limited, Bristol, UK; Milena Belli, Istituto per la
Certificazione Etica ed Ambientale (ICEA), Bologna. Italy; Mohamed Ben Kheder,
Centre Technique de l'Agriculture Biologique, Sousse, Tunisia; Paulina Betancourt,
Agrocalidad, Quito, Ecuador; Olivera Bicikliski, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Water Management (MZSV), Skopje, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Simone
Bissig, Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland; Marian
Blom, Bionext, LC Utrecht, The Netherlands; Thavisith Bounyasouk, Department of
Acknowledgements
Agriculture (DOA), Vientiane, Lao PDR; Lorcan Bourke, Bord Bia - Irish Food Board,
Dublin 2, Ireland; Trevor Brown, Jamaica Organic Agriculture Movement JOAM,
Kingston 6, Jamaica, West Indies; Marie Reine Bteich, Centro Internazionale di Alti
Studi Agronomici Mediterranei - Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari - CIHEAM-
IAM Bari, Bari, Italy; Lakshmi Budaraju, BioGro New Zealand, Wellington, New
Zealand; Klaus Büchel, Klaus Büchel Anstalt, Mauren, Liechtenstein; Andreas
Bürkert, University of Kassel, Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, Witzenhausen,
Germany; Diana Callear, Afrisco, Pretoria, South Africa; Carmen I. Calverley,
NaturErhvervstyrelsen, Center for Jordbrug, Økologi, Koebenhavn V, Denmark; Johan
Cejie, KRAV Incorporated Association, Uppsala, Sweden; Jennifer Chang, Korean
Federation of Sustainable Agriculture Organizations (KFSA), Seoul, Republic of Korea;
Allal Chibane, Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Pêche Maritime, Rabat, Morocco;
Stanley Chidaya, Malawi Organic Growers Association (MOGA), Lilongwe, Malawi;
Thomas Cierpka, IFOAM - International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements, Bonn, Germany; Marian Cioceanu, Bio Romania, Bucureşti, Romania;
Cathy Cogo, Australian Organic, Nundah, Australia; Dominikus Collenberg, Organic
Africa, Pomona-Borrowdale, Harare, Zimbabwe; Marcus Coomer, BioGro New Zealand,
Wellington, New Zealand; Genaro Coronel, Servicio Nacional de Calidad y Sanidad
Vegetal y de Semillas SENAVE, Asunción, Paraguay; Martin Cottingham, UK;
Catarina Crisostomo,, Portugal; Philip Cullen, Department of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Development, The Organic Farming Unit, Johnstown, Ireland; Nune Darbinyan,
ECOGLOBE - Organic control and certification body, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia;
Famara Diédhiou, Fédération Nationale pour l'Agriculture Biologique, Thiès, Senegal;
Dóra Drexler, Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), Budapest,
Hungary; Pilar M. Eguillor Recabarren, Oficina de Estudios y Politicas Agrarias
ODEPA, Santiago Centro, Chile; Tobias Eisenring, Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland; Göran Ekbladh, Jordbruksverket, Jönköping,
Sweden; Lucy Ellis, Department of Agriculture, Stanley, Falkland Islands (Malvinas);
Sandra Elvir Sanchez, SENASA HONDURAS, Secretaria de Agricultura y Ganadería,
Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Carlos Escobar, ECONEXOS, Conexion Ecologica, Cali,
Colombia, Cali, Colombia; Richard Escobar, Ecocert, Bogota, Colombia; Angela Pernas
Escosteguy, Instituto do Bem-Estar, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Monique Faber,
Administration des services techniques de l'agriculture (ASTA), Luxembourg; Addisu
Alemayehu Ferede, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research EIAR, Akaki, Ethiopia;
Tobias Fischer, BCS Öko-Garantie GmbH, Nürnberg, Germany; Barbara Fitch
Haumann, Organic Trade Association (OTA), Brattleboro, United States of America;
Patricia Flores Escudero, Latin American Office of the International Federation of
Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Lima, Peru; Emmeline Foubert, Certisys,
Walhain, Belgium; Udo Funke, BioFach - World Organic Trade Fair, Nürnberg,
Germany; Jordan Gama, AfrONet, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Salvador Garibay,
Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (FiBL) / Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture, Frick, Switzerland; Catherine Gerrard, Organic Research Centre,
Hamstead Marshall, Newbury, UK; Maheswar Ghimire, Kathmandu, Nepal; Laurent
C. Glin, FiBL Regional Office for West Africa, Benin; Denise Godinho, IFOAM -
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, Bonn, Germany; Victor
Acknowledgements
Gonzálvez Pérez, Sociedad Española de Agricultura Ecologica (SEAE) / Spanish Society

for Organic Agriculture, Catarroja, Spain; Daniel Gorba, Forschungsinstitut für
biologischen Landbau (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland; David Gould, International Federation
of Organic Agriculture Movements IFOAM, Bonn, Germany; P.V.S.M. Gouri,
Agricultural and Processed Food Products. Export Development Authority, August
Kranti Marg. New Delhi, India; Catherine Greene, Economic Research Service USDA,
Washington DC, United States; Simone Groh, CERES - CERtification of Environmental
Standards - GmbH, Happurg, Germany; Iulia Grosulescu, Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development, Bucharest; Rannveig Guðleifsdóttir, Vottunarstofan Tún ehf.,
Reykjavik, Iceland; Gunnar Gunnarsson, Vottunarstofan Tún ehf., Reykjavik, Iceland;
Roberto Guimarães Habib Mattar, Ministério da Agricultura Pecuária e
Abastecimento – MAPA, Brasília DF, Brazil; Marco Hartmann, Organic Farming
Project, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, GIZ
International Services, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Abid Ali Hasan, Zakho Small Villages
Projects, Dohuk, Iraq; Sampsa Heinonen, Evira, Helsinki, Finland; Loni Hensler,
Institute of Market Ecology IMO, Weinfelden, Switzerland; Otto Hofer,
Lebensministerium, Wien, Austria; Matthew Holmes, Canada Organic Trade
Association, Ottawa, Canada; Andrea Hrabalová, Institute of Agricultural Economics
and Information (UZEI), Brno, Czech Republic; Beate Huber, Forschungsinstitut für
biologischen Landbau (FiBL) / Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Frick,
Switzerland; Basri Hyseni, Initiative for agricultural development of Kosovo (IADK,
Mitrovica, Republic of Kosovo; Nizami Ibrahimli, Ganja Agribusiness Association
(GABA), Ganja City, Azerbaijan; Bernd Jansen, EkoConnect - International Centre for
Organic Agriculture of Central and Eastern Europe e.V., Dresden, Germany; Jorge
Leonardo Jave Nakayo, Ministerio de Agricultura - SENASA- Perú, Lima, Peru;
Aikuali Joseph, Dominica Organic Agriculture Movement (DOAM), Roseau, Dominica;
Ágnes Juhász, National Food Chain Safety Office nébih, Budapest, Hungary; Jack
Juma, Kenya Organic Agricultural Network (KOAN), Nairobi, Kenya; Man Chul Jung,
Korean Federation of Sustainable Agriculture Organizations (KFSA), Seoul, Republic of
Korea; Edith Kalka, Namibian Organic Association NOA, Okahandja, Namibia; Clara
Larsson, Statistics Sweden, Economic Statistics Department, Örebro, Sweden; Lani
Katimbang-Limpin, Organic Certification Center of the Philippines OCCP, Barangay
Laging Handa, Quezon City, Philippines; Iris Kazazi, Albanian Association of
Marketing, Tirana, Albania; Andrey Khodus, Eco-control Ltd., Solnechnogorsk, Russian
Federation; Corinne Khoury, IMCERT Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon; Eustace Kiarii,
Kenya Organic Agricultural Network (KOAN), Nairobi, Kenya; Nadine Kieffer,
Administration des services techniques de l'agriculture (ASTA), Luxembourg; Cornelia
Kirchner, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements IFOAM, Bonn,
Germany; Bernisa Klepo, Organska Kontrola (OK), Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina;
Evgeniy Klimov, Organic Centre of Kazakhstan, Almaty, Kazakhstan; Marja-Riitta
Kottila, Pro Luomu, Kauniainen, Finland; Kai Kreuzer, Organic-Market.Info,
Lauterbach, Germany; Heinz Kuhlmann, ABC Enterprises, Tokio, Japan; Manoj
Kumar Menon, International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture ICCOA,
Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bangalore, India; Shaknoza Kurbanalieva, HELVETAS Swiss
Association for International Cooperation, Jalal-Abad, the Kyrgyz Republic; Noel Kwai,
Acknowledgements
Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement TOAM, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Marie-Eve

Levert, Canada Organic Trade Association, Ottawa, Canada; Ralph Liebing, ORA ~
Organic Retailers Association, Wien, Austria; Ming Chao Liu, Organics Brazil, Brazil;
Alexander Lysenkov, ABCert GmbH, Esslingen, Germany; Samia Maamer Belkhiria,
Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Ressources Hydrauliques et de la Pêche, Tunis, Tunisia;
Anne Macey, Canadian Organic Growers COG, Canada; Marcela Machuca Henao,
Ecocert, Bogota D.C, Colombia; Mazen Al Madani, Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian
Reform, Syria; Hossein Mahmoudi, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Evin
Shahid Beheshti University SBU, Velenjak, Evin, Tehran, Iran; Sohil Makhol, Syria; Ula
Makkawi, Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation, Organic Agriculture focal point,
Sudan; Fernando Maldonado, Dirección General de Sanidad Vegetal y Animal, El
Salvador; Christiane Mannigel, Germany; Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the Pacific
Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji; Robert Mayo, Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO), Roma, Italy; Cliflyn McKenzie, Ecocert Southern Africa,
Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa; Stephen Meredith, IFOAM EU Group, Brussels,
Belgium; Merit Mikk, Centre of Ecological Engineering - Ökoloogiliste Tehnoloogiate
Keskus, Tartu, Estonia; Jelena Milic, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water,
Belgrade, Republic of Serbia; Eugene Milovanov, Organic Federation of Ukraine, Kyiv;
Natasa Mirecki, University of Montenegro, Biotechnical Faculty, Podgorica,
Montenegro; Andrew Monk, Australian Organic, Nundah, Australia; Mersida
Musabegovic, Organska Kontrola (OK), Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina; Chariton
D.B.Namuwoza, National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda NOGAMU,
Kampala, Uganda; Từ Thị Tuyết Nhung, Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association,
Hanoi, Vietnam; Urs Niggli, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Frick,
Switzerland; Aleksandra Nikolic, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and
Herzegovina; Tomas Fibiger Nørfelt, Knowledge Centre for Agriculture VLF, Århus,
Denmark; Agung Nugroho, Helvetas Laos, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR; Kung Wai
Ong, Humus Consultancy, Penang, Malaysia; Maximiliano Ortega, Belize Organic
Producers Association, Belmopan, Belize; Kristina Ottosson, Jordbruksverket,
Jönköping, Sweden; Susanne Padel, Organic Research Centre, Hamstead Marshall,
Newbury, UK; Eli Pandeva, Bioselena: Foundation for organic agriculture, Karlovo,
Bulgaria; Vitoon Panyakul, Green Net, Bangkok, Thailand; Ejvind Pedersen,
Landbrug & Fødevarer, Copenhagen, Denmark; Elias Pfäffli, bio.inspecta, Frick,
Switzerland; Joan Picazos, Biocop Productos Biológicos, S.A. (BIOCOP), Lliçà de vall
(Barcelona), Spain; Diego Pinasco, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad
Agroalimentaria SENASA, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Roberto Pinton, Pinton Organic
Consulting, Padova, Italy; Natalie Prokopchuk, Swiss-Ukrainian project “Organic
Certification and Market Development in Ukraine”, Kyiv, Ukraine; Patrizia Pugliese,
Centro Internazionale di Alti Studi Agronomici Mediterranei - Istituto Agronomico
Mediterraneo di Bari - CIHEAM- IAM Bari, Valenzano, Italy; Yuhui Qiao, China
Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Juan Carlos Ramirez, Servicio Nacional de
Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria SENASA, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Wenndy
Ramirez, Ecocert Colombia, Bogota D.C., Colombia; Basanta Rana Bhat, Ecological
Service Centre, Chitwan, Nepal; Sandra Randrianarisoa, Ecocert East Africa,
Antananarivo, Madagascar; Michel Reynaud, Ecocert International, Office, L'Isle
Acknowledgements
Jourdain, France; Nathalie Rison Alabert, Agence BIO, Montreuil-sous-Bois, France;

Ole Rognstad, Statistics Norway, Division for Primary Industry Statistics, Oslo,
Norway; Marta Romeo, Sistema d'Informazione nazionale sull'agricoltura biologica
SINAB, Roma, Italy; Fermín Romero, Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario, Panama;
Felix Ruhland, Organic Farming Project, GIZ International Services, Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia; Amarjit Sahota, Organic Monitor Ltd., London, UK; Abdus Salam,
Bangaldesh; Abdalla Mohamed Salih, Organic Farming Project, Deutsche Gesellschaft
für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, GIZ International Services, Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia; Vincent Samborski, Landbouw en Visserij, Brussels, Belgium; Gregory
Sampson, International Trade Centre (ITC), Geneva, Switzerland; Thatsaka
Saphangthong, Vientiane, Lao PDR; Diana Schaack, Agrarmarkt Informations-
Gesellschaft mbH, Bonn, Germany; Aender Schanck, BIOGROS Logistique, Munsbach,
Luxembourg; Winfried Scheewe, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang III, Khan Chamkar Mon,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Bernhard Schlatter, Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland; Otto Schmid, Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland; Rita Schwentesius, Universidad Autónoma
Chapingo // Chapingo University, Chapingo, México; Hana Šejnohová, Institute of
agricultural economics and information, Brno, Czech Republic; Iurie Senic, Ministry of
Agriculture and Food Industry of the Republic of Moldova, Chisinau, Moldova; Elene
Shatberashvili, Elkana - Biological Farming Association, Akhaltsikhe, Georgia;
Virgilijus Skulskis, Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics, Vilniusa, Lithuania;
Anamarija Slabe, Institut za trajnostni razvoj, Lubljana, Slovenia; Nicolette van der
Smissen, Consultant for Organic Production, Feres, Greece; Manjo Smith, Namibian
Organic Association NOA, Okahandja, Namibia; Francesco Solfanelli, Università
Politecnica Marche, Ancona, Italy; Sokol Stafa, Albinspekt, Tiranë, Shqipëri, Albania;
Erdal Süngü, Ministry of Food Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Ankara, Türkei;
Trine Thanh Ha, Norwegian Agricultural Authority SLF, Oslo, Norway; Ginna Paola
Torres, Ecocert Colombia, Bogota, Colombia; Emma Tsessue, ECOCERT SAS, L'Isle
Jourdain, France; Kesang Tshomo, Ministry of Agriculture MOA, Thimphu Bhutan;
Daniela Vairo, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Paul Verbeke,
BioForum Vlaanderen vzw, Antwerpen, Belgium; Fabienne Verzeletti, LACON GmbH,
Offenburg; Hellmut von Koerber, fleXinfo, Frick, Switzerland; Maohua Wang,
Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China CNCA,
Haidian district, Beijing, China; Yu Watanabe, IFOAM JAPAN, Tokyo; Sam Welsch,
OneCert, Inc., Lincoln, New Zealnd; Meike Wollenberg Martinez, Bio.Inspecta, Frick,
Switzerland; Joseph Wozniak, International Trade Centre (ITC), Geneva, Switzerland;
Els Wynen, Eco Landuse Systems, Flynn, Australia; Abdoul Aziz Yanogo, Ecocert SA
West Africa Office, Ougadougou 11, Burkina Faso; Weimin Yu, Ecocert China, Beijing,
China; Tshering Zam, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Department of Agriculture,
National Organic Program, Bhutan; Raffaele Zanoli, Università Politecnica delle
Marche, Ancona; José Zapata, Oficina de Control Agricultura Organica, Santo
Domingo, Republica Dominicana; Livija Zarina, State Priekuli Plant Breeding Institute
SPPBI, Priekuli, Latvia; Zhejiang Zhou, IFOAM Asia, China; Darko Znaor,
Independent Consultant, Zagreb, Croatia.
Statistics: Key Indicators
Organic Agriculture 2015: Key Indicators and Leading

Countries
Indicator World Leading countries
Countries with data on
certified organic 2013: 170 countries
1
agriculture
Australia (17.2 million hectares)

Organic agricultural 2013: 43.1 million hectares
Argentina (3.2 million hectares)
land (1999: 11 million hectares)
US (2.2 million. hectares, 2011)
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) (36.3 %)

Share of total 2013: 0.98 % 2 Liechtenstein (31 %)
agricultural land Austria (19.5 %)
Further, non-
2013: 35.1 million hectares Finland (9 million hectares)
agricultural organic (2012: 30.4 million hectares; Zambia (6.1 million hectares; 2009)
areas (mainly wild 2010: 31.7 million hectares) India (5.2 million hectares)
collection)
2013: 2 million producers

India (650’000), Uganda (189'610; 2012),
Producers (2012: 1.9 million producers;
Mexico (169'703)
2011: 1.8 million producers)
2013: 72 billion US dollars US (24.3 billion euros),

Organic market size (1999: 15.2 billion US dollars) Germany (7.6 billion euros)
Source: Organic Monitor France (4.4 billion euros)
Switzerland (210 euros),

Per capita consumption 2013: 10.05 US dollars 3 Denmark (163 euros)
Luxemburg (157 euros)
Number of countries 2013: 82 countries

with organic regulations
Germany - 89 affiliates;
Number of IFOAM 2014: 815 affiliates from 120 China - 55 affiliates;
affiliates countries USA - 51 affiliates;
India - 47 affiliates
Source: FiBL and IFOAM; for total global market: Organic Monitor
1
Where the designation "country" appears in this book, it covers countries or areas see UNSTAT website
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm.
2
Share of the countries included in the FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015.
3
Total world population 7.16 billion in 2013 according to FAOSTAT, FAO, Rome;
http://faostat.fao.org/site/550/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=550#ancor.
The World of Organic Agriculture: Summary
The World of Organic Agriculture 2015: Summary

HELGA WILLER 1 AND JULIA LERNOUD 2
Key data on organic agriculture

According to the latest FiBL-IFOAM survey on certified organic agriculture worldwide, as
of the end of 2013, data on organic agriculture is available from 170 countries (up from
164 in 2012).
There were 43.1 million hectares of organic agricultural land in 2013, including in-
conversion areas. The regions with the largest areas of organic agricultural land are
Oceania (17.3 million hectares, 40 percent of the world’s organic agricultural land) and
Europe (11.5 million hectares, 27 percent). Latin America has 6.6 million hectares
(15 percent) followed by Asia (3.4 million hectares, 8 percent), North America (3 million
hectares, 7 percent) and Africa (1.2 million hectares, 3 percent). For the detailed results
of the FiBL-IFOAM survey, see page 32. The countries with the most organic agricultural
land are Australia (17.2 million hectares), Argentina (3.2 million hectares), and the
United States (2.2 million hectares).
Currently, one percent of the agricultural land of the countries covered by the survey is
organic. By region, the highest shares of the total agricultural land are in Oceania
(4.1 percent) and in Europe (2.4 percent). In the European Union, 5.7 percent of the
farmland is organic. However, some countries reach far higher shares: Falkland Islands,
36.3 percent; Liechtenstein, 31 percent; Austria, 19.5 percent. In eleven countries, more
than ten percent of the agricultural land is organic.
For 2013, almost 6 million hectares of organic agricultural land more were reported than
for 2012. This is mainly due to the fact that five million hectares more were reported
from Australia, due to rangeland areas coming into organic production. There has been
an increase of the organic agricultural land in all regions, with the exception of Latin
America; in Europe, the area grew by 0.3 million hectares (+3 percent). In Africa, the area
grew by almost 7 percent (almost 80’000 hectares); in Asia, the area grew by more than
0.2 million hectares (+6.5 percent) and in North America by 1 percent. Only in Latin
America did the organic land decrease, mainly due to a decrease of organic grazing areas
in Argentina. Apart from Australia, a major increase of organic agricultural land was
noted for China, Peru, Italy, and Ukraine.
Apart from agricultural land, there are further organic areas, most of these being areas
for wild collection. Other areas include aquaculture, forests, and grazing areas on non-
agricultural land. The areas of non-agricultural land constitute more than 35 million
hectares. In total, 78 million hectares (agricultural and non-agricultural areas) are
organic.
There were almost 2 million producers in 2013. 3 Thirty-six percent of the world’s
organic producers are in Asia, followed by Africa (29 percent) and Europe (17 percent).
1
Dr. Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
2
Julia Lernoud, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
3
Please note that some countries report only the numbers of companies, projects, or grower groups, which
may each comprise a number of individual producers. The number of producers should, therefore, be treated
The countries with the most producers are India (650’000), Uganda (189’610), and
Mexico (169’703).
About a quarter of the world’s agricultural land (11.7 million hectares) and more than
80 percent (1.7 million) of the producers are in developing countries and emerging
markets.
Land use details were available for almost 90 percent of the organic agricultural land.
Unfortunately, some countries with very large organic areas, such as Australia, Brazil,
and India had little or no information on their land use. Almost two-thirds of the
agricultural land was grassland/grazing areas (27 million hectares). With a total of at
least 7.7 million hectares, arable land constitutes almost 20 percent of the organic
agricultural land. An increase of almost three percent over 2012 was reported. Most of
this category of land is used for cereals including rice (3.3 million hectares), followed by
green fodder from arable land (2.4 million hectares), oilseeds (0.8 million hectares),
vegetables (0.3 million hectares), and protein crops (0.3 million hectares). Permanent
crops account for seven percent of the organic agricultural land, amounting to
3.2 million hectares. The most important permanent crops are coffee (with more than
0.7 million hectares, constituting almost one quarter of the organic permanent
cropland), followed by olives (0.6 million hectares), nuts and grapes (0.3 million hectares
each), and cocoa (0.2 million hectares).
Global market
Global sales of organic food and drink reached 72 billion US dollars 1 in 2013. 2 Revenues
have increased almost five-fold since 1999. Organic product sales have increased at a
healthy rate over the last decade, and Organic Monitor predicts growth will continue in
the coming years. Europe and North America generate over 90 percent of global sales.
Although Asia, Australasia, Latin America, and Africa have become important producers
of organic agricultural crops, their markets for organic products remain small. (See
chapter by Amarjit Sahota, page 120).
In 2013, the countries with the largest organic markets were the United States
(24.3 billion euros), Germany (7.6 billion euros), and France (4.4 billion euros). The
largest single market was the United States (approximately 43 percent of the global
market), followed by the European Union (22.2 billion euros, 40 percent) and China (2.4
billion euros), for which, for the first time, data on the domestic market was released.
The highest per-capita consumption with more than 100 euros was in Switzerland,
Denmark, and Luxembourg. The highest market shares were reached in Denmark
(8 percent), Switzerland (6.9 percent) and Austria (6.5 percent). (See chapter on the
global survey on organic agriculture, section on global market, page 62).
Africa
There are slightly more than 1.2 million hectares of certified organic agricultural land in
Africa, which constitutes about three percent of the world’s organic agricultural land.
with caution, and it may be assumed that the total number of organic producers is higher than that reported
here.
1
1 Euro was 1.3281 US dollars in 2013 according to the Central European Bank.
2
Global market size is slightly higher than previous years because of fluctuations in exchange rate (EUR: USD)
and revisions of market data.
There are more than 574’000 producers. Uganda is the country with the largest organic
area (with more than 231’000 hectares) and with the largest number of organic
producers. The country with the highest share of organic agricultural land is the island
state Sao Tome and Principe, with 7.2 percent of its agricultural area being organic. The
majority of certified organic produce in Africa is destined for export markets. Key crops
are coffee, olives, nuts, cocoa, oilseeds, and cotton. There is a growing recognition
among policy makers that organic agriculture has a significant role to play in addressing
food insecurity, land degradation, poverty, and climate change in Africa. The
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) is currently
working with the African organic sector, the African Union, and other agencies in the
framework of its “Organic Alternative for Africa Initiative” to facilitate the integration of
organic agriculture into the core of African policies and the agricultural development
agenda. Significant breakthroughs were achieved in 2013 in the institutionalization of
the African Organic Network (AfrONet). Its activities include strengthening and
supporting regional networks, the Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative for Africa,
and organic conferences in Eastern, Western, Central and Southern Africa (see the
article by Jordan Gama, page 142).
Asia
The total organic agricultural area in Asia was 3.4 million hectares in 2013. This
constitutes 8 percent of the world’s organic agricultural land. There were nearly 0.7
million producers; most of these were in India. The leading countries by area were China
(2.1 million hectares) and India (0.5 million hectares); Timor-Leste has the highest
proportion of organic agricultural land (almost 7 percent). Consumer demand for
organic foods is growing in Asia, partly due to consumer concerns about food safety, and
this has been a major driver of organic food sales in China. Ong Kung Wai writes that
2014 was a good year for organic (page 154). Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
and Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) are developing apace as low-cost alternatives
to 3rd party certification. The ASEAN Standard for Organic Agriculture (ASOA) was
formally adopted in late 2014. 1
On page 163, Qing He et al. report about organic vegetable production in China, where,
due to the growing market, development prospects for organic vegetables are very good,
but the support of technology and policy is needed.
Europe
As of the end of 2013, 11.5 million hectares of agricultural land in Europe (European
Union 10.2 million hectares) were managed organically by more than 330’000 producers
(European Union almost 260’000). In Europe, 2.4 percent of the agricultural area is
organic (European Union: 5.7 percent). Twenty-seven percent of the world's organic land
is in Europe. Organic farmland has increased by approximately 0.3 million hectares since
2012. The countries with the largest organic agricultural area are Spain (1.6 million
hectares), Italy (1.3 million hectares), and France and Germany (both 1.1 million
hectares). Eight countries have more than 10 percent organic agricultural land:
Liechtenstein has the lead (31 percent), followed by Austria (19.5 percent) and Sweden
1
The standard can now be viewed and downloaded from the ASEAN website:
http://www.asean.org/communities/asean-economic-community/category/other-documents-6
(16.3 percent). Sales of organic products totalled approximately 24.3 billion euros in
2013 (European Union: 22.2 billion euros), an increase of six percent over 2012. The
largest market for organic products in 2013 was Germany, with retail sales of 7.6 billion
euros, followed by France (4.4 billion euros) and the UK (2.1 billion euros) (see the
article by Willer and Schaack et al., page 181 ).
As a key development of the year, the European Commission published a proposal for
new organic food and farming legislation and approved a new EU organic action plan in
2014. The European Technology Platform for Organic Food and Farming Research (TP
Organics) published priority topics for the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2016/2017,
the current research framework programme of the European Union. (See article by
Willer and Meredith, page 178).
Latin America
In Latin America, slightly more than 300’000 producers managed 6.6 million hectares of
agricultural land organically in 2013. This constitutes 15 percent of the world’s organic
land and 1.1 percent of the region’s agricultural land. The leading countries are
Argentina (3.2 million hectares), Uruguay (0.9 million hectares, 2006) and Brazil (0.7
million hectares). The highest shares of organic agricultural land are in the Falkland
Islands/Malvinas (36.3 percent), French Guiana (11.9 percent), and the Dominican
Republic (9.3 percent). Notable growth occurred in Peru, where the organic area
increased by almost 200’000 hectares.
Domestic markets are trending positively in the region. Today, the public is more
environmentally aware and has greater purchasing power than in the past, and there are
more producers supplying organic food in alternative commercial schemes, such as fairs,
home deliveries, and small food stores. Domestic markets with Participatory Guarantee
Systems (PGS) and third-party certification are gaining more recognition among
consumers. The United States maintains a database that allows tracking imports of
selected organic commodities, and the statistics emphasize the importance of Latin
American and Caribbean countries as suppliers for the United States organic food
market, especially of products like coffee, seasonal fruits, and vegetables. The organic
sector and the legal framework scenario have kept stable during the past three years.
Some governments, such as those of Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, have provided
significant support to the organic sector. This is reflected in the allocation of resources
and capacity-building programs. For details, see the article on Latin America with
country reports by Patricia Flores, page 226.
North America
In North America, more than 3 million hectares of farmland were managed organically
in 2013. Of these, 2.2 million were in the United States (2011 data) and 0.9 million in
Canada, representing approximately 0.7 percent of the total agricultural area in the
region and 7 percent of the world’s organic agricultural land.
U.S. consumer sales of organic products topped 35 billion US dollars in 2013 (up to
11.5 percent overall from 2012), and were forecast to have grown more than 11 percent
overall in 2014, with predictions for continued growth over 11 percent during 2015.
According to preliminary findings, U.S. organic product exports reached a new high of
537 million US dollars in 2013, up more than 20 percent from the previous year. Apples,
lettuce and grapes were the top three U.S. organic exports. Organic product imports
tracked in 2013 added up to nearly 1.3 billion US dollars. Coffee, wine, soybeans and
olive oil were the top organic imports. On July 1, 2014, the United States and the
Republic of Korea welcomed a new equivalency arrangement that reopened an important
Asian market for U.S. organic processed food products and was seen as an opportunity
for job creation and opportunities for the American organic food and farming sector.
The final 2014 Farm Bill incorporated provisions for all of the policy “asks” from the
organic sector, such as increased funding for the National Organic Program. This is an
important development, as historically, organic agriculture has been under-represented
in U.S. Farm Bill programs compared to conventional agriculture. See the article by
Haumann, page 240.
In Canada, the total area in certified production is estimated at approximately 870’000
hectares. Organics in Canada continue to enjoy robust demand, with conservative
estimates for 2013 putting the domestic consumer market for organic food and
beverages at 3.25 billion Canadian dollars, 1 representing 2.8 percent of all sales. Exports
are valued at over 500 million Canadian dollars, and are greatly facilitated by Canada’s
five equivalency arrangements with major trading partners; the latest was in September
2014, when Canada and Japan announced an arrangement. Currently, the Canadian
organic standards, including materials lists, are undergoing a comprehensive five-year
review. In late 2015, a fully revised organic standard and permitted substances list will
be published. In August 2014, the Government of Canada announced an investment of
eight million Canadian dollars for the continuation of the Organic Science Cluster, an
industry-supported research and development endeavour initiated by the Organic
Agriculture Centre of Canada, in collaboration with the Organic Federation of Canada
with the support of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Growing Forward 2 program. For
more details on recent developments in Canada, see the article by Matthew Holmes and
Marie-Eve Levert (page 245).
Oceania
This region includes Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Island states. Altogether,
there are almost 23’000 producers, managing 17.3 million hectares. This constitutes
4.1 percent of the agricultural land in the region and 40 percent of the world’s organic
land. In 2013, 5.2 million hectares more, or 42 percent, were reported compared with
2012. This increase is due to the fact that in Australia a 53 percent growth in fully
certified organic land area occurred between 2011 and 2014, due to rangeland areas
coming into organic production to meet the strong demand for organic beef (Australian
Organic 2014). More than 98 percent of the organic land in the region is in Australia
(17.2 million hectares, 97 percent of which is extensive grazing land), followed by New
Zealand (106’000 hectares), and Samoa (33’500 hectares). The highest shares of all
agricultural land are in Samoa (11.8 percent), followed by French Polynesia (5.5
percent), Australia (4.2 percent), and Vanuatu (2.2 percent). Growth in the organic
industry in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands has been strongly influenced
by rapidly growing overseas demand; domestic sales are, however, also growing. In
1
In 2013, 1 Canadian Dollar corresponded to 0.731 euros.
Australia, the domestic market was valued at 1.3 billion Australian dollars in 2014 1 and
in New Zealand at 130 million New Zealand dollars (2012). 2
As outlined in the recent Australian Organic Market Report, the strong area growth has
been in the rangeland areas reflecting an increase in certified organic beef production.
Meanwhile, the strong demand for certified organic beef continues, and organic beef
sales have increased substantially since 2012. The availability of organic products in
major supermarkets and new, independent organic retailers is, in part, responsible for
the domestic market growth; however, a strong export market is supporting existing
farmers and producers, as well as encouraging new entrants into the organic arena
(Australian Organic, page 254).
Most of the organically certified products from the Pacific Islands are for export. Key
products include spices, coconut products, and tropical fruit. The main international
markets are Australia and New Zealand, due to their proximity. Japan is a growing
market, and other markets include North America and the European Union. Generally,
domestic markets for organic certified products are not very developed and, in some
cases, are non-existent. The years 2013 and 2014 saw a significant increase in interest in
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) in the Pacific Islands as market opportunities for
PGS certified products evolved, and examples were generated of how organic and PGS
can be tools for holistic and sustainable social and economic development (see chapter
by Karen Mapusua, page 259).
Standards and regulations
According to the FiBL survey on organic rules and regulations, there are 82 countries
with an organic regulation. Sixteen countries are in the process of drafting legislation.
The dominating topic in 2014 in the European Union was the European Commission’s
proposal for a new organic regulation. The draft, published by the European Commission
in March 2014, caused a strong reaction from the organic sector and other related
sectors. The dominating opinion was that the planned revision would hinder sustainable
development of the organic sector in Europe. In December 2014, the European
Commission finally indicated a change in their approach to a new regulation when the
Council backed the organic sector demands. Meanwhile, both the European Union as
well as the US continued with their approach for mutual recognition and came to terms
for bilateral agreements with the Republic of Korea (see contribution by Huber et al.,
page 126).
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) are locally-focused quality assurance systems.
They certify producers based on the active participation of stakeholders and are built on
a foundation of trust, social networks, and knowledge exchange. In 2014, PGS celebrated
a jubilee. Ten years have passed since the first “International Workshop on Alternative
Certification” in Torres/Brazil was organized, and the terminology and conceptual
framework for describing what is now known as PGS was developed. It is estimated that
38 countries worldwide have functional PGS initiatives in place. Additionally at least in
17 more countries PGS is currently under development. It is estimated that more than
1
1 euro was 1.3777Australian Dollar (AUD) in 2013.
2
1 euro = 1.6206New Zealand dollars (average exchange rate 2013); Source: European Central Bank at
http://sdw.ecb.europa.eu/browse.do?node=2018794.
46’000 small operators are currently involved in PGS worldwide, of which more than
17’000 are certified through PGS. It is also estimated that PGS certified producers are
currently managing organically a total of at least 49’803 hectares of agricultural land (see
the article by Claudia Kirchner page 134).
In his article “The Organic Market Framework: Becoming Organic 3.0”, David Gould
(page 137) says that to move from Organic 2.0 to Organic 3.0 – where organic is the
mainstream – the organic community needs to imagine a different system and
framework.
Moving Toward Organic 3.0

Organic 3.0 was launched at BIOFACH in Nuremberg 2014, and the further
development of its content is an ongoing process, writes Markus Arbenz, page 272. The
main drivers are the BIOFACH Congresses, the IFOAM Organic World Congresses, and
various emerging think tanks such as SOAAN, the Sustainable Organic Agriculture
Action Network, which defines the aspirations of Organic 3.0 as breaking the organic
sector out of its niche status and becoming the mainstream approach to sustainability
worldwide. Organic 3.0 improves and builds on Organic 2.0 to meet the apex challenges
modern society faces, such as food security, climate change, poverty alleviation, hunger,
health, and biodiversity stewardship.
Organic Agriculture
Worldwide:
Current Statistics
Map 1: Organic agricultural land and wild collection areas in 2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015
Statistics: About
Current Statistics on Organic Agriculture Worldwide:

Organic Area, Producers, Markets and Selected Crops
JULIA LERNOUD 1 AND HELGA WILLER 2
The 16th survey of certified organic agriculture worldwide was carried out by the
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in collaboration with the International
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM Organics International) and
further partners. Data from the Mediterranean countries was supplied by the
Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network (MOAN, c/o Mediterranean Agronomic
Institute of Bari); and for the Pacific Islands by the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade
Community (POET.com). For Europe, data collected in the framework of the
OrganicDataNetwork (www.organicdatanetwork.net) project was used. In total, data was
provided by more than 200 experts.
This survey, as with past surveys, was supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for
Economic Affairs (SECO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), 3 and NürnbergMesse. 4
As in previous years, governments, private sector organizations, certifiers and market
research companies have contributed to the data collection effort. Several international
certifiers deserve special mention as they provided data on a number of countries: BCS,
CERES, Certisys, Control Union, Ecocert, ICEA, Institute for Marketecology (IMO),
LACON, and the Soil Association. A list of all contributors by country is provided in the
annex.
Scope
In total, data from 170 countries was available. Andorra, Bahamas, Iraq, Mayotte,
Mongolia, and New Caledonia appear new on the list of countries with organic data. For
Andorra, data had been available in the past, but for 2012 data was not been received.
Updated data on the organic area was available for 117 countries; however, for some
countries, updates were only available for the total organic area, and not necessarily for
the number of farms, land use or other indicators. In such cases, data from the previous
survey was used. Furthermore, for those countries, for which FiBL compiles the country
data among the certifiers, it should be noted that not all certifiers provided updates.
1
2
3
Since 2014, data collection on organic agriculture worldwide is funded by the International Trade Centre
(ITC) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs under the project “T4SD Global Platform for Market
Data on Organic Agriculture and Sustainability Standards”. In this project, an internet-based information
system for voluntary sustainability standards (VSS; including organic) data on production, domestic markets
and international trade will be established. For more information on this project see page 123.
4
The organisers of BIOFACH, the World Organic Trade Fair in Nuremberg, Germany (today: NürnbergMesse),
have supported data collection on organic agriculture worldwide and the production of the yearbook “The
World of Organic Agriculture” since 2000.
Statistics: About
Table 1: Countries and areas covered by the global survey on organic agriculture 2013
Countries* with data Share of countries
Countries per
on organic that provided data
region 1
agriculture (%)
Africa 39 56 70%
Asia 39 47 83%
Europe 47 47 100%
Latin America and Caribbean 30 46 65%
North America 3 5 60%
Oceania 12 26 46%
World 170 227 75%
*Where the designation "country" appears in this book, it covers countries or areas. 2
Indicators
Data on the following indicators was collected:
− Organic area in hectares, by country and country groups, including a breakdown by
crop;
− Livestock numbers;
− Production data (volumes and values);
− Producers and further operator types;
− Domestic market data (total retail sales value, per capita consumption, share of the
total market; breakdown by product);
− International trade data (total import and export values and volumes, and
breakdown by product).
Not all data that were collected is published in this book (e.g. production, livestock
numbers, breakdown by product for domestic market and international trade data),
because it was not possible to draw a complete global picture for these indicators. More
information about the data background is available at the end of this chapter on page
116.
More information on www.organic-world.net

Tables with more details on crops, market and international trade, as well as
explanations for certain data can be found at the Organic-World website (www.organic-
world.net).
Contact
Enquiries related to the data should be directed to Julia Lernoud and Helga Willer, FiBL,
Frick, Switzerland, e-mail julia.lernoud@fibl.org and helga.willer@fibl.org.
1
Number of countries and areas are mostly based on countries as listed in the FAO database at
http://faostat.fao.org/site/377/default.aspx#ancor as well as some additional countries like Kosovo.
2
For more information on countries, areas and regions see the UNSTAT website at
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm.
Statistics: General Notes on the Data
General notes on the data

Organic areas: Data represent certified organic land/areas that are already fully
converted, as well as land under conversion, because many data sources do not
separate or include the latter (for instance Australia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland),
and also because land under conversion is under organic management. For a definition
of organic agriculture, see the IFOAM website. 1
PGS: Since 2011, for some countries, such as Namibia, areas certified by Participatory
Guarantee Systems (PGS) are included. (For more information about PGS see the article
by Cornelia Kirchner on page 134).
Countries: For countries and areas, the Standard Country and Area Classifications as
defined by the United Nations Statistics division, are applied to most of the
countries/areas. 2 Where the designation "country" appears in this volume, it covers
countries or areas.
Data sources: Data were gathered from organizations of the private sector,
governments, and certification bodies. For detailed information on the data sources,
please check the annex at the end of this volume.
Direct year-to-year comparison: A direct year-to-year comparison is not always possible
for many data, as the data sources may change, or data access may become better.
Completeness of data: For some countries, either no current data were available or the
data provided were not complete. For some countries, no data were available at all.
Therefore, it can be assumed that the extent of organic agriculture is larger than
documented in this volume.
Share of total agricultural land: In some cases, the calculation of the proportion of
organic agricultural land or that of individual crops, based on FAOSTAT and in some
cases the Eurostat data, might differ from the organic proportion obtained from
ministries or local experts.
Producers: Some countries report the number of smallholders while others report only
the number of companies, projects or grower groups, which may each comprise a
number of producers. This applies in particular to many African countries. The number
of producers is, therefore, probably higher than the number communicated in this
volume.
Domestic market data: It should be noted that for market and trade data, comparing
country statistics remains very problematic, due to differing methods of data collection.
Data revisions: Data revisions and corrections are communicated at www.organic-
world.net/statistics-data-revisions.html as well as www.organic-world.net/statistics-
data-tables.html.
1
The following pages at the IFOAM website are informing about definitions and principles of organic
agriculture.
Definition of organic agriculture: http://www.ifoam.org/en/organic-landmarks/definition-organic-agriculture
Principles of organic agriculture: http://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/principles/index.html
The IFOAM Organic Guarantee System: http://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/standards/ogs.html
IFOAM Family of Standards: http://www.ifoam.org/en/ifoam-family-standards
2
For the composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected
economic and other groupings see the UNSTAT homepage at
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm
Statistics: Organic Agricultural Land
Organic agricultural land

Currently, 43.1 million hectares are under organic agricultural management worldwide
(end of 2013 for most data). 1
The region with the most organic agricultural land is Oceania, with 17.3 million
hectares, followed by Europe with 11.5 million hectares, Latin America (6.6 million
hectares), Asia (3.4 million hectares), North America (3 million hectares), and Africa (1.2
million hectares).
Oceania has 40 percent of the global organic agricultural land. Europe, a region that has
had a very constant growth of organic land over the years, has more than a quarter of
the of the world’s organic agricultural land, followed by Latin America with 15 percent
(see Table 2, Figure 1).
Australia, which has experienced a major growth of organic land since 2011, is the
country with the most organic agricultural land; 97 percent of the farmland is extensive
grazing area. Argentina is second, followed by the United States in third place (Table 3,
Figure 2). The ten countries with the largest organic agricultural areas have a combined
total of 30.5 million hectares and constitute more than seventy percent of the world’s
organic agricultural land.
Apart from the organic agricultural land, there are further organic areas, such as wild
collection areas. These areas constitute more than 35 million hectares.
Table 2: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) and regional
shares of the global organic agricultural land 2013
Organic agricultural land Regions’ share of the global
Region
[hectares] organic agricultural land
Africa 1'227'008 2.8%
Asia 3'425'939 8.0%
Europe 11'460'773 26.6%
Latin America 6'611'636 15.3%
North America 3'047'710 7.1%
Oceania 17'321'733 40.2%
Total 43'091'113 100.0%
Source: FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015. Note: Agricultural land includes in-conversion areas and excludes
wild collection, aquaculture, forest, and non-agricultural grazing areas.
* Includes correction value for French overseas departments.
1
Data provided on the conversion status were included in this work. However, some countries provided only
data on the fully converted area, others only on the total organic agricultural land, and thus the conversion
area is not known for many countries.
Figure 1: World: Distribution of organic agricultural land by region 2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015; based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and
governments. For detailed data sources see annex, page 281.
The ten countries with the largest areas of organic agricultural land 2013
Australia 17.2
Argentina 3.2
US (2011) 2.2
China 2.1
Spain 1.6
Italy 1.3
France 1.1
Germany 1.1
Uruguay (2006) 0.9
Canada 0.9
0 5 10 15 20
Million hectares
Figure 2: World: The ten countries with the largest areas of organic agricultural land 2013
governments. For detailed data sources see annex, page 281
Table 3: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) by country 2013
(sorted)
For an alphabetical country list (including information on data year), see page 277.
Country Hectares Country Hectares

Australia 17'150'000 Ireland 52'793
Argentina 3'191'255 Democratic Republic of the
51'838
United States of America 2'178'471 Congo
China 2'094'000 Norway 51'662
Spain 1'610'129 Netherlands 49'394
Italy 1'317'177 Ecuador 42'781
France 1'060'756 Croatia 40'641
Germany 1'060'669 Slovenia 38'665
Uruguay 930'965 Viet Nam 37'490
Canada 869'239 South Africa 37'466
Brazil 705'233 Saudi Arabia 36'595
Poland 661'956 Thailand 33'840
United Kingdom 567'751 Nicaragua 33'621
Austria 526'689 Samoa 33'515
India 510'000 Bolivia 32'710
Mexico 501'364 Colombia 31'621
Sweden 500'996 Madagascar 30'265
Czech Republic 474'231 Ghana 28'201
Turkey 461'396 Honduras 24'950
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 403'212 Timor-Leste 24'690
Ukraine 393'400 Chile 23'469
Peru 388'448 Azerbaijan 23'331
Greece 383'606 Namibia 23'086
Kazakhstan 291'203 Pakistan 22'397
Romania 288'261 Moldova 22'102
Portugal 271'532 Republic of Korea 21'210
Uganda 231'157 Papua New Guinea 20'939
Finland 206'170 Syrian Arab Republic 19'987
Latvia 200'433 Sri Lanka 19'517
Tanzania 186'537 Côte d'Ivoire 19'263
Dominican Republic 180'609 Burkina Faso 16'689
Denmark 169'298 Panama 15'183
Slovakia 166'700 Mozambique 13'998
Lithuania 166'330 Guatemala 13'380
Ethiopia 164'777 Mongolia 12'922
Estonia 151'256 Tajikistan 12'659
Russian Federation 144'254 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 12'156
Sudan 141'479 Japan 10'611
Hungary 140'292 Cambodia 9'889
Tunisia 139'087 Iceland 9'710
Switzerland 128'140 Nepal 9'361
New Zealand 106'753 Morocco 8'660
Philippines 101'278 Serbia 8'228
Egypt 85'801 Zambia 7'552
Indonesia 65'688 Israel 7'471
Belgium 62'529 Costa Rica 7'449
Paraguay 62'274 Cuba 7'389
Bulgaria 56'287 Senegal 7'176
Country Hectares Country Hectares

Bangladesh 6'860 Jamaica 542
El Salvador 6'736 Tonga 398
Bhutan 6'726 Zimbabwe 374
Lao PDR 6'442 Bosnia and Herzegovina 292
Palestinian, States of 6'354 Martinique (France) 269
Taiwan 5'937 Malawi 265
Kenya 4'894 Channel Islands 260
Togo 4'638 Faroe Islands 253
Luxembourg 4'448 Nigeria 250
United Arab Emirates 4'150 Dominica 240
Vanuatu 4'106 Uzbekistan 213
Sao Tome and Principe 4'051 Guadeloupe (France) 193
Cyprus 3'923 Kosovo 114
Mali 3'727 Niger 106
Rwanda 3'705 Grenada 85
Macedonia (FYROM) 3'146 Niue 61
Montenegro 3'068 Afghanistan 61
Jordan 2'898 Bahamas 49
Haiti 2'878 Venezuela 47
Kyrgyzstan 2'856 Iraq 40
French Guiana (France) 2'702 Oman 38
Comoros 2'642 Malta 37
Lebanon 2'571 Cook Islands 20
Angola 2'486 Mauritius 16
French Polynesia 2'469 Mayotte 5
Fiji 2'164 Swaziland 3
Georgia 1'999 Andorra 1
Benin 1'987 Belarus (Wild collection only)
Belize 1'982 Bermuda (Processing)
Guinea-Bissau 1'843 Chad (Wild collection only)
Solomon Islands 1'307 Guyana (Wild collection only)
Liechtenstein 1'137 New Caledonia (PGS group)*
Armenia 1'000 San Marino (Processing)
Myanmar 897 Singapore(Processing)
Algeria 700 Total 43'091'113
Cameroon 663
Albania 662
Malaysia 603
Réunion (France) 595
Lesotho 560
Burundi 550
* For New Caledonia the area data was not available
* Total includes correction value for French overseas departments
Statistics: Shares of Organic Agricultural Land
Shares of organic agricultural land by region and country

The share of the world’s agricultural land that is organic is 0.98 percent (for the
countries included in the survey).
By region, the share is highest in Oceania (4.1 percent), followed by Europe with
2.4 percent and Latin America with 1.1 percent. In the European Union, the share of
organic agricultural land is 5.7 percent. In the other regions, the share is less than one
percent (see Table 4).
Many individual countries, however, feature much higher shares (Figure 3), and eleven
countries have even reached more than ten percent of the agricultural land as organic;
most of these are in Europe. The country with the highest organic share of agricultural
land is the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), where several large sheep farms are working
organically. It is interesting to note that many island states have high shares of organic
agricultural land.
However, 59 percent of the countries, for which data was available, have less than one
percent organic agricultural land (Figure 4).
Table 4: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) and shares of
total agricultural land 2013
Region Organic agr. land [ha] Share of total agri. land*
Africa 1'227'088 0.1%
Asia 3'425'939 0.2%
Europe 11'460'773 2.4%
Latin America 6'611'636 1.1%
North America 3'047'710 0.7%
Oceania 17'321'733 4.1%
Total** 43'091'113 1.0%
Source: FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015.
*For the calculation of the shares of total agricultural land, only the countries included in the survey
were used.
** Total includes correction value for French overseas departments.
To calculate the percentages, the data for most countries were taken from the FAO
Statistical database FAOSTAT. 1 For the European Union, most data were taken from
Eurostat. 2 Where available, data from ministries was used for total agricultural land (for
instance U.S., Switzerland, and Austria), which sometimes differ from those published
by Eurostat or FAOSTAT.
Please note that the calculation of the shares of organic agricultural land, based on the
Eurostat and FAOSTAT data, might differ, in some cases, from the data communicated
by ministries or experts.
1
FAOSTAT, Data Archives, the FAO Homepage, FAO, Rome at faostat.fao.org > Resources > Resourcestat at
http://faostat.fao.org/site/377/default.aspx#ancor
2
Eurostat: Basic data – key agricultural statistics at
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/agrista/2007/table_en/2012.pdf, The Eurostat Homepage, Eurostat,
Luxembourg
Countries with more than 10 percent of organic agricultural land

2013
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 36.3%

Liechtenstein 31.0%
Austria 19.5%
Sweden 16.3%
Estonia 16.0%
Switzerland 12.2%
French Guiana (France) 11.9%
Samoa (2012) 11.8%
Czech Republic 11.2%
Latvia 11.0%
Italy 10.3%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Share of total agricultural land
Figure 3: World: Countries with more than 10 percent of organic agricultural land 2013
Figure 4: World: Distribution of the shares of organic agricultural land 2013

Table 5: World: Shares of organic agricultural land by country 2013, sorted

For an alphabetical country list (including information on data year), see page 277
Country Share Country Share
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 36.3% Solomon Islands 1.6%
Liechtenstein 31.0% Réunion (France) 1.5%
Austria 19.5% Israel 1.4%
Sweden 16.3% Tunisia 1.4%
Estonia 16.0% Bhutan 1.3%
Switzerland 12.2% Belize 1.3%
French Guiana (France) 11.9% Canada 1.3%
Samoa 11.8% Tonga 1.3%
Czech Republic 11.2% Ireland 1.3%
Latvia 11.0% Niue 1.2%
Italy 10.3% Republic of Korea 1.1%
Dominican Republic 9.3% Dominica 1.0%
Finland 9.0% Martinique (France) 1.0%
Slovakia 8.8% Ukraine 1.0%
Faroe Islands 8.4% New Zealand 0.9%
Slovenia 8.4% Moldova 0.9%
Portugal 8.1% Philippines 0.8%
Sao Tome and Principe 7.2% Honduras 0.8%
Timor-Leste 6.6% Sri Lanka 0.7%
Spain 6.5% United Arab Emirates 0.7%
Denmark 6.4% Taiwan 0.7%
Germany 6.4% Grenada 0.7%
Uruguay 6.3% Panama 0.7%
Lithuania 5.7% Cook Islands 0.7%
French Polynesia 5.5% Nicaragua 0.7%
Norway 4.8% United States of America 0.6%
Mongolia 4.7% Montenegro 0.6%
Greece 4.6% Ecuador 0.6%
Belgium 4.6% Tanzania 0.5%
Poland 4.3% Fiji 0.5%
Australia 4.2% Azerbaijan 0.5%
France 3.9% Bahamas 0.5%
Luxembourg 3.4% Ethiopia 0.5%
Hungary 3.3% Guadeloupe (France) 0.5%
United Kingdom 3.3% El Salvador 0.4%
Croatia 3.1% Iceland 0.4%
Channel Islands 3.0% Costa Rica 0.4%
Cyprus 2.7% China 0.4%
Netherlands 2.6% Lebanon 0.4%
Mexico 2.3% Viet Nam 0.4%
Egypt 2.3% Malta 0.4%
Argentina 2.3% Guatemala 0.3%
Vanuatu 2.2% Paraguay 0.3%
Romania 2.1% Macedonia (FYROM) 0.3%
Turkey 1.9% India 0.3%
Bulgaria 1.8% Jordan 0.3%
Papua New Guinea 1.8% Lao People's Democratic Republic 0.3%
Peru 1.8% Japan 0.3%
Palestinian, State of 1.7% Brazil 0.3%
Comoros 1.7% Tajikistan 0.3%
Uganda 1.7% Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.2%
Country Share Country Share

Nepal 0.2% Uzbekistan 0.001%
Rwanda 0.2% Nigeria 0.0003%
Ghana 0.2% Swaziland 0.0003%
Cambodia 0.2% Niger 0.0002%
Thailand 0.2% Afghanistan 0.0002%
Serbia 0.2% Mayotte -
Haiti 0.2% Belarus (Wild collection only)
Chile 0.1% Bermuda (Processing)
Syrian Arab Republic 0.1% Chad (Wild collection only)
Kazakhstan 0.1% Guyana (Wild collection only)
Burkina Faso 0.1% New Caledonia (PGS group)*
Togo 0.1% San Marino (Processing)
Jamaica 0.1% Singapore(Processing)
Indonesia 0.1% Total 0.98%
Guinea-Bissau 0.1%
Source: FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015; based on
Cuba 0.1% information from the private sector,
Sudan 0.1% certifiers, and governments. For detailed
Côte d'Ivoire 0.1% data sources see annex, page 281.
Bolivia 0.1% * For New Caledonia, area data was not
Pakistan 0.1% available
Georgia 0.1% * Total includes correction value for French
Senegal 0.1% overseas departments
Bangladesh 0.1%
Colombia 0.1%
Madagascar 0.1%
Russian Federation 0.1%
Benin 0.1%
Namibia 0.1%
Armenia 0.1%
Albania 0.1%
South Africa 0.04%
Zambia 0.03%
Kosovo 0.03%
Morocco 0.03%
Mozambique 0.03%
Kyrgyzstan 0.03%
Burundi 0.03%
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 0.03%
Lesotho 0.02%
Saudi Arabia 0.02%
Kenya 0.02%
Mauritius 0.02%
Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.01%
Mali 0.01%
Malaysia 0.01%
Myanmar 0.01%
Andorra 0.01%
Cameroon 0.01%
Malawi 0.005%
Angola 0.004%
Zimbabwe 0.002%
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 0.002%
Oman 0.002%
Algeria 0.002%
Iraq 0.001%
Statistics: Development of Organic Agricultural Land
Development of the organic agricultural land

Compared with 1999, when 11 million hectares were organic, the organic agricultural
land almost quadrupled (Willer/Yussefi 2000). In 2013, 5.6 million hectares more or
almost 15 percent more were reported compared with 2012. This increase is due to the
fact that in Australia, a 53 percent growth in fully certified organic land area occurred
between 2011 and 2014, due to rangeland areas coming into organic production to meet
the strong demand for organic beef (Australian Organic 2014).
In 2013, the area of organic agricultural land increased in all regions except in Latin
America (Table 6). The highest absolute growth was in Oceania (+42 percent, +5.2
million hectares). In Latin America the area decreased by 3 percent, as Argentina,
reported almost 400’000 hectares less in 2013 (mainly grassland/grazing areas).
Seventy-two countries experienced an increase in the area of their organic agricultural
land, while a decrease was reported in 31 countries. In 61 countries, the organic
agricultural area either did not change or no new data were received. The largest
increases of organic agricultural land, after Australia, were in China, Peru, and Italy.
The figures communicated in the following tables and graphs with historical figures may
differ from previously communicated as data revisions were received and included in the
FiBL database. More information is available in the annex, page 281.
Table 6: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) by region:

growth 2012/2013
Organic agr. land [ha] Organic agr. land [ha]
Region +/- hectares +/- percent %
2012 2013
Africa 1'149'461 1'227'088 +77'627 +6.75%
Asia 3'218'701 3'425'939 +207'237 +6.44%
Europe 11'135'208 11'460'773 +325'565 +2.92%
Latin America 6'813'540 6'611'636 -201'904 -2.96%
North America 3'012'354 3'047'710 +35'355 +1.17%
Oceania 12'164'316 17'321'733 +5'157'417 +42.40%
Total** 37'490'215 43'091'113 +5'600'898 +14.94%
Source: FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015, based on data from government bodies, the private sector, and
certifiers. For detailed data sources see annex, page 281.
** Total includes correction value for French Overseas Departments.
Figure 5: World: Growth of the organic agricultural land 1999-2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL surveys 2000-2015
Figure 6: Growth of the organic agricultural land by continent 2005 to 2013

The ten countries with the highest increase of organic land 2013
Australia +5'148'276
China +194'000
Peru +190'611
Italy +149'815
Ukraine +120'550
Sudan +86'634
Portugal +71'381
Canada +35'355
Paraguay +33'775
France +27'815
0 1'000'000 2'000'000 3'000'000 4'000'000 5'000'000 6'000'000

Hectares
Figure 7: World: The countries with the highest increase of organic agricultural land 2013
Table 7: World: Development of organic agricultural land by country 2010-2013

Important note: A direct year-to-year comparison is not always possible for many countries, because the data
sources may have changed over the years, or data access may have improved. The figures published here may
differ from previously published data due to data revisions. Data are not available for all countries for every
year and, in these cases, the figure of the previous year is used (see also page 281).
Change Change
Country 2010 [ha] 2011 [ha] 2012 [ha] 2013 [ha]
12/13 [ha] 12/13 %
Afghanistan 61 61 61 61
Albania 284 448 515 662 147 28.5%
Algeria 623 692 700 700
Andorra 2 4 1 1
Angola 2'486 2'486
Argentina 4'177'653 3'796'136 3'637'466 3'191'255 -446'211 -12.3%
Armenia 750 750 810 1'000 190 23.5%
Australia 12'001'724 12'001'724 12'001'724 17'150'000 5'148'276 42.9%
Austria 543'605 542'553 537'706 526'689 -11'017 -2.0%
Azerbaijan 21'347 21'959 23'740 23'331 -409 -1.7%
Bahamas 49 49
Bangladesh 799 6'810 6'860 6'860
Belarus Wild collection only
Belgium 59'220 55'304 59'718 62'529 2'811 4.7%
Belize 1'177 1'204 1'860 1'982 122 6.6%
Benin 1'167 1'696 2'628 1'987 -642 -24.4%
Bermuda Processing only
Bhutan 6'150 6'156 6'726 570 9.3%
Bolivia 112'109 32'710 32'710 32'710
Bosnia and
580 343 343 292 -51 -14.9%
Herzegovina
Brazil 932'120 687'040 705'233 705'233
Bulgaria 25'648 25'022 39'137 56'287 17'150 43.8%
Burkina Faso 13'802 19'684 15'000 16'689 1'689 11.3%
Burundi 350 550 550 550
Cambodia 8'084 8'285 9'055 9'889 835 9.2%
Cameroon 496 849 663 663
Canada 703'678 841'216 833'883 869'239 35'355 4.2%
Chad Wild collection only
Channel Islands 360 250 260 260
Chile 31'696 29'068 22'636 23'469 833 3.7%
China 1'390'000 1'900'000 1'900'000 2'094'000 194'000 10.2%
Colombia 33'334 34'060 34'060 31'621 -2'438 -7.2%
Comoros 1'045 2'642 2'642 2'642
Cook Islands 18 20 20 20
Costa Rica 11'114 9'570 9'360 7'449 -1'911 -20.4%
Côte d'Ivoire 18'133 20'658 19'457 19'263 -194 -1.0%
Croatia 23'352 32'036 31'903 40'641 8'737 27.4%
Cuba 2'106 2'209 5'280 7'389 2'109 39.9%
Cyprus 3'575 3'575 3'923 3'923
Czech Republic 448'202 460'498 468'670 474'231 5'561 1.2%
Democratic Republic of
32'523 41'032 51'838 51'838
the Congo
Denmark 162'903 162'173 175'113 169'298 -5'815 -3.3%
Dominica 240 240 240
Dominican Republic 165'109 186'931 168'978 180'609 11'631 6.9%
Ecuador 64'751 50'037 56'037 42'781 -13'255 -23.7%
Egypt 82'167 82'167 85'801 85'801
Change Change
12/13 [ha] 12/13 %
El Salvador 6'736 6'736 6'736 6'736
Estonia 112'972 133'779 144'150 151'256 7'106 4.9%
Ethiopia 137'196 140'475 164'777 164'777
Falkland Islands
398'806 398'806 403'212 403'212
(Malvinas)
Faroe Islands 253 253 253 253
Fiji 100 2'006 2'164 2'164
Finland 169'168 188'189 197'751 206'170 8'419 4.3%
France 845'442 975'141 1'032'941 1'060'756 27'815 2.7%
French Guiana (France) 1'776 3'974 2'407 2'702 295 12.3%
French Polynesia 1'727 105 2'469 2'469
Georgia 1'401 1'999 1'999 1'999
Germany 990'702 1'015'626 1'034'355 1'060'669 26'314 2.5%
Ghana 12'635 19'893 28'161 28'201 40 0.1%
Greece 309'823 213'276 462'618 383'606 -79'012 -17.1%
Grenada 85 85 85 85
Guadeloupe (France) 27 166 164 193 29 17.7%
Guatemala 13'375 13'380 13'380 13'380
Guinea-Bissau 1'843 1'843
Guyana 4'249 4'249 4'249 Wild collection
Haiti 188 912 806 2'878 2'073 257.2%
Honduras 17'825 23'826 24'950 24'950
Hungary 127'605 124'402 130'609 140'292 9'683 7.4%
Iceland 5'806 8'246 8'240 9'710 1'470 17.8%
India 780'000 1'084'266 500'000 510'000 10'000 2.0%
Indonesia 83'630 74'034 88'247 65'688 -22'560 -25.6%
Iran (Islamic Republic
7'256 43'332 42'634 12'156 -30'478 -71.5%
of)
Iraq 40 40
Ireland 47'864 54'122 52'793 52'793
Israel 8'794 7'095 6'187 7'471 1'284 20.8%
Italy 1'113'742 1'096'889 1'167'362 1'317'177 149'815 12.8%
Jamaica 542 542 542 542
Japan 9'067 9'401 10'611 10'611
Jordan 1'469 2'567 2'895 2'898 3 0.1%
Kazakhstan 133'562 196'215 291'203 291'203
Kenya 4'842 4'969 4'894 4'894
Kosovo 11 111 114 3 2.8%
Kyrgyzstan 15'040 15'097 2'696 2'856 160 5.9%
Lao PDR 6'006 5'990 5'990 6'442 452 7.5%
Latvia 166'320 184'096 195'658 200'433 4'775 2.4%
Lebanon 1'227 3'303 3'303 2'571 -732 -22.2%
Lesotho 183 617 560 -57 -9.2%
Liechtenstein 1'020 1'095 1'086 1'137 51 4.7%
Lithuania 143'644 152'305 156'539 166'330 9'791 6.3%
Luxembourg 3'720 3'720 4'130 4'448 318 7.7%
Macedonia (FYROM) 35'164 26'431 12'731 3'146 -9'585 -75.3%
Madagascar 20'254 30'243 30'265 30'265
Malawi 824 166 35 265 229 647.5%
Malaysia 1'582 1'582 603 603
Mali 15'199 14'790 14'927 3'727 -11'200 -75.0%
Malta 24 23 37 37
Martinique (France) 193 298 200 269 69 34.5%
Mauritius 35 30 16 16
Change Change
12/13 [ha] 12/13 %
Mayotte 5 5
Mexico 332'485 366'904 487'393 501'364 13'970 2.9%
Moldova 32'105 22'102 22'102 22'102
Mongolia 12'922 12'922
Montenegro 3'561 3'068 3'068 3'068
Morocco 17'030 17'030 16'600 8'660 -7'940 -47.8%
Mozambique 5'519 4'468 3'840 13'998 10'158 264.5%
Myanmar 60 202 897 897
Namibia 124 14'112 14'123 23'086 8'963 63.5%
Nepal 9'789 8'697 10'273 9'361 -913 -8.9%
Netherlands 46'233 47'205 48'038 49'394 1'356 2.8%
New Caledonia PGS group (area data not available)
New Zealand 124'464 133'321 106'753 106'753
Nicaragua 33'621 33'621 33'621 33'621
Niger 48 76 106 106
Nigeria 11'979 9'473 9'521 250 -9'271 -97.4%
Niue 159 61 61 61
Norway 57'219 55'500 55'260 51'662 -3'598 -6.5%
Oman 39 38 38 38 -0.1 -0.3%
Pakistan 22'103 24'924 22'397 22'397
Palestinian, State of 6'354 6'354 6'354 6'354
Panama 3'242 4'576 4'576 15'183 10'607 231.8%
Papua New Guinea 3'156 11'337 11'798 20'939 9'141 77.5%
Paraguay 51'223 51'190 28'499 62'274 33'775 118.5%
Peru 216'756 185'964 197'837 388'448 190'611 96.3%
Philippines 79'992 96'317 80'974 101'278 20'304 25.1%
Poland 521'970 609'412 661'956 661'956
Portugal 201'054 200'151 200'151 271'532 71'381 35.7%
Republic of Korea 15'518 19'312 25'467 21'210 -4'257 -16.7%
Réunion (France) 276 556 594 595 1 0.2%
Romania 182'706 229'946 288'261 288'261
Russian Federation 44'017 126'848 146'251 144'254 -1'997 -1.4%
Rwanda 3'600 3'705 3'705 3'705
Samoa 9'714 33'515 33'515 33'515
San Marino Processing only
Sao Tome and Principe 4'411 4'467 4'051 4'051
Saudi Arabia 42'376 18'563 13'569 36'595 23'026 169.7%
Senegal 28'175 13'000 6'736 7'176 440 6.5%
Serbia 8'635 6'237 6'340 8'228 1'888 29.8%
Singapore Processing only
Slovakia 174'471 166'700 166'700 166'700
Slovenia 30'696 32'149 35'101 38'665 3'564 10.2%
Solomon Islands 1'306 1'307 1'307 1'307
South Africa 55'621 41'947 43'170 37'466 -5'705 -13.2%
Spain 1'456'672 1'621'898 1'593'197 1'610'129 16'932 1.1%
Sri Lanka 22'260 19'469 19'517 19'517
Sudan 53'602 53'017 54'845 141'479 86'634 158.0%
Swaziland 6 14 8 3 -5 -59.0%
Sweden 438'693 480'185 477'685 500'996 23'311 4.9%
Switzerland 119'613 123'000 125'961 128'140 2'179 1.7%
Syrian Arab Republic 19'987 19'987 19'987 19'987
Taiwan 2'962 5'016 5'850 5'937 87 1.5%
Tajikistan 391 460 12'659 12'659
Tanzania 72'665 115'022 186'537 186'537
Change Change
12/13 [ha] 12/13 %
Thailand 34'079 34'829 32'577 33'840 1'263 3.9%
Timor-Leste 24'750 24'754 24'690 24'690
Togo 3'409 1'336 3'889 4'638 749 19.3%
Tonga 248 398 398
Tunisia 175'066 178'521 137'188 139'087 1'899 1.4%
Turkey 383'782 442'582 523'627 461'396 -62'231 -11.9%
Uganda 228'419 228'166 231'157 231'157
Ukraine 270'226 270'320 272'850 393'400 120'550 44.2%
United Arab Emirates 360 958 3'905 4'150 245 6.3%
United Kingdom 699'638 638'528 590'009 567'751 -22'258 -3.8%
United States of
1'769'001 2'178'471 2'178'471 2'178'471
America
Uruguay 930'965 930'965 930'965 930'965
Uzbekistan 65 209 213 213
Vanuatu 2'664 2'197 4'106 4'106
Venezuela (Bolivarian
337 59 59 47 -12 -20.5%
Republic of)
Viet Nam 19'272 23'134 36'285 37'490 1'205 3.3%
Zambia 7'310 7'310 7'310 7'552 242 3.3%
Zimbabwe 1'995 466 626 374 -252 -40.3%
Total* 36'017'570 37'357'155 37'490'215 43'091'113 5'600'898 14.9%
governments. For detailed data sources see previous editions of “The World of Organic Agriculture”
and annex, page 281.
*Total includes correction value for French overseas departments.
Statistics: All Organic Areas
All organic areas, including non-agricultural areas

Apart from the organic agricultural land, there are additional organic areas. The largest
part of these are wild collection areas and areas for beekeeping. Further areas are for
aquaculture, forest areas, and grazing areas on non-agricultural land. According to the
FiBL-IFOAM survey, these areas totalled more than 35 million hectares, and all organic
areas together constituted 78 million hectares.
It should be noted that many countries do not report the non-agricultural organic areas;
they only communicate the organic agricultural land area. We can, therefore, assume
that the data on the other areas is incomplete, in particular the data for aquaculture and
forests.
More information on the use of the wild collection areas is available in the
corresponding chapter (page 76).
Figure 8: World: Distribution of all organic areas 2013. Total: 78 million hectares
Table 8: World: Organic areas: Agricultural land (including conversion areas) and further
organic areas by region in 2013
Grazed
Aqua- Wild Other non
Agriculture Forest non agr.
Region culture collection agr. land Total [ha]
[ha] [ha] land
[ha] [ha]* [ha]
[ha]
Africa 1'227'088 42'796 10'118'473 840'000 12'228'358
Asia 3'425'939 45'302 123 7'794'340 115 11'265'818
Europe 11'460'773 5'050 27'130 24'094 13'357'745 15'559 24'890'350
Latin
6'611'636 3'127 3'000 2'749'717 34'264 9'401'744
America
North
3'047'710 68 4'317 71'821 3'123'915
America
Oceania 17'321'733 765 17'322'498
Total* 43'091'113 53'478 73'117 28'411 34'092'861 889'938 78'228'918
Blank cells: No data available.
* Wild collection and beekeeping areas
** Total includes correction value for French overseas departments.
Table 9: World: All organic areas by country 2013

Grazed Other
Aqua- non Wild non
Agriculture Forest
Country culture agr. collection agr. Total [ha]
[ha] [ha]
[ha] land [ha] land
[ha] [ha]
Afghanistan 61 61
Albania 662 330'677 331'339
Algeria 700 700
Andorra 1 1
Angola 2'486 2'486
Argentina 3'191'255 458'601 26'118 3'675'974
Armenia 1'000 11'250 12'250
Australia 17'150'000 17'150'000
Austria 526'689 526'689
Azerbaijan 23'331 123 937 24'391
Bahamas 49 49
Bangladesh 6'860 9'338 16'198
Belarus 2'742 2'742
Belgium 62'529 3 152 62'684
Belize 1'982 1'982
Benin 1'987 3'543 5'530
Bhutan 6'726 15'605 22'330
Bolivia 32'710 785'453 818'163
Bosnia and
292 63'910 64'202
Herzegovina
Brazil 705'233 1'209'773 1'915'006
Bulgaria 56'287 679'845 736'132
Burkina Faso 16'689 80'018 96'707
Burundi 550 550
Cambodia 9'889 9'889
Cameroon 663 110'000 110'663
Canada 869'239 68 4'317 71'821 945'444
Grazed Other
Aqua- non Wild non
Agriculture Forest
[ha] [ha]
[ha] land [ha] land
[ha] [ha]
Chad 11'000 11'000
Channel
260 260
Islands
Chile 23'469 61'751 8'146 93'366
China 2'094'000 1'435'000 3'529'000
Colombia 31'621 7'320 38'941
Comoros 2'642 70 2'712
Cook Islands 20 20
Costa Rica 7'449 7'449
Côte d'Ivoire 19'263 344 19'608
Croatia 40'641 8 40'648
Cuba 7'389 7'389
Cyprus 3'923 3'923
Czech Republic 474'231 474'231
Democratic
Republic of the 51'838 51'838
Congo
Denmark 169'298 2'648 171'946
Dominica 240 240
Dominican
180'609 5'260 185'869
Republic
Ecuador 42'781 3'123 3'000 1'260 50'164
Egypt 85'801 85'801
El Salvador 6'736 6'736
Estonia 151'256 2'135 40'579 193'969
Ethiopia 164'777 180 164'957
Falkland
Islands 403'212 403'212
(Malvinas)
Faroe Islands 253 253
Fiji 2'164 653 2'817
Finland 206'170 9'000'000 9'206'170
France 1'060'756 1 2'809 1'063'566
French Guiana
2'702 2'702
(France)
French
2'469 2'469
Polynesia
Georgia 1'999 1'405 3'405
Germany 1'060'669 1'060'669
Ghana 28'201 19'813 48'014
Greece 383'606 383'606
Grenada 85 85
Guadeloupe
193 193
(France)
Guatemala 13'380 5 13'385
Guyana 58'000 58'000
Haiti 2'878 2'878
Honduras 24'950 24'950
Hungary 140'292 140'292
Iceland 9'710 7'727 212'763 230'200
India 510'000 5'180'000 5'690'000
Indonesia 65'688 94 10'330 76'111
Grazed Other
Aqua- non Wild non
Agriculture Forest
[ha] [ha]
[ha] land [ha] land
[ha] [ha]
Iran 12'156 27'552 39'708
Iraq 40 40
Ireland 52'793 52'793
Israel 7'471 7'471
Italy 1'317'177 62'647 1'379'824
Jamaica 542 0 542
Japan 10'611 115 10'726
Jordan 2'898 2'898
Kazakhstan 291'203 863 292'066
Kenya 4'894 130'903 135'797
Kosovo 114 114
Kyrgyzstan 2'856 2'856
Lao PDR 6'442 16'786 23'228
Latvia 200'433 200'433
Lebanon 2'571 2'571
Lesotho 560 50'000 50'560
Liechtenstein 1'137 1'137
Lithuania 166'330 5'049 747 172'125
Luxembourg 4'448 4'448
Macedonia
3'146 8'112 198'000 209'258
(FYROM)
Madagascar 30'265 23'711 53'975
Malawi 265 265
Malaysia 603 603
Mali 3'727 3'978 7'705
Malta 37 37
Martinique
269 269
(France)
Mauritius 16 16
Mayotte 5 5
Mexico 501'364 30'364 531'727
Moldova 22'102 22'102
Mongolia 12'922 12'922
Montenegro 3'068 139'809 142'877
Morocco 8'660 817'690 826'350
Mozambique 13'998 31'400 45'398
Myanmar 897 897
Namibia 23'086 2'400'000 2'423'086
Nepal 9'361 24'422 33'783
Netherlands 49'394 49'394
New Caledonia PGS group (area data not available)
New Zealand 106'753 106'753
Nicaragua 33'621 11'463 45'084
Niger 106 106
Nigeria 250 150 400
Niue 61 112 173
Norway 51'662 51'662
Oman 38 38
Pakistan 22'397 22'397
Palestinian,
6'354 6'354
State of
Panama 15'183 15'183
Grazed Other
Aqua- non Wild non
Agriculture Forest
[ha] [ha]
[ha] land [ha] land
[ha] [ha]
Papua New
20'939 20'939
Guinea
Paraguay 62'274 62'274
Peru 388'448 4 120'467 508'919
Philippines 101'278 101'278
Poland 661'956 661'956
Portugal 271'532 19'533 291'065
Republic of
21'210 21'210
Korea
Réunion
595 595
(France)
Romania 288'261 1'082'138 1'370'399
Russian
144'254 13'723 157'977
Federation
Rwanda 3'705 80 3'784
Samoa 33'515 33'515
San Marino Processing only
Sao Tome and
4'051 4'051
Principe
Saudi Arabia 36'595 36'595
Senegal 7'176 22'000 29'176
Serbia 8'228 8'228
Slovakia 166'700 166'700
Slovenia 38'665 38'665
Solomon
1'307 1'307
Islands
South Africa 37'466 31'709 69'175
Spain 1'610'129 38'184 11'603 1'659'916
Sri Lanka 19'517 19'517
Sudan 141'479 5'000 840'000 986'479
Swaziland 3 3
Sweden 500'996 3'057 504'053
Switzerland 128'140 6'121 134'261
Syrian Arab
19'987 8'000 27'987
Republic
Taiwan 5'937 5'937
Tajikistan 12'659 1'055'890 1'068'549
Tanzania 186'537 15'040 201'577
Thailand 33'840 270 34'109
Timor-Leste 24'690 24'690
Togo 4'638 242 4'880
Tonga 398 398
Tunisia 139'087 42'646 181'733
Turkey 461'396 957'261 1'418'657
Uganda 231'157 158'328 389'485
Ukraine 393'400 530'000 923'400
United Arab
4'150 4'150
Emirates
United
567'751 7'597 575'348
Kingdom
United States
2'178'471 2'178'471
of America
Grazed Other
Aqua- non Wild non
Agriculture Forest
[ha] [ha]
[ha] land [ha] land
[ha] [ha]
Uruguay 930'965 930'965
Uzbekistan 213 5'000 5'213
Vanuatu 4'106 4'106
Venezuela 47 47
Viet Nam 37'490 35'600 1'300 74'390
Zambia 7'552 6'133'424 6'140'976
Zimbabwe 374 70'000 70'374
Total* 43'091'113 53'478 73'117 28'411 34'092'861 889'938 78'228'918
* Total includes correction value for French overseas departments.
Statistics: Producers and Other Operator Types
Organic producers and other operator types

Producers
Almost 2 million organic producers were reported in the current survey. According to
the data obtained, more than three-quarters of the producers are in Asia, Africa, and
Latin America (see Figure 9). The country with the most producers is India, followed by
Uganda and Mexico (see Figure 10).
There has been an increase of more than 71’000 producers, or almost 4 percent over
2012. In 2013, India, Papua New Guinea, Turkey, Peru, and Senegal reported significant
increases. The sum of these five countries represents almost the total global increase.
Finding precise figures on the number of organic farms remains difficult, as:
− Some countries report only the numbers of companies, projects, or grower groups,
which may each comprise a number of individual producers;
− Some countries do not provide data on the number of producers at all;
− Some countries with wild collection areas include collectors; and
− Some countries provide the number of producers per crop, and there may be
overlaps for those growers who grow several crops.
The number of producers should, therefore, be treated with caution, and it may be
assumed that the total number of organic producers is higher than that reported here.
Table 10: World: Development of the numbers of producers by region 2012 to 2013
Region 2012 [no.] 2013 [no.] Change in numbers Change in %
Africa 572'863 574'129 +1'266 +0.2
Asia 685'437 730'744 +45'307 +6.6
Europe 321'474 334'870 +13'396 +4.2
Latin America 316'583 319'459 +2'876 +0.9
North America 16'470 16'393 -77 -0.5
Oceania 14'605 22'997 +8'392 +57.5
Total 1'927'432 1'998'592 +71'160 +3.7
Figure 9: World: Distribution of organic producers by region 2013 (Total: 2 million

producers)
The ten countries with the largest numbers of organic producers 2013
India 650'000
Uganda (2012) 189'610
Mexico 169'703
Tanzania 148'610
Ethiopia (2012) 134'626
Turkey 65'042
Peru 52'284
Italy 45'969
Spain 30'502
Poland (2012) 25'944
0 200'000 400'000 600'000 800'000

Number of producers
Figure 10: World: The ten countries with the largest numbers of organic producers 2013
Further operator types

Regarding data on further operator types, there are at almost 51’000 processors and at
least 6’200 importers; most of these in Europe. However, not all countries reported the
number of processors, exporters, importers or other operator types. For instance, data
for the United States is missing, and it can be assumed that the number of processors,
importers and exporters is far higher than that indicated in the table below.
Further operator types reported were beekeepers, exporters, importers, smallholder
groups, and aquaculture enterprises, as well as the number of collectors (wild collection).
Table 11: World: Organic producers and other operator types by country 2013
We are doing our best to ensure that this overview table, which was published for the first time in the 2011
edition of “The World of Organic Agriculture”, will be more comprehensive in the future. For many countries
(particularly those with no private or governmental data collection system), data on the various operator types
are missing or are incomplete, and only the number of producers or the total number of all operators is
available.
Country Producers 1 Processors Importers Exporters

Afghanistan 264
Albania (2012) 46 27 4 20
Algeria 57
Andorra
Angola
Argentina 1'018 289 125
Armenia 21 13
Australia 1'707 719
Austria 21'810
Azerbaijan 288 14
Bahamas
Bangladesh (2011) 9'335
Belarus
Belgium 1'487 787 121
Belize 900
Benin 2'355 4 (2012) 9 (2012)
Bermuda (2012)
Bhutan 2
Bolivia (2011) 9'837 273
Bosnia and Herzegovina 24 8 6
Brazil (2012) 12'526
Bulgaria 3'854 92 3 10
Burkina Faso 11'395 23 24 (2012)
Burundi 36 (2011) 1 (2009) 1 (2009)
Cambodia 6'753 2 2
Cameroon (2012) 88 8 16
Canada 3'513 1'447
Chad (2012)
Chile 446 133 88
Colombia 4'775 47 45
Comoros 1'416 (2011) 4 (2009) 4 (2009)
Cook Islands (2012) 44
Costa Rica 3'000 (2009) 61 (2012)
1
Some countries report only the numbers of companies, projects or growers groups, which my each
compromise a number of producers. See also explanation on page 56.

Côte d'Ivoire 277 8 11 (2012)
Croatia 1'608 61 34 6 (2012)
Cuba 2 6 3
Cyprus (2012) 719 53
Czech Republic 3'910 471 89 42
Democratic Republic of the Congo (2012) 1'123 4 4
Denmark 2'589 760
Dominican Republic 24'412 200
Ecuador 9'245 226
Egypt (2009) 790
El Salvador (2007) 2'000
Estonia 1'553 84
Ethiopia (2012) 134'626 23
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 8 8
Faroe Islands
Fiji 171 (2012) 5
Finland 4'284 558 72
France 25'467 9'297 181
French Guiana (France) 43 4
French Polynesia 23
Georgia 150
Germany 23'271 8'293 (2012) 308 (2012)
Ghana 1'915 20 10
Greece (2012) 23'433 1'551 4
Grenada (2010) 3
Guadeloupe (France) 34 5
Guatemala 3'008 (2010) 23 (2011) 92 (2011)
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti 1'210
Honduras 4'989 (2011) 26 (2011) 1 (2009) 25 (2009)
Hungary 1'673 371 15
Iceland 33 26 2 1
India 650'000 699 (2012) 699 (2012)
Indonesia 5'700 66
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 1'663 8 33
Ireland 1'263 (2012) 211 (2012) 33 (2012) 1 (2011)
Israel 326 93 24 42
Italy 45'969 10'610 260
Jamaica (2009) 80
Japan (2012) 2'130 1'805 193
Jordan (2012) 98 7 3
Kenya 1'2647 (2011) 1 (2011) 30 (2012)
Kosovo 10 10 8 (2012)
Kyrgyzstan 1'128
Lao PDR (2011) 1'342
Latvia 3'473 192 7 2
Lebanon 132 62 11 5
Lesotho 2 2
Liechtenstein 38
Lithuania 2'555 108
Luxembourg 212 43 (2009) 3 (2009)
Macedonia (FYROM) 382 7 2 6
Madagascar 14'550 (2012) 136 (2011) 135 (2011)
Malawi
Malaysia 119

Mali 8'048 2 (2012) 6 (2012)
Malta (2012) 12 4 2
Martinique (France) 39 6
Mauritius 3 (2011) 1 (2009) 1 (2009)
Mayotte 2
Mexico 169'703 95
Moldova (2011) 172
Mongolia
Montenegro (2010) 62
Morocco (2010) 120
Mozambique 5 2
Myanmar (2012) 15
Namibia 12 9 6
Nepal 687
Netherlands (2012) 1'646 1'035
New Caledonia 50
New Zealand (2012) 987 274 12
Nicaragua (2009) 10'060 30
Niger (2012)
Nigeria (2011) 80 80 80
Niue (2012) 122
Norway 2'452 496 72
Oman 38
Pakistan (2012) 105 15
Palestinian, State of (2010) 832
Panama 1'300 2 (2011)
Papua New Guinea 17'948
Paraguay 7'905 14
Peru 52'284 153 (2010)
Philippines 3'008 20 20 (2012)
Poland (2012) 25'944 312 30
Portugal 3'308 470 7
Republic of Korea 13'963 4'334 (2012)
Réunion (France) 144 13
Romania (2012) 15'315 105 3
Russian Federation 70 39
Rwanda (2011) 876
Samoa 743 (2012) 4 (2010)
San Marino (2012) 2
Sao Tome and Principe (2012) 2'180 3 3
Saudi Arabia (2012) 79
Senegal 18'393 3 6
Serbia 1'281 49 33 23
Singapore 2 (2012) 1 (2010)
Slovakia (2011) 365 41 5
Slovenia 3'049 193 9
Solomon Islands (2012) 384
South Africa 250 172 1 (2010) 49
Spain 30'502 2'842 112 49
Sri Lanka 404 (2012) 75 (2012) 6 (2011)
Sudan 222 2 4 (2012)
Swaziland 2
Sweden 5'584 762 33
Switzerland 6'308 847
Syrian Arab Republic (2010) 2'458

Taiwan 2'988
Tajikistan (2012) 10'486 15
Tanzania 148'610 28 (2011)
Thailand 9'279 166
Timor-Leste (2012) 72 1
Togo 9'428 11 (2012) 15 (2012)
Tonga 123
Tunisia 2'810 92 20 60
Turkey 65'042 118 35 39
Uganda (2012) 189'610
Ukraine 175 59 (2012) 41 (2012) 36 (2012)
United Arab Emirates 50
United Kingdom 3'918 2'332 95 (2012)
United States of America (2011) 12'880
Uruguay (2006) 630
Uzbekistan (2012) 2 2
Vanuatu 696
Venezuela (2009)
Viet Nam 6'929 (2012) 33 (2010) 4 (2012)
Zambia 10'055 (2009) 3 3
Zimbabwe 2'000 1
Total 1'998'592 50'936 6'213 2'114
Statistics: Market and International Trade Data
Market and international trade data

Domestic sales
Whereas Amarjit Sahota presents global trends and a global figure for the organic
market along with much background information (page 120), in this chapter we show
the country-related data that was compiled under the framework of the global survey on
organic agriculture. For Europe, data was collected in the framework of the
OrganicDataNetwork project (see also article on the European market on page 181).
Data on total domestic sales value were available for more than 50 countries, which
means that for many countries with organic farming activities such data is missing. 1
The countries with the largest market for organic food are the United States (24.3 billion
euros), followed by Germany (7.6 billion euros), France (4.4 billion euros) and China (2.4
billion euros) – a country for which, for the first time, official retail sales data became
available. The largest single market is the United States followed by the European Union
(22.2 billion euros) and China. By region, North America has the lead (26.7 million
euros), followed by Europe (24.3 million euros) and Asia.
Market growth was noted in all countries for which 2013 data are available, in some
cases double digit; e.g. in the United States, the market grew by elven percent, or in
Switzerland, by 12 percent.
The highest per capita consumption is in Europe: In 2013, Switzerland had the highest
per capita consumption (210 euros) worldwide, followed by Denmark (163), and
Luxembourg (157 euros). For the European countries, the per-capita consumption was
adjusted for Purchasing Power Parties, which changes the order of countries:
Switzerland has still the lead, but number two is Luxembourg and the gap between
Switzerland, with its high costs of living, and the following countries is not so big
anymore. For more information, see page 197. Looking at the shares the organic market
has of the total market, the leader is Denmark (8 percent), followed by Switzerland
(6.9 percent), Austria (6.5 percent), the United States (4.3 percent) and Germany
(3.7 percent).
Export data
International trade data are available for more and more countries. These can be
expressed as total export/import volumes in tons or as values. Some countries also
provide a breakdown by crop and product.
Table 12 shows the values of total exports, where available. More than 40 countries had
data on the export values.
It should be noted though that the export values are not strictly comparable due to
different data collection methods.
1
Some countries also provide a breakdown by product, be it in value (euros) or volume (tons), and the
European OrganicDataNetwork project has made these data accessible (for Europe) on its website at
www.organicdatanetwork.net.
Figure 11: Global market of organic food: Distribution of retail sales by country 2013
Figure 12: Global market of organic food: Distribution of retail sales by single markets
2013
Source: FiBL-AMI-OrganicDataNetwork s survey 2015, based on data from government bodies, the
private sector, and market research companies. For data sources see annex, page 281.
The ten countries with the largest markets for organic food 2013
Source: FiBL-AMI-OrganicDataNetwork survey 2015
United States of America 24'347

Germany 7'550
France 4'380
China 2'430
Canada 2'375
United Kingdom 2'065
Italy 2'020
Switzerland 1'668
Austria 1'065
Sweden 1'018
0 5'000 10'000 15'000 20'000 25'000 30'000

Retail sales in million Euros
Figure 13: Global market: The countries with the largest markets for organic food 2013
Source: FiBL-AMI-OrganicDataNetwork survey 2015, based on data from government bodies, the
The ten countries with the highest per capita consumption 2013
Source: FiBL-AMI-OrganicDataNetwork survey 2015
Switzerland 210
Denmark 163
Luxembourg 157
Liechtenstein 129
Austria 127
Sweden 106
Germany 93
US 77
Canada 71
Norway 44
0 50 100 150 200 250

Per capita consumption in euros
Figure 14: Global market: The countries with the highest per capita consumption 2013
Source: FiBL-AMI-OrganicDataNetwork survey 2015, based on data from government bodies, the
Table 12: Global market data: Domestic sales, per capita consumption, and exports by
country 2013
It should be noted that for market and trade data, comparing country statistics remains very problematic, due
to differing methods of data collection. Comments on this table should be sent to helga.willer@fibl.org.
Revisions will be posted at http://www.organic-world.net/statistics-data-revisions.html and included into the
database.
Country Data year Retail sales [Mio €] €/person Export [Mio €]

Argentina 2009 122
Australia 2013 962 42 248
Austria 2011 1'065 127 80
Azerbaijan 2011 3 0.3
Belgium 2013 403 36
Bhutan 2011
Bolivia 2011 179
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2013 0.3
Brazil 2013 700 3
Bulgaria 2010 7 1
Cambodia 2009 1
Canada 2013 2'375 71 370
Chile 2009 2 0.1
2013 134
China 2013 2'430 2 365
Colombia 2007 13
Costa Rica 2008 1 0.3
2009 19
Croatia 2011 3
2012 104 25
Cyprus 2006 2 2
Czech Republic 2012 70 7 24
Denmark 2013 917 163 206
Dominican Republic 2013 172
Country Data year Retail sales [Mio €] €/person Export [Mio €]

Estonia 2013 22 17
Ethiopia 2010 26
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 2013 2
Finland 2013 215
France 2013 4'380 393
Germany 2013 7'550 93
Greece 2010 60 5
Hungary 2009 25 2 20
India 2011 0.1
2012 130 291
Ireland 2011 99 22
Italy 2012 31
2013 2'020 1'260
Japan 2009 1'000 8
Kenya 2008 0.3 0.01
Kosovo 2013 5
Kyrgyzstan 2012
2013 0.3 0.2
Latvia 2011 4 2
Liechtenstein 2012 5 129
Lithuania 2011 6 2
Luxembourg 2013 84 157
Mexico 2013 14 0.1 373
Moldova 2011 15
Montenegro 2010 0.1 0.2
Netherlands 2012 783
2013 840
New Zealand 2012 82 19 136
Norway 2013 224 44
Paraguay 2011 71
Peru 2010 14 0.5
2013 198
Poland 2011 120 3
Portugal 2011 21 2
Republic of Korea 2012 9
Romania 2011 80 4 200
2012 120 1
Samoa 2010 0.1
Senegal 2012 1
2013 1
Serbia 2013 10
Slovakia 2010 4 1
Slovenia 2009 0.1
2013 49 24
South Africa 2013
South Korea 2013
Spain 2012 998 21 590
Sweden 2013 1'018 106
Switzerland 2013 1'668 210
Thailand 2009 51 1 51
Tunisia 2013 54
Turkey 2009 4 0.1 20
Uganda 2012 32
Ukraine 2013 12 0.3 36
United Kingdom 2013 2'065 33
United States of America 2013 24'347 77 400
Viet Nam 2013 195
Source: FiBL-AMI- OrganicDataNetwork survey 2015, based on data from government bodies, the
Statistics: Countries on the DAC List
Organic farming in developing countries and in emerging markets

The countries listed on the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of recipients
for Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) are analyzed in this section. 1 More than
1.7 million producers from the DAC countries were counted (85 percent of all organic
producers). Almost a quarter of the world’s organic agricultural land, 11.7 million
hectares, is located in countries listed on the DAC list. If wild collection and beekeeping
areas are included, the total area is 35 million hectares. Most of the agricultural land is
in Latin American countries (6.2 million hectares), with Asia (3.3 million) and Africa (1.2
million) in second and third place. The countries with the largest areas of organic
agricultural land are Argentina, China, Uruguay, Brazil, and India (in that order). Not
surprisingly, that most of them are large countries (Figure 15).
However, when it comes to organic agricultural land as a percentage of the total area
under agriculture, the order is different. The highest percentages of organic agricultural
land are in the Dominican Republic, some Pacific Islands countries, and Sao Tome and
Principe. Argentina, with by far the largest area under organic management (with
3.2 million hectares), is ranked ninth when organic agricultural area is expressed as a
proportion of the total agricultural area. In the top ten countries on the DAC list, the
shares of organic land are comparable to those in many European countries. These high
shares can probably be attributed in part to a high potential for, and focus on, exports.
Support activities may also play a role. However, out of all countries on the DAC list that
was covered in the survey, only a 20 percent have a proportion of organic agricultural
land that is higher than one percent of the total agricultural area (Figure 16).
Land use details were available for more than 70 percent of the agricultural land; crop
data are missing for some of the world’s largest producing countries (India and Brazil).
However, the available statistics show that the shares of grassland/grazing areas and of
permanent crops are relatively high when compared with other regions. Arable land, by
contrast, is of minor importance. This is because exports play an important role, either
for meat products (mainly from Latin America) or for permanent crops. The most
important permanent crops are export crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and sugarcane from
Latin America and olives from the Mediterranean countries.
Table 13: Countries on the DAC list: Development of organic agricultural land 2008-2013
Region 2008 [ha] 2009 [ha] 2010 [ha] 2011 [ha] 2012 [ha] 2013 [ha]
Africa 855'400 1'026'431 1'075'521 1'072'848 1'148'867 1'226'488
Asia 3'297'940 3'500'058 2'689'884 3'629'209 3'150'217 3'337'066
Europe 401'837 648'457 734'337 771'542 841'687 892'408
Latin America 6'821'159 7'261'483 7'142'809 6'452'213 6'407'557 6'205'212
Oceania 22'623 25'918 17'117 50'691 53'370 62'511
Total 11'398'959 12'462'346 11'659'669 11'976'502 11'601'698 11'723'686
1
The list is available at
http://www.oecd.org/document/45/0,3746,en_2649_34447_2093101_1_1_1_1,00.html
Statistics: Countries on the DAC List
The ten countries on the DAC list with the largest areas of organic
agricultural land 2013
Argentina 3.19
China 2.09
Uruguay (2006) 0.93
Brazil (2012) 0.71
India 0.51
Mexico 0.50
Turkey 0.46
Ukraine 0.39
Peru 0.39
Kazakhstan (2012) 0.29
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50

Million hectares
Figure 15: Countries on the DAC list: The countries with the largest areas of organic
agricultural land in 2013
The ten countries on the DAC list with the highest shares of organic
agricultural land 2013
Samoa (2012) 11.8%

Dominican Republic 9.3%
Sao Tome and Principe (2012) 7.2%
Timor-Leste (2012) 6.6%
Uruguay (2006) 6.3%
Mongolia 4.7%
Mexico 2.3%
Egypt (2012) 2.3%
Argentina 2.3%
Vanuatu 1.7%
0% 5% 10% 15%
Share of agricultural land
Figure 16: Countries on the DAC list: The ten countries with the highest shares of organic
Statistics: Land Use
Land use and crop data

Almost two-thirds of the 43.1 million hectares of organic agricultural land in 2013 was
grassland/grazing areas (27 million hectares). The cropland area (arable land with
7.7 million hectares and permanent crops with 3.2 million hectares) constituted 10.9
million hectares, and thus more than a quarter of the organic agricultural land. The
cropland area is probably much higher because details on land use are not available for
some countries with large organic agricultural areas, for example, India. General land use
information was available for almost 90 percent of the organic agricultural land, which
does not however mean that detailed crop information is available for all areas as not all
countries provided detailed crop data. 1
The FAO classification 2 of land use was utilized for this survey, with slight
modifications. A system similar to that of Eurostat was used for the classification of
crops. 3 The following main levels were used to classify the land use data: arable land;
permanent crops; cropland for which no further details were available (cropland = arable
land + permanent cropland with no details available); permanent grassland/grazing
areas; other agricultural areas (such as for instance hedges); and agricultural land for
which no details were available at all. For crop groups included in these land use type see
Table 15. Aquaculture, forest, and grazed non-agricultural land were distinguished from
“agricultural land” with a separate category, as were organic wild collection areas.
The land use information can be summarized by geographical region, as follows:
− Africa: Land use information was available for about two-thirds of the organic
agricultural land in Africa. Almost half of the agricultural land is used for
permanent crops. The main permanent crops are cash crops such as coffee and
olives. For land use details in Africa, see page 145.
− Asia: Land use details are known for more than fifty percent of the organic
agricultural land in Asia. Arable land is mainly used for cereals, including rice.
Furthermore, oilseeds are important. For land use details in Asia, see page 166.
− Europe: In Europe, the agricultural land use is well known, and the main crop
categories are well documented. Permanent pastures and arable land have
approximately equal shares of the organic agricultural area. Arable land is mainly
used for the cultivation of green fodder (almost 2 million hectares) followed by
cereals (1.8 million hectares). Permanent crops account for eleven percent of
organic agricultural land. More than one-third of this land was used for olives,
followed by grapes, nuts, and fruits. For land use details in Europe, see page 190.
− Latin America and the Caribbean: Most of the organic agricultural land in Latin
America for which information was available is permanent pasture. Permanent
crops account for about one tenth of the agricultural area. More than half of the
permanent cropland is used for coffee, followed by cocoa and tropical fruits. For
land use details in Latin America and the Caribbean, see page 233.
1
For some countries, only information on the main uses (arable crops, permanent crops, and permanent
grassland) was available. For other countries, very detailed statistical land use information can be found. The
Eurostat statistics, for instance, list each vegetable type for many countries.
2
For more details, see the FAOSTAT homepage, faostat.fao.org at Home > Concepts and Definitions >
Glossary, or http://faostat.fao.org/site/379/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=379
3
For details, see www.organic-world.net. For the data collected, a classification system developed in
cooperation with AMI, the German Agricultural Market Information Company, is used. The questionnaire, as
well as some background information, is also available at www.organic-world.net.
− North America: As in Europe, arable land and permanent grassland/grazing areas

have almost equal shares. A major proportion of the arable land is used for cereal
production and cultivation of green fodder. For land use details in North America,
see page 249.
− Oceania: Most of the land in Australia is used for extensive grassland/grazing areas,
and only little information is available on the remaining land. For land use details
in Oceania, see page 265.
Table 14: World: Land use in organic agriculture by region (including in-conversion areas)
2013
Asia Europe Latin North World
Africa Oceania
Land use [ha] [ha] [ha]
America America
[ha] [ha]
[ha] [ha]
Agricultural
land, no 340'301 607'773 226'394 721'672 435'731 2'328'106
details
Arable 237'219 1'253'249 4'599'369 209'335 1'321'654 38'679 7'659'506
crops
Cropland,
8'002 1'086'194 72'187 484'955 388'912 48'351 2'088'601
no details
Other agr. 9'518 62'970 437'939 7'552 219'957 737'936
land
Permanent 567'634 388'077 1'296'073 845'020 67'089 70'950 3'234'842
crops
Permanent 64'415 27'676 4'828'810 4'343'102 1'050'097 16'728'022 27'042'122
grassland
Total 1'227'088 3'425'939 11'460'773 6'611'636 3'047'710 17'321'733 43'091'113
Totals include correction values for some countries for land with double cropping during one year.
Distribution of main land use types by region 2013

100%
Agricultural land and
Share of total agricultural land
80% crops, no details

Other agricultural land
60%
Permanent grassland
40% Permanent crops
20% Arable land crops
0%
Africa Asia Europe Latin North Oceania
America America
Figure 17: World: Distribution of main land use types by region 2013
Distribution of main land use types and crop

categories 2013
Source: FiBL-IFOAM Survey 2015; based on information from the private
sector, certifiers, and governments.
Land use types 2013 Key arable crops

Arable land Cereals 3.31
No details Green fodders 2.38
crops
10% Oilseeds 0.78
Other agr. 18%
Vegetables 0.31
Land
Protein crops 0.30
2%
Permanent
crops 0.0 1.5 3.0 4.5
Million hectares
7%
Key permanent crops
Coffee 0.73
Olives 0.61
Nuts 0.32
Grapes 0.31
Permanent Cocoa 0.23
grassland 0.0 0.5 1.0
63% Million hectares
Figure 18: World: Distribution of main land use types and crop categories 2013
Development of the organic land by land use type 2004-2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL-Surveys 1999-2015
30
27.0
25 23.1 22.6 22.6

21.8 22.3 22.9
20.0 20.4 20.0
20 Arable crops
Million hectares
Permanent crops
15
Permanent grassland
10
7.2 7.4 7.7
5.6 6.1
4.3 4.6 4.9
5 3.4 4.0 3.2 3.2
2.5 2.6 2.9
1.4 1.9 2.0
0.9 1.2
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 19: World: Development of organic arable land, permanent cropland and
permanent grassland/grazing areas 2004-2013
Table 15: World: Land use and crop categories in organic agriculture worldwide 2013
Land use Crop group Area [ha]
Agricultural land and crops, no details 2'348'071
Arable crops Arable crops, no details 196'089
Cereals 3'309'788
Flowers and ornamental plants 9'877
Green fodder from arable land 2'381'943
Hops 188
Industrial crops 21'876
Medicinal and aromatic plants 86'624
Mushrooms and truffles 1'518
Oilseeds 779'803
Protein crops 296'073
Root crops 50'628
Seeds and seedlings 4'802
Strawberries 3'638
Sugarcane 42'328
Textile crops 89'748
Tobacco 1'690
Vegetables 305'342
Arable crops, other 77'550
Arable crops total 7'659'506
Cropland, no details 2'068'636
Other agricultural land Fallow land, crop rotation 558'620
Hedges 618
Home gardens 839
Other agricultural land, no details 51'738
Pathways 8
Unutilized land 126'113
Other agricultural land total 737'936
Permanent crops Berries 42'688
Citrus fruit 81'577
Cocoa 227'695
Coconut 58'656
Coffee 725'627
Flowers and ornamental plants, permanent 22
Fruit, no details 3'869
Fruit, temperate 213'023
Fruit, tropical and subtropical 209'240
Grapes 311'595
Medicinal and aromatic plants, permanent 35'001
Nurseries 752
Nuts 322'074
Olives 611'452
Tea/mate, etc. 71'054
Permanent crops, other 320'518
Permanent crops total 3'234'842
Permanent grassland 27'042'122
Total 43'091'113
Statistics: Arable Land
Arable land
With a total of almost 7.7 million hectares, organic arable land constitutes 18 percent of
the world’s organic agricultural land. An increase of 2.9 percent over 2012 was reported,
and there was an increase in almost all crop categories. Almost two-thirds of the arable
land is located in Europe, followed by North America (17 percent), Asia (15 percent) (see
Figure 20).
Most of this category of land is used for cereals including rice (3.3 million hectares),
followed by green fodder (2.4 million hectares) and oilseeds (0.8 million hectares). It
should be noted that the increase for some of the crop groups (in particular cereals,
oilseeds and vegetables) is due to the fact that for China more detailed data on land use
has become available.
Table 16: Use of organic arable land (including in-conversion areas), 2012 and 2013
compared
Crop group 2012 [ha] 2013 [ha] Change in hectares Change in %
Cereals 2'663'948 3'309'788 +645'841 +24.2%
Flowers and ornamental plants 9'631 9'877 +246 +2.6%
Green fodder from arable land 2'314'828 2'381'943 +67'115 +2.9%
Hops 198 188 -10 -5.0%
Industrial crops 18'194 21'876 +3'682 +20.2%
Medicinal and aromatic plants 70'998 86'624 +15'625 +22.0%
Mushrooms and truffles 1'037 1'518 +481 +46.4%
Oilseeds 640'320 779'803 +139'483 +21.8%
Protein crops 317'446 296'073 -21'373 -6.7%
Root crops 54'945 50'628 -4'317 -7.9%
Seeds and seedlings 3'808 4'802 +994 +26.1%
Strawberries 3'268 3'638 +371 +11.3%
Sugarcane 38'314 42'328 +4'014 +10.5%
Textile crops 86'969 89'748 +2'779 +3.2%
Tobacco 1'026 1'690 +664 +64.7%
Vegetables 244'558 305'342 +60'785 +24.9%
Total* 7'444'115 7'659'506 +215'390 +2.9%
Not all countries included in the survey provided data on land use or crop areas.
*Total includes arable crop groups for which no further details were available.
Statistics: Arable land
Figure 20: World: Distribution of organic arable cropland by region 2013

Use of organic arable cropland by crop group 2013

Other
Protein crops 8%
4%
Vegetables
4%
Oilseeds Cereals
10% 43%
Green fodder from

arable land
31%
Figure 21: World: Use of arable cropland by crop group 2013

Statistics: Permanent Crops
Permanent crops
Permanent crops account for more than 3.2 million hectares, which is almost 2 percent
of the world’s permanent cropland. 1 Compared with the previous survey, an increase of
almost 2’500 hectares was reported. With seven percent, permanent cropland has a
higher share in organic agriculture than in total agriculture, where permanent crops
account for approximately three percent of the total. Most of the permanent cropland is
in Europe (1.3 million hectares), followed by Latin America (0.8 million hectares), and
Africa (0.6 million hectares) (see Table 14). The most important crops are coffee, with
more than 0.7 million hectares reported and constituting almost one quarter of the
organic permanent cropland, followed by olives (0.6 million hectares), nuts (0.32 million
hectares), grapes (0.31 million hectares), and cocoa (0.2 million hectares).
Table 17: Use of organic permanent cropland (including in-conversion areas), 2012 and
2013 compared
Change inn
Crop group 2012 [ha] 2013 [ha] Change in %
hectares
Berries 42'618 42'688 +69 +0.2%
Citrus fruit 65'838 81'577 +15'739 +23.9%
Cocoa 205'419 227'695 +22'277 +10.8%
Coconut 58'122 58'656 +533 +0.9%
Coffee 695'959 725'627 +29'668 +4.3%
Flowers and ornamental plants,
57 22 -35 -61.7%
permanent
Fruit, temperate 163'969 213'023 +49'055 +29.9%
Fruit, tropical and subtropical 218'135 209'240 -8'895 -4.1%
Grapes 284'155 311'595 +27'439 +9.7%
Medicinal and aromatic plants,
39'821 35'001 -4'820 -12.1%
permanent
Nurseries 95 752 +657 +691.8%
Nuts 271'323 322'074 +50'751 +18.7%
Olives 576'041 611'452 +35'412 +6.1%
Tea/mate, etc. 97'736 71'054 -26'682 -27.3%
Total* 3'232'345 3'234'842 +2'497 +0.1%
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-survey 2015, based on data from governments, the private sector, and certifiers.
For detailed data sources see annex, page 281.
Blank cells: No data available. Not all countries included in the survey provided data on land use or
crop areas.
*Total includes arable crop groups for which no further details were available.
1
There were 163’893’470 hectares of permanent cropland in 2012 according to FAOSTAT, FAO, Rome. See the
FAO Homepage: faostat.fao.org > Resources > Resourcestat > Land at
http://faostat.fao.org/site/377/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=377#ancor
Statistics: Permanent Crops
Figure 22: World: Distribution of permanent cropland by region 2013

Use of permanent cropland by crop group 2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM Survey 2015
Coffee
Other 22%
29%
Citrus fruit Olives

3% 19%
Cocoa
7%
Grapes Nuts
10% 10%
Figure 23: World: Use of permanent cropland by crop group 2012

Statistics: Wild Collection
Wild collection and beekeeping areas

The collection of wild harvested crops is defined in the IFOAM Norms (IFOAM 2014),
and wild collection activities are also regulated by organic laws. A collection area
(including beekeeping) of 34.1 million hectares was reported in 2013. The organic wild
collection areas are concentrated in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America (Figure 24);
the distribution is thus quite different from that of the organic agricultural land.
The countries with the largest areas are Finland (mainly berries), followed by Zambia
(beekeeping) and India (Figure 25).
Wild berries, apiculture, medicinal and aromatic plants, as well as shea nuts in Africa and
Brazil nuts in Latin America, play the most important roles (see Table 19).
Table 18: Wild collection and beekeeping areas by region 2013

Region 2012 [ha] 2013 [ha] Change in hectares Change in %
Africa 9'873'768 10'118'473 +244'705 +2.5
Asia 6'864'134 7'794'340 +930'206 +13.6
Europe 10'695'304 13'357'745 +2'662'441 +24.9
Latin America 2'875'166 2'749'717 -125'450 -4.4
North America 49'871 71'821 +21'950 +44.0
Oceania 765 765
Total 30'359'009 34'092'861 +3'733'852 +12.3
Source: FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015, based on data from governments, the private sector, and certifiers.
Table 19: Wild collection and beekeeping areas by crop group 2013
Land use Are [ha]
Apiculture 6'697'166
Berries, wild 9'001'046
Forest honey 119'137
Fruit, wild 25'260
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild 1'814'825
Mushrooms, wild 3'902
Nuts, wild 942'841
Oil plants, wild 685'494
Palm sugar 100
Palmito, wild 6'800
Rose hips, wild 43'860
Seaweed 200'032
Wild collection, no details 14'394'580
Wild collection, other 157'818
Total 34'092'861
Figure 24: World: Distribution of organic wild collection and beekeeping areas by region
in 2013
The ten countries with the largest wild collection areas 2013
Finland 9.00
Zambia (2009) 6.13
India 5.18
Namibia 2.40
China 1.44
Brazil (2012) 1.21
Romania (2012) 1.08
Tajikistan (2012) 1.06
Turkey 0.96
Morocco 0.82
0 2 4 6 8 10
Million hectares
Figure 25: World: The ten countries with the largest organic wild collection and
beekeeping areas in 2013
Table 20: Wild collection and beekeeping areas by country 2012

Country Land use Area [ha]
Albania Wild collection, no details 330'677
Argentina Apiculture 454'229
Wild collection, no details 4'372
Armenia Wild collection, no details 11'250
Azerbaijan Berries, wild 161
Fruit, wild 541
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild 56
Nuts, wild 179
Belarus Berries, wild 100
Belgium Wild collection, no details 3
Benin Nuts, wild 3'543
Bhutan Wild collection, no details 15'605
Bolivia Nuts, wild 785'453
Bosnia and Herzegovina Wild collection, no details 63'910
Brazil Wild collection, no details 1'209'773
Bulgaria Rose hips, wild 1'588
Wild collection, other 232
Burkina Faso Nuts, wild 65'631
Wild collection, no details 69
Cameroon Forest honey 110'000
Canada Wild collection, no details 1'294
Chad Wild collection, other 11'000
Chile Berries, wild 634
Fruit, wild 18'434
China Wild collection, no details 1'435'000
Colombia Palmito, wild 6'800
Comoros Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild 29
Côte d'Ivoire Nuts, wild 344
Croatia Wild collection, no details 7
Denmark Wild collection, no details 2'648
Dominican Republic Apiculture 130
Forest honey 130
Ecuador Mushrooms, wild 1'260
Estonia Wild collection, no details 40'579
Ethiopia Apiculture 180
Fiji Wild collection, other 653
Finland Berries, wild 9'000'000
France Wild collection, no details 2'809
Georgia Apiculture 12
Ghana Nuts, wild 19'813
Guatemala Apiculture 5
Guyana Wild collection, no details 58'000
Iceland Seaweed 200'032
India Wild collection, no details 5'180'000
Indonesia Forest honey 9'007
Palm sugar 100
Country Land use Area [ha]

Iran (Islamic Republic of) Apiculture 7'850
Italy Wild collection, no details 62'647
Kazakhstan Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild 863
Kenya Apiculture 89'417
Lao People's Democratic Republic Wild collection, no details 16'786
Lesotho Wild collection, no details 50'000
Macedonia (FYROM) Wild collection, no details 198'000
Madagascar Fruit, wild 141
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild 20'152
Nuts, wild 3'364
Mali Nuts, wild 3'978
Mexico Apiculture 7'455
Fruit, wild 6'032
Montenegro Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild 139'809
Morocco Berries, wild 150
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild 186'000
Mozambique Wild collection, other 31'400
Namibia Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild 1'436'079
Nepal Wild collection, no details 24'422
Nicaragua Apiculture 11'463
Niue Fruit, wild 112
Peru Nuts, wild 60'536
Romania Wild collection, no details 1'082'138
Russian Federation Wild collection, no details 13'723
Rwanda Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild 68
Senegal Wild collection, other 22'000
South Africa Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild 31'709
Spain Wild collection, no details 38'184
Sudan Wild collection, other 5'000
Syrian Arab Republic Wild collection, no details 8'000
Tajikistan Wild collection, no details 1'055'890
Tanzania Wild collection, no details 15'040
Togo Wild collection, other 242
Turkey Wild collection, no details 957'260
Uganda Wild collection, no details 158'328
Ukraine Wild collection, no details 530'000
Uzbekistan Wild collection, no details 5'000
Viet Nam Wild collection, no details 1'300
Zambia Apiculture 6'126'424
Zimbabwe Wild collection, no details 70'000
Total 34'092'861
Statistics: Beehives
Beehives
Almost 1.1 million organic beehives were reported in 2013, which represent 1.4 percent
of the world’s total global beehives, according to FAO data from 2012. 1 Organic beehives
are concentrated mainly in Europe (59 percent) and Africa (22 percent) (see Figure 26).
The countries with the largest numbers of organic beehives are Zambia (191’434),
followed by Italy (140’004) and Bulgaria (117’360) (Figure 28). Their number has more
than doubled since 2007, when 527’000 beehives were reported (Figure 27).
Figure 26: World: Distribution of organic beehives by region in 2013

1
According to FAO, there were 81’027’785 beehives in 2012. The FAOSTAT website > Production > Live
animals at http://faostat.fao.org/site/573/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=573#ancor
Development of the organic beehives 2007-2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL 2006-2015
1'200'000 1'096'996
1'046'032
1'000'000 899'972 939'310
889'913
800'000
600'000 535'117 527'763
400'000
200'000
0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 27: Development of the organic beehives 2007-2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL surveys 2006-2015. For detailed data sources see annex, page 281.
The ten countries with the largest number of organic beehives 2013
Zambia (2012) 191'434

Italy 140'004
Bulgaria 117'360
Brazil (2007) 96'367
France 90'051
Romania (2012) 85'225
Spain 50'822
Ethiopia (2009) 44'233
Mexico (2007) 37'455
Portugal 37'077
0 50'000 100'000 150'000 200'000

Beehives
Figure 28: The ten countries with the largest number of organic beehives in 2013
Source: FiBL-IFOAM- survey-2015. For detailed data sources see annex, page 281.
Table 21: Number of beehives by country 2013

Country Beehives [no] Country Beehives [no]
Argentina 23'299 Turkey 32'342
Armenia 580 Ukraine 300
Australia 6'475 Zambia 191'434
Austria 19'503 Total 1'096'996
Azerbaijan 932
Source: FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015; based on
Belgium 200 information from the private sector,
Bosnia and Herzegovina 329 certifiers, and governments. For detailed
Brazil 96'367 data sources see annex, page 281.
Bulgaria 117'360
Burkina Faso 11
Canada 85
Chile 5'414
Croatia 2'678
Cuba 24'100
Czech Republic 703
Estonia 1'510
Ethiopia 44'233
Finland 3'030
France 90'051
French Guiana (France) 21
Georgia 570
Greece 14'865
Guadeloupe (France) 36
Hungary 19'296
Iran 1'500
Ireland 58
Italy 140'004
Kosovo 40
Latvia 16'701
Lebanon 474
Liechtenstein 1
Lithuania 804
Luxembourg 512
Martinique (France) 120
Mexico 37'455
Montenegro 159
Morocco 2'200
Nicaragua 13'367
Norway 1'395
Poland 1'989
Portugal 37'077
Réunion (France) 300
Romania 85'225
Saudi Arabia 1'354
Senegal 32
Serbia 1'940
Slovakia 448
Slovenia 1'803
South Africa 4
Spain 50'822
Sweden 2'182
Switzerland 2'549
Tunisia 757
Statistics on Selected Crops
Statistics on selected crops

In this section, some of the data received on key crops and crop groups are presented:
area under organic management, including conversion areas, and comparison with the
total area of the crops (if available). FiBL collected land use and crop data for the first
time in 2004; hence, the development graphs show the growth since that year.
It should be noted that the organic areas are compared with the area harvested in 2012 as
provided by FAO. The data may not necessarily be directly comparable to the areas sown
or planted as registered by the certification bodies, and may differ from which crops
were harvested, due to natural catastrophes for instance.
In some cases, the area data may refer to mixed cropping areas or to agroforestry areas
in the case of tropical fruit, where the provided crop surfaces are the total surface of the
agroforestry system, including shade trees and other crops. This should be kept in mind
when comparing the organic crop area to the overall area for a certain crop; particularly
in the case of tropical crops.
Data on conversion status: For some countries, data were collated from several certifiers,
some of which provided information on the conversion status while others did not.
Therefore, the sum of land under conversion and the fully converted land is not
necessarily the same as the total land under organic agricultural management.
The tables presented here are an example of the information available, including other
crops, in the FiBL database, which is available at www.organic-world.net. At this website,
slides on key crops with more graphs than shown here are available.
Table 22: Selected key crops in organic agriculture 2013 (overview): Land under organic
management (including conversion areas)
Latin North
Africa Europe Oceania Total
Crops Asia [ha] America America
[ha] [ha] [ha] [ha]
[ha] [ha]
Cereals 6'531 793'568 1'844'578 37'738 624'649 2'724 3'309'788
Citrus fruit 9'283 11'891 37'347 15'048 7'528 480 81'577
Cocoa 23'063 204'601 31 227'695
Coffee 194'544 67'598 445'178 18'308 725'627
Fruit, temperate 8'314 39'922 138'566 5'617 19'321 1'282 213'023
Fruit, tropical and
subtropical
19'899 39'894 24'494 117'782 6'717 455 209'240
Grapes 925 21'482 258'348 12'064 15'994 2'782 311'595
Oilseeds 125'861 325'126 190'419 34'523 103'657 217 779'803
Olives 125'350 2'203 478'445 4'985 470 611'452
Protein crops 2'020 18'725 226'947 611 47'753 18 296'073
Vegetables 5'986 66'899 105'123 62'732 63'214 1'388 305'342
Statistics: Crops - Cereals
> Cereals
Table 23 shows that at least 3.3 million hectares of cereals were under organic
management in 2013. Comparing the organic figure with FAO’s figure for the world’s
harvested cereal area of 697 million hectares in 2012 (FAOSTAT), 1 0.5 percent of the
total cereal area is under organic management.
Cereals include wheat, spelt, barley, oats, grain maize, rye, and triticale (see Figure 30).
The key cereal producers worldwide, according to FAO, are India (97.1 million hectares),
China (93 million hectares), the United States (60.2 million hectares), and the Russian
Federation (36.9 million hectares).
Of these four countries, information on the organic cereal area was available for all
except India. China (almost 600’000 hectares) and the United States (almost 330’000
hectares) are the largest organic cereal producers. In China, 0.3 percent of the total
cereal area was organic, and in the United States, the organic cereal area represented
0.5 percent of the total cereal area. The United States was followed by Canada (296’175
hectares) and Germany (more than 200’000 hectares). In Italy, one of the biggest organic
cereal producers (191’400 hectares), 5.4 percent of the total cereal area is organic.
Some countries reach proportions that are far higher than the global organic cereal share
of 0.4 percent. For example, Austria (12 percent), Sweden (9.2 percent), Estonia (almost
8 percent), and Lithuania (6.5 percent) greatly exceed the global 0.5 percent.
As some of the world’s large cereal producers (such as India, and the Russian Federation)
did provide only little or no land use and crop details, it can be assumed that the cereal
area is larger than what is shown here.
The organic cereal area has more than doubled since 2004 (1.2 million hectares), and in
2013, it increased by 654’000 hectares or 24 percent, mainly due to better land use data
received from China.
The available data on the conversion status indicate that at least 17.5 percent of the
organic cereal area was in-conversion in 2013 (more than half a million hectares). Thus,
there could be a considerable increase in supply of organic cereals in the near future.
1
FAOSTAT > PRODUCTION > PRODSTAT > CROPS. The FAOSTAT homepage at
Cereals: Development of the global organic area 2004-2013

3'500'000
3'309'788
3'000'000
2'500'000
2'663'948
2'506'089
2'450'405
2'421'398
Hectares
2'000'000
2'204'748
1'869'772
1'766'065
1'500'000
1'427'828
1'000'000
1'233'801
500'000
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 29: Cereals: Development of the global organic area 2004-2013

Figure 30: Cereals: Distribution of cereal types 2013

Table 23: Organic cereal area 2013

Organic area Organic share Area fully Area under
Country
[ha] [%] converted [ha] conversion [ha]
Argentina 21'639 0.2%
Australia 2'724 0.0%
Austria 100'727 12.1%
Azerbaijan 1'598 0.2% 1'598
Bangladesh 101 0.0%
Belgium 6'940 2.0% 5'319 1'622
Bhutan 3'024 5.3% 3'024
Bolivia 904 0.1% 435 469
Bosnia and Herzegovina 191 0.1% 187 4
Bulgaria 7'669 0.4% 2'629 5'040
Burkina Faso 23 0.001%
Cambodia 2'964 0.1% 2938 26
Canada 296'175 2.1% 296'175
Chile 129 0.0%
China 588'411 0.6% 348'772 239'639
Colombia 100 0.0% 98 2
Costa Rica 55 0.1%
Croatia 7'293 1.2% 3'705 3'588
Cyprus 752 1.9% 727 25
Czech Republic 25'884 1.8% 23'358 2'526
Denmark 55'646 3.7% 50'966 4'680
Dominican Republic 350 0.2%
Ecuador 995 0.1% 987 8
Estonia 23'090 7.8% 20'810 2'280
Finland 44'999 4.3% 44'999
France 134'328 1.4% 116'215 18'114
Georgia 35 0.0% 4 31
Germany 202'000 3.1%
Greece 42'651 4.3% 22'436 20'216
Hungary 29'506 1.1% 24'026 5480
Indonesia 1'545 0.01% 1'488 55
Iran 6 0.0001% 6
Israel 1'326 1.6% 1'326
Italy 191'400 5.4% 151'880 39'520
Japan 3'098 0.2% 3'098
Jordan 125 0.2%
Kazakhstan 130'882 0.8% 101'210 25'000
Kyrgyzstan 695 0.1% 437 258
Lao PDR 1'030 0.1%
Latvia 28'000 5.0%
Liechtenstein 161 - 161
Lithuania 75'698 6.5% 65'119 10'579
Luxembourg 714 2.6% 714
Macedonia (FYROM) 1'550 1.0% 781 769
Madagascar 89 0.005%
Malta 0 0.002% 0
Mexico 4'267 0.04% 4'267
Moldova 8'399 -
Mongolia 6'461 2.1%
Morocco 588 0.01% 488 100
Mozambique 37 0.001% 37
Myanmar 60 0.001% 60
Namibia 120 0.04% 120

Country
Netherlands 4'112 2.0% 3'586 489
Nigeria 6 0.00003%
Norway 7'549 2.6% 6'780 769
Pakistan 9'633 0.1%
Peru 6'499 0.5% 8
Philippines 554 0.0% 508
Poland 122'818 1.6% 79'609 43'209
Republic of Korea 9'177 1.0%
Romania 105'148 1.9% 51'903 53'246
Russian Federation 9'889 0.03% 612 329
Saudi Arabia 10'665 4.3% 10'634 31
Senegal 3'689 0.3% 113 3'576
Serbia 2'273 0.1% 665 1'608
Slovakia 15'406 1.9% 10'768 4'638
Slovenia 1'613 1.6% 1227 386
South Africa 981 0.03% 736 245
Spain 159'124 2.8% 141'878 17'247
Sweden 91'309 9.2% 84'636 6'673
Switzerland 7'081 4.8%
Taiwan 2'059 - 2'059
Tanzania 456 0.01% 128 328
Thailand 20'117 0.1%
Tunisia 414 0.03% 1'088
Turkey 159'195 1.4% 99'065 60'130
Ukraine 127'733 0.9%
United Kingdom 43'728 1.4% 42'351 1'377
United States of America 328'474 0.5%
Uruguay 2'800 0.3% 2'800
Zambia 128 0.01%
Total 3'309'788 0.5% 1'837'127 578'939
Source: FiBL-IFOAM Survey 2015; based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Statistics: Crops - Citrus Fruit
> Citrus fruit

The area of organic citrus fruits is shown in Table 24, which includes oranges, lemons,
limes, grapefruit, pomelos, tangerines, and “other citrus”. According to this data, almost
82’000 hectares of citrus fruit are grown organically worldwide. This constitutes
0.9 percent of the world’s total citrus area of 8.7 million hectares in 2012 (FAOSTAT). 1
As no crop details for the organic area were available for some of the world’s leading
citrus producers - Brazil (0.9 million hectares), Nigeria (0.8 million hectares) and India
(0.75 million hectares) according to FAOSTAT - it can be assumed that the world figures
for the area under organic citrus is higher.
In organic agriculture, the largest producer is Italy, with over 28’000 hectares
constituting 19.7 percent of Italy’s harvested citrus fruit area, followed by Mexico
(almost 12’000 hectares, 2.2 percent), and China (more than 11’000 hectares,
0.5 percent).
Ghana has the highest proportion of organic citrus fruit with almost 29 percent of the
harvested citrus fruit area according to the available data. It is followed by Italy and
France (9.4 percent).
Since 2004, when 28’500 hectares of organic citrus were grown, the area has almost
tripled.
Crop details were available for about three-quarters of the organic citrus fruit area:
Oranges were grown in 52 percent of the citrus area, followed by lemons and limes with
12 percent (see Figure 31). The available data on the conversion status indicates that at
least 18 percent of the organic citrus area was in-conversion in 2013 (15’000 hectares).
Thus, there could be a considerable increase in supply of organic citrus fruit in the near
future.
Figure 31: Citrus fruit: Use of organic citrus fruit area 2013
1
FAOSTAT > PRODUCTION > PRODSTAT > CROPS. The FAOSTAT webpage at
Statistics: Crops – Citrus Fruit
Table 24: Organic citrus fruit 2013

Country
Australia 480 1.7%
Azerbaijan 21 0.9% 2 19
Chile 78 0.5%
China 11'531 0.5% 5'928 5'602
Colombia 3 0.004% 2 1
Croatia 0 0.01% 0
Cuba 399 1.5% 326 73
Cyprus 67 2.1% 60 7
Dominican Republic 250 1.1% 150 100
Ecuador 691 1.9% 691
El Salvador 9 0.1% 9
France 220 9.4% 194 26
Georgia 7 0.03% 7
Ghana 6'783 28.9% 272
Greece 1'389 2.8% 1'202 187
Indonesia 55 0.1% 55
Iran 2 0.001% 2
Israel 196 1.1% 196
Italy 28'816 19.7% 22'178 6'637
Jordan 50 0.7%
Lebanon 10 0.1% 10
Madagascar 12 0.1%
Malta 1 0.6% 0 1
Mexico 11'917 2.2% 11'917
Morocco 830 0.8% 760 70
Myanmar 20 - 20
Paraguay 60 0.5% 60
Peru 75 0.1% 56
Senegal 16 0.2% 3 13
South Africa 1'631 2.2% 472 184
Spain 6'332 2.0% 4'437 1'894
Tunisia 10 0.03%
Turkey 523 0.5% 320 203
United States of
7'528 2.3%
America
Uruguay 410 2.7% 410
Total 81'577 0.9% 49'764 15'026
Statistics: Crops - Cocoa
> Cocoa beans

More than 220’000 hectares of cocoa were grown organically in 2013. This constitutes
2.3 percent of the world’s harvested cocoa bean area of 9.9 million hectares 2012
(FAOSTAT). 1
The world’s leading producers are Côte d'Ivoire (2.5 million hectares), Indonesia (1.7
million hectares), Ghana (1.6 million hectares), and Nigeria (almost 1.2 million
hectares).
The largest organic cocoa areas are in the Dominican Republic (118’500 hectares), Peru
(21’000 hectares) and Mexico (19’000 hectares). Almost 90 percent of the world’s
organic cocoa area is in Latin America.
Some countries have when compared with the FAO data on harvested crops, very high
shares. This can probably be attributed to the fact that some of the organic cocoa bean
areas are managed extensively.
The organic cocoa bean area has grown almost fivefold since 2004 (approximately
50’000 hectares) and thus faster than most other crops/crop groups. However, some of
the increase must be attributed to continually improving data availability.
The available data on the conversion status indicate that at least 7 percent of the organic
cocoa area was in conversion in 2013 (16’500 hectares). Thus, a slight increase in supply
of organic cocoa in the near future may be expected.
Cocoa beans: Development of the global organic area 2004-2013

250'000 233'951 225'802 227'695

214'260
205'419
200'000
169'537
150'366
150'000
Hectares
100'000 88'458
71'876
46'345
50'000
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 32: Cocoa beans: Development of the global organic area 2004-2013
1
Statistics: Crops - Cocoa
Table 25: Organic cocoa bean area 2013

Country
Belize 1'982 - 1'946 37
Bolivia 8'266 82.7% 4'919 3'347
Colombia 381 0.4% 370 11
Costa Rica 121 2.6%
Côte d'Ivoire 81 0.003%
Dominican
118'513 77.3% 108'234 10'279
Republic
Ecuador 13'283 3.4% 12'993 290
Ghana 8'336 0.5%
Grenada 65 5.2%
Haiti 2'812 12.8%
Honduras 753 26.0%
Madagascar 2'133 21.3%
Mexico 19'382 16.4% 19'382
Nicaragua 3'666 57.3% 1'521 2'146
Panama 14'021 - 4'224 436
Papua New
31 0.02%
Guinea
Peru 21'357 35.5%
Sao Tome and
3'748 18.7%
Principe
Tanzania 3'919 35.6% 3'919
Togo 1'096 1.0%
Uganda 3'750 8.2%
Total 227'695 2.3% 157'507 16'544
For some of the countries in this table, the cocoa share was very high and not plausible; the corresponding
figures were, therefore, eliminated. The high organic share, compared with the total area harvested according
to FAO, is probably due to the fact that cocoa is grown more extensively in organic agriculture.
Additionally, for the other countries listed in this table, it should be kept in mind that the organic data might
not be directly comparable to the overall cocoa area.
Statistics: Crops - Coffee
> Coffee
More than 725’000 hectares of coffee were grown organically in 2013. This constitutes
7.2 percent of the world’s harvested coffee area of 10 million hectares in 2012, according
to FAOSTAT 1.
The world’s leading producers are Brazil (2.1 million hectares), Indonesia (1.2 million
hectares), Colombia (0.8 million hectares), Mexico (almost 0.7 million hectares), and
Vietnam (0.6 million hectares). Data on the organic production was available for all of
these countries with the exception of Brazil. More than 60 percent of the world’s organic
coffee area is in Latin America and almost 30 percent in Africa.
In organic farming, the largest areas are in Mexico (243’000 hectares), Ethiopia (147’000
hectares), and Peru (110’000 hectares). Bolivia has the highest share, with 46 percent of
organic coffee, followed by Nepal: (45 percent), Timor-Leste (45 percent), and Peru
(35 percent). Some of these high percentages must be attributed to the fact that coffee is
grown more extensively in organic agriculture, and often in association with other crops.
The organic coffee area has more than quadrupled since 2004.
Coffee: Development of the global organic area 2004-2013

800'000 725'627
695'959
700'000 627'333
626'547
600'000 546'541 545'902
500'000 481'580
Hectares
400'000 339'464
311'469
300'000
200'000 176'139
100'000
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 33: Coffee: Development of organic area 2004-2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL surveys 2006-2015; based on information from the private sector, certifiers,
and governments. For detailed data sources see annex, page 281.
1
Statistics: Crops - Coffee
Table 26: Organic coffee area 2013

Country
Angola 1'738 5.6% 1'738
Bolivia 13'715 45.7% 11'820 1'895
Cameroon 99 0.05%
Colombia 10'495 1.3% 7'973 2'523
Costa Rica 651 0.7%
Cuba 1 0.04% 1
Dominican
14'956 11.2% 14'156 800
Republic
Ecuador 3'464 4.4% 3'313 151
El Salvador 3'639 2.6% 3'617 22
Ethiopia 147'214 27.9% 147'214
Guatemala 8'425 3.4% 6'925 1'500
Honduras 23'500 8.8%
Indonesia 36'624 3.0% 36'621 3
Jamaica 7 0.1%
Kenya 240 0.2% 120 120
Lao PDR 4'301 7.6%
Mexico 242'603 34.9% 242'603
Nepal 804 45.1% 804
Nicaragua 12'257 10.0% 10'433 1'824
Panama 953 3.2% 227
Papua New
18'308 25.1%
Guinea
Peru 110'512 35.4%
Rwanda 82 0.2%
Sao Tome and
244 -
Principe
Tanzania 26'104 20.5% 6'333 19'771
Thailand 1'180 2.3%
Timor-Leste 24'690 44.9%
Uganda 17'721 5.7%
Total 725'627 7.2% 493'896 28'609
For some of the countries in this table, the coffee share was very high and not plausible; the corresponding
figures were, therefore, eliminated. The high organic share compared with the total area harvested according to
FAO, is probably because some of the coffee is grown more extensively in organic agriculture.
Also, for the other countries listed in this table, it should be kept in mind that the organic data are perhaps not
directly comparable to the overall coffee area.
Statistics: Crops – Temperate Fruit
> Fruit: Temperate fruit

The total area under organic temperate fruit production recorded here (over 200’000
hectares), is 1.8 percent of the total area of temperate fruit grown in the world
(11.6 million hectares in 2012 according to FAOSTAT). 1
Of the six most important temperate fruit growing countries in the world (China, India,
Turkey, Iran, the United States, and Russia) only three (China, Turkey, and the United
States), provided data on area of organic temperate fruits in 2013. It can, therefore, be
assumed that the organic temperate fruit area is higher.
The countries with the largest organic temperate fruit areas are Poland (42’000
hectares), China (almost 35’000 hectares), Italy (28’000 hectares), the United States
(18’000 hectares), Turkey (12’000 hectares), and France (10’000 hectares) (Table 28).
Since 2004, when data on land use and crops was collected for the first time (almost
60’000 hectares), the temperate fruit area has more than tripled. However, some of the
increase must be attributed to continually improving availability of crop data. The
increase in 2013 is partly due to the fact, that for the first time, data on organic
temperate fruit has been made available for China.
The key temperate fruits are apples, with almost half of the temperate fruit area,
followed by apricots, pears, plums and cherries (Table 27). Poland has one-quarter of the
total organic apple area.
The available data on the conversion status indicate that a more than 30 percent of the
total temperate fruit area is in-conversion. If this is indicative, there could be a
considerable increase in supply of organic temperate fruit in the near future.
Table 27: Organic temperate fruit by crop 2013

Main crop Area [ha]
Apples 93'219
Apricots 22'282
Cherries 9'299
Fruit, temperate, no details 25'299
Fruit, temperate, other 27'344
Nectarines 907
Peaches 4'074
Peaches and nectarines, no details 2'747
Pears 16'925
Plums 10'420
Quinces 35
Stone fruit, no details 471
Total 213'023
1
Statistics: Crops - Temperate Fruit
Figure 34: Temperate fruit: Distribution by crop 2013

Temperate Fruit: Development of the global organic area 2004-2013

250'000
200'000
213'023
150'000
163'969
Hectares
154'779
124'145
119'915
100'000
101'711
101'568
95'413
50'000
56'373
53'018
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 35: Temperate fruit: Development 2004-2013

Statistics: Crops – Temperate Fruit
Table 28: Organic temperate fruit 2013

Country
Australia 805 1.3%
Austria 2'244 7.5%
Azerbaijan 754 1.6% 112 642
Belgium 529 3.0% 426 103
Bhutan 0.1 0.003% 0.1
Bolivia 11 0.1% 11
Bulgaria 3'128 6.6% 926 2'202
Canada 1'174 5.4% 1'174
Chile 1'342 1.3%
China 34'975 0.6% 16'542 18'433
Colombia 1 0.01% 1
Croatia 1'057 5.1% 589 469
Cyprus 66 2.8% 59 7
Czech Republic 5'998 35.4% 1 4'768 1'230
Denmark 332 10.3% 308 24
Estonia 499 13.2% 362 136
Finland 67 9.6% 67
France 10'323 10.1% 7'619 2'704
Georgia 942 4.1% 931 11
Germany 4'700 10.3%
Greece 674 0.8% 556 118
Hungary 1'604 2.3% 1'064 540
Israel 110 1.0% 110
Italy 28'324 12.7% 22'812 5'512
Japan 1'088 1.2% 1'088
Jordan 325 4.9%
Kyrgyzstan 10 0.02% 10
Latvia 842 23.4%
Lebanon 38 0.1% 37 1
Lesotho 560 - 560
Liechtenstein 3 - 3
Lithuania 1'268 6.9% 1'006 262
Macedonia (FYROM) 154 0.6% 27 127
Madagascar 5 0.1%
Malta 0 0.2% 0 0
Mexico 108 0.1% 108
Moldova 1'326 -
Morocco 100 0.2% 100
Netherlands 396 2.3%
New Zealand 477 4.0%
Norway 176 8.4% 168 9
Oman 4 -
Peru 768 4.3% 692
Poland 41'990 15.1% 18'538 23'452
Portugal 6'471 16.8%
Romania 4'668 3.4% 648 4'020
Russian Federation 31 0.01% 31
Serbia 834 0.3% 699 135
1
The high share of temperate fruit in the Czech Republic some fruit types is due to the fact that in the official
statistics only the intensive orchards are listed, whereas organic farming includes the extensive orchards.
Statistics: Crops - Temperate Fruit

Country
Slovakia 46 0.5% 37 9
Slovenia 1'030 15.8% 782 248
South Africa 508 0.9% 196 235
Spain 4'517 2.7% 3'593 924
Sweden 159 9.6% 139 20
Switzerland 619 9.5%
Tunisia 7'141 10.1% 242
Turkey 12'387 3.3% 6'250 6'137
Ukraine 400 0.2%
United Kingdom 1'703 9.0%
United States of
18'147 6.1%
America
Total 213'023 1.8% 93'348 67'752
Statistics: Crops – Tropical and Subtropical Fruit
> Fruit: Tropical and subtropical fruit

The total area under organic tropical and subtropical fruit production recorded here
(209’000 hectares) is 0.9 percent of the total area of tropical and subtropical fruit grown
in the world (23.2 million hectares in 2012 according to FAOSTAT data). 1
Of the five most important tropical and subtropical fruit growing countries in the world
(India, China, Uganda, Brazil, and the Philippines, all with more than one million
hectares), only the Philippines provided data on the area under organic tropical and
subtropical fruit grown in 2013.
The largest organic growers for which data on the organic area was available (Mexico,
Dominican Republic, Philippines, and Turkey) all have more than 20’000 hectares.
Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Turkey also have very high shares of tropical and
subtropical fruit, more than the ten percent of their countries’ total for these crops. In
the case of the Dominican Republic, this is mainly due to a high share of bananas, and in
the case of Mexico, mangoes and avocados. The largest proportions of organic tropical
and subtropical fruit area are in the Dominican Republic (21.1 percent), France (19.8
percent; mainly kiwis), and French Polynesia (17.9 percent). By area, the key tropical and
subtropical fruits are bananas, avocados, and mangos (Figure 36).
Since 2004, when data on land use and crops was collected for the first time, the tropical
fruit area has increased fivefold (Figure 37); in 2013, a slight decrease of the area
occurred. However, some of the increase in the past years must be attributed to the
continually improving data availability.
The available data on the conversion status indicate that, at least, almost ten percent of
the total tropical and subtropical fruit area is in-conversion. This suggests that an
increase in supply in the near future may be expected.
1
Statistics: Crops - Tropical and Subtropical Fruit
Table 29: Organic tropical and subtropical fruit 2013

Main crop Area [ha]
Avocados 44'862
Bananas 79'927
Camu camu 140
Carobs 1'513
Cashew apples 907
Dates 4'775
Figs 15'639
Fruit, tropical and subtropical, no details 19'537
Fruit, tropical and subtropical, other 5'634
Guava 68
Kiwis 5'105
Litchi 645
Mangos 23'301
Noni 309
Papayas 1'305
Passion fruit 139
Persimmons 306
Pineapples 3'776
Pitaya 252
Pomegranate 1'099
Total 209'240
Figure 36: Tropical and subtropical fruit: Distribution by crop 2013

Statistics: Crops – Tropical and Subtropical Fruit
Tropical and subtropical fruit: Development 2004-2013

250'000
218'135
207'564 209'240
200'000
171'304
165'876
150'000 138'512
Hectares
100'000 94'680
56'518 64'959
50'000 41'165
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 37: Tropical and subtropical fruit: Development 2004-2013

Table 30: Organic tropical and subtropical fruit 2013

Country
Algeria 502 0.2% 496 6
Argentina 194 1.9%
Australia 228 0.6%
Azerbaijan 495 5.2% 180 315
Bangladesh 10 0.003%
Benin 54 0.4%
Bolivia 394 0.6% 271 123
Bulgaria 13 64.8% 0 13
Burkina Faso 3'683 - 1'791 83
Burundi 550 0.3%
Cambodia 122 0.3% 122
Cameroon 135 0.04%
Canada 0 10.0% 0
Chile 533 1.1%
Colombia 1'746 0.3% 1'723 22
Cook Islands 20 16.8% 20
Costa Rica 5'361 5.1%
Côte d'Ivoire 445 0.1% 445
Croatia 68 9.7% 51 17
Cuba 1'375 1.0% 1'170 205
Cyprus 54 2.9% 52 2
Dominican Republic 29'201 21.2% 25'401 3'800
Ecuador 12'379 3.6% 12'159 220
El Salvador 1'164 4.3% 1'164
Fiji 122 10.2% 122
France 857 19.8% 723 134
French Guiana (France) 45 - 31 14
Statistics: Crops - Tropical and Subtropical Fruit

Country
French Polynesia 85 17.9% 85
Georgia 29 - 1 28
Ghana 551 0.2% 292 129
Greece 680 3.9% 431 249
Grenada 19 1.2%
Guadeloupe (France) 13 0.4% 6 7
Guatemala 35 0.03% 35
Guinea-Bissau 200 1.1% 200
Indonesia 564 0.1% 555 9
Iran 2'186 1.2% 774 1'412
Israel 888 3.8% 885 3
Italy 4'882 14.3% 3'666 1'216
Jamaica 2 0.01%
Jordan 368 8.4%
Kenya 1'621 1.1% 1'500 121
Lebanon 3 0.1% 3 1
Malawi 265 0.5% 265
Mali 66 0.1%
Malta 1 2.0% 1 1
Martinique (France) 46 0.6% 15 31
Mauritius 2 0.2%
Mexico 57'266 12.1% 57'266
Morocco 1'682 1.2% 1'482 200
Mozambique 2'002 2.4% 2'002
Myanmar 48 0.1% 48
Pakistan 878 0.2%
Peru 8'009 3.3% 1'236
Philippines 25'300 2.3% 20'415
Réunion (France) 133 - 61 72
Rwanda 2'000 0.5%
Saudi Arabia 6'898 4.3% 5'499 1'398
Senegal 1'298 6.1% 1'088 210
Serbia 0 - 0
Slovenia 16 21.2% 5 11
South Africa 1'692 4.5% 1'057 357
Spain 1'879 2.4% 1'115 763
Sudan 140 -
Taiwan 833 - 833
Tanzania 422 0.1% 422
Thailand 1'272 0.1%
Togo 294 14.2%
Tunisia 912 1.1%
Turkey 16'044 15.4% 6'597 9'447
United States of
6'716 16.5%
America
Total 209'240 0.9% 154'553 21'043
Statistics: Crops – Grapes
> Grapes
Over 300’000 hectares of organic grapes are grown, which constitutes 4.6 percent of the
world’s grape growing area (6.8 million hectares in 2012 according to FAOSTAT). 1 In
Europe, 258’000 hectares (6.6 percent of the harvested grape area) are organic.
Not all of the grape area listed in the table is used for wine making. The production of
table grapes and raisins is important in many countries, for example, Turkey. All of the
five most important grape growing countries in the world (Spain, France, Italy, China,
and Turkey) provided data on the area under organic grapes in 2013.
The countries with the largest organic grape areas are Spain, Italy and France; each with
more than 60’000 hectares of organic grapes. Some of the highest shares are also in
these countries (Table 31). Almost 90 percent of the world’s organic grapes area is in
Europe.
Since 2004, when data on land use and crops were collected for the first time, the
organic grape area has more than tripled. However, some of the increase must be
attributed to continually improving availability of crop data. For China, for the first time
data on grapes became available, 19’000 hectares; this explains partly the large growth in
2013.
The available data indicate that a large part of the total grape area (at least 30 percent) is
in-conversion. Thus, a considerable increase in supply of organic grapes may be
expected, particularly from Spain, France, and Italy.
Grapes: Development 2004-2013

350'000
300'000
311'595
284'155
250'000
264'601
Hectares
200'000
217'894
190'404
150'000
150'723
100'000
122'332
113'855
101'159
87'577
50'000
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 38: Organic grape area: Development 2004-2013

1
Statistics: Crops - Grapes
Table 31: Organic grape area 2013

Country
Albania 11 0.1%
Algeria 205 0.3% 205
Andorra 1 -
Australia 282 0.2%
Austria 4'414 10.1%
Belgium 1 12.7% 1
Bosnia and Herzegovina 8 0.1% 8
Bulgaria 3'872 5.0% 988 2'884
Canada 347 3.1% 347
Chile 3'595 1.8%
China 19'174 3.2% 10'352 8'822
Croatia 791 2.7% 356 435
Cyprus 222 2.4% 195 27
Czech Republic 1'005 6.4% 668 336
Denmark 14 - 8 6
France 64'610 8.5% 49'262 15'347
Georgia 119 0.3% 39 80
Germany 7'100 7.1%
Greece 4'718 4.8% 3'835 883
Hungary 1'207 1.7% 559 649
Indonesia 5 - 5
Iran 1'316 0.6% 1'293 23
Israel 73 0.9% 73
Italy 67'937 9.8% 44'174 23'763
Jordan 358 9.1%
Kazakhstan 20 0.2% 20
Lebanon 376 3.6% 376
Liechtenstein 1 - 1
Malta 5 0.3% 2 3
Mexico 4'290 15.9% 4'290
Moldova 4'641 -
Morocco 55 0.1% 55
Netherlands 17 8.3%
New Zealand 2'500 7.2%
Poland 35 - 21 14
Portugal 2'523 1.4%
Romania 1'649 0.9% 762 887
Russian Federation 16 0.03% 16
Serbia 24 0.1% 8 16
Slovakia 68 0.6% 53 15
Slovenia 401 2.5% 248 153
South Africa 665 0.5% 86 36
Spain 83'932 8.9% 53'421 30'511
Turkey 8'418 1.8% 3'851 4'566
Ukraine 90 0.1%
United States of America 15'647 4.0%
Uruguay 40 0.5% 40
Total 311'595 4.6% 175'656 89'522
Blank cells: Not data
Statistics: Crops – Oilseeds
> Oilseeds
An area of almost 780’000 hectares was reported to be used for growing organic oilseeds
in 2013. This is approximately 0.4 percent of the world’s total harvested oilseed area
(more than 201 million hectares according to FAOSTAT). 1
The main countries in which oilseeds are grown are the United States, India, Brazil, and
China (each with more than 20 million hectares). However, of these countries, data on
the organic area was available only for the United States and China.
The countries with the largest organic oilseed area are China, Kazakhstan, the United
States, Romania, Ukraine, and Canada.
The highest organic shares are in Peru (21 percent; soybeans and peanuts), El Salvador
(15 percent; sesame), Austria (10.1 percent; soya and sunflower seed), Israel
(5.9 percent; jojoba), and Kazakhstan (5.1 percent; rapeseed and linseed).
Since 2004, when data on land use and crops was collected for the first time, the oilseed
area (2004: 144’000 hectares) has increased more than fivefold. However, some of the
increase must be attributed to continually improving availability of crop data. In the year
2013, China supplied more detailed crop data than in the past, which explains partly the
increase of 140’000 hectares compared to 2012.
Almost thirty percent of the organic oilseed area is for soybeans, and another twenty
percent is for sunflower seeds and peanuts (Figure 40).
The data available for a breakdown of the total fully converted and in-conversion area
shows that, if the relative figures are indicative of the proportions of the total area,
approximately 15 percent is in-conversion, and will be fully converted in the next few
years. This has implications for the availability of organic oilseeds in the near future.
Table 32: Organic oilseeds 2013

Main crop Area [ha]
Jojoba 752
Linseed (oil flax) 51'701
Mustard 3'011
Oilseeds, no details 181'427
Oilseeds, other 17'213
Peanuts 79'961
Poppy seed 1
Pumpkin seeds 238
Rape and turnip rape 70'490
Sacha inchi 295
Safflower 4'830
Sesame 58'397
Soybeans 224'616
Sunflower seed 86'873
Total 779'803
1
Statistics: Crops - Oilseeds
Oilseeds: Development 2004-2013

900'000
779'803
800'000
700'000 640'320
611'221 616'522
600'000
Hectares
500'000 446'079
400'000 340'870
300'000 237'961 252'727
200'000 143'951 154'849
100'000
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 39: Organic oilseed area: Development 2004-2013

Figure 40: Organic oilseed area: Use of oilseed area by crop 2013
Statistics: Crops – Oilseeds
Table 33: Organic oilseeds area 2013

Country
Australia 217 0.01%
Austria 14'459 10.1%
Belgium 57 0.2% 45 13
Benin 99 0.1%
Bolivia 8'821 0.6% 8'047 774
Bulgaria 2'649 0.3% 589 2'060
Burkina Faso 5'550 0.9%
Canada 32'020 0.3% 32'020
China 235'446 1.1% 179'007 56'439
Colombia 0 0.001% 0
Croatia 2'353 2.4% 1'239 1'114
Czech Republic 1'737 0.4% 1'632 105
Denmark 748 0.6% 714 34
Ecuador 1'000 1.4% 1'000
Ethiopia 17'563 2.0% 14'444 3'119
Finland 2'125 3.7% 2'125
France 29'177 1.2% 25'339 3'837
Germany 6'800 0.5%
Greece 847 1.2% 289 558
Guatemala 342 0.6% 342
Hungary 8'685 1.0% 6'691 1'995
Israel 449 5.9% 449
Italy 10'781 3.9% 9'409 1'372
Kazakhstan 82'493 5.1% 66'227 16'266
Kyrgyzstan 30 0.1% 21 9
Lithuania 3'249 1.2% 2'487 762
Mali 2'525 0.6%
Mexico 2'265 0.5% 2'265
Mongolia 6'461 -
Namibia 26 2.7% 26
Nepal 122 0.03% 122
Netherlands 34 0.7%
Nicaragua 2'500 5.5% 2'500
Nigeria 202 0.01%
Norway 16 0.3% 16
Paraguay 2'129 0.1% 4'000
Peru 1'442 21.0% 1'419
Poland 1'573 0.2% 474 1'099
Romania 43'923 3.5% 26'907 17'016
Russian Federation 170 0.002% 4 166
Senegal 1'312 0.2% 925 387
Serbia 667 0.2% 164 502
Slovakia 2'533 1.1% 2'029 504
Slovenia 152 2.7% 96 56
South Africa 228 0.02% 175
Spain 10'999 1.4% 10'232 766
Statistics: Crops - Oilseeds

Country
Sudan 91'210 - 83'000 3'000
Sweden 3'628 3.1% 3'449 178
Tanzania 455 0.02% 455
Togo 3'226 4.2% 742 7
Turkey 3'131 0.4% 1'982 1'148
Ukraine 38'530 0.5%
United Kingdom 828 0.1%
United States of
71'636 0.2%
America
Uruguay 200 0.02% 200
Zambia 70 0.02%
Total 779'803 0.4% 494'212 114'322
Blank cells: no data.
Statistics: Crops – Olives
> Olives
More than 611’000 hectares of olives were reported to be under organic production in
2013. This represents 6 percent of the world’s total harvested olive area (10.2 million
hectares according to FAOSTAT). 1
The main countries, in which olives are grown, are the countries around the
Mediterranean. Spain is by far the largest grower with 2.4 million hectares, followed by
Tunisia (1.8 million hectares) and Italy (1.1 million hectares). Morocco and Greece, both
with 0.9 million hectares, are also important producers. For all these countries, data for
the organic area was available. Italy has the largest area of organic olives (more than
175’000 hectares), followed by Spain (almost 170’000 hectares), and Tunisia (124’000
hectares). Almost 80 percent of the world’s organic olive area is in Europe, followed by
northern Africa with 20 percent of the world organic olive area.
In Italy, the percentage of area under organic production is relatively high
(15.6 percent). In Spain, 7 percent of the olive area is organic and in Tunisia 6.9 percent.
France has the highest share of organic olives area, with 25.1 percent of all olives being
organic.
Since 2004, when data on land use and crops were collected for the first time, the olive
area doubled. However, some of the increase must be attributed to continually
improving availability of crop data.
The available data indicate that a large part of the total olive area (almost 30 percent) is
in-conversion. If this is indicative, an increase in supply of organic grapes may be
expected.
Figure 41: Organic olive area: Distribution by continent and top 10 producing countries
2013
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL surveys 2006-2015 based on national data sources and certifier data. For
detailed data sources see annex, page 281.
1
Statistics: Crops - Olives
Olives: Development 2004-2013

700'000
600'000
611'452
576'041
500'000
538'592
495'480
491'400
Hectares
400'000
432'116
401'524
300'000 380'575
345'658
314'809
200'000
100'000
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 42: Organic olive area: Development 2004-2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL surveys 2006-2015 based on national data sources and certifier data. For
detailed data sources see annex, page 281.
Table 34: Organic olive area 2013

Country
Albania 375 0.8%
Australia 470 1.2%
Bulgaria 0 - 0
Chile 659 4.4%
Croatia 1'330 7.3% 460 870
Cyprus 1'134 10.4% 950 184
France 4'284 25.1% 2'863 1'421
Greece 44'948 4.8% 24'997 19'952
Iran 150 0.5% 150
Israel 233 0.7% 233
Italy 175'946 15.6% 129'574 46'372
Jordan 1'516 2.4%
Lebanon 291 0.5% 230 61
Macedonia (FYROM) 0.3 0.004% 0.3
Malta 5 85.0% 5 1
Morocco 1'198 0.1% 1'070 128
Peru 95 0.7% 89
Portugal 18'345 5.3%
Slovenia 208 23.4% 76 133
South Africa 29 - 18 6
Spain 168'830 7.0% 110'315 58'515
Tunisia 124'123 6.9% 100'505
Turkey 63'038 7.8% 17'738 45'299
Uruguay 425 14.2% 425
Total 611'452 6.0% 389'703 172'949
Statistics: Crops – Protein Crops
> Protein crops

The total area under organic protein crops is almost 300’000 hectares, which is
0.4 percent of the total area of protein crops grown in the world (79 million hectares in
2012 according to FAOSTAT). 1
No current data on the organic area was available from the three most important protein
crop-growing countries in the world: India, Niger, and Myanmar; India (26 million
hectares) was by far the largest grower.
The countries with the largest organic protein crop areas are France, Spain, Canada,
Italy, and Germany. Sweden has the highest share of protein crop organic area with more
than 70 percent. The overall shares have a tendency to be high as protein crops play an
important role in organic farming.
The protein crop area has almost quadrupled from 78’000 to 297’000 hectares since
2004, when data on land use and crops was collected for the first time. However, some
of the increase must be attributed to continually improving availability of crop data. In
2013, the protein crop area went down compared with 2012 - by more 21’000 hectares
or by 7 percent.
Unfortunately, for protein crops, a breakdown for individual crops is not available for
many countries. For instance, Eurostat - the statistical office of the European
Union - communicates only one figure for “dried pulses”. The data available for a
breakdown of the total fully converted and in-conversion area shows that at least
10 percent is in conversion, and will be fully converted in the next few years. This has
implications for the availability of organic protein crops in the near future.
Protein crops: Development 2004-2013

350'000
300'000
317'446
296'073
292'900
250'000
272'176
Hectares
200'000
204'052
178'634
150'000
161'113
150'543
100'000
111'390
78'860
50'000
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 43: Organic protein crop area: Development 2004-2013

1
Statistics: Crops: Protein Crops
Table 35: Organic protein crop area 2013

Country
Argentina 396 0.1%
Australia 18 0.1%
Austria 10'351 49.5%
Belgium 120 9.7% 107 13
Canada 28'917 1.1% 28'917
Chile 20 0.06%
Colombia 1 0.001% 1
Croatia 142 13.9% 77 65
Czech Republic 1'944 9.0% 1'760 184
Denmark 3'310 48.7% 2'516 794
Ecuador 190 0.3% 190
Estonia 2'299 21.0% 1'734 565
Finland 2'682 67.1% 2'682
France 46'002 20.6% 40'457 5'544
Germany 25'000 30.3%
Greece 4'669 27.9% 3'329 1'340
Hungary 1'464 7.0% 1'267 196
Israel 41 0.5% 41
Italy 26'909 35.3% 22'686 4'224
Kazakhstan 18'399 16.7% 14'099 4'300
Kyrgyzstan 279 0.5% 101 178
Lithuania 22'790 54.7% 21'033 1'757
Madagascar 59 0.05%
Moldova 4'641 -
Namibia 33 0.2% 33
Netherlands 83 3.1%
Norway 166 8.1% 129 37
Peru 3 0.001% 3
Poland 5'698 2.8% 4'370 1'328
Romania 2'764 5.0% 2'215 549
Russian Federation 850 0.1%
Rwanda 1'400 0.3%
Senegal 228 0.2% 228
Slovakia 246 3.4% 174 72
South Africa 269 0.4% 33 236
Spain 34'601 11.2% 32'416 2'185
Sweden 9'819 72.1% 8'707 1'112
Turkey 8'405 1.1% 6'361 2'044
Ukraine 9'920 3.5%
United States of
18'835 1.6%
America
Zambia 30 0.05%
Total 296'073 0.4% 195'530 26'957
For some of the countries in this table, the organic protein crop share was very high and not plausible; the
corresponding figures were, therefore, eliminated.
Statistics: Crops - Vegetables
> Vegetables
The total area under organic vegetable production (305’342 hectares) is 0.5 percent of
the total area of vegetables grown in the world (56 million hectares in 2012 according to
FAOSTAT). 1
Of the four most important vegetable growing countries in the world (China, India,
Nigeria, and Turkey), organic data was only available for China and Turkey.
The countries with the largest organic vegetable areas are the United States, China,
Mexico, and Italy (each with areas over 20’000 hectares). The United States reported
almost 60’000 hectares of organic vegetables.
The highest shares of the total vegetable areas are in Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, and
Germany. These are also the countries in Europe that have the largest organic market
shares for organic food.
Since 2004, when data on organic land use and crops were collected for the first time,
the vegetable area has tripled from 105’000 to the current 305’000 hectares. However,
some of the increase must be attributed to continually improving availability of crop
data. The major increase in 2013 is due to the fact that data from China became available
for the first time.
Unfortunately, for vegetables, a breakdown for individual vegetable groups is available
for only half of the organic vegetable area. A large part (32’000 hectares) is for pulses
(fresh beans and peas), followed by leafy and stalked vegetables (salads) and fruit
vegetables.
The data available for a breakdown of the fully converted and in-conversion area shows
that more than three-quarters of the total organic vegetable area is fully converted. If
the relative figures are indicative of the proportions of the total area, about 15 percent is
in-conversion, and will be fully converted in the next few years, implying that there will
probably not be an important increase of the organic vegetable area.
1
Vegetables: Development 2004-2013

350'000
300'000
305'342
250'000
244'558
240'643
231'264
Hectares
200'000
223'180
211'901
208'224
150'000 181'378
152'575
100'000
105'735
50'000
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 44: Organic vegetable area: Development 2004-2013

Table 36: Organic vegetable area 2013

Organic Organic Area fully Area under
Country
area [ha] share [%] converted [ha] conversion [ha]
Albania 2 0.005%
Argentina 961 0.5%
Australia 1'388 2.3%
Austria 2'514 19.9%
Azerbaijan 213 0.2% 55 158
Bangladesh 157 0.03%
Belgium 880 1.5% 829 51
Bhutan 77 0.7% 77
Bolivia 265 0.3% 265
Bosnia and 31 0.02% 2 29
Herzegovina
Bulgaria 877 3.9% 191 686
Burkina Faso 4 0.01%
Cambodia 38 0.03% 36 2
Canada 3'545 5.7% 3'545
Chile 648 1.1%
China 49'209 0.2% 26'326 22'883
Colombia 11'225 10.8% 11'155 70
Costa Rica 352 2.5%
Croatia 162 1.7% 100 62
Cyprus 50 1.8% 31 19
Czech Republic 167 1.4% 163 5
Denmark 1'796 21.3% 1'779 17
Dominican Republic 120 0.3% 120
Ecuador 202 0.1% 202
Estonia 132 5.1% 107 25
Finland 117 1.5% 117
France 14'268 6.6% 13'405 863

Country
French Guiana 23 - 20 3
(France)
Georgia 5 0.02% 5
Germany 10'785 10.7%
Ghana 75 0.1%
Greece 1'324 1.4% 1'133 192
Guadeloupe (France) 3 0.1% 3
Guatemala 565 0.6% 485 80
Hungary 1'741 3.6% 1'699 42
Indonesia 276 0.03% 259 18
Iraq 30 0.01%
Ireland 250 5.0% 241 9
Israel 2'323 4.0% 2'315 8
Italy 21'947 5.0% 17'708 4'239
Jamaica 241 1.4%
Japan 4'866 1.4% 4'866
Jordan 75 0.2%
Kenya 172 0.1% 146 26
Kyrgyzstan 44 0.1% 32 12
Lao PDR 518 0.4% 18 500
Latvia 242 3.4%
Lebanon 52 0.2% 43 9
Liechtenstein 4 - 4
Lithuania 60 0.5% 56 5
Luxembourg 33 - 33
Madagascar 34 0.1%
Malta 7 0.1% 7 0
Martinique (France) 9 0.4% 7 2
Mauritius 5 0.1%
Mexico 46'573 7.3% 46'573
Moldova 221 -
Morocco 942 0.5% 942
Myanmar 23 0.004% 23
Namibia 25 0.4% 5 20
Netherlands 5'766 7.6% 4'267 684
Nicaragua 1 0.01% 1
Niger 30 0.04%
Norway 179 4.1% 175 4
Oman 16 0.1%
Panama 209 1.4% 20
Peru 1'001 0.6% 45
Philippines 31 0.004% 31
Poland 9'379 5.9% 5'933 3'446
Portugal 764 0.9%
Réunion (France) 85 - 61 24
Romania 893 0.3% 150 743
Russian Federation 96 0.01% 87 5
Saudi Arabia 3'143 3.2% 2'890 253
Senegal 168 0.3% 43 125

Country
Serbia 100 0.1% 74 26
Slovakia 722 3.7% 712 10
Slovenia 229 4.8% 174 55
South Africa 1'806 1.5% 877 296
Spain 8'654 2.8% 6'991 1'664
Sweden 1'247 6.2% 1'188 59
Switzerland 1'736 13.3%
Taiwan 1'957 - 1'957
Tanzania 2'031 0.6% 778 1'253
Thailand 709 0.1%
Tunisia 76 0.1% 1
Turkey 2'323 0.2% 1'526 797
Ukraine 5'328 1.0%
United States of 59'669 7.2%
America
Uruguay 300 3.9% 300
Zambia 525 1.0% 225 300
Total 305'342 0.5% 163'627 39'890
Statistics: Background
Data collection on organic agriculture worldwide: Background

For the 16th survey on organic agriculture worldwide, data on organic agriculture were
available for 170 countries. Since 1999, when the data collection started, the number of
countries included has almost doubled.
Whereas for the first survey on organic agriculture worldwide, only information on the
total organic land and the number of farms was collected, the scope of the survey has
expanded considerably in the past years, which was made possible by funding from the
Swiss State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO), the International Trade Centre
(ITC), and NürnbergMesse, the organizers of the Biofach trade fair. In the framework of
the European OrganicDataNetwork project (2012-2014), 1 detailed data on the organic
market in Europe were compiled for the first time.
Data availability by data type and collection systems
In general, data availability is improving every year. This is because more and more
countries are establishing data collection systems. Data on land use, crops, production, and
operators are being more widely gathered, either by the private sector or by government
organizations, and are mostly based on data of the certifiers. The availability of domestic
market and international trade data is also improving. Domestic market data are mostly
based on research carried out by market research companies and statistical offices.
Import and export data is mainly collected by governments and can be based on the data
from certifiers and/or customs but is most commonly based on company data (see also
Zanoli et al. 2014).
Governmental data collection systems are often linked to the establishment of regulations
about organic agriculture. Once such a regulation is established, there are rules about the
registration of certifiers with a national authority. This opens up access to data from the
certifiers. Public data collection systems mostly cover the organic area and operators,
and sometimes cover production and international trade data, but they mostly exclude
data on the domestic market. In most countries, the government collection systems for
area, livestock and operator data are based on the data from the certifiers. In the
European Union, the organic farming regulation describes precisely what data should be
provided by the competent authorities who collect the data from the control bodies. 2
1
OrganicDataNetwork: Data network for better European organic market information. Information is
available at www.organicdatanetwork.net
2
Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 of 5 September 2008 laying down detailed rules for the
implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 on organic production and labelling of organic
products with regard to organic production, labelling and control
Preamble (36), page 4, L 250/4:
“Notifications of information by the Member States to the Commission must enable it to use the information
sent directly and as effectively as possible for the management of statistical information and referential data.
To achieve this objective, all information to be made available or to be communicated between the Member
States and the Commission should be sent electronically or in digital form.”
Article 93, page 36 Statistical information, L 250/31:
1. Member States shall provide the Commission with the annual statistical information on organic production
referred to in Article 36 of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 by using the computer system enabling electronic
exchanges of documents and information made available by the Commission (Eurostat) before 1 July each
year.
2. The statistical information referred to in paragraph 1 shall comprise, in particular the following data:
(a) the number of organic producers, processors, importers and exporters;
The data collected by the government are mostly, though not always, complete, as many
countries do not have access to the data from foreign certifiers that are not registered
under the country’s accreditation system.
In many cases, the private sector collates the data from the certifiers or the organic operators
in the countries. However, often, the private sector does not have full access to the data.
Finally, there are countries that have no data collection system in place. Collection systems
are still underdeveloped, particularly in countries in Africa and Asia. For these countries,
FiBL and IFOAM attempt to get the data from major international certifiers or from
contacts in the country, who provide data specifically for the survey. These data are
often not complete, or there is a problem with continuity over the years.
Regional initiatives
The following are notable initiatives that have recently improved data collection
systems, or are in the process of being set up.
− The European Commission stipulates that all EU member states provide data for
variables such as area, land use, number of operators and livestock, and production
volumes. Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, compiles these data,
which are accessible on the Eurostat homepage. 1
− The European-funded research project OrganicDataNetwork, which ran from 2012
to 2014 and aimed to improve the collection of market data, has helped to increase
the availability of market data in Europe (see page 216). In the framework of this
project, good progress was made toward the improvement of organic market data
collection. In its final year, the project produced a number of key documents and
tools that are available to the public at the project website. Results include six
country case studies (Gerrard et al. 2014). Furthermore a Code of Practice and
Manual for the initiation and maintenance of good organic market data collection
and publication procedures (OrMaCode) was written (Zanoli et al. 2014), and a
market database, which is available at the OrganicDataNetwork’s website at
http://www.organicdatanetwork.net/odn-statistics.html, was created. Finally, a set
of recommendations of for improving market data collection was published (Zanoli
et al. 2014b).
− The Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network (MOAN) is a network of the
authorities in charge of organic farming that was set up by the Mediterranean
Agricultural Institute in Bari, Italy, to promote data collection. Regular meetings and
support through the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (IAMB) have
considerably improved data collection in the Mediterranean area in recent years.
The data provided through this network is very important for data collection on
(b) the organic crop production and crop area under conversion and under organic production;
(c) the organic livestock numbers and the organic animal products;
(d) the data on organic industrial production by type of activities.
3. For the transmission of the statistical information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, Member States shall
use the Single Entry point provided by the Commission (Eurostat).
4. The provisions relating to the characteristics of statistical data and metadata shall be defined within the
context of the Community Statistical Programme on the basis of models or questionnaires made available via
the system referred to in paragraph 1.
1
Access via http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database
organic agriculture worldwide (see also article by Bteich et al. on page 223 and
Pugliese et al. 2014).
− In the Pacific Islands, there are currently efforts to better coordinate organic
activities in the region including the setting up of data collection systems (see also
article by Karen Mapusua, page 266).
Global Survey on Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS)
The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL is currently expanding its data
collection activities to further standards. The project "Global Survey on Voluntary
Sustainability Standards (VSS)," which started in 2014, aims to set up a system to
collect, process, and disseminate market data on Voluntary Sustainability Standards
(VSS) across all geographic regions, and is thus an amplification of existing data
collection processes for such data of the project partners FiBL, International Trade
Centre (ITC), and State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI). The data will be used to feed
into the public ITC database on www.standardsmap.org, and the team will use it to
provide aggregate statistics and trends on markets. In 2014, market data on selected
crops on a number of VSS was published by Potts et al. (2014), and FiBL contributed the
organic data for this report (Willer 2014).
Next global survey on organic agriculture
The next global organic survey will start in mid-2015. We would be very grateful if data
could be sent to us, but we will of course also contact all experts. Should you notice any
errors regarding the statistical data in this volume, please let us know; we will then
correct the information in our database and provide the corrected data in the 2016
edition of “The World of Organic Agriculture.” Corrections will also be posted at
www.organic-world.net.
Contact
Julia Lernoud and Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse, 5070 Frick,
Switzerland, e-mail julia.lernoud@fibl.org and helga.willer@fibl.org.
Further reading
Gerrard, C.L. et al. (2014) D6.7 Report on the experience of conducting the case studies. The Organic Research Centre, Elm
Farm, UK-Newbury
IFOAM (2014): The IFOAM norms for organic production and processing. Version 2014. IFOAM, Bonn.
http://www.ifoam.bio/sites/default/files/ifoam_norms_version_july_2014.pdf
Potts, J. et al. (Eds.) The State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2014. Standards and the Green Economy. 1 edition.
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and International Institute for Environment and
Development (IIED), Winnipeg and London. Available at http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2014/ssi_2014.pdf
Pugliese, P., Bteich, M.R. and Al-Bitar, L. (Eds.) (2014) Mediterranean Organic Agriculture key Features, recent Facts, latest
Figures Report 2014. Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network (MOAN), CIHEAM Bari.
http://moan.iamb.it/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=category&id=8&Itemid=94
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM):
The World of Organic Agriculture, editions 2000-2014. Available http://www.organic-world.net/yearbook.html
Willer, H. and Schaack, D. (2014) Final report on compilation of key organic market data. Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture (FIBL), Frick, Switzerland.
Willer, H. (2014) Data on estimated area harvested, production, production sold as organic for organic bananas, cocoa, coffee,
palm oil, soybeans, sugarcane, tea. In: Potts, J. et al. (Eds.) The State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2014.
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and International Institute for Environment and
Development (IIED), Winnipeg and London. http://orgprints.org/27937/
The Global Market
for Organic Food &
Drink
Global Market
The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink1

AMARJIT SAHOTA 2
Introduction
Global sales of organic food and drink reached US 72 billion US dollars 3 in 2013. 4 As
shown in Figure 45, revenues have increased almost five-fold since 1999. Organic
product sales have increased at a healthy rate over the last decade. After the financial
crisis in 2008, growth in some country markets was sluggish; however, growth has
continued at the international level. Organic Monitor predicts healthy growth to
continue in the coming years, however many challenges lie ahead (see the last section).
Growth of the global market for organic food and drink 1999-2013
Source: Organic Monitor
100
72.0
80
Billion US Dollars
59.0
60
40
28.7
15.2
20
0
1999 2004 2010 2013
Figure 45: Growth of the global market for organic food and drink, 1999-2013
Source: The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink (Organic Monitor). Note: All figures are rounded
1
This chapter has been prepared from ongoing research on ‘The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink
(Organic Monitor)’. No part of this chapter maybe reproduced or used in other commercial publications
without written consent from Organic Monitor. To request permission, write to:
Organic Monitor, 20B The Mall, London W5 2PJ, UK, Tel: (44) 20 8567 0788, E-mail:
postmaster@organicmonitor.com
2
Amarjit Sahota is the president of Organic Monitor, a specialist research, consulting & training firm that
focuses on global sustainable product industries. More details are on www.organicmonitor.com
Contact: Amarjit Sahota, Organic Monitor, 20B The Mall, London W5 2PJ, UK, Tel: (44) 20 8567 0788, E-mail:
postmaster@organicmonitor.com
3
1 Euro was 1.3281 US dollars in 2013 according to the Central European Bank.
4
Global market size is slightly higher than previous years because of fluctuations in exchange rate (EUR: USD)
and revisions of market data.
Global Market
Europe
With much of Europe still recovering from the debt crisis, country markets are showing
mixed growth rates. Some countries, such as Germany, France, the Netherlands and
Finland, continue to report healthy organic food sales growth. Others, such as Spain, the
UK, and Greece, are showing sluggish or minimal growth.
European organic food and drink sales reached 31 billion US dollars in 2013. Germany
has the largest market for organic products, with retail sales close to 10 billion US
dollars. The highest market share for organic foods is however in Denmark, Switzerland,
and Austria; above 6 percent. At the European level, organic products comprise about 1
percent of total food sales.
Consolidation is continuing in the European organic food industry. The Dutch company
Royal Wessanen continues to expand across Europe by acquisitions. In 2013, it
purchased the French organic and fair trade food company Alter Eco. It later acquired
the Italian organic beverage firm Abafoods.
Retailer private labels are highly successful in Europe. The food retailer Coop
Switzerland is the market leader in the Swiss market; its private label products generate
over half of organic food sales in the country. The Ånglamark private label of Coop
Denmark also generates about half of organic food sales in Denmark. Discounters in
Germany have arguably had the most impact with private labels; organic food products
in hard discounters are at lower prices than conventional products in supermarkets.
North America
The North American organic food and drink market was valued at 35 billion US dollars
in 2013. Healthy market growth rates are continuing in the USA and Canada, with the
market share of organic products at about 4 percent of total food sales.
Demand for organic foods continues to outpace supply, with many sectors continuing to
experience undersupply. The organic fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy sectors are some
of the sectors showing product shortages. Imports are coming in from various regions to
meet the shortfall in demand.
Large food companies and retailers are a feature of the competitive landscape in North
America. Like Europe, consolidation is occurring with large companies ‘buying’ market
share. General Mills strengthened its market position by acquiring the natural & organic
food company Annie’s for 820 million US dollars in September 2014. The American food
company had previously bought the Cascadian Farms and Muir Glen brands from Small
Planet Foods. WhiteWave Foods diversified from organic dairy and non-dairy products
to fresh produce by acquiring Earthbound Farm in 2013. Whitewave Foods itself was
created by the merger of Whitewave and Horizon Dairy in 2004.
All leading food retail chains in North America have private labels for organic foods. The
O Organics brand of Safeway is the most successful, generating over 700 million US
dollars in sales. In Canada, PC Organics of Loblaws is the most popular private label.
Wal-Mart is also planning to increase its footprint by marketing organic foods under the
Wild Oats brand. About 100 organic products were launched at competitive prices in
Wal-Mart stores in spring 2014.
Global Market
Other Regions
Organic food sales in other regions were about 6 billion US dollars in 2013. Organic
foods comprise less than 1 percent of total food sales in the other continents (except
Australasia).
Asia
Consumer demand for organic foods is growing in Asia partly because of consumer
concerns for food safety. China, in particular, has experienced a large number of food
scares. In July 2014, reports came out that several American food operators in China,
including McDonald’s, KFC, and Subway, were using rotten meat. Previous food scares
involved melamine in infant formula and dairy products, sewage oil in food products,
contaminated pork and beef, and numerous incidents of adulteration and
counterfeiting. This has been a major driver of organic food sales in China. The organic
infant formula market, in particular, has shown exponential growth since 2008.
Latin America
Brazil has the largest organic products market in Latin America. Other countries, such as
Argentina, Peru, Chile, and Colombia are important producers and exporters. Brazil-
based Pao du Azucar is the leading retailer of organic foods in the region.
Australia and New Zealand
Australia and New Zealand have important internal markets for organic products. They
are also large producers and exporters, shipping significant volumes of organic beef,
lamb, wool, kiwi fruit, wine, apples, pears and vegetables to other regions.
Challenges & growth outlook

The organic products industry has made tremendous strides over the last three decades.
Organic agriculture is now practised in the four corners of the globe while organic food
sales grew from almost nothing to 72 billion US dollars in 2013. In spite of this
significant growth, organic products comprise less than 1 percent of total food sales.
The low market share is a result of concentrated demand – concentrated to regions and
even within these regions. Europe and North America generate over 90 percent of global
sales. Although Asia, Australasia, Latin America, and Africa have become important
producers of organic agricultural crops, their markets for organic products remain small.
Looking closely at Europe and North America, numerous research studies show that a
small consumer group is responsible for most organic food sales. Major challenges for
the organic products industry are not just to expand production of organic crops, but
also to broaden consumer demand for these products.
Another challenge is the growing proliferation of eco-labels in the food industry. Partly
because of its early entry, organic remains the dominant eco-label. However, it faces
growing competition from other eco-labels. The food industry now has over 200 eco-
labels that represent particular environmental, social, and/or production aspects.
Agricultural commodities have the highest adoption rate of eco-labels. Almost 10
percent of all coffee is now produced according to sustainable production methods. More
coffee is now sold with UTZ Certified and Rainforest Alliance logos than with organic
Global Market
symbols. Tea production is following the same route. In parts of Europe like the UK and
Switzerland, fair trade banana sales have overtaken organic banana sales. For many of
these agricultural commodities, organic certification adoption is lagging behind other
sustainability schemes.
Green consumer behaviour is possibly the biggest challenge to future growth. A small
group of green consumers represent most organic & sustainable product sales. With this
growing array of eco-labels, consumers cannot always distinguish organic symbols from
competing symbols and logos. This was affirmed by a study by our company (Organic
Monitor) in 2014, in which we asked UK shoppers about what symbols and logos they
look for on organic products. Twenty-one percent of respondents stated the Fairtrade
logo.
If consumer confusion is a consequence of the growing number of eco-labels, then
demand for organic products could suffer. The way forward appears to be clear
communication of organic symbols & logos and what they represent.
Fair trade labelled products are highly successful because fair trade has a clear message:
certified products give a fair premium to growers in developing countries. Similarly,
Non-GMO labels give a clear message that products do not contain any genetically
modified organisms. However, organic means different things to different consumer
groups. In the US, many consumers buy organic foods because they are perceived to be
healthier and more nutritious then conventional foods. In parts of Europe,
environmental concerns are the primary purchasing motive. Whereas in China and parts
of Asia, organic means high quality and safer food products.
The organic food industry has done tremendously well to grow from almost nothing to
72 billion US dollars within 30 years. Its future growth over the next decade hinges on
how the industry meets these challenges.
Standards and
Regulations
Standards and Regulations: Overview
Standards and Regulations

BEATE HUBER, 1 OTTO SCHMID, 2 AND CHRISTIANE MANNIGEL 3
The dominating topic in 2014 in the European Union was the European Commission’s
proposal for a new organic regulation. The draft, published by the European Commission
in March 2014, caused a strong reaction by the organic sector and other related sectors.
The dominating opinion was that the planned revision would hinder a sustainable
development of the organic sector in Europe. In December 2014, the European
Commission finally indicated a change in their approach to a new regulation when the
Council backed the organic sector demands. Meanwhile, both the European Union as
well as the US continued with their approach for mutual recognition and came to terms
for bilateral agreements with South Korea.
Organic legislation worldwide: current situation

According to the FiBL survey on organic rules and regulations, the number of countries
with organic standards is 82. Sixteen countries are in the process of drafting legislation.
Data on regulations around the world was collected from various authorities and
experts. The categorization of regulations as being “not fully implemented” or “fully
implemented” was based directly on the feedback from the persons interviewed, and the
information was not subject to verification. We received responses from experts and
authorities from the majority of the countries. It is assumed that the non-responding
countries had not passed legislation on organic production. It should be noted that some
countries listed below as having regulations do not enforce them, i.e., the indication “not
fully implemented” relates to countries that have only recently adopted legislation and
are still in the process of finalizing its implementation, as well as to countries which
have adopted legislation but are not providing the resources necessary to
implementation.
Table 37 shows the list of countries that do have regulations for organic agriculture or
are in the process of drafting them. Please send comments or information on countries
that are not listed to Beate Huber (beate.huber@fibl.org).
Some countries have not adopted organic legislation, but they do have national
production standards. Such standards provide a national definition of organic products
and are a reference point for certification activities. They do not usually foresee
adopting a national inspection and certification system, which would be supervised by
the government. Table 39 shows that at least eighteen countries, mostly in Asia and
Africa, have adopted national standards for organic agriculture.
1
Beate Huber, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), 5070 Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
2
Otto Schmid, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), 5070 Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
3
Christiane Mannigel, Intern at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), in 2014
Table 37: Countries with regulations on organic agriculture

Remark: Countries highlighted in blue have standards officially endorsed as organic by the International
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), based on their equivalence with the Common
Objectives and Requirements of Organic Standards (COROS, www.ifoam.org/en/coros viewed on 14.01.2015).
Both private standards and government regulations are admissible for the IFOAM Family of Standards. See
www.ifoam.org/ogs. A list with organic regulations is available at the website of the Organic Trade Association
(OTA) at http://www.globalorganictrade.com/country_list.php.
Region Country Remark

EU Europe (28) 1 Austria Fully implemented
Belgium Fully implemented
Bulgaria Fully implemented
Croatia Fully implemented
Cyprus Fully implemented
Czech Republic Fully implemented
Denmark Fully implemented
Estonia Fully implemented
Finland Fully implemented
France Fully implemented
Germany Fully implemented
Greece Fully implemented
Hungary Fully implemented
Ireland Fully implemented
Italy Fully implemented
Latvia Fully implemented
Lithuania Fully implemented
Luxemburg Fully implemented
Malta Fully implemented
Poland Fully implemented
Portugal Fully implemented
Romania Fully implemented
Slovak Republic Fully implemented
Slovenia Fully implemented
Spain Fully implemented
Sweden Fully implemented
The Netherland Fully implemented
United Kingdom Fully implemented
Non EU Europe (11) Albania Fully implemented
Iceland Fully implemented
Kosovo Not fully implemented
Macedonia, FYROM Fully implemented
Moldova Fully implemented
Montenegro Fully implemented
Norway Fully implemented
Serbia Fully implemented
Switzerland 2 Fully implemented
Turkey Fully implemented
Ukraine Not fully implemented
Asia & Pacific Region (20) Armenia Fully implemented
Australia Fully implemented
Azerbaijan Not fully implemented
China Fully implemented
Georgia Fully implemented
India 3 Fully implemented
Indonesia Fully implemented
Iran Fully implemented
Israel Fully implemented
Japan 4 Fully implemented
1
eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2007:189:0001:0023:EN:PDF
2
www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/c910_18.html
3
www.apeda.gov.in/apedawebsite/organic/index.htm
4
JAS Standards for organic plants and organic processed foods: www.maff.go.jp/e/jas/specific/organic.html
Region Country Remark

Jordan Not fully implemented
Korea, South Fully implemented
Lebanon Fully implemented
Malaysia Fully implemented
New Caledonia Fully implemented
New Zealand 1 Fully implemented
Philippines Not fully implemented
Saudi Arabia Fully implemented
Taiwan Fully implemented
Thailand 2 Fully implemented
The Americas &
Caribbean (21) Argentina Fully implemented
Bolivia Fully implemented
Brazil Fully implemented
Canada Fully implemented
Chile Fully implemented
Colombia Fully implemented
Costa Rica Fully implemented
Cuba Not fully implemented
Dominican Republic Fully implemented
Ecuador Fully implemented
El Salvador Not fully implemented
Guatemala Fully implemented
Honduras Fully implemented
Mexico Fully implemented
Nicaragua Fully implemented
Panama Fully implemented
Paraguay Fully implemented
Peru Fully implemented
Uruguay Fully implemented
USA Fully implemented
Venezuela Not fully implemented
Africa (2) Morocco Not fully implemented
Tunisia Fully implemented
Source: Survey by Christiane Mannigel and Beate Huber, October 2014 with contributions from Ong
Kung Wai, Humus Consultancy, Malaysia
Table 38: Countries in the process of drafting regulations
Region Country
Europe (3) Belarus
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Russia
Asia and Pacific Region (4) Jordan
Kyrgyzstan
Nepal
Pakistan
The Americas & Caribbean (2) Jamaica
St. Lucia
Africa (7) Algeria
Egypt
Kenya
Namibia
Senegal
South Africa
Sudan
Source: Survey by Christiane Mannigel and Beate Huber, October 2014 with contributions from Ong
Kung Wai, Humus Consultancy, Malaysia
1
New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) Official Assurance Programme for Organic Products:
www.foodsafety.govt.nz/industry/sectors/organics
2
Homepage of the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards, www.acfs.go.th/eng/index.php
Table 39: Countries with a national standard but without a national legislation
Region Country
Asia and Pacific Region (13) Bahrein
Bhutan
Brunei
Hong Kong
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Oman
Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Vietnam
Africa (5) Burkina Faso
Ghana
Kenya
South Africa 1
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Source: Survey by Christiane Mannigel and Beate Huber, October 2014
2
The Codex Alimentarius Guidelines: Recent developments
The need for clear and harmonized rules has not only been taken up by private bodies,
IFOAM, and state authorities, but also by organizations of the United Nations, including
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO),
and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Codex
Alimentarius Commission approved plant production guidelines in June 1999 and
animal production guidelines in July 2001. They also provide guidance to governments
in developing national regulations for organic food.
The annex lists of the Codex Alimentarius Guidelines, which define what substances can
be used in organic food and farming systems, have been under revision since 2005, with
a focus on substances for food processing and criteria for the use of new substances. A
working group within the Codex Committee for Food Labeling (CCFL), which was
supported by the government of Canada, was appointed for this work. The Codex
Commission adopted several amendments to the annex lists that were proposed by the
CCFL in July 2009. Other substances discussed, such as nitrites and nitrates, ascorbates
for meat processing, and phosphates as food additives, were not approved in the Codex
Guidelines for organic food. In 2010, an amendment was made to increase restrictions
on the use of rotenone for pest control: the substance should be used in such a way as to
prevent it from flowing into waterways.
1
http://www.afrisco.net/Html/Product_Stardards.htm
2
Information about Codex Alimentarius is available via www.codexalimentarius.net/web/index_en.jsp.
In 2011 the Codex Committee for Food Labeling agreed on new work (proposed by the
EU) on the inclusion of spinosad, copper octanoate, potassium bicarbonate, and uses of
ethylene for degreening of citrus for fruit fly prevention and flowering induction in
pineapples. In May 2012, the committee decided that “Spinosad should only be used
where measures are taken to minimize the risk to non-target species and to minimize
the risk of development of resistance.” Potassium hydrogen carbonate, copper octanoate
(with the same conditions as for other copper products), and ethylene for degreening of
citrus for fruit fly prevention and as a flowering agent for pineapples was included in the
Annex 2 list of the Codex Guidelines of organically produced food.
In 2011, the Codex Committee for Food Labeling also agreed to re-establish the working
group led by the United States, which deals with the revision of the regulation and the
list of substances. At the meeting in 2012, a structured approach for a two-year cycle was
decided upon.
Furthermore, in 2011 it was agreed to take up organic aquaculture and seaweed
production as a new area. A first working paper was presented by the EU. A re-drafted
version by the EU was circulated for comments and was discussed at the meeting of the
Codex Committee for Food Labeling in May 2012 and May 2013. In October 2014, the
CCFL noted that considerable work was still needed to improve the text and agreed to
establish a Physical Working Group led by the European Union, working in English,
French, and Spanish, to be held immediately prior to the next session to consider
comments received, resolve current differences and prepare proposals for consideration
at the next session (most likely in spring 2016).
EU regulation on organic production

In 2012, the European Commission decided to review the current legislative and political
framework for organic farming. In March 2014, the Commission published a legislative
proposal for a new regulation that would result in a complete revision of the legislation.
The vast majority of the organic sector, and a lot of the Member States were rejecting
the proposed revision, arguing that it would severely hinder sustainable growth of the
organic sector in Europe. The political discussion will continue in 2015. It is expected
that the complete revision will be dropped, and instead, a revision process will be
initiated based on the existing regulation.
Import requirements of major economies

The major import markets for organic products are the European Union, the United
States, Canada, and Japan. All of these markets have strict regimes for the importation
of organic products. In the European Union, the United States, and Japan, products may
only be imported if the certifying agency has been approved by the respective competent
authority. Approval of certification bodies requires compliance or equivalency with the
requirements of the importing countries, which can be achieved through (a) bilateral
agreements between the exporting and the target import country, or (b) direct
acceptance of the certifying agency by the target import country.
Bilateral agreements between the exporting and the target import country
Most importing countries, including the United States, the European Union, and Japan
have options for bilateral recognition (i.e., the option to confirm that another country's
control system and its standards are in line with domestic requirements and that the
products certified in those countries can be sold on the national market). Bilateral
agreements are largely political agreements that depend on political will and
negotiations between the governments, but are also based on technical assessments.
The United States and the European Union have also recognized each other's national
organic standards and control systems, except for animal products from the European
Union and apples and pears from the United States, which require extra verification.
In addition, products from aquaculture and wine production are not yet included in this
agreement. The formal arrangements came into effect in July 2012.
In 2009, the U.S. and Canada concluded their first bilateral agreement. Under a
determination of equivalence, producers and processors, who are certified according to
the US National Organic Program (NOP) 1 standards by a certifying agent accredited by
the US Department of Agriculture, do not have to become certified to the Canada
Organic Product Regulation (COPR) standards in order for their products to be
represented as organic in Canada. Likewise, Canadian organic products certified to COPR
standards may be sold or labelled in the United States as organically produced. 2 The US
and Japan subsequently came to an agreement that became effective on January 1,
2014. Canada has signed equivalency agreements with the European Union, Costa Rica,
and Switzerland.
The European Union currently recognizes eleven countries 3 as being equivalent with the
European Union’s system (known as the Third Country list). The European Union
further just concluded a bilateral agreement with South Korea. By February 1, 2015,
Korea will accept products certified in the European Union as equivalent. The European
Union will soon finalize the recognition of the Korean certification for the European
Union market.
The US has accepted several foreign governments’ accreditation procedures.
Certification bodies accredited according to the US requirements by India, Israel, and
New Zealand are accepted by the United States Department of Agriculture for
certification according to the US National Organic Program (NOP) even though they are
not directly accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture. This level of
recognition only covers accreditation procedures; the respective certification bodies still
have to meet the requirements of NOP to issue certificates accepted by the US.
Acceptance of the certifying agency by the target importing country
The US, the EU, and Japan have options for recognizing certification bodies operating
outside of their countries. The technical requirements for achieving such recognition are
difficult to meet, and the associated fees are high. Maintaining recognition and/or the
necessary accreditation requires substantial financial capacity and personnel from the
certification agency.
1
National Organic Program (NOP) www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOP
2
There are exemptions to the US COR agreements relating to sodium nitrate, hydroponics and livestock for
the US and antibiotics for livestock in Canada.
3
Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, Tunisia and US
Products are only granted import into the European Union if they have been certified by
an inspection body or authority recognized by the European Commission. 1 The
European Union publishes the list of approved control bodies and authorities recognized
for applying equivalent standards and control schemes in non-EU countries in updates
to EU regulation 1235/2008. Certification from recognized control bodies has been
accepted for imports to the European Union since July 1, 2012. The system of import
authorizations has expired in July 2014. The US National Organic Program (NOP)
requires all products labelled as organic in the US to meet the US standards (or the terms
of an equivalency arrangement such as they have with the European Union, Canada,
Korea (since 1.7.2014), Japan, and Taiwan, including imported products. The US system
provides for the approval of certification bodies as agents to operate a US certification
program. Inspections have to be conducted by inspectors trained in NOP requirements
using NOP-based questionnaires, and only certificates issued by certification bodies
accredited by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) are accepted. It is not relevant
whether the certification body is based in the US or elsewhere. Nearly 100 agents are
currently authorized to certify farms and businesses to the USDA organic regulations.
Most USDA-accredited certifying agents are allowed to certify farms and businesses
anywhere in the world.
Literature
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1235/2008 of 8 December 2008 laying down detailed rules for implementation of Council
Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 as regards the arrangements for imports of organic products from third countries;
Consolidated version: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02008R1235-
20140803&from=EN
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 126/2012 of 14 February 2012 amending Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 as
regards documentary evidence and amending Regulation (EC) No 1235/2008 as regards the arrangements for
imports of organic products from the United States of America
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 508/2012 of 20 June 2012 amending Regulation (EC) No 1235/2008 laying
down detailed rules for implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 as regards the arrangements for
imports of organic products from third countries
Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 of 5 September 2008 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council
Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products with regard to organic
production, labelling and control; Consolidated Version: http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:2008R0889:20130101:EN:PDF
Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing
Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91; Consolidated version: http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:2007R0834:20081010:EN:PDF
European Commission (2008) Guidelines on imports of organic products into the European Union. 15.12.2008. Rev.1.
European Commission, Brussels. Available at http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/files/news/download-
material/guidelines_for_imports_en.pdf
European Union Group of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM EU Group) (2012)
European Organic Regulations (EC) No 834/2007, 889/2008 and 1235/2008. An Evaluation of the First Three Years.
Looking for Further Development. IFOAM EU Group, Brussels. Available at http://www.ifoam-
eu.org/sites/default/files/page/files/ifoameu_reg_regulation_dossier_201204_en.pdf
1
There are currently two different lists:
› List of control bodies that apply a control system and production standards equivalent to the EU
regulation on organic production (since July 1, 2012).
› List of countries whose system of production complies with rules equivalent to the EU’s production and
inspection provisions (see EU Regulation 1235/2008).
Websites
http://www.ifoam.org/fr/value-chain/ifoam-organic-guarantee-system: IFOAM Guarantee system
www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm: Information about the US National Organic Program (NOP)
http://unctad.org/en/Pages/DITC/Trade-and-Environment/Organic-Agriculture.
www.codexalimentarius.net/ download/standards/360/CXG_032e.pdf: The Codex Alimentarius Commission and the
FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme: Organically Produced Foods, Rome 2007
ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/splash_en: Internet site of the European Commission on organic farming in all European
Union languages.
Standards and Regulations: Participatory Guarantee Systems
Overview of Participatory Guarantee Systems in 2014

CORNELIA KIRCHNER 1
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) are locally focused quality assurance systems.
They certify producers based on active participation of stakeholders and are built on a
foundation of trust, social networks and knowledge exchange (IFOAM definition, 2008).
In 2014, PGS celebrated a jubilee. Ten years have passed since the first “International
Workshop on Alternative Certification” in Torres/Brazil in 2004 was organized, and the
terminology and conceptual framework for describing what is now known as PGS was
developed. The history of PGS is much longer than just ten years. Although it was not
called that way, PGS has been used as a way to verify the quality of organic products
already before third party certification became the dominant form of certification. The
oldest PGS we are aware of is Nature et Progrès in France, who started their PGS
activities in 1972. Nevertheless, the 2004 workshop marks an important date for PGS
worldwide. Since 2004, there has been a steady growth in the number of new initiatives
launched each year. Awareness and recognition of PGS as a viable certification system
has increased significantly. Today dozens of successful examples worldwide demonstrate
that PGS is a practical alternative to third-party certification and an effective way to
develop local markets for organically produced food, particularly appropriate for small-
scale farming.
Map 2: Map of PGS by country (Black: countries with operational PGS; Dark grey:
countries with PGS under development; Light grey: countries where no data is available)
Source: IFOAM
IFOAM is the only organization compiling global data about PGS through various
projects as well as via the Annual PGS Survey, which was first conducted in 2011. Based
1
Cornelia Kirchner, Program and Value Chain Coordinator at the International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movements (IFOAM - Organics International), Charles-de-Gaulle-Str. 5, 53113 Bonn, Germany,
c.kirchner@ifoam.org, www.ifoam.org
on the data collected, it is estimated that at least 70 PGS initiatives are now established 1
on all continents, and more than 70 are currently under development. There are 38
countries with operational PGS initiatives and another 17 countries where PGS is
currently under development. During 2014, IFOAM identified 32 new PGS initiatives, of
which 12 are operational, and 20 are under development. Eight countries newly
appeared on the global PGS map: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Honduras, Kiribati, Laos,
Myanmar, and Togo.
More than just an alternative way to certify organic products

To serve as an affordable alternative to third party certification and as a tool to access
and build local organic markets, is a core function of PGS and a main reason for many
farmers and other stakeholders to engage in PGS. However, PGS have also other
qualities and benefits that are increasingly gaining recognition. There is a growing
awareness of the potential for the application of PGS methodology as a tool for
improving livelihoods in rural areas and contributing to sustainable development.
In 2014, IFOAM completed the Global Comparative Study on Interactions Between
Social Processes and Participatory Guarantee Systems. 2 The main social processes
identified among the surveyed PGS were:
− collective marketing;
− sharing information, techniques, and traditional knowledge;
− collective seed management and conservation;
− small scale saving systems;
− collective work;
− committed, informed and supportive consumer base; and
− socialized pricing.
The study showed that PGS are an important platform for the development of these
social processes that in turn positively impact PGS initiatives in different ways, thereby
improving the sustainability and impacts of the PGS. The study concluded that entry
into PGS offers farmers and their families a range of economic, environmental and social
benefits, thus improving their livelihoods. It found that PGS has the potential to make a
significant contribution to the reduction of food insecurity and to improved nutrition
among farmers in rural areas.
PGS worldwide in figures

− It is estimated that over 46‘000 small operators are currently involved in PGS
worldwide, of which more than 17‘000 are certified through PGS. This number
1
The new initiatives identified are categorized as operational or under development based on declarations
provided by the corresponding contact persons. Not all of them have provided figures on the number of
producers involved or certified, which will be ascertained in the course of the coming year.
2
Funding for this study was provided by the AGROECO project, which is carried out by the Universidad
Nacional Agraria La Molina UNALM (Peru), the Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental SPDA (Peru) and the
University of British Columbia, UBC (Canada) under the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund
(CIFSRF), financed by the International Development Research Center (IDRC), and the Department of Foreign
Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD). AGROECO project:
www.lamolina.edu.pe/hortalizas/Agroeco.htm
includes mostly small farmers and a few small processors.

− It is estimated that 38 countries worldwide have functional PGS initiatives in place.
Additionally at least in 17 more countries PGS is currently under development.
− The leading countries in terms of producers involved in PGS are the Philippines
(10’620), Uganda (6’436) and India (5’977). Bolivia, Brazil, and South Africa also
play an important role with more than 3’000 farmers involved in each country.
− Of the numbers of producers involved, only a certain percentage are already
certified. This shows the growth trend of the PGS movement, as more and more
producers are getting involved and going through conversion or the PGS set-up
process. India accounts for the most producers certified through PGS (5’191)
followed by Brazil (2’771), Peru (2’000) and Bolivia (1’310).
− Asia is the leading region with 19’094 producers involved, 7’234 of which are
certified. Africa is a region of very recent and rapid PGS development: it is estimated
that 13’079 producers are involved, 1’373 of whom are certified. In Latin America
and the Caribbean, 12’485 producers are involved in PGS, 6’853 of whom are
certified.
− Due to an unfavorable legal framework, PGS initiatives are less widespread in North
America and Europe. In North America, a total of 1’051 producers are involved in
PGS; most of them are in the United States (1’034). A total of 832 producers are
certified, 816 in the US and 16 in Canada. In Europe, France is the leading country
with 708 producers certified. In 6 other European countries, we find PGS initiatives
with a small number of producers involved. The total number of producers involved
in Europe is 816.
− In Oceania, more than 350 producers are involved spread over seven countries
(including French territory). A total of 278 are certified; most of them are based in
New Zealand.
− It is estimated that PGS certified producers are currently managing organically a
total of at least 49’803 hectares of agricultural land. The leading countries, on which
data is available, are as follows:
o Namibia: 23’022 hectares (most of it extensive grassland),
o United States: 8’840 hectares,
o India 6’442 hectares,
o Mexico: 3’000 hectares,
o Bolivia: 2’460 hectares,
o Australia: 2’200 hectares, and
o Brazil: 1’493 hectares.
Online references
The IFOAM PGS website: http://www.ifoam.org/pgs
Bouagnimbeck, H. 2014. The Global Comparative Study on Interactions Between Social Processes
and Participatory Guarantee Systems. IFOAM, Bonn. Available online at:
http://www.ifoam.org/sites/default/files/global_study_on_interactions_between_socia
l_processes_and_participatory_guarantee_systems.pdf
Standards and Regulations: Becoming Organic 3.0
The Organic Market Framework: Becoming Organic 3.01

DAVID GOULD 2
A rationale for metamorphosis

In the big world of agriculture, agricultural products, and their markets, the organic
world is still a little mouse, a niche market. Despite all of the gains and recognitions
made over the past decades, the available statistics show that it is a tiny percentage of
the world’s production. Clearly, there is a long way to go to have the desired impact: to
be the mainstream choice for agriculture, the foundation on which further society’s
sustainability efforts are built.
It is, however, widely acknowledged that there are large numbers of farmers (especially
smallholders in developing countries), who use organic methods; they go uncounted,
unrecognized – and often unrewarded – simply because they are not certified.
Certification is a barrier for many smallholders, who may see it as too expensive, too
bureaucratic, too time consuming, or otherwise not practical or necessary. Participatory
Guarantee Systems are one solution to this, but there are others. And beyond those who
already practice using organic or agroecological methods, the organic movement aspires
to enable non-organic producers to convert their practices closer to organic, and to
embody an attitude of continual improvement toward best practices by all practitioners.
As a movement, the organic world needs to escape the limited perception that organic
equates with certification. The Principles of Organic Agriculture make no such
distinction. Ultimately, if the goal of widespread organic production as the predominant
practice is achieved, the need for certification will fade into history. This widespread
adoption of organic practices was part of the original vision of our movement’s founders
and continues to be. Those founders – people like Rudolph Steiner, Sir Albert Howard,
J.I. Rodale, Masanobu Fukuoka, Bhaskar Save, and others – were our progenitors, who
established what we could call “Organic 1.0” – the foundation and original phase of the
organic movement.
The movement has moved beyond Organic 1.0, and now exists in “Organic 2.0” – a world
where the organic market is a growing force – heavily regulated by both public and
private sectors through hundreds of certification bodies, with an increasing market
share and raised societal awareness – but it is still like a little mouse. Organic wants to be
more like the elephant. A mouse and an elephant are both mammals, but you can never
make a mouse as big as an elephant; the structure of the animal needs to be different; a
mouse as big as an elephant is a structure that cannot support itself; it would crumble
under its own weight.
Such is the challenge now facing the organic movement. To move from Organic 2.0 to
“Organic 3.0” – where organic is the mainstream choice but also its leading edge, where
1
Note: This article does not represent the official position of the International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movements (IFOAM - Organics International) or the Sustainable Organic Agriculture Action
Network (SOAAN), but rather the exploratory ideas of part of the think tank they have convened.
2
David Gould, IFOAM Value Chain Facilitator, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
(IFOAM Organics International), Charles-de-Gaulle Strasse 5, 53113 Bonn, Germany, www.ifoam.org
it is an inclusive accessible paradigm that serves as the basis for further improvements,
where “organic” comes to be equated with what is truly “sustainable” – the organic
community needs to a imagine a different system and framework. This new system has
both a content part (i.e., broadening the scope of the organic claim to fully embrace the
Principles) as well as a methodology part, i.e., how claims can be readily communicated
in a credible way that is appropriate in any given market conditions, from local direct
sales to international trade. These all need some kind of credible guarantee, so the
consumers get what they are expecting, but the way that happens does not have to be
the same for all operations.
Paradigm shift to a compatible methodology

In terms of production, the organic paradigm is qualitatively different from the
dominant conventional paradigm. This has always been the case. However, in terms of
the market guarantee methodology, the organic system has not developed a compatible
paradigm. Instead, we have used the conventional paradigm. It is time for a shift.
Back when organic started getting more market attention in the 1980s and early 1990s,
the organic sector saw the need to legitimize itself to a conventional paradigm and
marketplace. The understandable path the organic sector took was to adopt the existing
assurance paradigm. They adopted the ISO model, and in many respects it helped
improve certain types of assurance practices. Their strategy succeeded – organic has
come to be taken as a serious market presence and opportunity by the big market
players. It has arrived at a level of Organic 2.0 that is burgeoning to the point where it is
hard pressed to handle the load, with corresponding increasing problems of fraud, more
bureaucracy, less flexibility, reactionary moves to require more laboratory testing, etc.
Although still the mouse, it is not a mouse in danger of dying – quite the opposite. It is
gaining strength, so much so that there is the opportunity to exert itself in a new way. It
is an opportunity to create a new market assurance framework that befits its own
paradigm. Not only is this an opportunity to create a more facile and credible market
framework, it is at the same time an opportunity to communicate more fully what the
Principles of Organic Agriculture really mean for all of society.
The ISO paradigm is based on a supply chain model. Each link in the chain takes care of
itself and is responsible as an island in a stream. Each link is responsible only for itself.
The Principles of Organic Agriculture speak of a different approach, namely a value chain
model. In a value chain model, the Principle of Fairness is manifest as a recognized
interdependence among actors in the chain, where each actor (including the consumer)
helps ensure the economic viability of the other links, a decent livelihood, and long-term
sustainability of the ecosystem. The ISO model requires strict attention to avoidance of
conflict of interest, with an aim at an impartial, non-corrupt decision; it requires
separation of functions to help ensure this result. And while fair decisions are ostensibly
what everybody wants, these ISO requirements impose unnecessary constraints on
organic systems, resulting in (among other things) bottlenecks in the process.
In fact, some of the problems with the ISO model and the concomitant challenges the
organic market faces, such as fraud, lack of confidence in certification systems, and the
backlash toward more testing, etc., stem from the inherently flawed model that it is – at
least for a process-based claim dealing largely with the behaviors and practices of people.
I pay you to certify me – an inherent conflict of interest that confounds the norm from
the start. Instead, a methodology compatible with the Principles would demand a focus
on common interest, and transparency that would enable stakeholders to monitor for
any deviations from unfair decisions or false claims. This would enable more people to
participate in and/or be informed about the whole process that connects consumers with
the ecosystems on which they depend. Moves in organic regulations to require more
analytical testing put the penalty of contamination onto organic producers, even though
it is most often not their fault. This undermines all four of the Principles. Transparency
about pollution of organic goods and who the polluters are, fairness about who pays the
cost of discovery and clean-up, and open societal discussion about what should be done
about it are the orientation of a progressive society.
For the foreseeable future, there will be a critical need for credible market guarantees.
Last year’s article in this space discussed many of the new approaches and tools that
could support the foundational shift in approach being discussed here (Gould 2014). The
organic movement sees the need to overlay on these tools the appropriate framework
concepts (such as described above) that reflect the movement’s mission as explained by
the Principles.
Brave new world

For the organic approach to really become the mainstream’s choice, the movement is
going to need more than a change in its methodological approach. It must also broaden
the spectrum of practice considerations to take into account the apex challenges of our
time, like climate change, energy, non-renewable resources, cradle-to-cradle waste
recovery, and human and cultural rights (Gould 2014) The organic movement must also
come to grips with the growing population bent on consuming more animal protein,
both per capita and in absolute quantity worldwide – a population living increasingly in
urban centers. Aquaculture is the fastest growing sector of animal protein production in
the world. More and more urban farming is happening based on compost, in
greenhouses, on rooftops – constructed soils not necessarily connected to the
pedosphere – which makes them subject to disqualification as organic according to some
standards (including those of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements - IFOAM). How “less organic” are they? How do they or do they not heed the
Principles of Organic Agriculture in a complex world that is far less perfect than the
Garden of Eden?
With some thoughtful discussion, there are likely answers to the relevant technical
questions and a way to harmonize with the Principles. There are options for expanding
market guarantee methods. But under the complexity of organic regulatory frameworks
that exists in our Organic 2.0 world, it is unclear how fast change under the current
regulatory regime can occur to make Organic 3.0 the new reality. Enabling market access
and assurance methodologies to be inclusive: of all the organic-but-not-certified
producers, the organic farmers who identify as agroecological farmers instead of as
organic farmers, the permaculturists, and all the others who fall under the IFOAM
understanding of the organic sphere, not to mention newer areas like aquaculture and
urban agricultural systems, is a big challenge. The organic sector finds itself a bit “stuck”
with a word – organic, biologique, ecológico, or whatever the regulated analog in other
languages is – with so much legal meaning attached to it that facilitating change faces
some complex hurdles.
IFOAM and the Sustainable Organic Agriculture Action Network (SOAAN) 1 are
embarking on a process to re-create the market access framework in terms of both
content and methodology. Included is a stakeholder engagement strategy to enable
participation of both the public and private sector and effect a transition over the
coming decade to a revised framework that reflects the vision of Organic 3.0. Making
that vision tangible and useful will require innovation. To give an idea of what Organic
3.0 will be, add to the mouse-and-elephant metaphor with that of the butterfly: the larva
(Organic 2.0) spins its cocoon and undergoes a transformation into a completely
different looking creature. We are entering the phase of metamorphosis. Organic 3.0 will
look as different from Organic 2.0 as the butterfly does from the caterpillar.
References
Gould, David (2014): Organic Guarantee Systems – An Evolving Landscape. In: FiBL & IFOAM (2014): The World of Organic
Agriculture. Statistics and Emerging Trends 2014. Frick and Bonn
International Federation of Organic Agriculture (IFOAM): Principles of Organic Agriculture. IFOAM, Bonn. Available at
http://www.ifoam.org/sites/default/files/ifoam_poa.pdf
Sustainable Organic Agriculture Action Network (SOAAN) (2013): Best Practice Guideline for Agriculture and Value Chains,
2013. Developed by SOAAN, approved by the General Assembly of the International Federation of Organic
Agriculture, Movements (IFOAM), December 2013. IFOAM/SOAAN, Bonn. Available at
http://www.ifoam.org/sites/default/files/best_practice_guideline_v1.0_ratified.pdf
1 SOAAN is the Sustainable Organic Agriculture Action Network – see http://www.ifoam.org/en/sustainable-

organic-agriculture-action-network-soaan.
Africa
Map 3: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Africa 2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM Survey 2015; based on information from the private sector, certifiers,
governments and, for North Africa, the Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network (MOAN).
Africa: Overview
Latest Developments in Organic Agriculture in Africa

JORDAN GAMA 1
Organic agriculture in Africa is gaining momentum. There is a growing recognition

among policy makers that organic agriculture has a significant role to play in addressing
food insecurity, land degradation, poverty, and climate change in Africa. It offers a
valuable tool-kit of affordable and people-centered production practices, as well as high-
yielding systems and both local- and export-focused marketing models. In the context of
low carbon, resilient and inclusive sustainable development, organic agriculture is an
increasingly relevant and attractive proposition for many stakeholders.
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) is currently
working with the African organic sector, African Union, and other agencies in the
framework of its “Organic Alternative for Africa Initiative” to facilitate the integration of
organic agriculture into the core of African policies and the agricultural development
agenda, including the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme
(CAADP) 2. The Organic Alternative for Africa is aimed at identifying, promoting, and
nurturing the uptake of organic agriculture practices, systems, markets, and policies in
the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication. Therefore, IFOAM
works with many stakeholders, both within the organic movement and, just as
importantly, outside it to help create opportunities and facilitate the growth of organic
agriculture-based development throughout the continent.
The African Organic Network
We reported significant breakthroughs achieved in 2013 in the institutionalization of
the African Organic Network (AfrONet) 3, the umbrella organization established during
the Second African Organic Conference to unite and represent African ecological/organic
stakeholders (Bouagnimbeck and Gama 2014). Below is an overview of the key
achievements in the development of this important body for the future of the African
organic movement and sector:
− Strengthening and supporting regional networks, activities the Ecological Organic
Agriculture Initiative for Africa, 4 and organic conferences in Eastern, Western,
Central and Southern Africa is underway. In Southern Africa, the Southern African
Network for Organic Development (SANOD) and IFOAM’s Southern African
Network (ISAN) 5 are formed to unite the stakeholders and further develop the
organic agriculture in the region. A successful Western African organic conference
1
Jordan Gama, President AfrONet, Tanzanian Organic Network (TOAM), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,
africanorganicnetwork.org/ct-menu-item-3
2
Information on CAADP, the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme, is available at
www.nepad-caadp.net. The report “The Potential Contribution of Organic Agriculture to the Realization of the
Objectives of the CAADP – A Guide for Stakeholders” is available at www.ifoam.org/en/osea-ii-project
3
Information about AfrONet is available at africanorganicnetwork.org.
4
The aim of EOA, the Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative for Africa is to mainstream Ecological Organic
Agriculture into national agricultural production systems by 2025 in order to improve agricultural
productivity, food security, access to markets, and sustainable development in Africa. It promotes ecologically
sound strategies and practices among diverse stakeholders in production, processing, marketing and policy
making to safeguard the environment, improve livelihoods, alleviate poverty and guarantee food security.
5
For more information see www.ifoam.org/es/regional-activities/isan-ifoam-southern-african-network
Africa: Overview
was held in Benin in August 2014. 1 It marked a significant milestone for

mainstreaming EOA in regional and member countries’ policies, strategies, and
programmes.
− The organization has been officially registered, and the office was opened in
Tanzania with a part-time information and communication officer, and a finance
manager hired in 2014.
− A profile of organizations, networks, and programs related to ecological/organic
farming on the continent has been compiled and updated.
− Partnerships and active participation in the events of the Forum for Agricultural
Research in Africa (FARA) 2 and at the Organic World Congress of (IFOAM), as well
as with projects such as the Productivity and Profitability of Organic and
Conventional Farming Systems 3 (ProEcoOrganicAfrica), PROGROV.
− AfrONet has a permanent seat in the Continental and Regional/Cluster Steering
Committees of Ecological Organic Agriculture. The preparation of the third African
Organic Conference, to be held in 2015 in Nigeria, is progressing well.
In collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), training on organic
standards and certification is provided to stakeholders in the member countries of the
Southern African Development Community (SADC, www.sadc.int), the Common Market
for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA. www.comesa.int), the Economic Community
of West African States (ECOWAS, www.ecowas.int), and the East African Community
(EAC, www.eac.int). Furthermore, the Kasisi training centre in Zambia has been
identified by AUC as one of the satellite centres for organic training on the continent.
The continent-wide Organic Product Standard for Africa has been approved by the
African Union Commission (AUC).
Preparation for the Third African Organic Conference 2015 in Nigeria
In partnership with the steering committee of EOA, the Ecological Organic Agriculture
Initiative for Africa, AfrONet is leading the multi-stakeholder organizing committee of
the Third African Organic Conference, to take place in 2015 in Nigeria. So far, a
conference flyer and the conference announcement have been issued. The African Union
has confirmed participation and conference support. IFOAM, the International Society
of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR), the Nigerian government and others are
supportive of the conference and are actively taking part in its organization.
The organic world and like-minded organizations, including the Alliance for Food
Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and development partners, are encouraged to actively
participate and support the conference.
The Productivity and Profitability of Organic and Conventional Farming Systems
(ProEcoOrganicAfrica) project
A successful ProEcoOrganicAfrica project stakeholder workshop was held in Kenya in
2014. The ProEcoOrganicAfrica project (www.ProEcoAfrica.net) is implemented within
the frame of 3.5 years (July 2013 to December 2016). It will work toward improving
1
More information is available at http://www.eoa-africa.org/news/the-eoa-west-africa-conference-underway/.
2
Information about FARA is available here http://www.fara-africa.org/
3
Information about the ProEcoOrganicAfrica is available at www.ProEcoAfrica.net
Africa: Overview
rural livelihoods in Ghana and Kenya, including food supply, nutrition, and income
security, through climate-smart ecological intensification of agricultural systems.
Under the coordination of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), and with
the financial support of the Dutch Humanist Institute for Cooperation (Hivos) and the
Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), ProEcoOrganicAfrica intends to generate
scientific evidence and knowledge on the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of
ecological organic agriculture (EOA) in Ghana and Kenya. Sound conclusions and
recommendations will be drawn on the potential of EOA to help farmers, especially
women, to be economically successful and resilient against the adverse impacts of
climate change and socio-economic challenges. Capacity building, networking, and a
conducive policy environment will be promoted for effective and efficient sharing and
exchange of knowledge/experiences in order to enhance agronomic and scientific
expertise. The findings will help decision-making by farmers, extension agents, and
managers from public and private institutions, investors, and policy-makers.
IFOAM is responsible for leading the implementation of the policy- and advocacy-related
activities in collaboration with the project government partners in Ghana (Ministry of
Food and Agriculture – MOFA) and Kenya (Kenya Agricultural Research Institute –
KARI), as well as FiBL. Other implementing partners include the University of Ghana,
Agro-Eco Louis Bolk Institute from the Netherlands, and the International Centre for
Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe).
Outlook
There is undoubtedly room for a substantial increase in organic production in Africa,
with the potential for millions of smallholder farmers and their families to move out of
poverty and hunger and enjoy a better quality of life. The fact that traditional African
agriculture is low external input provides a potential basis upon which organic
agriculture can enhance the productivity, resilience, and profitability of smallholder
farming. It is, therefore, an ideal development option for Africa. Organic farming
practices deliberately integrate traditional farming methods and use of affordable,
locally available resources. As such, they are highly relevant to a majority of African
farmers. Therefore, the necessary intensification of agricultural production in Africa can
and should be ecological, maintain ecosystem services, and be based on restoring,
building, and maintaining the natural resource base, particularly soil, water, and
biodiversity. Therefore, local communities, farmers, and their sustainable practices need
to be supported and enhanced so that the potential benefits of improved agricultural
systems, based on the principles of organic agriculture, can be unleashed and
disseminated throughout the continent.
References
Auerbach, R., Rundgren, G., and El-Hage Scialabba N. (Eds.) (2013). Organic Agriculture: African Experiences in Resilience and
Sustainability. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome. Available online from the
website: http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3294e/i3294e.pdf
Bouagnimbeck, Hervé and Jordan Gama 2014: Latest Developments in Organic Agriculture in Africa. In: FiBL & IFOAM
(2014): The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and Emerging Trends 2014. Frick and Bonn
IFOAM (2013). Impacts associated with the uptake of organic agriculture in East Africa. Available online from the website:
http://www.ifoam.org/sites/default/files/the_impact_of_organic_agriculture_in_east_africa.pdf
Africa: Current Statistics
Africa: Current Statistics

JULIA LERNOUD 1, HELGA WILLER 2 AND BERNHARD SCHLATTER 3
The organic agricultural land in Africa has increased by almost 78’000 hectares or
7 percent compared to 2012. There were 1.2 million hectares of agricultural land in
2013, which is 0.2 percent of the continent’s total agricultural area and almost 3 percent
of the global organic agricultural area. In 2013, 39 countries reported data on organic
farming. The area of organic agricultural land has increased by more than 1 million
hectares from the 52’000 hectares in 2000. Uganda is the country with the largest
organic area, with more than 230’000 hectares and with the largest number of organic
producers. The country with the highest proportion of organic agricultural land is the
island state Sao Tome and Principe with 7.2 percent of its agricultural area being
organic, followed by Egypt with 2.3 percent and Comoros with 1.7 percent.
Land use
Land use details were available for almost three-quarters of the organic agricultural land.
In 2013, 47 percent of all organic farmland was used for permanent crops (almost
568’000 hectares), 19 percent was used for arable crops (237’000 hectares), and five
percent (64’000 hectares) was grassland/grazing area. Ethiopia (147’000 hectares),
Tunisia (137’000 hectares), and the United Republic of Tanzania (almost 128’000
hectares) have the largest permanent crop areas. The key permanent crop is coffee,
amounting to 194’500 hectares in total. As no crop details were available for some of the
biggest African coffee producers, it can be assumed that the total figure for organic
coffee is higher. The largest organic coffee areas are in Ethiopia and Tanzania. Nineteen
percent of the organic farmland was used for arable crops, most of which are oilseeds
(almost 126’000 hectares) and textile crops (64’000 hectares), and aromatic and
medicinal plants. Aromatic and medicinal plants were grown on almost 23’000 hectares
in 2013; the key producing countries were the United Republic of Tanzania (10’000
hectares), Madagascar (almost 5’000 hectares), and Morocco (more than 2’000 hectares).
It should be noticed that an important increase of the oilseed area took place in 2013,
due to a large area of peanuts reported in Sudan.
Producers
There are more than 574’000 organic producers in Africa. The countries with the most
organic producers are Uganda (189’000), the United Republic of Tanzania (148’000), and
Ethiopia (134’000). It can be assumed that the number of producers is higher because
some countries only report the number of farm enterprises/companies.
Wild collection
Wild collection has an important role in Africa, with more than 10 million hectares
certified as organic. Zambia is the country with the largest beekeeping area with
6 million hectares, followed by Namibia (2.4 million hectares), and Morocco (817’000
hectares). Medicinal plants such as devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) play the
most important role in wild collection.
1
Julia Lernoud, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl
2
3
Bernhard Schlatter, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
Africa: Graphs
Organic Agriculture in Africa: Graphs
Africa: The ten countries with the largest organic area 2013
Uganda (2012) 231'157

Tanzania 186'537
Ethiopia (2012) 164'777
Sudan 141'479
Tunisia 139'087
Egypt (2012) 85'801
Dem. Rep.of the Congo 51'838
South Africa 37'466
Madagascar 30'265
Ghana 28'201
0 50'000 100'000 150'000 200'000 250'000 300'000

Hectares
Figure 46: Africa: The ten countries with the largest organic agricultural area 2013
Africa: The countries with the highest share of

organic agricultural land 2013
Sao Tome and Principe (2012) 7.2%

Egypt (2012) 2.3%
Comoros (2011) 1.7%
Uganda (2012) 1.7%
Réunion (France) 1.5%
Tunisia 1.4%
Tanzania 0.5%
Ethiopia (2012) 0.5%
Dem. Rep. of the Congo 0.2%
Rwanda 0.2%
0% 2% 4% 6% 8%
Figure 47: Africa: The countries with the highest share of organic agricultural land 2013
Africa: Graphs
Africa: Development of organic agricultural land 2000 to 2013

1.4
1.23
1.2 1.15
1.08 1.07
1.03
1.0
0.86 0.86
Million hectares
0.8 0.68
0.6 0.51 0.49
0.4 0.32 0.36
0.23
0.2
0.05
0.0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 48: Africa: Development of organic agricultural land 2000 to 2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL-surveys 2000-2015
Africa: Use of organic agricultural land 2013


Oilseeds 125.86
No details
Textile crops 64.13
28% Medicinal plants 22.78
Cereals 6.53
Permanent Vegetables 5.99
crops 0.0 100.0 200.0
Other agr. 47% Thousand hectares
land
Key permanent crops
1%
Coffee 194.54
Perm.
grassland Olives 125.35
5% Nuts 40.27
Arable land Cocoa 23.06
crops Fruit, tropical/subtrop. 19.90
19%
0.0 100.0 200.0
Thousand hectares
Figure 49: Africa: Use of agricultural land 2013

Africa: Graphs
Africa: The ten countries with the largest number of organic

producers 2013
Uganda (2012) 189'610

Tanzania (2012) 148'610
Ethiopia (2012) 134'626
Senegal 18'393
Madagascar 14'550
Kenya (2011) 12'647
Burkina Faso 11'395
Zambia (2009) 10'055
Togo (2012) 9'428
Mali 8'048
0 50'000 100'000 150'000 200'000

Producers
Figure 50: Africa: The ten countries with the largest number of organic producers 2013
Africa: Tables
Organic Agriculture in Africa: Tables

Table 40: Africa: Organic agricultural land, share of total agricultural land and number of
organic producers 2013
Country Area [ha] Share of total agr. land [%] Producers 1
Algeria 700 0.002% 57
Angola 2'486 0.004%
Benin 1'987 0.06% 2'355
Burkina Faso 16'689 0.14% 11'395
Burundi 550 0.03% 36
Cameroon 663 0.01% 88
Comoros 2'642 1.70% 1'416
Côte d'Ivoire 19'263 0.09% 277
Democratic Republic of the Congo 51'838 0.23% 1'123
Egypt 85'801 2.33% 790
Ethiopia 164'777 0.46% 134'626
Ghana 28'201 0.18% 1'915
Guinea-Bissau 1'843 0.11%
Kenya 4'894 0.02% 12'647
Lesotho 560 0.02% 2
Madagascar 30'265 0.07% 14'550
Malawi 265 0.005%
Mali 3'727 0.01% 8'048
Mauritius 16 0.02% 3
Mayotte 5 - 2
Morocco 8'660 0.03% 120
Mozambique 13'998 0.03% 5
Namibia 23'086 0.06% 12
Niger 106 0.0002%
Nigeria 250 0.0003% 80
Réunion (France) 595 1.49% 144
Rwanda 3'705 0.19% 876
Sao Tome and Principe 4'051 7.23% 2'180
Senegal 7'176 0.08% 18'393
South Africa 37'466 0.04% 250
Sudan 141'479 0.10% 222
Swaziland 3 0.0003%
Tanzania 186'537 0.53% 148'610
Togo 4'638 0.14% 9'428
Tunisia 139'087 1.38% 2'810
Uganda 231'157 1.66% 189'610
Zambia 7'552 0.03% 10'055
Zimbabwe 374 0.002% 2'000
Total 1'227'088 0.12% 574'129
1
Some countries report only the numbers of companies, projects or grower groups, which may each comprise a
number of producers. See also explanations on page 58.
Africa: Tables
Table 41: Africa: All organic areas 2013

Wild Other non
Agriculture Forest
Country collection agr. land Total [ha]
[ha] [ha]
[ha] [ha]
Algeria 700 700
Angola 2'486 2'486
Benin 1'987 3'543 5'530
Burkina Faso 16'689 80'018 96'707
Burundi 550 550
Cameroon 663 110'000 110'663
Chad 11'000 11'000
Comoros 2'642 70 2'712
Côte d'Ivoire 19'263 344 19'608
Democratic Republic of
51'838 51'838
the Congo
Egypt 85'801 85'801
Ethiopia 164'777 180 164'957
Ghana 28'201 19'813 48'014
Kenya 4'894 130'903 135'797
Lesotho 560 50'000 50'560
Madagascar 30'265 23'711 53'975
Malawi 265 265
Mali 3'727 3'978 7'705
Mauritius 16 16
Mayotte 5 5
Morocco 8'660 817'690 826'350
Mozambique 13'998 31'400 45'398
Namibia 23'086 2'400'000 2'423'086
Niger 106 106
Nigeria 250 150 400
Réunion (France) 595 595
Rwanda 3'705 80 3'784
Sao Tome and Principe 4'051 4'051
Senegal 7'176 22'000 29'176
South Africa 37'466 31'709 69'175
Sudan 141'479 5'000 840'000 986'479
Swaziland 3 3
Tanzania 186'537 15'040 201'577
Togo 4'638 242 4'880
Tunisia 139'087 42'646 181'733
Uganda 231'157 158'328 389'485
Zambia 7'552 6'133'424 6'140'976
Zimbabwe 374 70'000 70'374
Total 1'227'088 42'796 10'118'473 840'000 12'228'358
Africa: Tables
Table 42: Africa: Land use in organic agriculture 2013

Agricultural land and crops, no details 340'301
Cereals 6'531
Flowers and ornamental plants 109
Green fodder from arable land 658
Oilseeds 125'861
Protein crops 2'020
Root crops 490
Seeds and seedlings 1
Sugarcane 225
Textile crops 64'135
Tobacco
Vegetables 5'986
Arable crops, other 1'938
Arable crops total 237'219
Cropland, no details 8'002
Other agricultural land 640
Unutilized land 2'914
Permanent crops Berries 47
Citrus fruit 9'283
Cocoa 23'063
Coconut 7'973
Coffee 194'544
Fruit, no details 239
Grapes 925
Nuts 40'270
Olives 125'350
Permanent crops total 567'634
Permanent grassland 64'415
Total 1'227'088
Africa: Tables
Table 43: Africa: Use of wild collection areas 2013

Land use Area [ha]
Apiculture 6'216'021
Berries, wild 150
Forest honey 110'000
Fruit, wild 141
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild 1'674'037
Nuts, wild 96'674
Total 10'118'473
Asia
Map 4: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Asia 2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015; based on information from the private sector, certifiers,
governments and the Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network (MOAN) for the Mediterranean
countries. For detailed data sources see annex, page 281.
Asia: Overview
Organic Asia 2014

ONG KUNG WAI 1
With input from Kesang Tshomo, Bhutan; Abdus Salam, Bangladesh; Zhou Zejiang,
China; Rasdi Wangsa, Indonesia; IFOAM Japan; Thatsaka Saphangthong, Lao PDR;
Basanta Ranabhat, Nepal; Vitoon Panyakul & Towards Organic Asia team, Thailand;
Nhung Tu Tuyet, Vietnam; Thilak Kariyawasam, Sri Lanka
Except for Japan, respondents reported 2014 has been a good year for organic with
domestic market development creating more buzz than exports. Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) and Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) at the grassroots are
developing apace as low-cost alternatives to 3rd party certification. However, there is a
danger that national regulations, which continue to increase, will not pay due
recognition to PGS even as national authorities struggle with how to implement
mandatory 3rd party certification and compliance for imports. Innovative public private
partnership solutions are emerging. Whilst many are still ambivalent about it, some are
getting ready for the onset of the ASEAN Economic Community at the end of 2015.
Framework agreements and arrangements to be developed for organic by the 10 ASEAN 2
member states for a 500 million single market may be a game changer for the region and
beyond.
Lighthouse Bhutan
Although small in size and organic quantities, Bhutan continues as spiritual lighthouse
for many as the only country that has chosen to be wholly organic. In March 2014,
together with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM),
Millennium Institute and Navdanya 3, the government of Bhutan co-hosted the "IFOAM
Conference on Organic and Ecological Agriculture in Mountain Ecosystems," attended by
over 120 participants. The Thimphu Declaration underlining a paradigm change from
"Feeding" to "Nourishing" was issued. Later in October 2014, at the 18th Organic World
Congress at Istanbul, the Minister of Agriculture reaffirmed Bhutan's commitment to
move towards the organic target with practical and realistic steps. It was a target that
may be closer to reach than earlier thought.
A presentation of the current status, actions required and implications for organic
development was made at a cabinet meeting. The National Organic Programme, once a
project, has been upgraded to a division level with strengthened capacity to serve more
1
Ong Kung Wai, Humus Consultancy, Penang, Malaysia
2
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok,
Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of
ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam then joined on 7
January 1984, Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April
1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN. More information is available at the ASEAN
website at www.asean.org.
3
Navdanya is a network of seed keepers and organic producers spread across 17 states in India. More
information is available at http://www.navdanya.org
Asia: Overview
parts of the country. Of a total land size of 3’839’400 hectares, only 3 percent is under
cultivation. National agriculture statistics of 2012 indicate of the total cultivated land,
about 95 percent of field crops, and 98 percent of fruit trees are managed either
organically or without use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. A conventional
organic premium market approach to drive development would not suit. The challenge is
not conversion but registration and up-scaling organic practices for better productivity,
and also registration of vast areas of wild collection under supervision according to
organic requirements.
The Bhutan National Organic Programme has aptly focused on a national branding and
promotion approach through allowing the use of the National Organic Mark "Bhutan
Organic" on all organic local produce as long as growers are registered and comply with
domestic standards. Third-party certification is voluntary and free for the domestic
market. Whilst not systemically or fully formalized, Bhutan is as close to 100 percent as
any country can practically get. Bhutan was invited to make a presentation at the US
Organic Trade Association's annual policy conference. May it continue to inspire.
Bangladesh
According to the Bangladesh Organic Products Manufacturers Association (BOPMA), the
Bangladesh Ministry of Agriculture is not interested in organic agriculture, believing it
will hamper food security. On the other hand, consumers are interested in organic
products. The market boom reported in 2013 remains strong. The authenticity of
organic claims in the market remains a concern. The private organic certification body
established by BOPMA, Organic Bangladesh Limited, is up and running.
Notwithstanding the ministry's position, BOPMA has been lobbying the Ministry of
Agriculture to establish organic labeling regulations and formulate a national organic
agriculture policy since 2006, albeit without success. Meanwhile, the project to foster
entrepreneurs to establish 500 organic fertiliser factories, 20 organic pesticides
production units, and 50 organic outlets by 2020, reportedly, remains on track.
China grows more for domestic

In November, 2014, the China National Certification and Accreditation Administration
(CNCA) - the national organic competent authority - published a "Country Report on the
Development of the Chinese Organic Sector." This was the first time that CNCA had
officially published statistics of organic production in China. According to the report, the
total certified organic acreage in 2013 was 2.1 million hectares, with 1.3 million hectares
certified to the Chinese Organic Standard for the domestic market and 0.8 million
hectares certified by foreign certification bodies of organic standards for export markets.
CNCA also established a nationwide research program covering almost all aspects of the
Chinese organic sector. The research budget amounted to several million US dollars and
insiders noted that it was high, indicating the government's increased support for
organic production.
In early 2014, external training was conducted in Germany for trainees from countries
in the European Union who were interested in conducting inspections of the Chinese
organic standard. The Chinese authorities have recently been making reforms to loosen
some certification rules. Insiders are cautiously hopeful that the registration of external
Asia: Overview
inspectors, to conduct an inspection in foreign countries, may be made possible in the

near future.
At the grassroots, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes are taking off.
Starting in 2009, about 300 to 400 participants have been gathering annually at the
National CSA Conference in Beijing (2009-2012), Shanghai (2013), and in December
2014, in Fuzhou (for the 6th conference), to exchange experiences. Many participants are
now interested in the Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) concept. As there is no
support for PGS in the current Chinese organic regulations, PGS groups, if established,
are not be able to use the terms “organic” or “certification”.
3rd party certification blues in Indonesia

Although there is an increase in the interest of local governments to develop organic
agriculture, third party certification blues linger on in Indonesia. At least seven local
Indonesian governments are known to have an organic program/project in their area. Six
local organic exhibitions or events and at least two national organic exhibitions - the
Organic and Healthy Expo (Jakarta, June 2014) and Bogor Organic Fair (October 2014) -
were held during 2014. The Indonesia Minister of Agriculture together with the
Indonesian Embassy-Berlin and Indonesia Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) paid for a
booth of 36 square metres at Biofach, Nuremberg in 2014, and their support will
increase to a booth for Indonesia of 54 square metres at Biofach in 2015. Although
government support for organic production is on the increase, the non-recognition of
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) - or Community Based Assurance (CBA), as they
are known in Indonesia under the Indonesian organic regulation promulgated in May
2013 - remains an overarching concern and bane for organic agriculture advocacy
organisations such as Indonesia Organic Alliance. The regulation (Peraturan Menteri
Pertanian/"Permentan"/Ministry of Agriculture regulation no. 64) requires products
labeled as ‘organic' to be certified by an approved third party certification body and
include the logo "ORGANIC INDONESIA" on the packaging. The majority of organic
producers in the country are small-scale farmers, and so such a regulation is not
accessible as they are forced to seek expensive third party certification. Besides the
domestic regulatory constraint, Indonesia Organic Alliance is also wary about what the
onset of the ASEAN Economic Community at the end of 2015 would mean for organic
small farmers in Indonesia.
No significant development for Japan

Japan reached equivalency agreements with the European Union, USA and Canada.
Japan is currently in negotiations with Korea. Large companies are buying stocks of
specialized organic distributers or absorbing them. The 5-year revision cycle for the
Organic JAS Regulation has just started. However, the growth in production, sales, and
the number of producers is low, according to IFOAM Japan. On the whole, there was no
significant development in the organic agriculture movement, with the exception of the
increased attention on issues arising from the Fukushima nuclear power accident. There
is, however, an increased interest in domestically made products, family farming, the
consumption of local produce, and the self-sufficiency lifestyle. For IFOAM Japan, the
growing gap between the big, the rich and rest of society is a bigger concern to be
addressed.
Asia: Overview
A national organic agriculture strategy for Laos PDR

The Lao organic sector had another good year in 2014. More farms have registered
under the government organic certification programme. A total of 84 grower groups and
16 companies are now certified. More significantly, the Department of Agriculture has
embarked on a process to develop a national organic agriculture strategy for Lao PDR.
Unlike the trepidation Indonesia Organic Alliance has about the ASEAN Economic
Community, the Department of Agriculture, Lao PDR sees good opportunities.
Nepal subsidy for export certification awaits accreditation

Authorities in Nepal are grappling with how to disburse funds designated for export
certification. The funds are available for payment to certification bodies who are
accredited by the National Organic Agriculture Accreditation Body (NOAB) of Nepal.
However, as of end of 2014, as they are not based in Nepal, none of the foreign
certification bodies working in Nepal have applied for accreditation. The domestic
organisations who applied cannot issue export certification.
Malaysia
In 2014, the Malaysia organic industry started the process of making a bid to host the
Organic World Congress (OWC) in 2017. Organic Alliance Malaysia submitted a bid, as
did five other countries. The Malaysian bid was contingent on the revision of the
financial arrangements of the current OWC hosting policy. As the financial
arrangements were not agreeable to the IFOAM World Board, Malaysia subsequently
withdrew its bid. However, the event will still come to Asia as India won the bid for the
congress in 2017.
Sri Lanka rules

Development funders and activists for organic production in Sri Lanka are currently
focusing on developing the local market. Supermarkets in Colombo now stock organic
produce. On 10th July 2014, the Sri Lanka government published the “Export
Development of Organic Products Regulations 2014.” Therein, the regulations state it
shall be the duty of every producer, processor, manufacturer and exporter of organic
agricultural products to adhere to and comply with Sri Lankan Organic Standards. Every
exporter or importer of organic agricultural products is required to be registered. Any
importer, producer, processor, manufacturer or operator selling any organic agricultural
product in contravention of the regulation shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not
less than twenty five thousand rupees and not exceeding one hundred thousand rupees.
In addition, the court can order the confiscation, disposal or destruction of the organic
product in relation to the offence, with the cost to be borne by the person convicted.
Doing well with domestic certification, Sri Cert is positioning to provide export
certification in 2015 through collaboration within Certification Alliance, a network of 10
certification bodies working in the region.
Public vs Private in Thailand

Media messages in Thailand are reportedly confusing as was the country's political
situation in 2014. Sometimes, they suggest agriculture policies will move towards
Asia: Overview
organic. Other times, there is a revival of interest to allow GMO. There were
unexpectedly lots of private sector initiatives. Participation at the Thai Organic Trade
Association (TOTA) training sessions was high. Asia Development Bank funded activities
drew in many new faces, including more than 50 producer groups. Demand for
certification, particularly from domestic processors increased. So did interest in
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) promoted by Thai PGS Organic+ as well as the
private sector.
Consumer awareness continues to grow, as well as the small-scale ‘direct trade' between
producers and consumers, enabled by social enterprises are emerging. So are linkages
between agriculture (land) reform and the organic movements. The MINDFUL
MARKETS Forum + Green Fair, a paradigm change initiative, held at Srinakharinwirot
University campus (SWU) Bangkok include keynote presentations from representatives
of the Seikatsu Club Cooperative Union, La Via Campesina and Centre for Bhutan
Studies & Gross National Happiness Research, Bhutan. A Right Livelihood lecture and
workshop by the 2013 Award recipient Hans R. Herren (Biovision, Switzerland) was also
held. The Mindful Markets Forum and Green Fair, and a Right Livelihood Summer
School, are planned for 2015.
A highlight of Thai organic production was the big organic trade fair and symposium
organized by the Ministry of Commerce in July 2014. To-date, the Ministry of
Commerce has actively supported organic production, albeit with a focus towards export
and the high-end market demand. Efforts by the government to return Thailand to its
former status as the world's number one exporter of rice will, hopefully, also revive the
fortunes of Thai organic rice exporters (after having fallen back because of the rice
support scheme of the previous government).
News coverage during 2014 about high pesticide residues found in vegetables labeled
with the government's "Q" quality mark eroded consumer confidence in the
government's certification system. The government is interested in the regulation of
organic labelling and for government agencies to have a bigger role in certification.
Thailand currently has separate government agencies operating separate certification
programmes for crop production, animal husbandry and aquaculture. This initiative is
not welcomed by the Thai Organic Trade Association.
On 8 December 2014, The Bangkok Post carried a story titled, ‘Big Changes begin down
at the farm,' a report on the first organic rice harvest from a joint venture between a
company and a village in Northeast Thailand. This is particularly noteworthy as the
article was written by the Chair of the Democrat Party's policy unit about a project
carried out by his company. The article cited the need to revitalize Thailand's aging
farming communities and indirectly suggested the benefits of going organic as a way
forward. This may be something to look forward to, should the Democrat Party return to
government.
Hundreds points of lights in Vietnam

Whilst organic production in Vietnam is still predominantly for exportation (of
foodstuffs such as tea, rice and shrimp), production for the domestic market (of
vegetables, tea and rice) is reportedly expanding in Vietnam, as is the presence of
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS). Following collaboration with ADDA
Asia: Overview
(Agricultural Development Denmark Asia) projects in the north of the country, PGSs are
now developing in the middle of the country. Food safety concerns continue to drive
consumer interest in organic produce, and farmers are making private investment in
organic production. Authorities at the provincial and district levels are channeling
government rural development funds to promote organic production, which is now
appearing all over the country. However, the total number and scale of such production
remains small. The government is revising the national organic standards and
considering better support for organic production, though not in an official policy
undertaking. The Vietnamese government is also supportive of GMO corn.
ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations moves forward

In the 2014 issue of “The World of Organic Agriculture”, 1 the ASEAN Standard for
Organic Agriculture (ASOA) was reported to be meandering its way to completion.
Largely unknown, even to those who have been following its progress, the ASOA has
indeed been formally adopted in late 2014. 2
The ASEAN Standard for Organic Agriculture pretty much reflects the Asia Regional
Organic Standard (AROS) in most parts with minor differences here and there. Although
yet to be recognised as such, this represents a significant and concrete success for the
Global Organic Market Access (GOMA) project, a 3-party partnership between the Food
and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), The United Nation’s
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and IFOAM. The Asia Regional
Organic Standard (AROS) was completed by GOMA in February 2012 to serve as a
regional benchmark for equivalence as well as reference for countries planning to set
national organic standards in the region. Using the AROS as working document, the
ASEAN Special Task Force, which was established in April 2013 to develop the ASEAN
Standard for Organic Agriculture (ASOA), completed the final draft in April 2014 with 3
workshops between 2 regular annual meetings. That ASEAN member states can reach
consensus in just 12 months speaks highly of the GOMA project team foresight,
inclusive consultations and sound preparatory work in development of the AROS.
ASEAN will follow up the ASOA with development of certification and equivalency
among ASEAN member states. Three out of ten ASEAN member states, Indonesia,
Philippines and Malaysia, have established organic labeling regulations. Thailand
intends to do the same. The clock is ticking for government officials to carry out the
necessary adjustments to fulfil the single market vision of the ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC) to be implemented from end 2015.
As work starts on other aspects of the implementation of an ASEAN organic assurance
system, ASEAN is likely to consider other GOMA tools since the AROS has served it well,
such as International Requirements for Organic Certification Bodies (IROCB), Guide for
Assessing Equivalence of Organic Standards and Technical Regulations (EquiTool), as
well as suggestions based on the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Mutual Recognition
Arrangements. Use of the GOMA equivalency assessment matrix is already mentioned in
1
The 2014 issue of “The World of Organic Agriculture” is available here: http://www.organic-
world.net/2630.html.
2
The standard can now be viewed and downloaded from the ASEAN website:
http://www.asean.org/communities/asean-economic-community/category/other-documents-6
Asia: Overview
the Strategic Action Plan of the ASOA. The first workshops for the development of
explanatory notes on the ASOA and equivalence assessment of ASEAN member state's
national organic standards are scheduled for March 2015 in the Philippines.
The ASEAN process may well be the first multi-party mutual recognition arrangement
for organic production. The European Union had a central legislative structure in place
when the EU Organic Regulation was set, and other recognition arrangements to-date
have been bilateral, i.e. European Union-USA, USA-Canada, European Union-Japan, etc.
The equivalence arrangement adopted by ASEAN could have a significant influence on
the region of Asia and beyond as more countries continue to set and amend organic
regulations.
ASEAN today; tomorrow the World

With the spate of bilateral recognition arrangements completed to-date, access to the
more developed organic markets (European Union, USA, Canada, and Japan) requires,
essentially, just a single certification to one of the current regional/national certification
schemes for operators in the mentioned region or countries. Operators, namely
producers in other places certified to any of the mentioned schemes, do not enjoy similar
benefits.
ASEAN today is a pivotal political platform. Over time, it has become a forum where the
more powerful countries (e.g. China, Korea, Japan, India, Australia, EU and USA), can
get together to work things out. Together with the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC),
it will gain additional market and economic weight, and is expected to play an important
role in future trade arrangements, e.g. organic equivalency arrangements. ASEAN brings
the ten member states into a single national certification arrangement, permitting trade
amongst themselves. It will be interesting to see whether ASEAN, in the future, could
also expand the arrangement to the rest of the organic world.
Managing imports for small countries or markets

Whereas labelling regulations are in place, authorities are struggling with the
implementation of requirements for imports to meet national standards. They pose a
dilemma where domestic markets are not big enough to attract the compliance of
foreign operators or start government-to-government equivalency negotiations. Even if
there is an interest to comply, the logistics of conducting an inspection can be daunting
for both the operator and certification body. Certification bodies and operators are still
struggling with organizing compliance to the Chinese market regulations, e.g., sending
inspectors from China to the UK, where the chocolate processing operation is located, is
not enough. Inspections also have to be carried out where the cocoa is grown.
For countries where national competent authorities are not set up to handle the
registration of foreign inspection or certification bodies, other smart options need to be
explored. The ‘problem' is acuter for countries where certification is provided by
government agencies, e.g., the Department of Agriculture, as in Malaysia and Lao PDR.
One appears to have been found. At the beginning of 2014, the Department of
Agriculture (DOA) in Malaysia embarked on a public private partnership arrangement
whereby Organic Alliance Malaysia, the national organic association, is appointed to
handle the application and inspection of processors to the national organic certification
Asia: Overview
scheme. Certification decisions remain with the DOA. The DOA continues to provide
free inspection to primary producers in the country. Organic Alliance Malaysia is also
charged with verifying authenticity of the certification of imports and determining their
equivalence to the Malaysian organic standards.
Criteria for recognition of prior certification include: The certification has to be to an
organic certification scheme that is subject to external review or a party to a mutual
recognition arrangement. The certification body must be approved or accredited to
provide certification to the scheme in question. The certificate must be valid for the
produce/product(s) applying for recognition.
Approval is on a batch basis, limited to the list and amount of produce/products applied
for. Approval of prior certified produce/products is strictly only for the purpose for use
as an ingredient or labelling of the final product(s). It does not grant any recognition
status to the certification body or certification status to the producer/processor of the
produce/product(s). The criteria and procedure provide ad-hoc verification of organic
imports and allow trade flow until a more formal recognition arrangement is established
at the ASEAN level and subsequently, between ASEAN and its trading partners. Whilst
the above arrangement facilitates verification of imports, there is the matter of
facilitating export certification.
Reducing the cost of certification

The arrangement of the Department of Agriculture (DOA) and the Organic Alliance
Malaysia (OAM) also allows OAM to arrange and inspect for and export certifications.
Having local inspectors to conduct joint inspections for both domestic and export
certifications saves cost. This approach was proposed and adopted as a strategy to
reduce the cost of external third party certification for organic exports from the Greater
Mekong Sub-region (GMS) in one of the many activities implemented by the Asia
Development Bank (ADB) Technical Assistance project “Implementing the Greater
Mekong Sub-region Core Agriculture Support Program (Phase 2).”
The project starting with Lao PDR in December 2014, will also assist selected local
organic service providers in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam to handle the application
and inspection for ACT, the leading certification provider based in Bangkok, Thailand,
and accredited to provide organic certification for export to the EU and Canada. In Lao
PDR, a different smart public-private partnership arrangement came about. Whilst the
handling will be done by a private company, the inspectors will be drawn from the Lao
Certification Body, the government certification body, to enable joint inspections for
domestic and export certifications. The innovative and smart public-private
collaborations are refreshing. Regulatory authorities are coming to realise that their
regulatory regime may not necessarily amount to recognition by export markets that
operators are exporting to. ASEAN will need all the innovative smart public-private
partnership it can muster. As ASEAN member states' No Gap No Trade policy takes
effect alongside implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community's single market,
ASEAN producers face a minimum of four certifications, i.e., National Good Agriculture
Practice (GAP) and Global GAP as well as National Organic and Export Organic
certifications, to be able to trade agriculture produce and products within and beyond
the region.
Asia: Overview
One looks forward to what other innovative smart arrangements will arise from
Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam in 2015. The same Asia Development Bank project is
also assisting the development of Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) in the Greater
Mekong Sub-region.
With the formal adoption of the ASEAN Standard for Organic Agriculture (ASOA),
ASEAN member organisations of the Certification Alliance (CertAll) made further
progress on the harmonization of certification requirements. At the CertAll Partners'
meeting in December 2014, partners agreed to and worked on a common certification
management module based on the ECert software in partnership with Organic Services,
the software provider. The output, i.e., common master data fields and an integrated
inspection checklist, will allow for a single data entry and single-inspection reporting for
multiple certifications, domestic and export, offered amongst partners. This includes
non-organic inspection and certifications such as Utz and 4C.
Besides existing certification providers ACT, QCS, and OFDC offering certifications to
the European Union, the US National Organic Programme (NOP), the Canada Organic
Regime (COR), and the Chinese Regulation, CertAll partners signed on to work with
Australian Certified Organic (ACO) to offer additional certifications to Japan and Korea.
E-learning
There was also an innovation in training delivery. The Asia Productivity Organisation
(APO), who has been conducting organic certification and labelling courses annually in
the region, tried out an E-Learning format for its 2014 Course on Production and
Certification of Organic Food for Greater Market Access. Through the World Bank video
conferencing facilities in Tokyo and in collaboration with facilities in Germany and
selected trainee countries, the course was conducted online simultaneously to
Bangladesh, India, Iran, and Nepal in one session and to the Philippines, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam in another. This was a vast difference from the onsite
training for 24 people in Manila, the Philippines, in 2013.
Asia: Organic Vegetables Production in China
Statistics and Emerging Trends of Organic Vegetable

Production in China 1
XUE-QING HE, 2 YU-HUI QIAO, 3 MIN SU, 4 AND FRIEDERIKE MARTIN 5
China is the largest vegetable producing and consuming country in the world. The area
farmed for vegetables grew from 17.9 million hectares in 2003 to 19.6 million hectares
in 2011, an increase of almost ten percent over those years (Wang Dongjie, et al. 2013).
Because of the short growth cycle and high demand for water and nutrients, a lot of
fertilizers and pesticides are used in conventional vegetable production.
Status of organic vegetable production

By the end of 2013, there were about 50’000 hectares under organic vegetables
production. Perennial vegetables such as asparagus and bamboo shoots made up the
category using the largest area (18’000 hectares), accounting for 36 percent of the total
area, followed by tubers such as potato, cassava, sweet potato, Chinese yam, and taro
(7’500 hectares, 15 percent). Further vegetable groups are cabbages, beans, solanaceous
vegetables, and others (see Table 1).
In total, 753’135 tons of organic vegetables were produced in 2013, including 413’558
tons produced from in-conversion areas. The category with the highest production
(177’336 tons) were tuber vegetables, accounting for 24 percent of total organic
vegetable production. Fresh mustard vegetables were in second place, accounting for 13
percent of all organic vegetable production, followed by solanaceous vegetables and
gourd vegetables.
Between 2009 and 2013, China's organic vegetable area increased but then decreased;
the largest area was noted in 2011. The new organic standards, implemented in 2012,
are more stringent, which led to a decrease of the organic vegetable area by 21 percent in
2012. Compared with 2012, the fully converted area decreased by 13 percent; the area
under conversion, however, increased by 12 percent, and the overall organic vegetable
area decreased by three percent in 2013 (Figure 51).
1
This project was funded under the National Social Science Fund (11AZD095), Corresponding author: Qiao,
Yu-hui, qiaoyh@cau.edu.cn
2
Xue-qing He, Postgraduate Student, College of Resource and Environmental Science, China Agricultural
University, Beijing
3
Prof. QIAO Yu-hui, PHD, corresponding author, qiaoyh@cau.edu.cn College of Resource and Environmental
Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing
4
Min Su, College of Resource and Environmental Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing
5
Friederike Martin, Integrated Natural Resource Management at Humboldt Berlin, Germany
Table 44: China: Area and production of various organic vegetables by vegetable group
2013
Categories Area [ha] Share of total Production Share of total
area (%) [metric tons] production %
Perennial vegetables 18’269 36.16 42’349 5.6
Tuber vegetables 74’74 14.79 177’336 23.6
Cabbages 4’307 8.53 22’614 3.0
Beans 3’479 6.88 22’899 3.0
Solanaceous vegetables 2’891 5.72 91’564 12.2
Gourd vegetables 2’766 5.47 85’677 11.4
Bulb vegetables 2’490 4.93 41’305 5.5
Root vegetables 2’412 4.77 36’607 4.9
Leaf vegetables 2’319 4.59 29’435 3.9
Edible fungus 1’317 2.61 43’904 5.8
1
Aquatic vegetables 1’239 2.45 22’313 3.0
Chinese cabbages 1’211 2.40 38’071 5.1
Mustard vegetables 329 0.65 98’355 13.1
Bud seedling vegetables 24 0.05 706 0.1
Source: CNCA 2014
Figure 51: China: Development of organic vegetable area 2009-2013

Source: CNCA 2014
Domestic and foreign trade of organic vegetables

There are various domestic sales channels for organic vegetables, such as supermarkets,
specialized organic retailers, on-farm sales, farmers’ markets, online shops, and gift box
sales (Wang Liping et al., 2013). The domestic market for organic vegetables has been
1
Aquatic vegetables include lotus root, chufa, water arum or bean sprouts
booming since the year 2010, especially in the big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and
Guangzhou. Organic vegetable exports include all kinds of frozen vegetables, pickled
vegetables, dehydrated vegetables, and a small amount of fresh vegetables. Total organic
vegetable exports reached 21’000 thousand tons in 2011, accounting for 0.21 percent of
the country’s vegetable exports. The value of organic vegetable exports was 21.24 million
US dollars in 2011. In 2011, Chinese organic vegetables were exported to 13 countries;
the top three countries were Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States, accounting
for 65 percent of the total organic vegetable volume exported. Organic vegetables are
also exported to Canada, Belgium, the UK, Australia, and other neighbouring Asian
countries.
The development potential of organic vegetables
The total area under organic vegetable production (about 50’000 hectares) in China was
about one sixth of the total area of organic vegetables grown in the world (300’000
hectares in 2013 according to the FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015). The share of the total
Chinese vegetable area was very low (0.26 percent). This shows that organic vegetables
have a lot of room to grow. The shares of the total vegetable area in the countries with
the largest organic vegetable area, like the United States, Mexico, and Italy, ranged from
6 to 8 percent (FiBL-IFOAM, 2015, see Table 36). This shows that China's organic
vegetable production has much room for development, which, however, requires
appropriate technical and policy support.
Conclusions and development proposals
The development prospects for organic vegetables are very good in China, but
development needs the support of technology and policy. More scientific studies should
be carried out, and at the same time, more practical techniques should be extended to
farmers. Market demand is the main driver for the development of organic agriculture,
and when deciding to produce organic vegetables, producers should fully understand the
market prospects of their products and formulate the relevant sales strategy. Organic
vegetable production needs an overall plan covering the whole food chain from
production to sale. Many issues need to be considered, such as the interests of the
farmers, crop protection, techniques, or market development. A lot of support from the
government is needed at all levels to promote the professional production of organic
vegetables by large-scale enterprises to enable a development that covers the whole
supply chain.
References
Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA), Report of organic industry
development in China, China Zhijian Publishing House. 2014,pp. 28-30
Wang Dongjie, Kong Fantao, Zhang Yumei. Review and prospect of vegetable production and market in China [J]. Agriculture
prospect，2013 (4):17-22.
Wang Liping, Yang Jing, Zhao Qingqing. Organic vegetable marketing. Yangtze Vegetable，2013.7:5-9
Zhao Fei. Primary analysis of organic vegetable development and countermeasures in China . Modern Horticulture，
2013.1:21
Asia: Current Statistics
Asia: Current statistics

JULIA LERNOUD, 1 HELGA WILLER, 2 AND BERNHARD SCHLATTER 3
The area of organic agricultural land in Asia is slightly more than 3.4 million hectares,
which is 0.2 percent of the total agricultural area in the region. Eight percent of the
global organic agricultural land is in Asia. Compared with 2001 (400’000 hectares),
organic land has increased almost tenfold. Between 2012 and 2013, the organic area in
Asia increased by 200’000 hectares or 6.5 percent, beginning to recover after the loss of
half a million hectares in India in 2012. The country with the largest organic agricultural
area is China (2.1 million hectares), and the country with the most producers is India
(650’000 producers). The countries with the highest shares of organic agricultural land
are Timor-Leste (6.6 percent) and Mongolia (4.7 percent).
Land use
Land use details were available for more than half of the organic agricultural area. In
2013, 37 percent of all organic farmland was used for arable crops (1.3 million hectares),
0.8 percent for grassland/grazing areas (22’000 hectares), and 11 percent (585’000
hectares) for permanent crops. Detailed information was not available for 49 percent of
the agricultural land, so we can assume that each category has a far larger share of the
total organic land than what was reported. For the first time, detailed land use data was
available for China; this explains the increase of some arable crop groups in Asia and also
globally (e.g., for cereals and oilseeds).
The key arable crop group is cereals with almost 800’000 hectares reported in total. Most
cereals were grown in China (almost 600’000 hectares) and Kazakhstan (approximately
130’000 hectares). Oilseeds are also an important crop group grown on at least 325’000
hectares, mainly in China and Kazakhstan. Big arable crop producers, such as India, did
not provide land use information in 2013; so it can be assumed that the total arable crop
area is larger than that shown in this report. Almost eleven percent of the organic
farmland was used for permanent crops; most of this land was used for nuts (almost
75’000 hectares, mainly in China), coffee (67’600 hectares, mainly in Indonesia and
Timor-Leste), and tea (at least 57’000 hectares, almost all of this in China).
Market
Market data are not available for all countries, but we can assume that the market is
continually growing. Seven countries provided retail sales values (Table 12, page 62).
China published official data for the first time in 2014 and reported sales of 2.4 billion
euros in 2013, making the country the world’s fourth-biggest market for organic
products. More information about the Asian market is available in the chapter about the
global market from Amarjit Sahota (page 120).
For more information about the Asian figures, see data tables for Asia, page 169.
1
2
3
Asia: Graphs
Organic Agriculture in Asia: Graphs

Asia: The ten countries with the largest organic area 2013
China 2'094'000
India 510'000
Kazakhstan 291'203
Philippines 101'278
Indonesia 65'688
Viet Nam 37'490
Saudi Arabia 36'595
Thailand 33'840
Timor-Leste 24'690
Azerbaijan 23'331
0 500'000 1'000'000 1'500'000 2'000'000 2'500'000

Hectares
Figure 52: Asia: The ten countries with the largest organic agricultural land 2013
Asia: The countries with the highest share of organic agricultural

land 2013
Timor-Leste 6.6%
Mongolia 4.7%
Palestine (2010) 1.7%
Israel 1.4%
Bhutan 1.3%
Republic of Korea 1.1%
Philippines 0.8%
Sri Lanka 0.7%
United Arab Emirates 0.7%
Taiwan 0.7%
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7%
Figure 53: Asia: The countries with the highest share of organic agricultural land 2013
Asia: Graphs
Asia: Development of organic agricultural land 2000 to 2013

4.0 3.78 3.69

3.58
3.36 3.43
3.5 3.22
3.00 2.90
3.0 2.68 2.77
Million hectares
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.42 0.43 0.49
0.5
0.06
0.0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 54: Asia: Development of organic agricultural land 2000 to 2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL survey 2002-2015; based on information from the private sector, certifiers,
and governments. For detailed data sources see annex, page 281.
Asia: Use of agricultural organic land 2013


Cereals 793.57
Oilseeds 325.13
Vegetables 66.90
Arable land Protein crops 18.72
crops Medicinal plants 12.73
37% 0.0 500.0 1'000.0
No details Thousand hectares
49% Key permanent crops
Nuts 74.82
Coffee 67.60
Tea 57.48
Permanent
Fruit temperate 39.92
Other crops
Fruit, trop./subtropical 39.89
agricultural Permanent 11%
land grassland 0.0 50.0 100.0
2% 1% Thousand hectares
Figure 55: Asia: Use of organic agricultural land 2013

Asia: Tables
Organic Agriculture in Asia: Tables

Table 45: Asia: Organic agricultural land, share of total agricultural land and number of
producers 2013
Country Area [ha] Share of total agr. land [%] Producers
Afghanistan 61 0.0% 264
Armenia 1'000 0.1% 21
Azerbaijan 23'331 0.5% 288
Bangladesh 6'860 0.1% 9'335
Bhutan 6'726 1.3%
Cambodia 9'889 0.2% 6'753
China 2'094'000 0.4%
Georgia 1'999 0.1% 150
India 510'000 0.3% 650'000
Indonesia 65'688 0.1% 5'700
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 12'156 0.0% 1'663
Iraq 40 0.0%
Israel 7'471 1.4% 326
Japan 10'611 0.3% 2'130
Jordan 2'898 0.3% 98
Kazakhstan 291'203 0.1%
Kyrgyzstan 2'856 0.0% 1'128
Lao People's Democratic Republic 6'442 0.3% 1'342
Lebanon 2'571 0.4% 132
Malaysia 603 0.0% 119
Mongolia 12'922 4.7%
Myanmar 897 0.0% 15
Nepal 9'361 0.2% 687
Oman 38 0.0% 38
Pakistan 22'397 0.1% 105
Palestinian, State of 6'354 1.7% 832
Philippines 101'278 0.8% 3'008
Republic of Korea 21'210 1.1% 13'963
Saudi Arabia 36'595 0.0% 79
Sri Lanka 19'517 0.7% 404
Syrian Arab Republic 19'987 0.1% 2'458
Taiwan 5'937 0.7% 2'988
Tajikistan 12'659 0.3% 10'486
Thailand 33'840 0.2% 9'279
Timor-Leste 24'690 6.6% 72
United Arab Emirates 4'150 0.7% 50
Uzbekistan 213 0.0%
Viet Nam 37'490 0.4% 6'829
Total 3'425'939 0.2% 730'744
Asia: Tables
Table 46: Asia: All organic areas 2013

Wild
Agriculture Aquaculture Forest
Country collection Total [ha]
[ha] [ha] [ha]
[ha]
Afghanistan 61 61
Armenia 1'000 11'250 12'250
Azerbaijan 23'331 123 937 24'391
Bangladesh 6'860 9'338 16'198
Bhutan 6'726 15'605 22'330
Cambodia 9'889 9'889
China 2'094'000 1'435'000 3'529'000
Georgia 1'999 1'405 3'405
India 510'000 5'180'000 5'690'000
Indonesia 65'688 94 10'330 76'111
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 12'156 27'552 39'708
Iraq 40 40
Israel 7'471 7'471
Japan 10'611 10'611
Jordan 2'898 2'898
Kazakhstan 291'203 863 292'066
Kyrgyzstan 2'856 2'856
Lao People's Democratic
6'442 16'786 23'228
Republic
Lebanon 2'571 2'571
Malaysia 603 603
Mongolia 12'922 12'922
Myanmar 897 897
Nepal 9'361 24'422 33'783
Oman 38 38
Pakistan 22'397 22'397
Palestinian, State of 6'354 6'354
Philippines 101'278 101'278
Republic of Korea 21'210 21'210
Saudi Arabia 36'595 36'595
Sri Lanka 19'517 19'517
Syrian Arab Republic 19'987 8'000 27'987
Taiwan 5'937 5'937
Tajikistan 12'659 1'055'890 1'068'549
Thailand 33'840 270 34'109
Timor-Leste 24'690 24'690
United Arab Emirates 4'150 4'150
Uzbekistan 213 5'000 5'213
Viet Nam 37'490 35'600 1'300 74'390
Total 3'425'939 45'302 123 7'794'340 11'265'703
Asia: Tables
Table 47: Asia: Land use in organic agriculture (fully converted and in-conversion) 2013
Cereals 793'568
Flowers and ornamental plants 2'323
Green fodder from arable land 8'835
Mushrooms and truffles 1'318
Oilseeds 325'126
Root crops 1'294
Strawberries 2
Sugarcane 6'869
Textile crops 5'989
Vegetables 66'899
Arable crops, other 6
Cropland, no details 1'086'194
Home gardens 129
Other agricultural land 2'240
Unutilized land 27
Citrus fruit 11'891
Coconut 30'353
Coffee 67'598
Fruit 10
Fruit of temperate climate zones 39'922
Fruit/nuts/berries 3
Grapes 21'482
Nuts 74'819
Olives 2'203
Permanent grassland 27'676
Total 3'425'939
Asia: Tables
Table 48: Asia: Use of wild collection areas 2013

Land use Area [ha]
Apiculture 7'862
Berries, wild 161
Forest honey 9'007
Fruit, wild 541
Nuts, wild 179
Palm sugar 100
Total 7'794'340
Europe
Map 5: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Europe 2013

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2015; based on information from the private sector, certifiers, governments,
Eurostat and the Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network. For detailed data sources see annex,
page 281.
Europe: Overview
Organic Farming in Europe

HELGA WILLER 1 AND STEPHEN MEREDITH2
Globally, Europe continues to be a forerunner in organic agriculture. The positive

development is due to a number of reasons, including strong consumer demand, legal
protection and requirements for organic production and labelling as set out in EU and
national legislation, as well as the development of the private organic standards and
labelling. In addition, agricultural policy support measures, such as conversion and
maintenance payments for organic production, have contributed positively to sectoral
development. In some countries, more coordinated policy approaches have also been
promoted through national and regional organic action plans, which seek to link support
measures with further growth and expansion (Sanders et al. 2011).
In 2013, the area of organic land, the number of organic farmers, and the organic market
continued to grow in Europe. In Europe, 11.5 million hectares (European Union: 10.2
million), constituting 2.4 percent (EU: 5.7 percent) of the agricultural area, were under
organic management in 2013; there was an increase of three percent compared to that of
2012. There were more than 330’000 producers (European Union: almost 260’000). The
value of the European organic market in 2013 was 24.3 billion euros (EU: 22.2 billion
euros), and the overall growth rate was approximately six percent from the 2012 figures.
For more details, please view the chapter on European organic farming statistics (see
page 181).
EU regulation on organic farming

Since the early 1990s, the EU regulatory framework has contributed to the development
of a harmonised approach to consumer protection, preventing unfair competition and
ensuring common standards for the production, labelling and marketing of organic
produce in Europe. Private and other national standards have helped to pioneer
innovation in organic standards across the sector (Meredith et al., 2014). In March
2014, the European Commission published a legislative proposal (European
Commission, 2014a) for a new organic food and farming legislation accompanied by an
organic action plan (European Commission, 2014b). The proposal focuses on three main
objectives: maintaining consumer confidence, maintaining producer confidence, and
making it easier for farmers to switch to organic agriculture (European Commission,
2014c). 3
1
2
Stephen Meredith, Policy Coordinator, European Union Group of the International Federation of Organic
Agriculture (IFOAM EU), Brussels, Belgium, www.ifoam-eu.org
3
Specifically, the European Commission proposes:
› to strengthen and harmonize rules, both in the European Union and for imported products, by removing
many of the current exceptions in terms of production and controls;
› to reinforce controls by making them risk-based;
› to make it easier for small farmers to join organic farming by introducing the possibility for them to sign
up to a group certification system;
› to better address the international dimension of trade in organic products with the addition of new
provisions on exports; and finally
Europe: Overview
While the organic movement shares and supports

the Commission’s aim for a sustainable growth of
organic food and farming throughout Europe and
acknowledges the need for further development of
the regulation, it is concerned that the proposal
would lead to a decline of organic production in
Europe in particular at the expense of smaller
enterprises and less developed regions. The sector Figure 56: European Union: Logo
sees that changes to the Commission's proposal are for organic products.
The “Euro-leaf” design shows the EU stars
necessary to support the development of the sector, in the shape of a leaf against a green
based on a progressive step-by-step process – background, conveying the message:
backed by financial investment – with a clear vision Nature and Europe. The logo can be
taking account of diversity of Member States, accompanied by national or private logos.
Since July 1, 2010, the organic logo of the
regions and organic operators based on the EU has been made mandatory on all pre-
principles of organic farming (IFOAM EU, 2014a). packaged organic products that were
Members of the European Parliament and a produced in any of the EU Member States
number of Member States 1 have also criticised the and meet the necessary standards.
European Commission’s proposal on the organic regulation. In December 2014, the
European Commission decided that if in the first six months of 2015 no agreement is
reached on the proposal, it should be replaced by a new initiative (European Commission
2014d). The organic sector has stated that it will continue to work to ensure that the
proposal achieves better outcomes than the current regulation and helps to support the
sustainable development of organic agriculture in Europe (IFOAM EU 2014b).
EU policy support for organic farming

Since the beginning of the 1990s, EU policy support has contributed to the development
of organic farming primarily in the EU under agri-environmental programmes (now
under the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) Pillar II, Rural Development Programme). 2
Discussions on the CAP reform for the period of 2014 to 2020 have taken place over the
last four years. New legislation was agreed on by the European Commission, Parliament
and Agricultural Ministers in June 2013. 3 The year 2014 has been dominated by the
final adoption of implementing rules and negotiations between the Commission and
Member State authorities on the implementation of Pillar 1 direct payments and new
Rural Development Programmes. At time of press, 9 out of 118 programmes have been
adopted with the European Commission anticipating that a further 15 will be adopted in
the first quarter of 2015 and remaining programmes from mid-2015 (European
› to simplify the legislation to reduce administrative costs for farmers and improve transparency.
1
In addition a joint declaration by the agriculture ministers from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland,
Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia has highlighted a number of concern with the proposal see Common
declaration at http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-14089-2014-INIT/en/pdf
2
Switzerland and Denmark introduced support schemes already in the 1980s, and in 1989, Germany
introduced support for organic farming under what is known as the extensification program. With the EU’s
agri-environmental programs, this support was extended to all EU countries (since 1992). The type and
amount of support provided within this program varies within the different EU Member States. Many non-EU
countries have similar support schemes.
3
Detailed information on the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013 is available at the website of the
European Commission at http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/cap-post-2013/index_en.htm.
Europe: Overview
Commission 2014d, 2014e). 1,2 The importance of using this CAP reform to transition EU
agriculture towards a more sustainable path, with organic farming as a model approach,
has been stressed by the organic movement through the reform process. Key outcomes
have been the recognition of organic farming under direct payments and rural
development programmes including higher investment support rates and EU co-
financing as well as acknowledgement under quality schemes support and advisory
services. The new reform also promotes innovation that seeks to move towards agro-
ecological production systems, whilst maintaining a legal minimum spending for
environment measures that include organic farming. At the same time, the new CAP
does not introduce a radical shift towards more sustainable farming systems, with
overall spending for rural development disproportionately cut compared to direct
payments (Meredith et al., 2014). 3
Of particular interest in terms of mainstreaming organic farming in rural development is
the acknowledgment by EU leaders of the need for agro-ecological innovation to redirect
European agriculture onto a more sustainable path. The newly established European
Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI) is an
EU policy instrument supported jointly under the European Union’s research and
innovation framework program Horizon 2020 and rural development policy until 2020.
Its main objective is to bridge the gap between research and farming practice by
encouraging stakeholders from different areas of the agri-food system – farmers,
businesses, researchers and advisers – to share ideas and experiences, develop
innovative solutions to current problems and challenges, and to put the results of
research projects into practice.
All key elements of the new CAP are expected to come into force on a rolling basis in
2015. The outlook for organic farming in Europe over the coming years is very much
dependent on how well new policy is implemented at national and regional
implementation to advance the sustainable development of the sector.
Research
Today, organic farming research is funded under national research programs or national
organic action plans, as well as through European programs. 4 Even though there are no
figures available for all European countries, it is known that the funds of the eleven
countries that were part of the ERA-Net 5 project CORE Organic I 1 amounted to more
1
For the latest development on new rural development programming is available at the website of the
European Commission ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rural-development-2014-2020/country-files/
2
For the latest development on new rural development programming is available at the website of the
European Commission ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rural-development-2014-2020/country-files/
3
The EU budget for the period 2014-2020 was agreed by EU Heads of State and Government at a European
Council meeting in February 2013 and approved by European Parliament in 19 November 2013 following
some small concessions by the European Council. Meredith et al., 2014 provide an overview of agricultural
spending for period 2014-2020 based on information available at time of press. More information is now
available on the European Commission’s website ec.europa.eu/agriculture/cap-funding/budget/index_en.htm
4
For a list of organic farming research projects funded by the European Commission, see http://www.organic-
research.org/european-projects.html
5
The objective of the ERA-NET scheme is to step up the cooperation and coordination of research activities
that are carried out at the national or regional levels in the Member States and Associated States.
Europe: Overview
than 60 million euros in 2006 (Lange et al. 2007). Newer data is currently being
compiled by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and will be released in 2015.
Several organic farming research projects have been funded under the framework
programs of the European Union since the mid-1990s. Furthermore, there are several
European projects that do not have organic farming as their focus, but they carry out
related research. In the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological
Development, which was launched in 2008, 14 projects focus on organic farming. In the
meantime, the first calls for projects for the succeeding Horizon 2020 programme were
launched. The following projects are still running:
− Co-Free: Innovative strategies for copper-free low input and organic farming systems (2012-2016), www.co-
free.eu
− CORE Organic Plus - Coordination of European Transnational Research in Organic Food and Farming Systems
(2014-2016), www.coreorganic.org
− IMPRO: Impact matrix analysis and cost-benefit calculations to improve management practices regarding health
status in organic dairy farming (2012-2016), www.impro-dairy.eu
− ORAQUA European Organic Aquaculture - Science-based recommendations for further development of the EU
regulatory framework and to underpin future growth in the sector (2014-2016), www.oraqua.eu/
− OSCAR: Optimising Subsidiary Crop Applications in Rotations (2012-2016), web3.wzw.tum.de/Oscar
OrganicDataNetwork project successfully concluded

The European research project OrganicDataNetwork (Data network for better European organic
market information, www.organicdatanetwork.net) ended in December 2014. The project aimed
to increase the transparency of the European organic food market through better availability of
market information about the sector, meeting the needs of the policy makers and actors involved
in organic markets. Its major achievements are:
> The ORganic Market data MAnual and CODE of Practice (OrMaCode) for the initiation and
maintenance of good organic market data collection and publication procedures, including a
tutorial. The OrMaCode covers different key areas of organic market data collection, processing,
storage, and publication/ dissemination and is available at ormacode.organicdatanetwork.net
(Zanoli et al. 2014);
>Recommendations for future organic market data collection (Zanoli 2014);
>Market database, which is available as an interactive table at the OrganicDataNetwork’s website
at www.organicdatanetwork.net/odn-statistics-data.html (Willer & Schaack 2014).
> Case studies in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, and a group of non-
EU Mediterranean countries (Gerrard et al. 2014).
CORE Organic – “Coordination of European Transnational Research in Organic Food

and Farming Systems” intends to increase cooperation between national research
activities. CORE Organic Plus, the third CORE Organic project that started in 2014, has
24 partners from 21 countries/regions. The overall objective of CORE Organic is to
enhance quality, relevance and utilization of resources in European research in organic
1
CORE Organic (Co-ordination of European Transnational Research in Organic Food and Farming),
www.coreorganic.org. CORE Organic was a three-year coordination action in organic food and farming (2004
to 2007). The overall objective was to gather a critical mass and enhance the quality, relevance, and utilization
of resources in European research in organic food and farming. It was succeeded by the CORE Organic II and
the CORE Organic PLUS projects.
Europe: Overview
food and farming and to pool resources across Member States to finance transnational
research in organic food and farming.
Founded in 2008, the European Technology Platform for Organic Food and Farming (TP
Organics, www.tporganics.eu) identifies the research and innovation needs of the
European organic food and farming sector and communicates them to policy makers. 1
The platform unites large companies, small & medium enterprises, researchers, farmers,
consumers and civil society organisations active in the organic value chain from
production, input & supply, to food processing, marketing and consumption. In
December 2014, TP Organics published priority topics for the Horizon 2020 Work
Programme 2016/2017. Horizon 2020 is the current research framework programme of
the European Union. According to TP Organics, the topics will contribute to the
implementation of the European Union's Organic Action Plan as well as leverage the
organic sector's contribution to sustainable food security, resilient food systems and the
renaissance of rural areas. The selection of topics is the result of a process of one year
and a half with experts and stakeholders, including an on-line consultation with more
than 300 responses. Together, the topics will support sustainable growth of the organic
sector in Europe and beyond. (TP Organics 2014). In December 2014, TP Organics
published a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda describing the top research and
innovation priorities of the European organic sector until 2020. Solving the challenges
described in the Agenda will be crucial to further drive the development of the sector
and strengthen its competitiveness. The Agenda is the result of a participatory process
of one year and a half with experts and stakeholders, including an on-line consultation
that attracted more than 300 responses (TP Organics, 2014).TP Organics will use the
Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda to influence the agenda of EU and national
research programmes as well as the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural
Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI).
The international counterpart of TP Organics, the Technology Innovation Platform of
IFOAM (TIPI, tipi.ifoam.org), held two meetings in 2014: Science Day at Biofach in
Nuremberg and a workshop at the IFOAM Organic World Congress. At these meetings,
TIPI’s draft of the global vision and research strategy for organic farming was discussed
(Niggli et al. 2014). It is expected that the final version will be ready in 2015.
In 2014, the project “Promoting university education in organic farming in South-East
Europe” came to an end. 2 Five South-East European universities that teach courses in
organic farming have taken part in the project. The development of a complete lecture
module on organic farming at undergraduate level is a major outcome of the project. All
1
The TP Organic vision paper, published in December 2008, reveals the huge potential of organic food
production to mitigate major global problems, from climate change and food security, to the whole range of
socio-economic challenges in the rural areas (Niggli et al. 2008). In February 2010, the Strategic Research
Agenda (SRA), the second major document of the Technology Platform TP Organics (www.tporganics.eu) was
finalized, underlining research priorities and a number of suggestions for research projects (Schmid et al.
2009). The Implementation Action Plan explains how the research priorities and research topics, identified in
the Strategic Research Agenda, can be implemented. A focus is laid on funding instruments, research methods,
and communication of results (Padel et al. 2010). Many of the topics covered in these documents were taken
into consideration in recent European calls.
2
The project was funded through the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) SCOPES programme, which is
targeted at Eastern European countries and newly independent states from the former Soviet Union. The aim
of the project was to improve the teaching at universities offering courses on organic farming by giving the
teaching staff access to information and tools.
Europe: Overview
the lectures and further teaching material are available at the project website
elearning.fibl.org.
Organic action plans
Organic action plans are a further important instrument for the sustainable
development of the organic sector. In several countries, different organic support
measures are combined and coordinated within an organic action plan. Typically, organic
action plans are based on a detailed analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the
organic sector. They comprise of a balanced mix of different supply-oriented policy
measures (such as area payments, information for farmers) and demand-oriented policy
measures (such as marketing aids, consumer information campaigns) tailored to local
conditions. The action plan mechanism is particularly useful, because efforts to develop
the organic sector seek to address and enforce the growth capacity of the entire sector.
In 2013, 27 countries in Europe had an action plan, many of them with quantitative
targets (Sanders and Schmid 2014; see also country reports Willer et al., 2014).
The first European Action Plan for organic food and farming was launched in 2004. A
new action plan was adopted by the European Commission in March 2014 (European
Commission 2014b). The organic movement widely welcomed the publication of a new
organic action plan in 2014. However, whereas the launch of a strong action plan has
been a long standing demand of the organic movement, the proposed plan lacks clear
commitments. Although the analysis of the current developments and challenges in the
organic sector is described well and presented concisely in the action plan, it lacks
ambition for concrete action with clear objectives, time frames to reach the goals and a
dedicated budget for specific actions is missing. Moreover, the document does not
indicate if the Commission foresees any evaluation of the proposed actions after a
certain period of time. The organic movement has stressed that it is now crucial that all
EU institutions commit to an ambitious implementation of the action plan with
dedicated funding and support provided through EU policy instruments such as the
Common Agriculture Policy, the new EU research framework - Horizon 2020, and the
European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-
AGRI) (IFOAM EU, 2014a).
Further reading
Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing
Regulation (EEC) No 2092/9. Available at
http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2007/l_189/l_18920070720en00010023.pdf
European Commission (2013): Report on the results of the Public consultation on organic farming. European Commission,
Brussels http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/files/eu-policy/of_public_consultation_final_report_en.pdf
European Commission (2014a): Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on organic
production and labelling of organic products, amending Regulation (EU) No XXX/XXX of the European Parliament
and of the Council [Official controls Regulation] and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007. European
Commission, Brussels. Available at http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/documents/eu-policy/policy-
development/report-and-annexes/proposal_en.pdf
European Commission (2014b): Action Plan for the future of Organic Production in the European Union. European
Commission, Brussels. Available at http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/documents/eu-policy/european-action-
plan/act_en.pdf
European Commission (2014c): Organics: Commission proposal for more and better. Press release of March 25, 2014. Website
of the European Commission, Brussels. Available at http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-312_en.htm
European Commission (2014d): Commission Work Programme 2015. A New Start. List of withdrawals or modifications of
pending proposals = Annex to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council
the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. European Commission, Brussels.
Available at http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/pdf/cwp_2015_withdrawals_en.pdf
Europe: Overview
European Commission, (2014e): First three Rural Development Programmes get green light. Press Release of 12 December
2014. Website of European Commission, Brussels. Available at: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-
2606_en.htm
European Commission, (2014f): Further six Rural Development Programmes approved. Press Release of 16 December 2014.
Website of European Commission, Brussels. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/newsroom/182_en.htm
European Commission, Directorate General for Research and Innovation (2012): A decade of EU-funded, low-input and
organic agriculture research. European Commission, Brussels. Available at
http://ec.europa.eu/research/bioeconomy/pdf/189756_2011_2695_a_decade_of_eu_en.pdf
Gerrard, C.L.; Vieweger, A.; Alisir, L.; Bteich, M.-R.; Cottingham, M.; Feldmann, C.; Flechet, D.; Husak, J.; Losták, M.; Moreau,
C.; Pugliese, P.; Rison, N.; Schaack, D.; Solfanelli, F.; Willer, H. and Padel, S. (2014) D6.7 Report on the experience of
conducting the case studies. The Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm, UK-Newbury.
IFOAM EU (2015): Position on the Commission proposal for a new organic regulation. A roadmap towards sustainable growth.
Updated version -15 January 2015 IFOAM EU Group, Brussels. Available at http://www.ifoam-
eu.org/sites/default/files/ifoameu_reg_roadmaporganicsector_positionpaper_updated_20150115.pdf
IFOAM EU (2014a) The new EU Organic Action Plan: IFOAM EU assessment and position. Ver. 19 Dec. 2014.
http://www.ifoam-eu.org/sites/default/files/ifoameu_reg_actionplan_assessmentposition_20141219.pdf
IFOAM EU (2014b). A new direction for the organic regulation proposal. IFOAM EU News 18 December 2014. Available at:
http://www.ifoam-eu.org/en/news/2014/12/18/new-direction-organic-regulation-proposal
Meredith, Stephen and Helga Willer (Eds.) (2014): Organic in Europe. Prospects and Developments. IFOAM EU Group,
Brussels
Niggli, Urs; Slabe, Anamarija; Schmid, Otto; Halberg, Niels und Schluter, Marco (2008) Vision for an Organic Food and
Farming Research Agenda 2025. Organic Knowledge for the Future. Technology Platform Organics, Brussels.
Archived at http://orgprints.org/13439/
Niggli, Urs et al. (2014) A Global Vision and Strategy for Organic Farming Research. First Draft. Technology Innovation
Platform of IFOAM c/o FiBL, Frick Switzerland. Available at http://orgprints.org/27636/
Sanders, Jürn and Otto Schmid (2014): Organic action plans: Mainstreaming organic farming in public policy. In: Meredith,
Stephen and Helga Willer (Eds.) (2014): Organic in Europe. Prospects and Developments. IFOAM EU Group, Brussels
Sanders, Jürn, Matthias Stolze, and Susanne Padel, (Eds.) (2011): Use and Efficiency of Public Support Measures Addressing
Organic Farming. Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut (vTI), Braunschweig. Available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/external-studies/2012/organic-farming-support/full_text_en.pdf
TP Organics (2014): Priority topics for Horizon 2020. Work Programme 2016/2017. TP Organics, Brussels. Available at
http://www.tporganics.eu/images/TPOrganics_Input_Work_Programme_2016_2017.compressed.pdf
TP Organics (2014). Strategic Research Agenda for Organic Food and Farming, TP Organics, Brussels, 59 p.
Willer, Helga, Marie Reine Bteich and Stephen Meredith (2014): Country reports. In Meredith, Stephen and Helga Willer (Eds.)
(2014): Organic in Europe. Prospects and Developments. IFOAM EU Group, Brussels
Willer, Helga and Diana Schaack (2014): Final Revised Database= Deliverable 4.4 of the OrganicDataNetwork project. Research
Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick. Online version of data base available at
http://www.organicdatanetwork.net/odn-statistics-data.html
Zanoli, R., Vairo, D., Solfanelli, F., Padel, S., Gerrard, C., Lampkin, N., Willer, H., Stolze, M., Hamm, U., Feldmann, C., (eds.)
(2014). Organic Market data Manual and Code of Practice (OrMaCode). The website of the OrganicDataNetwork
www.organicdatanetwork.net, Ancona (IT) and Frick (CH): Università Politecnica delle Marche and Research
Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). Available online at www.ormacode.organicdatanetwork.net
Zanoli, Raffaele (2014) Data Network for better European Organic Market Information - D7.1 Recommendations. Università
Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. Available at http://orgprints.org/28032/
Websites
− ec.europa.eu/agriculture/cap-post-2013: Webpages of the European Commission on the CAP reform
− europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/qual/organic/index_en.htm: The European Commission’s organic farming website
− ifoam-eu.org: European Union Group of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements - IFOAM EU
Group
− organic-europe.net: Organic Europe, maintained by FiBL: Country reports, address database, statistics
− organic-market.info: Organic Market Info: Market News and updates: www.organic-market.info
− tipi.ifoam.org: Technology Innovation Platform of IFOAM (TIPI)
− tporganics.eu: European Technology Platform TP Organics
Europe: Current Statistics
Organic Farming and Market Development in Europe

HELGA WILLER 1 AND DIANA SCHAACK 2
This article gives an overview of results of the market data collected in the
OrganicDataNetwork project, which was funded by the European Union (EU) under its
7th framework programme for research, demonstration and technological development
and ended in 2014. 3 Under this project, for the first time, detailed organic market data
for all European countries was collected 4 and stored in one single database, which is
available online. 5 In order to present these data, the statistical report for Europe is more
comprehensive than for the other continents.
Key data for the organic sector 2013
Organic agricultural land is now at 11.5 million hectares in Europe, constituting
2.4 percent of the continent’s agricultural land. In the European Union, 10.2 million
hectares of farmland were organic, with a share of 5.7 percent of its agricultural land
being organic in 2013. In eight European countries (European Union: six countries), ten
percent or more of the agricultural land is organic. Growth of organic agricultural land
has been substantial in Europe and in the European Union over the last decade, where
the organic area has almost doubled since 2004, when most of the new member states
(EU-13) 6 became part of the European Union. In the new member states after their
accession to the EU, organic farming became, due to policy support and access to major
markets, an attractive option. Land use data show that organic agriculture produces a
wide range of products according to the demand of the markets. Organic production in
the EU-13, the EU candidate and potential candidate countries (CPC), 7 and other
European countries has filled many gaps for the EU-15 8 countries, where production
volumes of raw materials are insufficient.
Producer numbers have also grown significantly (almost 260’000 in the European
Union; and more than 330’000 in Europe), and since 2004, growth rates in the new
Member States have been considerably higher than in the EU-15. A large proportion of
processors and importers are located in the EU-15 and Switzerland, showing that the
new member states and further European countries still need to develop their processing
capacities in order to become less dependent on organic imports and increase the value
of their own export products.
1
2
Diana Schaack, Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft mbH, Bonn, Germany, www.ami-informiert.de
3
The project “Data network for better European organic market information” (OrganicDataNetwork) has
received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological
Development and Demonstration under grant agreement no 289376.
4
The data was collected by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Switzerland and the
Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI), Germany, among the partners of the OrganicDataNetwork.
In addition, further data sources were used.
5
This database is available at http://www.organicdatanetwork.net/odn-statistics.html
6
EU-13 refers to the 13 member states that became members of the EU in or after 2004.
7
CPC refers to EU Candidate Countries – Albania, Iceland, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia (FYROM) and
Turkey - and Potential Candidates - Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo - as categorised by the European Union.
More information available at: www.europa.eu/about-eu/countries.
8
EU-15 refers to the 15 member states that were members of the European Union before 2004.
With retail sales in 2013 valued at 22.2 billion euros, the European Union is the second
largest single market for organic products in the world after the United States. The
market showed a growth rate of approximately 6 percent. The European market for
organic products was valued at approximately 24.3 billion euros (North America almost
27 billion euros). European countries have top rankings for market share and per capita
consumption worldwide: three countries have an organic food market share of more
than five percent, with individual products and product groups reaching even higher
shares. Eggs, for instance, can constitute as much as 20 percent of all eggs sold. Baby
food or meat substitutes reach organic shares of about 50 percent. Five countries had a
per-capita consumption of more than 100 euros in 2013. Almost no data is available on
exports and imports, but it may be assumed that, with the growing domestic markets,
international trade activities will increase for both intra-EU trade as well as exports and
imports to and from the European Union.
Looking at the European organic sector by country group, it becomes evident that in the
EU-15 both organic agricultural land and the organic market have shown constant
growth in the past ten years. Production is diversified, and domestic demand can be met
to a large degree, even though imports play an important role for many countries and
not only for products that cannot be produced there, such as coffee or bananas, but also
for domestic products such as cereals. Overall the market is well developed, with a full
range of products available. In a global context, the EU and, in particular, the EU-15
countries are leaders in terms of share of the organic market as a proportion of total
agriculture and the overall market. The per capita consumption of organic products is
also higher in the European Union than in other parts of the world. Much of the
market's development has been driven by strong consumer interest, a well-developed
organic sector with strong institutions, state support and Organic Action Plans.
After their accession to the European Union, many of the EU-13 countries saw their
organic production increase very quickly, driven by support from the European Union's
rural development programmes. Even though the share of organic land is high,
production, market shares, and per capita consumption remain low in some countries.
The inadequate development of processing facilities means that local demand for
processed products often cannot be met, and many processed products are imported.
However, recent high growth rates in countries like Croatia, Poland, and Slovenia show
that the market is developing rapidly.
Similarly to the EU-13, some EU candidates and potential candidates (CPC) have
experienced rapid growth in organic agricultural land over the past couple of years.
However, domestic and export-led market development as well as processing have not
kept pace. In these countries, wild collection plays an important role (fruit and
mushrooms). Since 2004, in the EFTA countries, 1 the development of organic land has
not been as fast as in the other country groups. Nevertheless, Switzerland and
Liechtenstein have very high shares of organic agricultural land, strong organic sectors, a
good consumer base and state support, making the sector a well-established part of
society. In the remaining European countries, particularly strong growth was
recently noted in Ukraine.
1
EFTA is the European Free Trade Association. Its members are: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and
Switzerland.
Table 49: Europe: Key indicators by country and country group 2013
Retail Market
Area
Country Area [ha] Producers sales share €/person
share [%]
[Mio €] [%]
Austria 526'689 19.5% 21'810 1'065 6.5% 127
Belgium 62'529 4.6% 1'487 403 1.6% 36
Denmark 169'298 6.4% 2'589 917 8.0% 163
Finland 206'170 9.0% 4'284 215 1.6%
France 1'060'756 3.9% 25'467 4'380 2.6%
Germany 1'060'669 6.4% 23'271 7'550 3.7% 93
EU [EU15]
Greece 383'606 4.6% 23'433 60 0.4% 5

Ireland 52'793 1.3% 1'263 99 0.7% 22
Italy 1'317'177 10.3% 45'969 2'020 2.0% 31
Luxembourg 4'448 3.4% 212 84 3.2% 157
Netherlands 49'394 2.6% 1'646 840 2.4%
Portugal 271'532 8.1% 3'308 21 0.2% 2
Spain 1'610'129 6.5% 30'502 998 1.0% 21
Sweden 500'996 16.3% 5'584 1'018 4.3% 106
United
567'751 3.3% 3'918 2'065 33
Kingdom
EU [EU15] total 7'843'937 6.1% 194'743 21'735
Bulgaria 56'287 1.8% 3'854 7 1
Croatia 40'641 3.1% 1'608 104 2.2% 25
Cyprus 3'923 2.7% 719 2 2
Czech
474'231 11.2% 3'910 70 0.7% 7
Republic
EU [EU13]
Estonia 151'256 16.0% 1'553 22 1.6% 17

Hungary 140'292 3.3% 1'673 25 0.3% 2
Latvia 200'433 11.0% 3'473 4 0.2% 2
Lithuania 166'330 5.7% 2'555 6 0.2% 2
Malta 37 0.4% 12
Poland 661'956 4.3% 25'944 120 0.2% 3
Romania 288'261 2.1% 15'315 80 0.7% 4
Slovakia 166'700 8.8% 365 4 0.2% 1
Slovenia 38'665 8.4% 3'049 49 1.8% 24
EU [EU13] total 2'389'010 4.7% 64'030 492
Albania 662 0.1% 46
Bosnia and
292 0.01% 24 0.3
Herzegovina
Kosovo 114 0.03% 10
CPC
Macedonia
3'146 0.3% 382
(FYROM)
Montenegro 3'068 0.6% 62 0.1 0.2
Serbia 8'228 0.2% 1'281
Turkey 461'396 1.9% 65'042 4 0.1
CPC total 476'906 1.4% 66'847 4
Iceland 9'710 0.4% 33
Liechtenstein 1'137 31.0% 38 5 129
EFTA
Norway 51'662 4.8% 2'452 224 1.1 % 44

Switzerland 128'140 12.2% 6'308 1'668 6.9% 210
EFTA total 190'649 4.3% 8'831 1'897
Andorra 1 0.01%
Channel
other 260 3.0%
Islands
Euro-
Faroe Islands 253 8.4%
pean
Moldova 22'102 0.9% 172
coun-
Russian
tries 144'254 0.1% 70 120 1
Federation
Ukraine 393'400 1.0% 175 12 0.3
other European countries
total 560'270 0.2% 419 132
Europe total 11'460'773 2.4% 334'870 24'260 32.6
European Union total 10'232'947 5.7% 258'773 22'227 43.8
Source: OrganicDataNetwork survey 2015 based on national data sources, FiBL-AMI survey 2015,
based on Eurostat and national data sources
*CPC = EU candidate and potential candidate countries
Organic agricultural land by country and country group

In 2013, 11.5 million hectares were farmed organically in Europe and slightly more than
10.2 million hectares in the European Union.
The countries with the largest areas of organic land are Spain, Italy, France and
Germany. Globally, 43 million hectares of farmland were organic in 2013, and
approximately 27 percent of the world's organic farmland was in Europe. The four
European countries mentioned above were among the ten countries with the largest
organic areas globally.
Of the 11.5 million hectares of organic agricultural land in Europe, 7 million hectares
were fully converted, and 1.9 million were under conversion. Not all countries provided
data on their fully converted and in-conversion areas (e.g., Austria, Germany, Portugal
and Switzerland).
Particularly in Italy, Spain, Turkey, and Poland (2012 data for Poland), large areas are
under conversion, and therefore, a major increase in supply may be expected from them
in the near future.
Figure 57: Distribution of organic farmland in Europe 2013 (11.5 million hectares)
Source: OrganicDataNetwork survey/FIBL-AMI based on national data sources and Eurostat
Europe: Organic agricultural land by country 2013

Source: OrganicDataNetwork-FiBL-AMI Survey 2015
Spain 1'610'129
Italy 1'317'177
France 1'060'756
Germany 1'060'669
Poland 661'956
Austria 526'689
Sweden 500'996
Czech Republic 474'231
Turkey 461'396
Ukraine 393'400
Greece 383'606
Romania 288'261
Portugal 271'532
Finland 206'170
Latvia 200'433
Denmark 169'298
Slovakia 166'700
Lithuania 166'330
Estonia 151'256
Russian Federation 144'255
Hungary 140'292
Switzerland 128'140
Belgium 62'529
Bulgaria 56'287
Ireland 52'793
Norway 51'662
Netherlands 49'425
Croatia 40'641
Slovenia 38'664
Moldova 22'102
Iceland 9'710
Serbia 8'228
Luxembourg 4'448
Cyprus 3'923
Macedonia (FYROM) 3'146
Montenegro 3'068
Liechtenstein 1'137
Albania 662
Bosnia and Herzegovina 292
Channel Islands 260
Faroe Islands 253
Kosovo 114
Malta (2012) 37
Andorra 1
0 500'000 1'000'000 1'500'000 2'000'000
Hectares
Figure 58: Europe: Organic agricultural land by country 2013

Source: OrganicDataNetwork-FiBL-AMI survey 2015 based on national data sources
Shares of organic agricultural land

In the European Union, 10.2 million hectares of organic farmland (in 2013) constituted
5.7 percent of the total agricultural land (Europe: 11.5 million; 2.4 percent) (see Table
49).
In eight countries, more than 10 percent of the agricultural land is organic. The
countries with the highest shares are Liechtenstein, Austria, Sweden, and Estonia. One
of the goals of the Austrian Organic Action Plan was to have 20 percent of all agricultural
land be farmed organically, which was achieved in 2010.
The country with the highest share in Europe (and the second-highest in the world) was
Liechtenstein (see Figure 60). In the EU-15, 1 6.1 percent of the agricultural land was
organic, thus representing a higher share than in the EU-13 (4.7 percent). In the new
member states, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and Latvia have more than 10 percent
organic land. Despite the high organic shares of the agricultural land, in some EU-13
countries, organic production remains low due to high shares of grassland and the lack
of processing facilities. For EU candidates and potential candidates, shares of the total
organic agricultural land are still low, whereas two EFTA countries, Switzerland
(12.2 percent) and Liechtenstein (31 percent), have very high shares.
Globally, 1 percent of the agricultural land was organic in 2013. The country with the
highest share was the Falkland Islands with 36 percent, followed by a number of
European countries. In eleven countries, globally, more than 10 percent of the farmland
was organic. However, 60 percent of the countries had less than 1 percent organic land.
In Europe, this percentage was only 25 percent.
Figure 59: Europe: Distribution of the organic shares of all farm land 2013
OrganicDataNetwork-FiBL-AMI-IAMB survey 2015, based on Eurostat and national data sources
1
EU-15 refers to the 15 member states that were members of the European Union before 2004.
Europe: Shares of organic agricultural land by country 2013

Liechtenstein 31.0%
Austria 19.5%
Sweden 16.3%
Estonia 16.0%
Switzerland 12.2%
Czech Republic 11.2%
Latvia 11.0%
Italy 10.3%
Finland 9.0%
Slovakia (2012) 8.8%
Faroe Islands 8.4%
Slovenia 8.4%
Portugal 8.1%
Spain 6.5%
Denmark 6.4%
Germany 6.4%
EU-15 6.1%
EU-28 5.7%
Lithuania 5.7%
EU-13 4.7%
Norway 4.8%
Greece 4.6%
Belgium 4.6%
Poland (2012) 4.3%
EFTA 4.2%
France 3.9%
Luxembourg 3.4%
Hungary 3.3%
United Kingdom 3.3%
Croatia 3.1%
Channel Islands (2012) 3.0%
Cyprus 2.7%
Netherlands 2.6%
Europe 2.4%
Romania (2012) 2.1%
Turkey 1.9%
Bulgaria 1.8%
Ireland (2011) 1.3%
Ukraine 1.0%
Moldova 0.9%
Montenegro (2011) 0.6%
Iceland 0.4%
Malta 0.4%
FYROM Macedonia 0.3%
Serbia 0.2%
Russian Federation 0.1%
Albania (2012) 0.1%
Kosovo 0.03%
Bosnia & Herzegovina 0.02%
Andorra 0.01%
0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00%
Hectares
Figure 60: Europe: Shares of total organic agricultural land 2013

OrganicDataNetwork-FiBL-AMI survey 2015 based on national data sources and Eurostat
Growth of the organic land

In 2013, the organic agricultural land in Europe increased by 180’000 hectares
(European Union: 155’000) or 3 percent. The country with the largest growth of organic
land were Italy (+ 150’000 hectares), Ukraine (+120’000), and Portugal (+71’000). The
highest relative increases were in Bulgaria and Ukraine (+44 percent each).
Since 2004, when 10 new member states joined the European Union, organic
agricultural land has increased by 76 percent in the EU (Europe: 80 percent) – from 5.8
million hectares in 2004 to 10.2 million hectares in 2013. In the EU-15, growth was
slower (+50 percent), whereas in the new member states, the area almost trebled. In
many EU-15 countries, organic farmland had already grown before 2004 to a
comparatively high level. For EU candidates and potential candidates, high growth (more
than 400 percent) was noted. Most of the growth in the past years was in Turkey,
whereas, in the EFTA countries, growth was modest.
Globally, since 2004, the organic farmland has increased by 40 percent, a slower growth
than in Europe.
Europe: Development of organic agricultural land 1985-2013

Source: Lampkin, Nic and FiBL-AMI-OrganicDataNetwork Surveys, based on national data sources and
Eurostat
11.5
12.5
11.1
10.5
10.0
10.0
9.2
8.3
7.8
Million hectares
7.3
7.5
6.8
6.4
6.2
5.8
5.4
4.5
5.0
3.7
2.9
2.3
2.5
1.8
1.4
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.5
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.0
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Figure 61: Europe: Development of organic agricultural land 1985-2013

Source: Lampkin, Nic and FiBL-AMI-OrganicDataNetwork based on national data sources and Eurostat
Figure 62: Growth of organic agricultural land by country group, 2000-2013

Source: FiBL-AMI-OrganicDataNetwork 2015 based on national data sources and Eurostat
Europe: The 10 countries with the highest growth of organic

Source: OrganicDataNetwork – FiBL-AMI survey 2015 based on national data sources
Italy +149'815
Ukraine +120'550
Portugal +71'381
France +27'815
Germany +26'314
Sweden +23'311
Bulgaria +17'150
Spain +16'932
Lithuania +9'791
Hungary +9'683
0 20'000 40'000 60'000 80'000 100'000 120'000 140'000 160'000
Hectares
Figure 63: The 10 countries with the highest growth of organic agricultural land in 2013
Source: OrganicDataNetwork- FiBL-AMI survey 2015 based on national data sources and Eurostat
Organic Land Use and Crops
Land use
For all countries in Europe, land use and crop details are available. In this respect,
Europe differs substantially from other parts of the world, for which such data is often
not supplied. In 2013, in Europe, 4.6 million hectares (3.9 million hectares in the EU)
were used for arable crops (40 percent of the agricultural land), and 4.8 million hectares
or 42 percent of the farmland were used as grassland (EU: 4.6 million hectares).
Approximately 1.3 million hectares, or 11 percent of the farmland, were used to grow
permanent crops (EU: 1.16 million hectares) (see Table 50).
About half a million hectares of grassland (permanent and temporary, as well as green
fodder) are under conversion, as well as 0.3 million hectares of cereals, 0.17 million
hectares of olives, 80’000 hectares of grapes, and 56’000 hectares of nuts.
Table 50: Organic agricultural land by land use type 2013
In million EU EU European
CPC EFTA Other Europe
hectares [EU15] [EU13] Union
Arable land 2.95 0.95 3.90 0.32 0.64 0.31 4.60
crops
Permanent 1.04 0.11 1.16 0.13 0.002 0.009 1.30
crops
Permanent 3.34 1.27 4.63 0.02 0.11 0.07 4.82
grassland
Total ** 7.84 2.39 10.23 0.48 0.19 0.56 11.46
Source: OrganicDataNetwork-FiBL-AMI survey 2015 based on national data sources Eurostat

Note: Total includes other agricultural land and land for which no further details were available.
CPC = EU candidate and potential candidate countries
The area for all land use types has grown steadily since 2004, even though there was a
slight decrease of arable land and permanent grassland in 2013. The largest increase was
for permanent crops, which almost tripled since 2004 (Figure 65).
By country, the largest permanent grassland or grazing areas are in Spain, followed by
Germany and the UK. The largest cropland areas (i.e. arable and permanent crops
together) are in Italy (0.8 million hectares), Spain (0.7 million hectares), and France (0.6
million hectares). Apart from the agricultural land, there are large areas of wild
collection in Europe, 13 million hectares in total. The largest are is in Finland (berries)
followed by a number of South Eastern European countries.
In summary, it can be said that organic food production in the Europe countries provides
a wide range of products in accord with market demands. Organic production in the new
member states has filled many gaps for the EU-15 (countries that were members of the
European Union before 2004), where production volumes of raw materials are
insufficient. Due to the lack of processing facilities in the new member states and
further countries, there is a demand for processed items, many of which are imported
from the EU-15 countries. All European countries depend on imports of tropical crops
such as bananas, coffee, and sugar.
Europe: Use of agricultural organic land 2013

Source: Source: OrganicDataNetwork-FiBL-AMI Survey 2015
Land use types 2013

Key arable crops
Green fodder 1'910.4
Other agr. Cereals 1'844.6
No details
land Protein crops 226.9
5%
2% Oilseeds 190.4
Permanent Vegetables 105.1
crops
11% Permanent 0 1'000 2'000 3'000
grassland Thousand hectares
42% Key permanent crops
Olives 478.44
Grapes 258.35
Nuts 187.52
Fruit, temperate 138.57
Arable crops Citrus fruit 37.35
40%
0 200 400 600
Thousand hectares
Figure 64: Land use in organic agriculture in the Europe, 2013

Source: OrganicDataNetwork-FiBL-AMI survey 2015
Europe: Growth of area by land use type 2004-2013

6.0
4.8 4.9 4.8

5.0 4.5
4.1
3.9 4.7 4.6
Million hectares
4.0 4.4
3.3 3.3 4.1
3.1 3.0 3.7
3.0 3.3
3.2
2.7 2.9
2.0
2.2 1.3
1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1
1.0 0.7 0.7 0.8
0.5 0.5
0.0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Arable land crops Permanent crops Permanent grassland
Figure 65: Growth of organic agricultural land by land use type 2004-2013
Arable and permanent crops

In Europe, 4.6 million hectares were categorised as arable land in 2013. The countries
with the largest arable crop areas are Italy, France, and Germany. The key arable crop
group is green fodder (1.9 million hectares), followed by cereals (1.85 million hectares).
Italy, Germany, and Spain have the largest cereal areas. In 2013, organic vegetables were
grown on 105’000 hectares; key producing countries were Italy, France, and the United
Kingdom (including potatoes in the vegetable area). From 2004 to 2013, of the arable
crops, the largest growth was noted for protein crops (+220 percent), followed by green
fodder from arable land (+200 percent), oilseeds (+157 percent) and cereals (+107
percent). The highest organic shares are reached for protein crops (5.4 percent) mainly
because the conventional protein crop area has been decreasing for many years due to
the availability of cheap soybeans on the world market. Vegetables reach comparatively
high shares (2.1 percent) because the high consumer demand for fresh vegetables is
being fulfilled. For details see Table 54.
In Europe, 11 percent of the agricultural land was used to grow permanent crops (1.3
million hectares; 8.3 percent of all permanent crops). The countries with the largest
areas of permanent cropland are Spain, Italy, and France. A large part of the permanent
cropland is used for olives, grapes, and nuts. Whereas, for most permanent crops, the
EU-15 countries have the largest areas, the EU-13 countries have considerable areas of
temperate fruits (e.g., apples in Poland) and berries in the Baltic countries. Both Polish
apples (in concentrates) and Baltic (frozen) berries can be found in juices or yogurts all
over Europe. High growth rates from 2004 to 2013 were achieved, particularly for nuts
(+258 percent), grapes (+249 percent), and temperate fruit (+215 percent). The organic
shares for permanent crops were higher than those for the arable land: 11.6 percent for
nuts, 10 percent for berries, and 8.3 percent for olives. For details see Table 54.
Development of selected crop groups 2004-2013

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2006, OrganicDataNetwork 2015
2'500
2004 2013
1'910
1'845
2'000
In thousand hectares
1'500
890
1'000
639
478
500
258
227
224
190
188
139
105
74
74
71
53
52
44
40
37
29
19
Figure 66: Growth of selected arable and permanent crop groups in Europe 2004 and 2013
Figure 67: (Left): Europe: Distribution of organic arable land by country 2013
Figure 68: (Right): Europe: Distribution of organic arable land by crop group 2013
Figure 69: (Left): Europe: Distribution of organic permanent cropland by country 2013
Figure 70: (Right): Europe: Distribution of organic permanent cropland by crop group 2013
Animal husbandry
In many countries, organic animal husbandry began with beef, milk and sheep
production. Livestock products continue to have the highest organic shares within the
sector. The conversion of more extensive production of beef and sheep that graze on
grassland is comparably easy. The conversion of monogastric animals like pigs and
poultry is far more complicated and requires much higher price surpluses for the
farmers. This is due to the requirements for animal husbandry in the EU regulation and
dependence on partially expensive forages. Statistics on the number of organic animals
are incomplete and do not allow, for the moment, for a complete picture of the sector.
However, taking into account available information, the organic animal sector is
developing at a fast pace in the European Union (European Commission 2014).
The following should be noted: For the Eurostat data and national data, no clear
distinction is made between the number of animals slaughtered and the places or
average numbers of stock over the year, and it is not always clear which of these is given
when “livestock numbers” are quoted. Adding up the data for pigs and poultry over all
countries, therefore, has weaknesses. The data that are presented here should, therefore,
be treated as an approximation to the overall picture.
In Europe, 3.2 million heads of bovine animals, 4.5 million sheep, 0.7 million pigs, and
35 million heads of poultry were kept. The strongest increase between 2007 and 2013
was noted for poultry: +78 percent. However, beef and dairy cattle also grew
substantially: (+50 percent), followed by pigs (+32 percent) and sheep (+29 percent)
(Table 51). Organic animal production still remains limited in comparison with the total
animal production in Europe and the European Union (between 0.5 and 4 percent
depending on the animal species). The pork sector has the lowest weight. This stems
partly from the difficulties posed by the provision of organic animal feed and the high
price premiums consumers have to pay for pork, as well as poultry. The highest shares
are found in the sheep and bovine sectors; these meat types are considered to be of
premium level in the conventional market as well and realise higher prices; thus, organic
premiums are smaller.
1
Table 51: Organic livestock in Europe and the European Union 2013
Europe European Union
Animals Share of all Increase Animals, Share of all Increase
[heads] animals 2007-2013 [heads] animals 2007-2013
Bovine animals 3'366'763 2.7 % +51% 3'108'312 3.9 % +50 %
Sheep 4'446'751 2.9 % +29% 4'156'842 4.2 % +26 %
Pigs 673'874 0.4 % +32% 644'866 0.5 % +31 %
Poultry 34'867'488 1.4 % +78% 32'738'116 2.2% +70 %
Source: OrganicDataNetwork -FiBL-AMI survey 2015. Shares elaborated by FiBL based on FAO data
(FAOSTAT 2014). It should be noted that FAOSTAT provides only totals for bovine animals, sheep, pigs
and poultry without further specifications.
1 In the case of pigs, for organic only the fattening pics and breeding sows were counted.
Producers, processors and importers

In Europe, more than 330’000 organic producers were counted in 2013. In the same
year, in the European Union, there were almost 260’000 producers, and globally almost
two million producers were counted, with approximately one-sixth of these in Europe.
Turkey is the country in Europe with the largest number of producers (65'042), followed
by Italy (45'969), Spain (30’462), Poland (25'944 in 2012), and France (25'467). A large
number of the organic producers were in the EU-15 (almost 195’000), and 64’000
producers were in the EU-13. Since 2004, when, in Europe, more than 165’000
producers (EU: 140’000) were counted, their number has almost doubled (Table 56,
Figure 71).
In Europe, there were more than 43’000 processors in 2013 (EU: almost 42’000). It
should be noted, however, that not all countries have data on the number of organic
processors in their countries. According to available data, an overwhelming part of the
processors are in the EU-15 (more than 39’000). These figures, even though by far not as
complete as the data on organic producers, show clearly that the processing
infrastructure in many countries is not so well developed yet (Table 56, Figure 71).
In Europe, more than 1’600 importers were counted in 2013 (European Union: almost
1'400). Of the entities in the European Union, almost 90 percent were in the EU-15,
showing the high importance of imports in these countries, most of which have well-
developed markets. In the EU-13, as well as the EU candidates, the number of importers
is still low (Table 56).
Figure 71: Distribution of organic producers and processors by country 2013

Source: OrganicDataNetwork-FiBL-AMI survey 2015, based on national data sources and Eurostat.
Europe: Organic producers 2013

Turkey 65'042
Italy 45'969
Spain 30'502
Poland 25'944
France 25'467
Greece 23'433
Germany 23'271
Austria 21'810
Romania 15'315
Switzerland 6'308
Sweden 5'584
Finland 4'284
Czech Republic 3'910
Bulgaria 3'854
Latvia 3'473
Portugal 3'308
Slovenia 3'049
Denmark 2'589
Lithuania 2'555
Norway 2'452
Hungary 1'673
Netherlands 1'646
Croatia 1'608
Estonia 1'553
Belgium 1'487
Serbia 1'281
Ireland 1'263
Cyprus 719
FYROM 382
Slovakia 365
Luxembourg 212
Ukraine 175
Moldova 172
Russian Federation 70
Montenegro 62
Albania 46
Liechtenstein 38
Iceland 33
Bosnia&Herz. 25
Malta 12
Kosovo 10
0 20'000 40'000 60'000 80'000
Hectares
Figure 72: Europe: Numbers of producers 2013
Source: OrganicDataNetwork-FiBL-AMI survey 2013 based on national data sources and Eurostat. Only
countries with ten and more producers
Domestic market development
Retail sales by country

The organic market in Europe increased by 6 percent to 24.3 billion euros (EU: 22.2
billion euros). Unfortunately, not all countries provide data on their domestic markets
on a regular base (Table 57, Figure 74).
Germany is the largest market (7.6 billion euros); it is, after the United States, the
second biggest organic market in the world. France held second place with 4.4 billion. It
is a market that has shown very dynamic growth in the past couple of years. The UK is in
third place (2.1 billion euros), followed by Italy (2 billion euros) (Figure 73).
Comparing organic markets worldwide by a single market, the United States has the lead
– 43 percent of global retail sales of organic products are in this country (24.3 billion
euros), followed by the European Union. Comparing retail sales by continent, North
America continues to be the largest market (26.5 billion euros) (Figure 73).
Figure 73: Distribution of retail sales in Europe 2013; Right: Distribution of retail sales by
single market worldwide 2013
Europe: Organic retails sales value by country 2013

Germany 7'550
France 4'380
Italy 2'020
Switzerland 1'668
Austria (2011) 1'065
Sweden 1'018
Spain (2012) 998
Denmark 917
Netherlands 840
Belgium 403
Norway 224
Finland 215
Russian Fed. (2012) 120
Poland (2011) 120
Croatia (2012) 104
Ireland (2011) 99
Luxembourg 84
Romania (2011) 80
Czech Republic (2012) 70
Greece (2010) 60
Slovenia 49
Hungary (2009) 25
Estonia 22
Portugal (2011) 21
Ukraine 12
Bulgaria (2010) 7
Lithuania (2011) 6
Liechtenstein 5
Turkey (2009) 4
Latvia (2011) 4
Slovakia (2010) 4
Cyprus (2006) 2
Bosnia&Herz. (2010) 1
0 2000 4000 6000 8000
Million euros
Figure 74: Europe: Retail sales by country 2013
Source: OrganicDataNetwork-FiBL-AMI survey 2015 based on national data
Market growth
The organic market in Europe and the European Union increased by approximately
6 percent in 2013. All countries, for which new data was available, showed growth.
Germany, the largest market in Europe, had a growth rate of 7 percent; in France, the
market grew by 9 percent. Some countries such as Norway (+16 percent), Sweden
(+12 percent), and Switzerland (+12 percent), showed double-digit growth. In the United
Kingdom, where retail sales decreased for four consecutive years, a return to growth was
noted in 2013 (+2.8 percent).
In 2014, in many European countries, the market experienced further significant
growth, and growth rates were similar to those in 2013 (final figures are expected to be
available in the first months of 2015). Consumer interest in organic products remains
high, even though organic products have to compete more and more with sustainability
and regional labels (Figure 75, Figure 76).
Europe and European Union: Market development 2004-2013
Source: FiBL-AMI Surveys 2006-2012, OrganicDataNetwork Surveys 2013-2015
30.0
24.3
25.0 22.7
21.4
19.6
20.0 18.2 22.2
17.0 20.9
Billion euros
15.3 19.8
15.0 13.5 18.2
12.1 17.0
11.0 15.9
14.3
10.0 12.6
11.2
10.2
5.0
0.0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Europe European Union
Figure 75: Organic retail sales in Europe and the EU, 2004-2013
Source: OrganicDataNetwork survey 2013 - 2015, FiBL-AMI survey 2006--2012
Figure 76: European Union: Market development in selected countries 2004-2013

Source: AMI, Germany; Agence Bio France; AssoBio, Italy; LF Denmark
Market shares and Purchasing Power Parities

The share organic retail sales have of all retail sales is an important indicator of the
importance the organic market has in a given country. As in the past, the highest market
shares were reached in Denmark (8 percent), Switzerland (6.9 percent), and Austria
(6.5 percent in 2011) (Figure 76, Table 57).
The highest per-capita consumption of organic food in 2013 was in Switzerland
(210 euros), Denmark (164 euros), Luxembourg (157 euros), Austria (127 euros in
2011), Sweden (107 euros), and Germany (93 euros). However, care must be taken in
interpreting these figures as the costs of living differ quite considerably across countries.
The data on the per-capita consumption were, therefore, adjusted by Purchasing Power
Parities. According to Eurostat (2014),
“Purchasing power parities (PPPs) are indicators of price level differences across
countries. PPPs tell us how many currency units a given quantity of goods and
services costs in different countries. PPPs can thus be used as currency
conversion rates to convert expenditures expressed in national currencies into an
artificial common currency (the Purchasing Power Standard, PPS), eliminating
the effect of price level differences across countries.
The main use of PPPs is to convert national accounts aggregates, like the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) of different countries, into comparable volume
aggregates. Applying nominal exchange rates in this process would overestimate
the GDP of countries with high price levels relative to countries with low price
levels. The use of PPPs ensures that the GDP of all countries is valued at a
uniform price level and thus reflects only differences in the actual volume of the
economy.”
When looking at the per capita consumption adjusted for Purchasing power parities for
food and non-alcoholic beverages (Eurostat 2014), a different picture emerges for the
European countries, and the order of the countries changes. The first place is still held by
Switzerland, but the gap between Switzerland, with its high cost of living, and the next
countries is a lot smaller, and second in place is no longer Denmark, but Luxembourg
(Figure 78).
Europe: The ten countries with the highest market shares of the
total market 2013
Denmark 8.0%
Switzerland 6.9%
Austria 6.5%
Sweden 4.3%
Germany 3.7%
Luxembourg 3.2%
France 2.6%
Netherlands 2.4%
Croatia 2.2%
Italy 2.0 %
Slovenia 1.8%
0 2 4 6 8 10
Market share in %
Figure 77: Europe: The ten countries with the highest market shares of the total retail
sales 2013
Figure 78: Europe: The 12 countries with the highest per capita consumption adjusted by
purchasing power parity 2013
Shares of products and product groups with the organic segment

In many countries, the breakdown of the value of retail sales by product in millions of
euros is only available for general retail, based on panel data. The figures communicated
for a certain product and product group of the total market are often based on these
data and do not take into account the other marketing channels. However, should be
noted that, especially in countries, for which this is applied, the supermarkets have a
very high market share of 80 to 90 percent.
Within the overall organic market in Europe, certain organic products are more
dominant than others. The survey carried out as part of OrganicDataNetwork (Willer
and Schaack 2014) shows (see also Figure 79, Figure 80, Figure 81, Figure 82):
− Fruit and vegetables are the pioneer organic products in Europe. They now have
shares around one fifth of many national organic markets. They are especially
strong in Italy, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and Germany. All over Europe, the organic
market is dominated by fresh products compared to the conventional markets.
− In many countries and in Northern Europe in particular, animal products, especially
milk and dairy products, constitute a high share of all organic products sold (up to
20 percent). Meat and meat products are very successful and constitute around 10
percent of the organic market in Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, and France. On
the other hand, in many countries, the meat and meat-based product market is not
yet well-developed due to lack of manufacturing capacities and high price premiums
compared to conventional products.
− Beverages – mainly wine – constitute an important part of the organic market –
more than 10 percent in France and Croatia.
− Hot beverages (coffee, tea, and cocoa) cover 3 to 5 percent of the organic market.
− Grain mill products, which are easily sold and stored in supermarkets, reach high
shares in the Czech Republic and also in Finland and Norway.
− Bread and bakery products have a high importance in the organic product range,
with around 10 percent in Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Finland,
and Germany.
For all countries that were covered by the survey and provided data for their markets
(Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom), the following can be said: A turnover of
at least 3.3 billion euros of organic fruit and vegetables was made. Dairy products
accounted for at least 2.9 billion euros, followed by meat and meat products (1.5 billion),
bakery products (1.4 billion), and beverages (1.1 billion).
Again, it should be noted that the data are not complete for many countries. Either
certain products are not covered at all by the national collection system, or the coverage
is incomplete because, for example, only the sales in the general retailers are listed.
For more information, see the OrganicDataNetwork market database at
www.organicdatanetwork.net/odn-statistics-data.html.
Figure 79: Czech Republic: Distribution of organic retail sales by product (group) 2012
Figure 80: France: Distribution of organic retail sales by product (group) 2013
Source: Czech Republic: UZEI; France: and Agence Bio
Figure 81: Germany: Distribution of organic retail sales by product (group) 2013
Figure 82: Switzerland: Distribution of organic retail sales by product (group) 2013
Source: Germany: AMI based on GfK household panel data; Switzerland: Bio Suisse
Comparison of organic products and product groups with the total market
In terms of organic market shares for organic products compared to their respective
total market, one of the success stories in many European countries is eggs. According to
the OrganicDataNetwork survey, they reach market shares of more than 20 percent in
Switzerland and France and 10 percent or more in most of the countries for which data
were available (see Table 52). The sales of eggs reflect the high concerns of consumers
with regard to animal welfare and also the readiness to pay relatively high price
premiums. In Germany, for example, organic eggs have, at minimum, double the price
compared to conventional eggs – one of the highest price surpluses among the organic
product groups.
After eggs, vegetables show the highest market shares of 8 to 13.5 percent of all
vegetables sold in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. In some countries, dairy products
reach market shares of about 5 percent of all dairy products sold. In Switzerland, they
even reach 10 percent. Single products can reach much higher market shares in the
countries. Baby food (more than 40 percent in Germany) or meat substitutes (23 percent
in Belgium and 60 percent in Germany) are good examples. Fresh carrots have a 30
percent market share in Germany. On the other hand, products like beverages and meat
(especially poultry), generally have low market shares. Often these products are highly
processed and/or very cheap in the conventional market (Table 52). For more
information, see the OrganicDataNetwork market database at
www.organicdatanetwork.net/odn-statistics-data.html.
Table 52: Shares of organic products and product groups of their respective total markets
for selected countries 2013
Switzerland
Germany
Belgium
Norway
Finland
Nether-
Product group
Austria
France
(2012)
lands
1.7%
Beverages 2.8%
(2012)
0.1% 2.6%
Bread and bakery 1.5% 3.7%
5.9%
3.2% 0.9%
20 %
products (2012) bread
Cheese 7.5% 0.9% 1.2 % 3.5% 0.6% 6.3%
Eggs for consumption 18.3% 9.9% 12% 20.6 % 13.9% 12.7% 5.7 % 21.6%
Fruit 10.0% 3.3 % 3.9% 6.6% 1.0 % 9.2%
Meat and meat 3.7%
1.3%
0.8% 1.5% 2.1% 2.8% 0.3% 4.2%
products (Meat)
Milk and dairy products 2.1% 2.5% 3% 5.6% 4.8% 1.6% 10.8%
3.0% 3.9 %
Vegetables 11.6% 5.2 % veg. & 3.6 % 8.3% veg. & 2.6% 13.5%
fruit fruit
Compiled by: OrganicDataNetwork-FiBL-AMI 2015; Sources: Austria (only general retailers):
RollAMA/AMA Marketing; Belgium (only general retailers): GfK Panel services Benelux; Finland: Pro
Luomo, France: Agence Bio; Germany: AMI based on GfK household panel data; Netherlands: Bio
Monitor; Norway: Norwegian Agriculture Agency (only general retailers); Switzerland (only general
retailers): Bio Suisse
Note: Due to classifications and nomenclatures differing from country to country, it is not possible to supply
data for all product groups, even if data for individual products may be available. Not all countries have data on
the shares of organic products.
Marketing channels
Some countries are in a position to break down their retail sales data by marketing
channel. Some are even able to provide a breakdown by product and marketing channel.
Some countries have data for catering sales, in addition to total retail sales that include
direct marketing and box schemes. Wherever possible, the figure for the catering sales
was deducted from the figure for the total organic market.
Figure 83 on the marketing channels shows that the importance of the various
marketing channels differs from country to country. In the past, countries with a strong
involvement by general retailers showed a strong growth of their organic markets (e.g.
Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, and United Kingdom). However, the financial crisis
showed the danger of a strong dependence on supermarkets. In those years, in the UK,
the market decreased, and in Germany, stagnation was noted for general retail sales,
whereas it continued to grow in the specialized channels. France, Italy, and Germany are
good examples of countries with strong market growth, while, at the same time,
specialized retailers play a very important role. Growing levels of professionalization,
including growing shop spaces, have contributed to this development. In Germany, a
recent study has shown that Alnatura – an organic brand whose products are mostly sold
in the organic supermarket chain of the same name as well as in the drugstore chain
“dm”- was the most popular food brand in the country (Brandmeyer Markenberatung
2014).
Retail sales by channel in selected European countries 2013,

based on retail sales value (million euros)
Austria (2011)
Belgium
Czech Republic (2012)
Denmark
France
Germany General retailers
Italy
Luxembourg Organic retailers
Netherlands Direct sales
Norway
Slovenia Other channels
Switzerland
United Kingdom
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Share of sales channel
Figure 83: Europe: Marketing channels for organic products in selected countries 2013
International trade
In many countries, the growth of demand for organic products outpaces the growth of
organic food supply. This is true, in particular, for the major markets such as Germany,
France, and Switzerland. These countries do not only need products like coffee, bananas,
or off-season fruits and vegetables, but also products that could be produced in the
countries themselves. Generally, however, there is a strong preference for domestic
products in the countries that farmers, processors, and politicians like to fulfil. Intra-EU
trade and imports from third countries represent an important part of domestically
consumed organic products. Dependence on imports (whether from EU member states
or third countries) seems to be particularly high in the new member states and concerns
primarily processed products.
A recent study from Germany shows that Germany is not only the largest market for
organic products in Europe but also one of its largest organic producers. In spite of this
fact, in business year 2012/13, Germany imported 6 to 94 percent of such organic raw or
fresh products that could also have been produced in the country (Schaack et al., 2014).
For example, 43 percent of the organic apples are imported (mainly from Italy) as well as
42 percent of the carrots (mainly from the Netherlands and Israel). Twenty-five percent
of the wheat and 51 percent of grain maize came from other countries, mainly from
Romania, Ukraine, Hungary, and others. Unfortunately, with the exception of Denmark,
France, and recently Germany, no country supplies data on exports and imports on a
regular basis, and it is difficult to draw clear conclusions on the developments of exports
and imports in the European Union and Europe. The case of Denmark shows that, from
2003 to 2013, exports increased by 550 percent and imports by 500 percent.
Figure 84: Denmark: Development of organic exports and imports 2003 to 2013
Source: Statistics Denmark 2015
Conclusion
Current available data on organic farming and the market in Europe and globally show
that, in an international context, the European organic sector is well-developed.
Relatively high shares of agricultural land, a continual growth of the area and number of
operators, as well as a fast-growing market, show the exceptional dynamics that this
market has in a global context.
The short data analysis provided in this report shows, however, that there are still large
discrepancies among the countries. Even though some of countries in Central Eastern
Europe have reached considerable shares of organic agricultural land, consumer
spending, - although growing - remains low as a proportion of total spending on food in
these countries. An issue of particular concern is the low number of processors, showing
that the processing infrastructure - and thus the preconditions for adding value to
organic products for export or, more importantly, for placing them on the domestic
market - is still underdeveloped.
Another issue that needs to be solved is that of data availability. For instance, imports
and exports play a very important role in trade within the European Union and for the
its international trade with external partners, but almost no data exists. Furthermore,
whilst the availability of domestic market data is improving, it is collected with a wide
range of methods and, strictly speaking, is not accurately comparable. The
OrganicDataNetwork project (www.organicdatanetwork.net), funded under the 7th
research framework programme of the European Union, contributed to a more detailed
overview of the European organic market. The main challenges that were encountered
when storing organic market data in one common database were data gaps, incomplete
data, inaccessible data; non-harmonized definitions, nomenclatures, and classification;
and data consistency issues (Willer and Schaack 2014b). While the OrganicDataNetwork
online database improves the availability and accessibility of organic market data, it also
shows the current shortcomings clearly. Therefore, we recommend that data availability
and accessibility be increased; that classifications, nomenclatures, and definitions, in
particular for organic market data, be harmonized; and that data quality be improved
(Willer and Schaack 2014a).
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the European Union’s
Seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and
Demonstration under grant agreement no 289376 (“Data network for better European
organic market information” - OrganicDataNetwork). The contents of this article are the
sole responsibility of the authors, and it does not represent the views of the European
Commission or its services. The Commission is not liable for any use that may be made
of the information.
The authors would like to thank all of those who have provided data and information for
this report, in particular, the partners of the OrganicDataNetwork project.
References and further reading

Brandmayer Markenberatung (2014) Die Lieblingsmarken der Deutschen 2014. Brandmayer Markenberatung, Hamburg.
Available at http://www.lieblings-marken.de/d/Lieblingsmarken_der_Deutschen_2014.pdf
European Commission (2010): An Analysis of the EU Organic Sector. European Commission, Directorate-General for
Agriculture and Rural Development. An analysis of the EU organic sector. Brussels. Available at:
ec.europa.eu/agriculture/analysis/markets/organic_2010_en.pdf
European Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, Unit Economic Analysis of EU Agriculture (2013) Facts and
figures on organic agriculture in the European Union. European Commission, Brussels. Available at:
ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets-and-prices/more-reports/pdf/organic-2013_en.pdf
Eurostat (2014): Data tables organic agriculture. The Eurostat website eurostat.ec.europa.eu Eurostat, Luxembourg.
Available at http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/organic-farming
Eurostat (2014): Purchasing power parities (PPPs), price level indices and real expenditures for ESA2010 aggregates. The
Eurostat website eurostat.ec.europa.eu. Eurostat Luxembourg. Available at
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/purchasing-power-parities/data/database. Last update: December 11, 2014
Schaack, Diana; Julia Lernoud, Susanne Padel, and Helga Willer (2014): The Organic Market in Europe. In: Willer, Helga,
Lernoud, Julia, and Kilcher, Lukas (Eds.) (2014) World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and Emerging Trends 2014.
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, and International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements (IFOAM), Bonn
Schaack, Diana; Christine Rampold, Elisabeth Pusch, and Helga Willer, (2014): Markt Charts - Importangebot von Bio-
Produkten in Deutschland . [Market charts – Imports of organic products in Germany.] Agrarmarkt Informations-
Gesellschaft mbH, Bonn, Germany. Available at: http://www.ami-informiert.de/ami-shop/ami-shop-
startseite/produkte/markt-charts/markt-charts-chartsammlungen.html
Willer, Helga and Schaack, Diana (2014a) D4.3 Final report on compilation of key organic market data. Research Institute of
Organic Agriculture (FIBL), Frick, Switzerland. http://orgprints.org/27939/
Willer, Helga and Schaack, Diana (2014b) D4.4 Final revised database. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FIBL), Frick,
Switzerland.
Country tables: Abbreviations
− EU-15: Member countries in the European Union prior to the accession of ten
candidate countries on 1 May 2004.The EU-15 are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.
− EU-13: The countries that became a member of the European Union in or after May
1, 2004: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia.
− CPC: The candidate and potential candidate countries of the European Union:
Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, The former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia , Turkey
− EFTA: European Free Trade Association: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway,
Switzerland.
Europe: Tables
Organic Agriculture in Europe: Tables

Table 53: Europe: Organic agricultural land 2012 and 2013, growth and share of total
agricultural land
Not for all countries 2013 data were available.
Share of total Change 2012-
Country Area 2012 [ha] Area 2013 [ha]
agr. land [%] 2013 [%]
Austria 537'706 526'689 19.5% -2%
Belgium 59'718 62'529 4.6% +5%
Denmark 175'113 169'298 6.4% -3%
Finland 197'751 206'170 9.0% +4%
France 1'032'941 1'060'756 3.9% +3%
Germany 1'034'355 1'060'669 6.4% +3%
EU [EU15]
Greece 462'618 383'606 4.6% -17%

Ireland 52'793 52'793 1.3%
Italy 1'167'362 1'317'177 10.3% +13%
Luxembourg 4'130 4'448 3.4% +8%
Netherlands 48'038 49'425 2.6% +3%
Portugal 200'151 271'532 8.1% +36%
Spain 1'593'197 1'610'129 6.5% +1%
Sweden 477'685 500'996 16.3% +5%
United Kingdom 590'009 567'751 3.3% -4%
EU [EU15] total 7'633'567 7'843'967 6.1% +3%
Bulgaria 39'137 56'287 1.8% +44%
Croatia 31'903 40'641 3.1% +27%
Cyprus 3'923 3'923 2.7%
Czech Republic 468'670 474'231 11.2% +1%
Estonia 144'150 151'256 16.0% +5%
EU [EU13]
Hungary 130'609 140'292 3.3% +7%

Latvia 195'658 200'433 11.0% +2%
Lithuania 156'539 166'330 5.7% 6%
Malta 37 37 0.4%
Poland 661'956 661'956 4.3%
Romania 288'261 288'261 2.1%
Slovakia 166'700 166'700 8.8%
Slovenia 35'101 38'664 8.4% +10%
EU [EU13] total 2'322'643 2'389'010 4.7% +3%
Albania 515 662 0.1% +29%
Bosnia and
343 292 0.0% -51%
Herzegovina
Kosovo 111 114 0.0% +3%
CPC
Macedonia (FYROM) 12'731 3'146 0.3% -75%

Montenegro 3'068 3'068 0.6%
Serbia 6'340 8'228 0.2% +30%
Turkey 523'627 461'396 1.9% -12%
CPC total 546'735 476'906 1.4% -13%
Iceland 8'240 9'710 0.4% +18%
Liechtenstein 1'086 1'137 31.0% +5%
EFTA
Norway 55'260 51'662 4.8% -7%

Switzerland 125'961 128'140 12.2% +2%
EFTA total 190'547 190'649 4.3%
Andorra 1 0.0% -
Belarus 0.0% -
European
countries
Channel Islands 260 260 3.0%

other
Faroe Islands 253 253 8.4%

Moldova 22'102 22'102 0.9%
Russian Federation 146'251 144'255 0.1% -1%
Ukraine 272'850 393'400 1.0% +44%
other European countries 441'716 560'271 0.2% +27%
total
Total Europe 11'135'208 11'460'773 2.4% +3%
European Union 9'956'210 10'232'947 5.7% +3%
Source: OrganicDataNetwork survey 2013 based on national data sources and FiBL-AMI survey 2015
based on Eurostat and national data sources. For data sources see annex, page 281
Europe: Tables
Table 54: Europe: Land use in organic agriculture 2012 and 2013
Area 2012 Area 2013 Change
Main use Main crop category
[ha] [ha] 2012/2013 [%]
Agricultural land and Agricultural land and crops,
124’836 226’394 +81%
crops, no details no details
Arable land crops Arable crops, no details 78’835 130’277 +65%
Cereals 1’902’703 1’844’578 -3%
Flowers and ornamental
9’594 7’417 -23%
plants
Green fodder from arable
1’962’504 1’910’391 -3%
land
Hops 192 183 -4%
Industrial crops 6’596 10’290 +56%
Medicinal and aromatic
32’455 40’787 +26%
plants
Mushrooms and truffles 302 180 -40%
Oilseeds 192’591 190’419 -1%
Protein crops 245’640 226’947 -8%
Root crops 45’834 40’011 -13%
Seeds and seedlings 3’720 3’991 +7%
Strawberries 2’954 3’311 +12%
Sugarcane 3 -
Textile crops 13’386 9’244 -31%
Tobacco 914 1’133 +24%
Vegetables 104’757 105’123 0
Arable land, other 59’714 75’087 +26%
Arable land crops total 4’662’691 4’599’369 -1%
Cropland, no details 2’031 72’187 +3453%
Permanent crops Berries 28’257 29’170 +3%
Citrus fruit 34’196 37’347 +9%
Flowers and ornamental
13 - -100%
plants, permanent
Fruit, no details 7’579 2’617 -65%
Fruit, temperate 125’761 138’566 +10%
Fruit, tropical and
16’444 24’494 +49%
subtropical
Grapes 241’622 258’348 +7%
Medicinal and aromatic
1’626 1’541 -5%
plants, permanent
Nurseries 82 720 +779%
Nuts 172’425 187’515 9%
Olives 456’373 478’445 +5%
Tea/mate 175 34 -81%
Permanent crops, other 12’010 137’275 +1043%
Permanent crops total 1’096’562 1’296’073 18%
Permanent grassland Pastures and meadows 4'923'961 4'828'810 -2%
Other agricultural land total 325’126 437’939 +35%
Total 11’135’208 11’460’773 +3%
based on Eurostat and national data sources. For data sources see annex, page 281
Europe: Tables
Table 55: Europe: All organic areas 2013

Other
Agri- Aqua- Grazed Wild
Forest non agr.
Country culture culture non agr. collection Total [ha]
[ha] land
[ha] [ha] land [ha] [ha]
[ha]
Albania 662 330'677 331'339
Andorra 1 1
Austria 526'689 526'689
Belarus 2'742 2'742
Belgium 62'529 3 152 62'684
Bosnia and
292 63'910 64'202
Herzegovina
Bulgaria 56'287 679'845 736'132
Channel Islands 260 260
Croatia 40'641 8 40'648
Cyprus 3'923 3'923
Czech Republic 474'231 474'231
Denmark 169'298 2'648 171'946
Estonia 151'256 2'135 40'579 193'969
Faroe Islands 253 253
Finland 206'170 9'000'000 9'206'170
France 1'060'756 1 2'809 1'063'566
Germany 1'060'669 1'060'669
Greece 383'606 383'606
Hungary 140'292 140'292
Iceland 9'710 7'727 212'763 230'200
Ireland 52'793 52'793
Italy 1'317'177 62'647 1'379'824
Kosovo 114 114
Latvia 200'433 200'433
Liechtenstein 1'137 1'137
Lithuania 166'330 5'049 747 172'125
Luxembourg 4'448 4'448
Macedonia
3'146 8'112 198'000 209'258
(FYROM)
Malta 37 37
Moldova 22'102 22'102
Montenegro 3'068 139'809 142'877
Norway 51'662 51'662
Poland 661'956 661'956
Portugal 271'532 19'533 291'065
Romania 288'261 1'082'138 1'370'399
Russian
144'254 13'723 157'977
Federation
Serbia 8'228 8'228
Slovakia 166'700 166'700
Slovenia 38'665 38'665
Spain 1'610'129 38'184 11'603 1'659'916
Sweden 500'996 3'057 504'053
Switzerland 128'140 6'121 134'261
Turkey 461'396 957'261 1'418'657
Ukraine 393'400 530'000 923'400
United Kingdom 567'751 7'597 575'348
Total 11'460'773 5'050 27'130 24'094 13'357'745 15'559 24'890'350
based on Eurostat and national data sources For data sources see annex, page 281
Europe: Tables
Table 56: Europe: Organic producers, processors and importers by country group, 2013
Country group Country Producers Processors Importers
EU [EU13] Bulgaria 3'854 92 3
Croatia 1'608 61 34
Cyprus 719 53
Czech Republic 3'910 471 89
Estonia 1'553 84
Hungary 1'673 371 15
Latvia 3'473 192 7
Lithuania 2'555 108
Malta 12 4 2
Poland 25'944 312 30
Romania 15'315 105 3
Slovakia 365 41 5
Slovenia 3'049 193 9
EU [EU13] total 64'030 2'087 197
EU [EU15] Austria 21'810
Belgium 1'487 787 121
Denmark 2'589 760
Finland 4'284 558 72
France 25'467 9'297 181
Germany 23'271 8'293 308
Greece 23'433 1'551 4
Ireland 1'263 211 33
Italy 45'969 10'610 260
Luxembourg 212 43 3
Portugal 3'308 470 7
Spain 30'502 2'842 112
Sweden 5'584 762 33
United Kingdom 3'918 2'332 95
EU [EU15] total 194'743 39'551 1'229
CPC Albania 46 27 4
Bosnia and Herzegovina 24 8
Kosovo 10 10
Macedonia (FYROM) 382 7 2
Montenegro 62 1
Serbia 1'281 49 33
Turkey 65'042 118 35
CPC total 66'847 220 74
EFTA Iceland 33 26 2
Liechtenstein 38
Norway 2'452 496 72
Switzerland 6'308 847
EFTA total 8'831 1'369 74
other European countries Andorra 1
Faroe Islands 1
Moldova 172
San Marino 2
Ukraine 175 59 41
other European countries total 419 103 41
Europe total 334'870 43'330 1'615
European Union 258'773 41'638 1'426
Source: OrganicDataNetwork survey 2013 based on national data sources and FiBL-AMI-IAMB survey
2013, based on Eurostat and national data sources
CPC countries: EU candidate and potential candidate countries
Europe: Tables
Table 57: Europe: The market for organic food 2013

Retail Retail sales Retail sales:
Catering
Country Year sales €/person growth Share value
[Mio €]
[Mio €] 2012/2013[%] [%]
Austria 2011 1'065 127 6.5% 64
Belgium 2013 403 36 8.0 % 1.6%
Denmark 2013 917 163 5.2% 8.0% 127
Finland 2013 215 6.4% 1.6%
France 2013 4'380 9.0% 2.6% 172
Germany 2013 7'550 93 7.0% 3.7%
Greece 2010 60 5 0.4%
EU [EU15]
Ireland 2012 99 22 0.7%

Italy 2013 2'020 31 6.2% 2.0% 300
Luxembourg 2013 84 157 3.2%
Netherlands 2013 840 5.4% 2.4% 144
Portugal 2012 21 2 0.2%
Spain 2012 998 21 1.0%
Sweden 2013 1'018 106 11.5% 4.3%
United 2013 2'065 33 2.8% 21
Kingdom
EU [EU15] total 21'735
Bulgaria 2010 7 1
Croatia 2012 104 25 2.2%
Cyprus 2006 2 2
Czech 2012 70 7 0.7% 1
Republic
EU [EU13]
Estonia 2013 22 17 1.6%

Hungary 2009 25 2 0.3%
Latvia 2011 4 2 0.2%
Lithuania 2011 6 2 0.2%
Poland 2011 120 3 0.2%
Romania 2011 80 4 0.7%
Slovakia 2010 4 1 0.2%
Slovenia 2013 49 24 10.0% 1.8%
EU [EU13] total 492
Bosnia and 2013 1
Herzegovina
CPC
Montenegro 2013
Turkey 2009 4
CPC total
Liechtenstein 2012 5 129
EFTA
Norway 2013 224 44 16.0% 1.1% 14

Switzerland 2013 1'668 210 12.1% 6.9%
EFTA total 1'897
other Russian 2012 120 1
European Federation
countries Ukraine 2013 12 0
other European countries total 132
Europe 24'260 32.6 Approx. 6%
European Union 22'227 43.8 Approx. 6%
Source: OrganicDataNetwork survey based on national data sources and FiBL-AMI survey 2015. For
details on data sources see annex, page 281
Note on table
› Blank cells: no information available
Europe: Tables
› Where no published data exists, best estimates from a range of experts have been used, but these were
not available for all cases, so sometimes earlier estimates are shown.
› Values published in national currencies were converted to euros using the 2013 average exchange rates
according to the Central European bank.
› Please note that due to fluctuating exchange rates it is not possible to make a year-to-year comparison for
countries that do not have the Euro as their currency.
› For details on data sources please see annex.
› Corrections, revisions and updates should be sent to helga.willer@fibl.org
› Corrections and revisions will be posted at www.organic-world.net
Sources for retail sales value

Austria: Organic Retailers Association; Belgium: Bioforum, VLAM and GfK; Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ecozept;
Bulgaria: Bioselena; Croatia: Darko Znaor, private consultant; Cyprus: Ecozept; Czech Republic: UZEI;
Denmark: Danish Agriculture & Food Council/Organic Denmark/Statistics Denmark; Estonia: Centre of
Ecological Engineering; Finland: Pro Luomo; France: Agence Bio; Germany: AMI; Greece: N. van der Smissen;
Hungary: Biokorsar Survey; Ireland: Bord Bia; Italy: AssoBio; Latvia: Ekoconnect; Liechtenstein: KBA;
Lithuania: Ekoconnect; Luxembourg: Biogros estimate; IBLA; Montenegro: Ecozept; Netherlands: Bionext, Bio-
Monitor; Norway: Norwegian Agricultural Authority SLF; Poland: IFOAM EU estimate; Portugal: Interbio;
Romania: BCG-Global Advisors; Russian Federation: Eco-Control; Serbia: Ecozept; Slovakia: Ecozept; Slovenia:
ISD; Spain: MAGRAMA; Sweden: SCB; Switzerland: BIO SUISSE; Turkey: MARA; Ukraine: Organic Federation
of Ukraine; United Kingdom: Soil Association
Mediterranean
Region
Mediterranean Region
Organic Agriculture in the Mediterranean Region:

Updates 1
PATRIZIA PUGLIESE, 2 MARIE REINE BTEICH, 3 AND LINA AL-BITAR 4
Structural aspects and trends 2014

According to the latest survey of the Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network
(MOAN) on organic agriculture in the Mediterranean region (September 2014), there are
about 5.7 million hectares of organic agricultural land, mostly located in the
Mediterranean (EU Med) countries of the European Union that, overall, account for
86.6 percent of the Mediterranean organic agricultural land and about one sixth of the
world’s organic agricultural area. Both the candidate and potential candidate (CPC)
countries of the European Union and the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEM)
countries contribute respectively by 8.3 and 5.1 percent of the organic agricultural land
in the Mediterranean region. The leading EU countries with the largest areas of organic
agricultural land are Spain, Italy, and France. Among the CPC countries, the country
with the largest organic agricultural land is Turkey, whereas, for SEM countries, most of
the agricultural land is located in Tunisia and Egypt.
When organic-certified forests and areas devoted to wild collection (berries, medicinal
and aromatic plants, mushrooms, natural grazing areas, etc.) are considered, the total
organic land area increases to over 7.7 million hectares, corresponding to about one
tenth of the world's total organic area. While in EU Med countries, the difference
between the organic agricultural area and the total land area is almost non-existent, in
non-EU Med countries, particularly in the CPC countries, the organic area increases
threefold when including the forests and wild collection land area. Almost all CPC
countries have important wild collection land areas, particularly Turkey. In the SEM
countries, the leading country, in terms of wild collection, is Morocco. There are almost
208’000 organic operators in the Mediterranean region, mainly located in the EU and
CPC countries. The countries with the highest number of producers are Turkey, Italy,
France, and Spain.
The future growth prospects of the Mediterranean sector are linked to a strategic vision
focused on cooperation among different actors in various areas (legislation, policies,
information, research and extension, market, etc.) with a view to achieve a more
harmonious and sound development of the sector, not only in each single national but
mainly in the international context.
1
Patrizia Pugliese, Marie Reine Bteich and Lina Al-Bitar (eds.) (2014) Mediterranean Organic Agriculture key
Features, recent Facts, latest Figures Report 2014. Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network (MOAN),
CIHEAM Bari. Available at
2
Patrizia Pugliese, CIHEAM-Bari, Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari, Via Ceglie, 9, 70010 Valenzano,
Italy, www.iamb.it.
3
Marie Reine Bteich, CIHEAM-Bari, Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari, Via Ceglie, 9, 70010 Valenzano,
Italy, www.iamb.it.
4
Lina Al-Bitar, CIHEAM-Bari, Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari, Via Ceglie, 9, 70010 Valenzano, Italy.
www.iamb.it.
Table 58: Organic statistics in the EU, candidate and potential candidate (CPC) and
southern and eastern Mediterranean (SEM) countries 2013
Total organic
Total organic Organic operators
Country agricultural area
area(a) (ha) (number)
(ha)
Croatia 40'641 40'648 1'830
Cyprus(b) 3'923 3'923
EU Med Countries
France 1'060'756 1'060'756 38'044

Greece(b) 462'618 462'618
Italy 1'317'177 1'379'824 52'383
Malta 37 37 18
Portugal 271'532 271'532 3'577
Slovenia 38'664 38'664 3'255
Spain 1'756'548 1'808'492 34'277
EU Med total 4'951'896 5'066'494 133'384
Albania 662 330'885 51
Candidates and
Bosnia & Herzegovina n.a. n.a.

candidates
FYROM 3'146 201'146 394

Countries
Potential
Montenegro 2'946 142'755 100

Serbia 8'228 8'228 1'386
Turkey 461'396 768'456 65'765
CPC total 476'378 1'451'470 67'696
Algeria 700 700 57
Southern and Eastern Med
Egypt 85'801 85'801 100

Jordan 2'898 2'898 54
Lebanon 2'571 2'571 238
Countries
Libya - - -
Morocco 8'660 870'250 200
Palestinian Authority 6'354 6'354 832
Syria 19'987 27'987 2'458
Tunisia 162'323 221'750 2'810
SEM total 289'294 1'218'311 6'749
Total 5'717'568 5'717'568 7'736'275
Source: CIHEAM-Bari, Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari
(a) Includes wild collection areas and forests, if any.
(b) Eurostat data
Editors’ note: the data in this table partly differ from those collected by FiBL and IFOAM. Not all data
in this table are from 2013.
Spotlight on the organic exports in the Mediterranean region

Over the last few years, organic agriculture has gained increasing interest and consent in
the Mediterranean region; thus attracting the attention of local governments and
economic operators and finding space in discussion platforms and official strategy
papers. Despite the fact that each country has its own history, there are common traits
and dynamics. In almost all SEM countries and some CPC countries, the concept of
organic agriculture has gained much attention for two main reasons: (i) the interest of
European stakeholders in new market suppliers to meet the growing demand of
European consumers and (ii) the interest of local operators for new commercial
opportunities which, in most cases, are essentially linked to export activities since the
local market is still in its infancy, except for a few countries, like Croatia and Lebanon,
where the local market is quite well developed.
In recent times, in many countries of the region, the development of organics has been
also pushed by a growing political interest and rising public awareness about the
ecological and social impacts of organic agriculture, but export remains a key driving
force in most of the SEM (chiefly in Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia) and the CPC (chiefly in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Turkey) countries. Following the recent fraud cases
of organic products detected on the EU markets and the latest amendments to the EU
regulations for imports from third countries, the need for an effective control system for
organic exports (and imports) has emerged as an important issue in the national organic
debate of many SEM and CPC countries. This has attracted the attention of local
authorities and stakeholders and led, in some cases, to concrete action to establish or
enhance the national organic information system with specific references to organic
trade activities. Regular and accurate collection of data about organic export product
types, volumes, and destinations represents a crucial step for control and monitoring
procedures; therefore, the availability of such data (among others) has been investigated
by MOAN in its member countries and, in particular, in non-EU Med countries, for some
years now.
More recently, from 2012 to 2014, in the framework of the activities carried out for the
EU-funded OrganicDataNetwork project (Data network for better European organic
market information, www.organicdatanetwork.net), some in-depth case studies have
also been conducted in selected countries. The project was a good opportunity for the
Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network to deepen its knowledge of the institutional
architecture behind national organic statistics, helping to identify existing problems and
test some proposals for solutions. Based on the outcomes of such activities as well as on
complementary survey work, in the next paragraphs, available organic export data are
presented for three countries—Morocco, Serbia, and Tunisia—with a strong export-
oriented organic sector and an established national system for organic export data
collection. For Morocco and Serbia, detailed organic export data are officially
disseminated for the first time within the international organic community.
Morocco 1
In Morocco, data collection, storage, and the dissemination of food export data,
including organic, are officially carried out by the Food Export Control and Coordination
Organization (Etablissement Autonome de Contrôle et Coordination et des Exportations,
EACCE), a government body, under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Maritime Fishing (Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Pêche Maritime, MAPM). EACCE is in
charge of the quality control of food export products and of processing plants as well as
with the coordination of exporting activities and operators. Administrative data on
organic exports are collected by EACCE inspectors operating in EACCE regional
delegations and entered into a centrally managed database from which they are
extracted and disseminated, often upon request, to other government agencies and the
private sector. The export-oriented activities drive most of the Moroccan organic sector's
revenue, which amounted in 2013 to nine million euros for 8’000 tons of products.
Early fruits and vegetables is the leading export category and mainly includes zucchini,
pepper, tomato, melon, cucumber, and strawberry (Figure 85). Processed plant products
1
Text based on the manuscript on Morocco by Allal Chibane and Ghizlane Amazzal, 2014, in Pugliese et al.
2014
(with argan oil and frozen orange juice as predominant products) constitute more than
one-fifth of the total export amount. This category also includes medicinal and aromatic
plant products (15 percent of the category's total volume, with thyme, rosemary, and
verbena being the most important products). The citrus fruit category (mostly oranges
and small citrus fruits) is also important, with 18 percent of total organic export volume.
It is important to highlight that several organic exports are also protected geographical
indications according to the national legislation, a combination of quality concepts,
labels, and certifications that Morocco is actively promoting.
In December 2013, an International Symposium on Mediterranean Organic Agriculture
and Quality Signs related to Origin was successfully organised in Agadir, Morocco
(www.agadir2013.org). At this conference, the state-of-the-art and recent developments
in legislation, certification, and research were discussed. The conference also provided
an opportunity for valuable exchange between the two communities of practitioners and
academics operating in the organic sector, on the one hand, and in the field of local
products (produits de terroir), on the other. A large share of producers of Moroccan
produits de terroir respect organic agriculture principles and practices, but some of them
do not acquire organic certification (and its commercial benefits) for their products due
to budget constraints.
Figure 85: Morocco: Share of organic export volumes by group of products 2013
Source: Etablissement Autonome de Contrôle et Coordination et des Exportations (EACCE) 2014.
The EU is the main destination market for Moroccan organic exports, with France,
Germany, and Switzerland as the top three importing countries. France imports about
90 percent of the citrus fruits and 80 percent of the processed plant products, which
includes medicinal and aromatic plants products. Germany is the leading importer for
early fruits and vegetables (61 percent of the total export of the category), followed by
Switzerland (12 percent) (Figure 85).
Morocco: Export volumes by destination country of 2013

Source: Etablissement Autonome de Contrôle et Coordination et des Exportations (EACCE) 2014
France 3'787
Germany 3'196
Switzerland 610
The Netherlands 165
Turkey 70
Spain 62
United Kingdom 60
USA 42
Others 22
0 500 1'000 1'500 2'000 2'500 3'000 3'500 4'000

Metric tons
Figure 86: Morocco: Export volume by destination country 2013

Since 2000, export volumes have increased but show fluctuating performance partially
due to naturally variable production outcomes and climate conditions (Figure 87). In
2013, exports of citrus fruits began to drift upward again after a couple of years of
decline. In the same year, processed plant products showed a negative trend in volume
(especially affecting orange juice) compensated by a steady increase in value, mainly due
to a general positive trend for exports of high value-added products such as organic
argan oil.
Figure 87: Morocco: Evolution of organic exports 2000-2013

Serbia 1
In Serbia, data on organic export volumes and values of organic products are collected by
customs and control bodies. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection
(MAEP) considers the customs data as official; data from control bodies are considered
as projections of probable exports. At customs, information on organic exporters and
exports is collected by means of the customs declaration, as organic products have to be
reported together with the number of the certificate attached to the customs
declaration. Organic products are classified, according to the EU Customs Tariff
Nomenclature, by the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European
Commission. However, export values are often missing or roughly estimated, as
exporters do not want to declare the exact value of their products. Frozen and fresh
fruits and fruit juice concentrates are the main exported Serbian organic products. In
2012, export volumes amounted to 1.6 million tons for a value estimated at 4 million
euros. The leading exported organic product is raspberries (40.9 percent), followed by
fruit juice concentrates (22.2 percent) and plums (13.5 percent) (Figure 88).
Figure 88: Serbia: Share of organic export volumes by group of products 2013
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection (MAEP) 2014 (from customs data).
The European Union is the main destination market for the Serbian organic exports,
with Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands being the top three importing countries.
The destination countries of raspberries are mainly Germany (30 percent), the USA
(25 percent), and Austria (22 percent), while 85 percent of the total export of fruit juice
concentrates is sold to Austria; Italy is the leading importer of plums (58 percent of the
total export of the crop). Belgium, Poland, and Japan import raspberries exclusively. In
2013, an increase of the total exported volume (7.1 million tons) was registered, for an
estimated value of more than 10 million euros (Figure 89).
1
Text based on the manuscript on Serbia by Jelena Milić and Jelena Vasilijevic, 2014, in Pugliese et al. 2014
Serbia: Export volumes by destination country 2013

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection (MAEP) 2014 (from customs data)
Germany 373'722
The Netherlands 194'908
USA 181'825
Italy 122'500
UK 80'028
Belgium 46'428
Poland 39'600
Switzerland 39'480
Japan 4'000
0 50'000 100'000 150'000 200'000 250'000 300'000 350'000 400'000

Metric tons
Figure 89: Serbia: Export volumes by destination country 2013

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection (MAEP) 2014 (from customs data)
Tunisia 1
In Tunisia, the ministerial department dedicated to organic agriculture matters, the
Direction Générale de l'Agriculture Biologique (DGAB), established a system for export
authorization to identify organic exports and gather relevant data, as there is no specific
classification code at the customs level for organic imports and exports. The DGAB
grants export authorisations only for products that are certified by an authorised control
body after examination of a technical dossier, which is specifically prepared to provide
evidence of the fulfilment of the required conditions. This technical file allows the DGAB
to have a complete and continuous monitoring and to keep records of all export
operations. All collected information are stored in a database at the DGAB. They are
processed yearly and made publicly available on the websites of the Ministry of
Agriculture (www.agriculture.tn; in Arabic) and the CTAB (www.ctab.nat.tn). The DGAB
also closely monitors the annual performances, in terms of organic areas, production,
and exports, against annual forecasts included in the national strategy for the sector,
which are calculated by crop category and based on the assessment of regional potential.
Overall, in 2013, Tunisian organic exports amounted to 21.1 thousand tons,
corresponding to a total value of 116 million Tunisian Dinars (54 million euros).
Traditionally, organic olive oil and dates are the most popular Tunisian organic exports,
accounting together for more than 90 percent of the total export value in 2012.
Diversification of organic production and exports has been strongly encouraged;
therefore, over time, the range of exported products has become quite wide. It consists
1
Text based on the manuscript on Tunisia by Samia Maamer and Sameh Amara, 2014, in Pugliese et al. 2014
now of more than sixty different products, including other fresh fruits and vegetables
(citrus fruits, tomato, pepper, artichoke, melon, garlic), vegetable and fruit sauces,
pastes, spreads and condiments, and various tisanes (Figure 90).
Figure 90: Tunisia: Share of organic export volumes by group of products 2013
Source: Direction Générale de l'Agriculture Biologique (DGAB) 2014
Europe is the biggest export market (84 percent of the total value in 2012). France, Italy,
and Spain are the top importers of organic olive oil; Germany, France, the Netherlands,
and Switzerland are the most important destinations for dates; and France imports the
largest share of medicinal and aromatic plants. Tunisian organic products are also sold
on the US market (15 percent of the total value; mainly olive oil and dates) and in much
smaller shares in Canada and Australia as well (Figure 91).
Tunisia: Export volumes by destination country 2013

USA 6'097'336
Spain 2'840'274
Germany 2'691'133
The Netherlands 1'360'500
Belgium 596'028
Switzerland 414'500
UK 112'250
Denmark 92'500
Other 391'898
0 2'000'000 4'000'000 6'000'000 8'000'000

Metric tons
Figure 91: Tunisia: Export volumes by destination country 2013

The negative trend, which remarkably affected organic areas and organic production in
2011-2012, did not really touch Tunisian organic export performances, which have,
instead, continued to grow in volumes in the last three years, with an achievement rate
against the national strategy forecasts that has never been reported below 85 percent. In
the same period, except for a small drop in 2012, export values even increased beyond
expectations.
Tunisia: Evolution of organic export value 2000-2013
140
116
120
100 89
81
Million TDN
80
66
60 55
40
20
0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 92: Tunisia: Evolution of organic export value 2000-2013

Source: Direction Générale de l'Agriculture Biologique (DGAB) 2014.
Acknowledgements
The project “Data network for better European organic market information”
(OrganicDataNetwork) has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh
Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration
under grant agreement no 289376. The contents of this article are the sole responsibility
of the authors, and it does not represent the views of the European Commission or its
services. The Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information.
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the European Union’s Seventh Framework
Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration under grant agreement no 289376
for the project “Data network for better European organic market information” (OrganicDataNetwork). The
contents of this article are the sole responsibility of the authors, and it does not represent the views of the
European Commission or its services. The Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the
information.
The authors would like to thank all of those who have provided data and information for this report, in
particular MOAN country delegates and their collaborators, as well as the local institutions of the countries
covered by this report.
Reference
Patrizia Pugliese, Marie Reine Bteich and Lina Al-Bitar (eds.) (2014) Mediterranean Organic Agriculture key Features, recent
Facts, latest Figures Report 2014. Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network (MOAN), CIHEAM Bari. Available at
Latin America and the
Caribbean
Map 6: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean 2013
Source: FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015; based on information from the private sector, certifiers,
Latin America and Caribbean: Overview
Organic Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean

PATRICIA FLORES 1
Introduction
In the past ten years, Latin America and the Caribbean have seen positive trends in
economic growth, job creation, as well as a reduction of extreme poverty. In general
terms, the Latin American and Caribbean region has proved more resilient to the
difficult international context. Still, there are many unsolved key issues such as
persistent poverty and hunger in the rural population, mostly smallholders.
The region faces new challenges on top of the old ones. These challenges include
demographic transition, epidemiological transition, threats to natural and
environmental resources, growing socio-environmental conflicts, and climate change;
these challenges call for changes in production and consumption patterns that will lead
to growing costs for the region. Agroecology and organic production have the means to
address many of these challenges at a lower cost by increasing yields at the level of
smallholder farms and providing a more sustainable and healthier diet while dealing
with the negative effects of climate change through more resilient agricultural and food
systems.
The December 2014 Climate Change Conference that took place in Lima, Peru,
addressed the need to focus on adaptation and mitigation measures, especially in
vulnerable countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, considering the amount of loss
and damage in certain areas of the region. For example, climate variability has had a
serious impact on crops in the region, such as cereals, oilseeds, coffee, banana, citrus,
and sugarcane. Rust in coffee has severe consequences; they are not only economic, but
also social, as coffee is grown mainly by smallholders. As long as the agricultural sector is
not properly included in the official discussions and negotiations, the impact on the food
system and the regional economy will be a major challenge. The Landscape approach,
discussed and developed at the Global Landscape Forum (GLF) in Lima in December
2014, is a first step towards the integration of strategies in a territory (forests,
agricultural systems, water, etc.), and hopefully, the contribution of the International
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) can be included in the Paris
Climate Change Conference in 2015. Unilever Chief Executive P. Polman said at the GLF:
“Industrial agriculture had driven 71% of deforestation between 2000 and 2012.
Deforestation could be halted by a combination of two approaches: improving the yields and
incomes of smallholder farmers and restoring degraded land. We have to produce more food.
And we have to protect forests and support the communities that depend on them. We can’t
succeed in one challenge without succeeding in the other.” In Latin America, more than
70 percent of the food comes from smallholders. Increasing yields in smallholder
systems is only viable with an agroecological approach.
The organic sector and the legal framework scenario have kept stable during the past
three years. Minor improvements in or completion of regulations in certain countries
has been made. Some governments, such as those of Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and
1 Patricia Flores, IFOAM Representative for Latin American and the Caribbean, Lima, Peru, www.ifoam.org
Brazil, have provided significant support to the organic sector. This is reflected in the
allocation of resources and capacity-building programs. In Peru, a major project with the
European Union—the Euro EcoTrade project—is led by the Ministry of Environment
(MINAM) together with the Ministry of Economy (MEF) and the Ministry of Foreign
Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR). With few exceptions, in most countries in the region,
organic agriculture is not mainstreamed in agricultural policy and is still regarded only as
an international trade opportunity. In most countries, a national commission or a
council of organic agriculture has been created to act as a cooperation platform between
the public and the private sectors. This has proven to be an effective tool in fostering
organic agriculture and the development of domestic markets in the region.
Since 2011, the United States has maintained a database that allows tracking imports of
selected organic commodities. The statistics emphasize the importance of Latin
American and Caribbean countries as suppliers for the United States organic food
market, especially of products like coffee, seasonal fruits, and vegetables. Current
research suggests that local, national, and regional partnerships between public and
private institutions, which seek to strengthen the legislative framework of organic
agriculture and capacity building in exporting countries, increase foreign producers’
possibilities of selling to this expanding agricultural niche market (Scherer, 2013). As
there are no agreements, such as equivalence or any other tools, to facilitate organic
trade, organic producers in the region, besides complying with US National Organic
Program (NOP), also have to fulfill the general and commodity-specific requirements for
imports. This includes obtaining phytosanitary certificates, meeting pesticide
restrictions, following grading standards for fresh produce, and meeting inspection
standards for meat, poultry, and processed egg products. With all of these requirements,
coupled with weak support in their countries, organic producers fail in their attempts to
export as illustrated by the 200 tons of organic quinoa shipments from Peru. According
to Scherer (2013), Peru, Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil are the top four countries
supplying organic products to the United States. Peru and Mexico alone accounted for
half of the overall HTS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule 1) organic export value from the
Latin American and Caribbean regions in 2012. Peru mainly accounts for coffee, while
Mexico maintains a diverse export product basket (coffee, avocados, rice, blueberries,
honey, and pepper). Chile and Argentina supply apples and other fruits.
Domestic markets are trending positively in the region. Today, the public is more
environmentally aware and has greater purchasing power than in the past, and there are
more producers supplying organic food in alternative commercial schemes, such as fairs,
home deliveries, and small food stores. For some organic producers in the region, the
domestic market is more attractive than the international market because of
requirements and compliances that have to be met. Domestic markets with Participatory
Guarantee Systems (PGS) and third party certification are gaining more recognition
among consumers who want to support locally produced food, invest in healthy
products, and support local family farms and processors.
In 2014, the International Year of Family Farming, several governmental efforts and
policies were carried out. As a tool for creating food security and alleviating poverty,
family farming is now on the national agenda of many countries in the region. For
1
For more information about the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), see hts.usitc.gov.
example: Costa Rica launched a national plan for Family Farming; Chile increased its
budget for the strengthening of family farming by 8.2 percent; Mexico launched
“National Crusade against Hunger” as a social inclusion initiative and Mercosur 1
strengthened the Fund for Family Agriculture Support through the Food and Agriculture
Organisation of the United Nations. 2
Mexico
Mexico is one of the organic giants in the region. Its comprehensive, organic legal
framework built in a participatory process and the government’s support to strengthen
the organic sector in several states of Mexico are successful stories of public-private
cooperation. Recently, in October 2014, the Mexican Society of Organic Production,
SOMEXPRO, and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
(IFOAM) announced their joint efforts to further develop the Mexican organic sector,
and they have signed an agreement, which includes several actions. The first one is
related to the assessment of the organic regulation of Mexico against the COROS and to
become a member of the IFOAM Family of Standards. SOMEXPRO and the competent
authority for organic agriculture are working together on the specific regulation for
Participatory Certification or PGS, organized in 15 states by the network of organic
markets, REDAC (Red de Tianguis y Mercados Orgánicos de México), which is active in
15 states.
In June 2014, the first Organic Leadership Course 3 was completed, and the first class in
the region graduated. The course was a joint effort between the Secretary of Agriculture
of the State of Oaxaca, SOMEXPRO, and IFOAM.
In 2014, the One World Award – Silver, 4 was given to Rita Schwentesius, an agricultural
scientist and professor at the University in Chapingo/Mexico. After teaching for eight
years at Humboldt University in Berlin, she committed herself to the development of
organic agriculture in Mexico. For more than 10 years, Rita Schwentesius coordinated
the Mexican “Tianguis” network with more than 1’000 organic farmers. Rita
Schwentesius co-founded the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Rural
Development (CIIDRI), which employs a staff of 60 scientists. Most of the statistics
from Mexico for “The World of Organic Agriculture” come from this group of scientists
and researchers. The Center’s mission is to generate knowledge and practical methods
that can be used to intensify organic cultivation. Presently, the CIIDRI team is working
on a project with indigenous organic farmers in the mountains of the state of Oaxaca.
Approximately 120 farmers with 900 hectares are organized in an organic and Fair Trade
1
Mercosur is the Southern Common Market - El Mercado Común del Sur. For more information, see
www.mercosur.int.
2
More information “MERCOSUR y FAO fortalecerán el Fondo de la Agricultura Familiar, FAF” can be found on
the FAO website at http://www.rlc.fao.org/es/prensa/noticias/mercosur-y-fao-fortalecen-el-fondo-de-la-
agricultura-familiar-faf/
3
More information about the Organic Leadership courses of IFOAM can be found here:
http://www.ifoam.org/pt/academy/organic-leadership-courses.
4
Every two years the One World Award honours extraordinary people for their commitment and actions. The
international laureates are activists or pioneers in areas of economy, ecology or social matters. More
information about the 2014 laureates of the One World Award is available here http://www.one-world-
award.com/finalists-2014.html
cooperative “Cafe del Milenio.” The focus of the project is on medicinal plants and
developing homeopathic remedies and mixtures of effective microorganisms while
improving their diets with organic vegetable gardens.
Central America and the Caribbean

Central American countries are mainly focused on commodities in organic production
such as coffee and bananas. This is limiting the diversification of organic production
and, therefore, the domestic markets as well. Costa Rica is managing to expand locally
due to its long history of being the leading export country in the 1980s and 1990s, up
until 2005. This is not the same case for the rest of the Central American countries. They
are still struggling with volatile prices of commodities and diseases such as rust, monilia,
and sigatoka. The resilience of the agricultural systems is a key factor to succeed in the
international market of commodities, but to increase resilience is turning out to be a
major challenge including organic systems. Only the best in class will succeed, given the
conditions and impact of climate change.
Costa Rica is an important organic exporting country with Third Country status with the
European Union. Although it is one of the most important countries in organic
production, historically speaking, their organic land and exports have decreased. The
main export products are coffee, bananas, pineapples, and sugarcane. On the other
hand, many organic vegetable producers oriented to the domestic markets have
diversified and increased significantly in the last years. Being one of the first countries in
the region to establish farmers’ fairs, Costa Rica, today, has a wide range of possibilities,
where a local consumer can get organic fresh products produced by family farmers.
In Guatemala, the National Council of Organic Production (CNAE) has fostered organic
production. It has launched Organic Day, which takes place every third Sunday as a joint
effort of CNAE, the Municipality of Guatemala City, the Association of Agricultural
Exporters (AGEXPORT), the competent authority MAGA, and Helvetas Guatemala. The
webpage of CNAE has comprehensive information on organic regulations and other
initiatives: http://temp.cnaeguatemala.org/
South America
> Peru
The 24 departments in Peru have a total organic production area of 230’936 hectares
fully converted including wild collection areas, with a total of 496 operators grouping
more than 52’000 producers. The department of San Martín has the highest number of
producers, 8’614. The departments with the largest organic cultivated area are Junín and
San Martín, with 38’543 hectares and 28’545 hectares respectively. Wild collection takes
place in the department of Madre de Dios (60’535 hectares).
The Euro-Eco-Trade project in Peru is a support program costing 13 million euros, to be
implemented in three years. The program aims to support the Peruvian strategy of
fostering international trade in organic products under the framework of the Free Trade
Agreement with the European Union. Some organic products included in the program
are mango and banana (Department of Piura), quinoa and amaranth (Departments of
Cuzco, Puno, and Arequipa), and Brazil nuts (Department of Madre de Dios). The
program has already started to organize training activities for organic operators, as well
as studies of the organic value chains of the above-mentioned products.
> Bolivia
The organic sector operates through the National Council of Ecological Production
(CNAPE in Spanish). According to CNAPE, the main organic export products are cocoa,
coffee, Brazil nuts, and quinoa. Quinoa constitutes 80 percent of the export volume. The
Ministry of Rural Development is in charge of the development of organic production
for exports and the domestic market. Domestic markets are supplied by 6’500 producers
in seven departments, producing Andean cereals, vegetables, and honey among other
products. In order to foster market-oriented organic products, the Bolivian government
started an international cooperation with the Government of Spain as the main partner.
The project ended in 2013 (total project value: eight million US dollars, approx. 6.5
million euros). Since 2014, the government is allocating financial resources of its own
(around 4 million of bolivianos, approximately half a million euros).
> Ecuador
In Ecuador, the number of organic farmers is increasing to supply both international and
domestic organic markets. The Constitution of Ecuador claims agroecological production
to achieve a “good living” (“Sumak Kausay” in Quechua, a native language) and food
sovereignty. Organic producers on the seacoast are mainly producing bananas, coffee,
cacao, and shrimps for international markets in the United States and European Union.
In the Ecuadorian highlands, organic producers are producing vegetables, medicinal
plants, sugarcane (for panela), and quinoa; most of them are organized in associations of
smallholders. There is an increasing number of private initiative and companies,
supplying international markets.
> Colombia
In Columbia, the figures on organic production for export do not show a positive trend.
However, Colombia has seen an expansion of its agroecological markets, which link local
consumers with family farmers. The agroecological market “Tierra Viva” in Bogota is a
good example of how civil society and farmer organizations have joined together to
develop a local market for Columbia's most important city. Another experience with
Participatory Guarantee Systems is the network of agroecological farmer’s markets (Red
de Mercados Agroecologicos Campesinos) in the Cauca Valley: In twelve municipalities,
330 families are linked to more than sixty farmers’ organizations.
South Cone sub-region
> Brazil
Brazil is the most important organic market in the region in terms of both production
and consumption. The Brazilian regulation concerning organic production is based on
two main concepts: trust among producers and consumers, and quality control. The
SisOrg seal (organic official seal) is given if producers comply with third party
certification or a participatory guarantee system. Family farmers can sell their organic
products through direct sales without any certification, as long as they belong to a social
control organization registered with the competent authority. The Agroecology

Coordination (Coagre), the Secretary of Agricultural and Cooperative Development
(SDC), and the Ministry of Agriculture are responsible for the development of organic
agriculture in Brazil. They encourage, promote, and develop the organic regulation and
implementation of the control mechanisms.
In October 2013, Brazil announced the launch of a huge National Plan for Organic
Production and Agroecology called "Brasil Agroecológico." 1 Most of these resources are
available through the National Program for the Strengthening of Family Agriculture
(Pronaf) and the Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Plan. The remaining resources will
be allocated to specific programs such as training, the promotion of technical assistance
and rural extension, development of technological innovations, as well as better access
to public procurement through the Food Procurement Program (Programa de
Adquisición de Alimentos (PAA) and the National Program for School Meals
(Alimentación Nacional Escolar PNAE).
The objective of the Brazilian government is to foster organic production with family
farmers, to improve their income, and to increase organic food supply in Brazilian
homes. Also, the Ecoforte Program aims to strengthen “Brasil Agroecológico” by giving
support to production and processing done by cooperatives, networks, and farmers’
groups to increase access to conventional market channels. Ecoforte will cost an
additional 175 million Brazil reais (more than 50 million euros). Of that amount, 100
million Brazil reais (more than 30 million euros) comes from the Economic and Social
Development National Bank (BNDES), 50 million from other partners, and 25 million is
made available as part of an agreement between BNDES and the National Food Supply
Company (Conab). The Bank of Brazil will also provide 150 million Brazil reais in credits
and will facilitate the process for selected cooperatives.
At least 200’000 families will benefit from the Plano Nacional de Agroecologia e
Produção Orgânica (Planapo), Brasil Agroecológico. It is expected that, at the end of
2015, 50’000 operators will receive organic certification. Nowadays, there are more than
10’000 operators, half of them certified by third parties, 25 percent by social control
organizations, and 25 percent by PGS.
> Argentina
According to the annual report of SENASA, the Argentinean competent authority, the
country's main destination market continues to be the US; exports to the US increased
by 22 percent in 2013. The area dedicated to production for export increased by 10
percent and is now at 65’555 hectares. Fruits, mainly pears, are the most important
export products. The area for sugarcane, vines, and olives increased by 20 percent
Domestic markets in Argentina are strengthening, and local fairs, such as those
organized in Buenos Aires in 2014, are becoming important focal points for local
consumers to buy organic food and raise awareness of the importance of organic
agriculture.
The Argentinian scientist, Professor Andrés Carrasco, passed away in May 2014, which
was sad news for the organic movement. Carrasco, a brilliant and brave scientist, was the
1
For more information see website of the Ministry of Agriculture at www.mda.gov.br/planapo/
director of the Laboratory of Molecular Embryology, at the University of Buenos Aires

Medical School, and the lead researcher at the National Council of Scientific and
Technical Research (CONICET), Argentina. Research published in August 2010 by
Professor Carrasco found that glyphosate causes malformations in frog and chicken
embryos at doses far lower than those used in agricultural spraying.
References
CEPAL, FAO and IICA (2014) Perspectivas de la agricultura y del desarrollo rural en las Américas: una mirada hacia América
Latina y el Caribe. San José, Costa Rica. Available at http://www.fao.org/docrep/019/i3702s/i3702s.pdf
Scherer, A.C. (2013) Organic Food Market in the United States. Market access opportunities for Latin American and Caribbean
producers. Series Studies and Perspectives. ECLAC, Washington. Available at
http://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/5066/LCL3696_en.pdf;jsessionid=6F9766C0B1B42230C520C
C277E50F0E6?sequence=1
SPO-DIAIA-SENASA (2014) Estadísticas de Producción Orgánica Nacional 2013. Lima, Peru.
CNPO (2014). Database of organic production in Brazil.http://www.agricultura.gov.br/desenvolvimento-
sustentavel/organicos/cadastro-nacional
SENASA Argentina (2014). Situación de la Producción Orgánica en la Argentina durante el año 2013. Buenos Aires. Available at
http://argencert.com.ar/sitio/wp-content/uploads/SENASA_Informe_estadistico_produccion_organica_2013.pdf
Latin America and Caribbean: Current Statistics
Latin America and the Caribbean: Current statistics


In 2013, 6.6 million hectares were reported as being under organic production, which is
1.1 percent of the total agricultural land in Latin America and the Caribbean. Fifteen
percent of the world’s organic agricultural land is in Latin America and the Caribbean.
More than 200’000 hectares less were reported than in 2012. This can be partly
attributed to a major decrease, of mainly grassland/grazing areas, in Argentina (almost
450’000 hectares less). However, in some countries, there was a big increase of organic
agricultural land in 2013, like in Peru, where the area increased by more than 190’000
hectares, and the area is now almost double of what was reported in 2012. The organic
area has increased by almost 70 percent since 2000 (3.9 million hectares). The country
with the largest organic agricultural area was Argentina with 3.2 million hectares (Figure
93), and the country with the largest number of producers is Mexico with more than
169’000 (Table 59). The highest proportion of the total agricultural area was reached in
the Falkland Islands (more than 36 percent), which is the country with the highest share
of organic land worldwide.
Land use
Land use details were available for more than 80 percent of the agricultural land. In
2013, only three percent of all organic farmland was used for arable crops (209’335
hectares), while almost 70 percent was grassland/grazing areas (4.3 million hectares),
and 13 percent (845’020 hectares) was used to grow permanent crops (see Figure 96).
Argentina (almost 3 million hectares), Uruguay (926’000 hectares, data from 2006) and
the Falkland Islands/Malvinas (400’000 hectares) had the largest permanent
grassland/grazing areas. The key arable crops are vegetables, representing almost 30
percent of the Latin America and Caribbean organic arable area, and amounting to more
than 60’000 hectares. Most of the vegetables were grown in Mexico (46’573 hectares),
Colombia (11’225 hectares) and Peru (1’000). Organic sugarcane was grown on 35’000
hectares in 2013 with the key producing countries being Argentina (12’000 hectares)
and Paraguay (11’500 hectares). The main permanent crops were coffee (445’000
hectares), cocoa (almost 205’000 hectares), and tropical and subtropical fruits (almost
118’000 hectares).
Wild collection
Wild collection plays an important role in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than
2 million hectares are certified organic and are mainly used for the collection of wild
nuts (846’000 hectares), wild rose hips (42'000 hectares), and wild fruits (24’000
hectares). Information on wild collection is not available for many countries, so it can be
assumed that the total wild collection organic area is higher than that presented in this
report.
1
2
3
Latin America and Caribbean: Graphs
Organic Agriculture in Latin America and Caribbean:

Graphs
Latin America and Caribbean: The ten countries with the
largest organic area 2013
Argentina 3'191'255
Uruguay (2006) 930'965
Brazil (2012) 705'233
Mexico 501'364
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 403'212
Peru 388'448
Dominican Republic 180'609
Paraguay 62'274
Ecuador 42'781
Nicaragua (2009) 33'621
0 1'000'000 2'000'000 3'000'000 4'000'000

Hectares
Figure 93: Latin America and Caribbean: The ten countries with the largest areas of
Latin America and Caribbean: The countries with the

highest share of organic agricultural land 2013
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 36.3%

French Guiana (France) 11.9%
Dominican Republic 9.3%
Uruguay (2006) 6.3%
Mexico 2.3%
Argentina 2.3%
Peru 1.8%
Belize 1.3%
Dominica (2011) 1.0%
Martinique (France) 1.0%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Figure 94: Latin America and Caribbean: The ten countries with the highest shares of
Latin America and Caribbean: Graphs
Latin America and Caribbean: Development of organic agricultural

land 2000 to 2013
10.0
7.66 7.54
7.5 7.24
6.86 6.81 6.61
Million hectares
5.75 5.96 5.59

5.22 5.06 4.95
5.0 4.54
3.91
2.5
0.0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 95: Latin America and Caribbean: Development of organic agricultural land 2000-
2013
Latin America and Caribbean: Use of

agricultural organic land 2013

Vegetables 62.73
No details Cereals 37.74
18% Sugarcane 35.23
Oilseeds 34.52
Arable land Industrial crops 11.59
crops
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
3% Thousand hectares
Permanent Key permanent crops
crops Coffee 445.18
13% Permanent Cocoa 204.60
grassland Sub./Tropical fruit 117.78
66% Coconut 16.81
Citrus fruit 15.05
0 100 200 300 400 500
Thousand hectares
Figure 96: Latin America and Caribbean: Land use in organic agriculture 2013
Latin America and Caribbean: Tables
Organic Agriculture in Latin America and Caribbean:

Tables
Table 59: Latin America: Organic agricultural land, share of total agricultural land and
number of producers 2013
Argentina 3'191'255 2.3% 1'018
Bahamas 49 0.5%
Belize 1'982 1.3% 900
Bolivia 32'710 0.1% 9'837
Brazil 705'233 0.3% 12'526
Chile 23'469 0.1% 446
Colombia 31'621 0.1% 4'775
Costa Rica 7'449 0.4% 3'000
Cuba 7'389 0.1% 2
Dominica 240 1.0%
Dominican Republic 180'609 9.3% 24'412
Ecuador 42'781 0.6% 9'245
El Salvador 6'736 0.4% 2'000
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 403'212 36.3% 8
French Guiana (France) 2'702 11.9% 43
Grenada 85 0.7% 3
Guatemala 13'380 0.3% 3'008
Guyana Wild collection only
Haiti 2'878 0.2% 1'210
Honduras 24'950 0.8% 4'989
Jamaica 542 0.1% 80
Martinique (France) 269 1.0% 39
Mexico 501'364 2.3% 169'703
Nicaragua 33'621 0.7% 10'060
Panama 15'183 0.7% 1'300
Paraguay 62'274 0.3% 7'905
Peru 388'448 1.8% 52'284
Uruguay 930'965 6.3% 630
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 47 0.0%
Total 6'611'636 1.1% 319'459
Table 60: Latin America: All organic areas 2013

Aqua- Wild
Agriculture Other non agr. Total
Country culture collection
[ha] land [ha] [ha]
[ha] [ha]
Argentina 3'191'255 26'118 458'601 3'675'974
Bahamas 49 49
Belize 1'982 1'982
Bolivia 32'710 785'453 818'163
Brazil 705'233 1'209'773 1'915'006
Chile 23'469 8'146 61'751 93'366
Colombia 31'621 7'320 38'941
Costa Rica 7'449 7'449
Cuba 7'389 7'389
Dominica 240 240
Dominican Republic 180'609 5'260 185'869
Ecuador 42'781 3'123 1'260 47'164
El Salvador 6'736 6'736
Falkland Islands
403'212 403'212
(Malvinas)
French Guiana (France) 2'702 2'702
Grenada 85 85
Guadeloupe (France) 193 193
Guatemala 13'380 5 13'385
Guyana 58'000 58'000
Haiti 2'878 2'878
Honduras 24'950 24'950
Jamaica 542 0 542
Martinique (France) 269 269
Mexico 501'364 30'364 531'727
Nicaragua 33'621 11'463 45'084
Panama 15'183 15'183
Paraguay 62'274 62'274
Peru 388'448 4 120'467 508'919
Uruguay 930'965 930'965
Venezuela 47 47
Total 6'611'636 3'127 34'264 2'749'717 9'398'744
Table 61: Latin America: Land use in organic agriculture 2013

Cereals 37'738
Industrial crops 11'586
Mushrooms and truffles 0
Oilseeds 34'523
Protein crops 611
Root crops 920
Strawberries 273
Sugarcane 35'231
Textile crops 1'701
Tobacco 434
Vegetables 62'732
Citrus fruit 15'048
Cocoa 204'601
Coconut 16'809
Coffee 445'178
Fruit 1'001
Grapes 12'064
Medicinal and aromatic plants, permanent 462
Nurseries 32
Nuts 1'207
Olives 4'985
Total 6'611'636
Table 62: Latin America: Use of wild collection areas 2013

Land use Area [ha]
Berries, wild 634
Fruit, wild 24'466
Nuts, wild 845'989
Palmito, wild 6'800
Total 2'276'304
North America
Map 7: Organic agricultural land in Canada and the US 2013

Source: Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) and United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA, data 2011). For detailed data sources see annex, page 281.
North America: United States
2014 Farm Bill was a Major Milestone for the U.S. Organic
Sector
BARBARA FITCH HAUMANN 1
It took more than two full years of active work by U.S. legislators to draft and finalize
what became the Agricultural Act of 2014 (known as the 2014 Farm Bill), and an even
longer period of knocking on doors by the organic sector to explain the needs for
continuing the nurturing the health of U.S. organic agriculture. But it all paid off!
A growing and vital segment of the U.S. farm economy, organic agriculture historically
has been under-represented in U.S. Farm Bill programs compared to conventional
agriculture. This changed with the final 2014 Farm Bill, which incorporated provisions
for all of the policy “Asks” from the organic sector. These included:
− Increased funding for the National Organic Program;
− Commitment to develop organic price elections for crop insurance;
− Restored funding for certification cost-share, in which certified organic farmers and
handlers can receive reimbursement for some of the costs of certification;
− Expanded exemptions for organic operations from conventional check-off
programs 2;
− A provision allowing the organic sector to pursue a possible organic research and
promotion program (organic check-off) funded by industry participants;
− Funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Market Access Program,
which helps U.S. organic operations engage in markets around the world.
However, with the mid-term election in November 2014, the political landscape in the
United States has shifted once again, making prospects for organic agriculture in the
coming years less certain. The results: many new faces in Congress with the beginning of
2015, as the Republicans not only strengthened their control in the House of
Representatives, but won control of the U.S. Senate.
Now, it is crucial that the U.S. organic sector continue to build its relationships within
Congress to protect the gains won in the Farm Bill throughout its implementation. Only
in continuing to foster relationships with those in Congress who have proven to support
provisions for organic and cultivating relationships with new leaders can the sector
protect and grow organic’s profile in D.C.
1
Barbara Fitch Haumann is the Senior Writer/Editor for the Organic Trade Association, 28 Vernon St, Suite
413, Brattleboro VT 05301 United States, www.ota.com
2
Check-off program: Usually, a reference to the generic research and commodity promotion programs for farm
products that are financed by assessments applied to sales of those products by producers, importers, or others
in the industry. Quoted in: Womach, Jasper (2005) Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws,
2005 Edition = CRS Report for Congress, Washington. Available at
http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/05jun/97-905.pdf
Organic data
According to the latest data available, there are at least 18’513 certified organic
operations and 3’240 farms transitioning to organic across all 50 U.S. states. 1
Meanwhile, U.S. consumer sales of organic products topped 35 billion US dollars in 2013
(up 11.5 percent overall from 2012), and were forecast to have grown more than 11
percent overall in 2014, with predictions for continued growth over 11 percent during
2015.
According to the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA’s) “U.S. Families’ Organic Attitudes &
Beliefs 2014 Tracing Study,” more than 80 percent of families in the U.S. now buy
organic products at least occasionally.
With farm gate revenues of 3.5 billion US dollars, organic products rank among the top
four food and feed categories by dollar value, behind only corn, soybeans. A major
challenge had been to educate members of Congress about organic agriculture and its
role in U.S. agricultural health.
According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture Organic Special Tabulation released in
September 2014 by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), U.S. organic
producers were more likely to be beginning farmers, with 27 percent starting farming in
the past ten years, compared to 18 percent of all principal farm operators.
In addition, organic operators were younger, with 26 percent under 45 years old
compared with 16 percent of all principal operators.
Moreover, organic producers were much more likely to report direct-to-consumer sales
than conventional producers. While only 7 percent of all U.S. farms sold agricultural
products directly to consumers, 42 percent of organic farms reported such sales. In
addition, organic operations were more likely to sell crops such as fruits and vegetables
than livestock and poultry products. Almost 90 percent sold crops, while slightly fewer
than 50 percent sold livestock or poultry products.
NASS is scheduled to survey all known organic farmers early in 2015 to gather the latest
data on U.S. organic agriculture.
International trade
On July 1, 2014, the United States and the Republic of Korea welcomed a new
equivalency arrangement that reopened a critically important Asian market for U.S.
organic processed food products and was seen as an opportunity for job creation and
opportunities for the American organic food and farming sector.
This was expected to more than double American exports of organic processed foods and
beverages to Korea—from around 35 million US dollars in 2013—in the next five years.
1
Please note that these figures are different from those that are communicated in the tables of this book. The
numbers mentioned in the text above are the official numbers released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
National Organic Program (NOP) in March 2014 based on data collected on the number of operations certified
to USDA organic regulations in 2013. The 18’513 certified organic operations included organic farms and
processing facilities.
USDA’s NOP at that time had showed over 25’000 certified organic operations (meeting USDA organic
regulations) in 2013 in more than 120 countries around the world.
This is the second organic equivalency partnership formed with a major Asian trading
partner within a year. In September 2013, the United States and Japan agreed to a
similar understanding regarding the bilateral trade of organic products. These build on
the landmark equivalency arrangements reached with Canada in 2009 and the European
Union in 2012.
The U.S.-Korea equivalency arrangement was formalized on June 30 in separate signings
in Seoul and Washington. Under the pact, Korea recognizes USDA’s National Organic
Program as equivalent to Korea’s organic oversight program The understanding, which
covers organic condiments, cereal, baby food, frozen meals, milk, alcoholic beverages and
other processed products, allows processed organic products certified in Korea or in the
United States to be sold as organic in either country.
With a grant for 784’902 US dollars from USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP) to
promote U.S. organic products abroad in 2015, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) is
gearing up a far-reaching strategy for 2015 that will include more organic promotional
and education programs in Japan and around the globe.
According to preliminary findings (the final report is not yet published) from an analysis
conducted for OTA by Dr. Ted Jaenicke, agricultural economist at Penn State University,
U.S. organic product exports reached a new high of 537 million US dollars in 2013, up
more than 20 percent from the previous year, with export sales at nearly 400 million US
dollars for the first three quarters of 2014. Based on dollar value, apples, lettuce and
grapes were the top three U.S. organic exports.
Meanwhile, organic product imports tracked in 2013 added up to nearly 1.3 billion US
dollars and nearly 1 billion US dollars for the first three quarters of 2014. Coffee, wine,
soybeans and olive oil were the top organic imports.
Actual organic exports are undoubtedly much higher than these numbers. This is
because these findings are based on USDA’s Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS),
which only began gathering trade for organic products in 2011. In that year, GATS
included export data for only 23 organic products and import data for 20 organic
products. Since then, USDA has added additional product categories. Taken into account
in the analysis were a total of 26 exported products and 35 imports.
Until the United States started using HS (harmonized system) codes to track a limited
number of organic commodities, there was no way of measuring the organic products
coming in and going out of the country, or the success and growth of global organic
industry over time. While there are thousands of HS codes in place today, there are only
handfuls for organic-specific products.
Formal submission requests for new codes are accepted a few times a year through the
Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements of the U.S. International Trade
Commission. There are some key requirements for a code to even be considered. First,
the product needs to generate at least 1 million US dollars in trade annually. Next, this
trade floor minimum must be generated by at least three exporting entities to protect
company-specific trade information.
OTA’s most recent submission requesting additional organic HS codes resulted in the
creation of 11 new codes for organic products. These codes went into effect January 1,
2015. Previously the HS export codes were mostly in the fresh produce category. The 11
latest codes cover organic salad mixes in both large and small packages, carrots reduced
in size and baby carrots, beets, peas, asparagus, limes, watermelons, peaches and berries.
The next round of submissions is due April 1, 2015. As the Organic Trade Association
(OTA) continues to promote equivalency arrangements with major trading partners, and
the organic industry as a whole continues to grow, OTA aims to have the government
increase the number of export codes tracked to expand the data available to more
accurately measure the impact of global organic trade.
A recent OTA survey of the U.S. organic industry shows a growing number of organic
stakeholders involved in the export market—just over 60 percent of respondents
surveyed said they export all or some of their organic products, with an additional 20
percent reporting that they plan to get into the international arena. Many of today’s
organic exporters are new to the export business, with some 50 percent selling their
products on the global stage for five years or less, and almost 20 percent just two years
or less.
The inability to locate appropriate buyers is frequently cited as one of the biggest
barriers to exports. Since the mid-1990s, OTA has been working to help promote organic
agricultural products in international markets and to connect buyers and sellers. The
first year OTA participated in USDA’s Market Access Program was 1999. OTA’s
membership now represents about 85 percent of U.S. organic exports, and the market
promotion activities administered by OTA are open to the entire organic industry, not
just OTA members.
Challenges and opportunities

The U.S. organic sector faces of numerous challenges and opportunities. These have been
clearly identified by OTA’s Farmers Advisory Council—formed by OTA in 2013 to
elevate the voices of U.S. organic farmers and to provide guidance on how farmers can
constructively engage with national policymakers. Included are increasing demand and
supply shortages of organic ingredients, especially grain; ways to encourage transition to
organic production; analysis and feedback on critical regulatory issues such as the Food
Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and animal welfare; organic crop contamination from
prohibited residues; access to land for beginning organic and transitioning farmers; and
international trade barriers.
Among the opportunities on the horizon is a proposed organic check-off program that
has been under discussion for the past several years. As noted at the beginning of this
chapter, some actions outlined in the 2014 have helped move this proposal forward.
On December 16, 2014, USDA announced a proposed rule to exempt more organic
farmers and handlers from paying into conventional commodity check-off programs.
This is an important step that recognizes the organic industry’s unique needs, and lets
the industry decide where its dollars are best spent.
“The organic sector is a fast-growing, distinct industry with its own unique demands for
research and promotion. We’re pleased USDA is moving swiftly to allow the industry to
use its money to grow and develop its own sector,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive
Director of OTA.
National commodity research and promotion check-off programs, funded by producers

of the specific commodity, have been a part of American agriculture for almost fifty
years. There are now 22 national check-off programs in place, ranging from the oldest
check-off program begun in 1966 for cotton, to one of the newest that promotes
American-grown mangoes. The iconic “Got Milk” and “The Incredible Edible Egg”
campaigns are examples of promotion and education programs paid for by successful
producer-funded check-offs.
The proposed exemption, which was expanded by Congress in the Farm Bill of 2014,
would extend the exemption for organic farmers, handlers, marketers, or importers
from just the 100 percent organic label to the primary organic label (95 percent organic)
and pertain not exclusively to farmers or handlers who work solely with organic
products, but also to those who produce, process, handle and import both organic and
conventional products.
The exemption from conventional commodity check-off program assessments is very
significant for certified organic operations. USDA estimates that not having to
contribute to conventional check-offs will free up an extra 13.6 million US dollars for
organic stakeholders to invest back into the organic industry.
The USDA proposed rule will also exempt eligible operations from paying into the
portion of the assessment in federal marketing order programs designated for market
promotion activities. There are 23 marketing order programs with market promotion
authority.
The 2014 Farm Bill also authorizes USDA to consider and hold a vote on an organic
research and promotion check-off program if the organic sector submits to the agency an
official proposal for an organic check-off. OTA has been gathering input from organic
stakeholders for the past three years on how best to shape a check-off program that
could effectively serve the industry.
“The successes in the organic industry have been enormous,” said Batcha. “However,
there is still much that needs to be done in the way of educating consumers about
organic, devoting more research dollars to organic agriculture, and helping farmers to
convert to organic. Giving the industry more ability to invest in its future is very
significant.”
Sources
Organic Trade Association (2014): “Long time coming, 2014 Farm Bill worth the wait for organic,” Spring 2014 edition, The
Organic Report published by the Organic Trade Association, Washington D.C
Organic Trade Association’s (OTA’s) U.S. Families’ Organic Attitudes & Beliefs 2014 Tracing Study. Organic Trade Association,
Washington D.C
Organic Trade Association (2014) 2014 Organic Industry Survey, Organic Trade Association, Washington D.C
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): 2012 Census of Agriculture Organic Special Tabulation. Available at
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012
Overall source on information on U.S. organic farming and trade: www.ota.com.
North America: Canada
Canada
MATTHEW HOLMES 1 AND MARIE-EVE LEVERT 2
Organics in Canada continue to enjoy robust demand, with conservative estimates for
2013 putting the domestic consumer market for organic food and beverages at 3.25
billion Canadian dollars. 3 According to new reports by CIBC World Markets and
Statistics Canada, the 2013 combined total sales of food and alcohol in Canada was
112.8 billion Canadian dollars. These figures suggest organic now represents 2.8 percent
of all sales. In addition, exports continue to provide value to producers; they are valued
at over 500 million Canadian dollars, and are greatly facilitated by Canada’s five
equivalency arrangements with major trading partners. At a production level, there are
continued echoes of the decline in supply following the global recession, concentrated in
the Prairie region. However, it appears the rate of decline for producers has not had the
same impact on acreage and has largely stabilized. In the context of unmet demand
throughout North America, as well as lower prices for conventional crops and new
initiatives to encourage conversion, it is hoped that the coming years will see an increase
in producer numbers that matches the significant rise in Canadian processors seen since
2011.
Organic production
Data collection system
Canada’s organic sector continues to rely on the voluntary disclosure of data by
certifiers, provincial organizations and some governments. In 2014, there was almost
universal participation, resulting in the most rigorous data yet. However, the authors
note that year-over-year change and inconsistencies remain a risk until a national
mandatory data system has been implemented.
Producers
The number of primary agricultural producers in 2013 was 3’513, representing a slight
decline (2.3 percent) compared to 2012. The decrease is largely due to the loss of more
than 60 growers in Saskatchewan, continuing the trend of the past few years. In fact,
Saskatchewan has seen its number drop by 24 percent over the past two years, though
acreage numbers have not been affected by this decline. The number of operators
remained relatively stable in the other provinces.
In addition to the traditional producers reported above, the Canada Organic Trade
Association (COTA) has tracked the introduction of operators certified to the new
Canadian organic aquaculture standards published in mid-2012. In 2013, COTA counted
16 certified organic aquaculture farms managing 42 sites, which are in addition to the
national total. These produce a range of livestock (see next page) and seaweeds.
1
Matthew Holmes, Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA), Ottawa, Canada, www.otacanada.ca
2
Marie-Eve Levert, Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA), Ottawa, Canada, www.otacanada.ca
3
In 2013, 1 Canadian dollar corresponded to 0.731 euros.

There are at least 870’000 hectares of land in Canada that are used for organic crops and
grazing lands, including 9’992 hectares in conversion for crop production. There are also
another 67 hectares of forest and 71’820 hectares of wild collection that comprises
39’560 hectares of maple woods tapped for organic syrup production. Crown land leases
used for grazing of organic livestock are included under fallow in the total for
agricultural land.
Livestock production
Livestock data for 2013 was inconsistent and did not provide adequate information to
compare to previous years; some data provided included all age classes, while other data
included breeding animals only.
The 2012/13 dairy year saw 209 farmers produce more than 950’000 hectoliters of
organic milk, which represents 1.20 percent of the total Canadian production. The
production increased by 13’000 hectoliters over 2012. It is estimated that there are
between 15’000 to 16’000 cows in the organic milking herd in Canada (Macey, 2013).
Ontario (77) and Quebec (102) have the highest number of organic milk producers.
The publication of Canada’s new organic aquaculture standards saw new aquatic
livestock introduced to the market in 2013. The majority of these producers are organic
mussel producers in the Atlantic region, along with caviar and finfish production in
Ontario and British Columbia.
Processors and handlers
Canada counts 1’447 operators that are manufacturing, distributing or handling organic
products, which is an increase of 14 percent compared to 2012. This increase prevails in
each province, with the exception of Saskatchewan. British Columbia and Ontario gained
respectively 57 and 65 new organic processors/handlers in 2013. This growth can be
explained by the increased consumer demand for organic foods as well as diversification
in the activities of the organic operators. An additional eight certified processors and
feed mills are certified to Canada’s new organic aquaculture standards.
Seed initiatives
The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security is a new project, delivered by USC
Canada, 1 in partnership with Seeds of Diversity Canada and supported by The W.
Garfield Weston Foundation. In 2014, the program counted over 60 applied research
sites, 32 grants to scale up and diversify production, 17 community seed library grants,
close to 30 seed training grants, three conferences, as well as seed internships, field days,
and informal convening.
As part of the Bauta Initiative, COTA released the first comprehensive study on the
organic seed market in Canada. The study measured the current and potential market
for ecological and organic seed, provided crop- and region - specific information and set
a benchmark for ongoing data collection in the sector. It concluded that the current
1
USC Canada is a non-profit international development organization, establishing programs in food security/
biodiversity, desertification, climate change and poverty alleviation. More information can be found at usc-
canada.org.
value of certified organic seed totaled 28.4 million Canadian dollars per year, with 9.1
million Canadian dollars in vegetable seed, and 19.3 million Canadian dollars in field
crop seed (7.7 million Canadian dollars purchased and 11.6 million Canadian dollars in
saved seed). The research also included the first ever survey of organic inspectors
regarding their own experiences with organic seed and farmer requests for seed
derogations.
The subject of seed also received a lot of attention at the federal policy level, as the
government debated and advanced the “Agricultural Growth Act”, which seeks to
implement UPOV 1 ‘91 in Canada in 2015. As a result of coordinated response from the
Canadian organic sector, a crucial amendment was introduced to ensure that farmers
continue to have the right to store and propagate seed for their own use.
Japan equivalency, expansion of EU scope

After years of technical discussions, peer review and negotiations, Canada and Japan
announced an equivalency arrangement for organic products in September 2014. This
brings Canada’s total equivalency arrangements to five, providing Canadian organic
operators with privileged access to over 95 percent of the world’s organic market.
The recognition agreement was formalized in letters traded between the Japan Ministry
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Plants and processed foods of plant origin are covered under the agreement and must
bear the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) seal to be sold in Japan; they may bear
the Canada Organic logo. Canadian organic products that are not covered under the JAS
regulations (e.g., meat, dairy, and honey) but are certified under Canada’s regime will
still have access to the Japanese market, but without the JAS logo. All JAS-eligible
organic products may enter Canada and bear the Canada Organic logo under the
arrangement.
There has also been renewed activity between officials in the European Commission and
Canada to expand the scope of their 2011 equivalency. Currently, the arrangement limits
Canadian exports to only products grown in or made from ingredients grown in Canada,
while Canada accepts any food products from the EU. The EU has approached Canada
with interest in including organic wine in the terms of the agreement, and so both
countries held a number of talks to look at removing limits on country of origin and
including wine in the terms of their organic trade.
Canada is also actively exploring equivalency arrangements with Mexico and South
Korea, in an effort to strategically broaden into markets with strong demand and
historic trade ties with Canada. COTA is providing government negotiators with expert
technical assistance during these equivalency discussions.
Major standards revisions underway

Under the oversight of the Canadian General Standards Board, the Canadian organic
standards, including materials lists, are undergoing a comprehensive five-year review
1
UPOV is the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) is an
intergovernmental organization with headquarters in Geneva (Switzerland). For more information see
www.upov.int.
under the direction of a technical committee made up of industry experts, as well as

environmental, consumer and government representatives. The series of meetings, held
in 2014 and early 2015, will result in a fully revised organic standard and permitted
substances list published in late 2015. The committee is also considering whether it will
integrate the Canadian organic aquaculture standards into the greater organic standards
and permitted substances list, to ensure continuity and streamlining. Upon publication,
the new standards will immediately become mandatory under Canada’s organic
regulations, but will be phased in with each company or farm’s annual inspection review.
Regulatory modernization
Like many other jurisdictions, Canada is in the midst of a major overhaul of its
regulatory and food safety systems, as well as food labelling and nutrition information.
The scope of the new regulations are broad and will affect nearly all food imported, sold,
traded or exported from Canada; they will be introduced between 2015 and 2018.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) consulted widely in 2014 on a new
comprehensive food traceability and safety rule under the “Safe Food for Canadians
Regulations”. The new laws will consolidate and streamline a multitude of pre-existing
food and agriculture regulations into one piece of legislation, including the previously
distinct Organic Products Regulations. The rules governing organic certification and
labelling will remain substantively the same. However, it is expected that the new
regulations will broaden the scope of the Canada Organic Regime to include organic
aquaculture, based on the new aquaculture standards. This will provide organic
aquaculture products with access to the “Canada Organic” logo but may also limit the
import of certain products not certified to Canada’s requirements. At time of press, the
draft regulations were expected to be published in Canada Gazette, Part I, in January
2015, with a public comment period of 75 days. The final version of the new regulations
will be published later in 2015.
New investment for Organic Science Cluster II announced

In August 2014, the Government of Canada announced an investment of eight million
Canadian dollars for the continuation of the Organic Science Cluster. The science cluster
is an industry-supported research and development endeavor initiated by the Organic
Agriculture Centre of Canada at Dalhousie University, in collaboration with the Organic
Federation of Canada with the support of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Growing
Forward 2 program.
The Organic Science Cluster II consists of industry-led research and development and its
outcomes are centered on competitiveness, market growth, adaptability, and
sustainability. It focuses on cutting-edge research and development that will improve
the organic sector’s competitiveness, market potential, adaptability and sustainability.
In the next four years, 200 collaborating scientists will work together on several
priorities to expand organic production, including: crop breeding for improved cultivars;
developing new reduced tillage systems for organic crops; enhancing soil to improve
plant health and developing new approaches to manage crop pests, diseases, and
livestock parasites.
North America: Current Statistics
North America: Current statistics

Organic agricultural land and producers

North America’s organic agricultural land was 3 million hectares in 2013, which is
0.7 percent of the total agricultural area. The area under organic cultivation has almost
trebled from the million hectares in 2000 and now represents seven percent of the global
organic agricultural land. Between 2012 and 2013, the area increased by 35’000 hectares
or 1.2 percent, due to an increase in the organic agricultural land in Canada. Data for the
United States has not been updated since 2011. More than 1.3 percent of the farmland
in Canada is organic, and the proportion in the United States is 0.6 percent. There is a
total of 16’400 producers in North America; most of them are in the United States
(almost 80 percent).
Land use
Detailed land use information was available for both countries. The organic agricultural
area was mainly used for arable crops and permanent grassland/grazing areas, which
constituted 80 percent of the organic agricultural land. While only two percent (67’089
hectares) was used to grow permanent crops.
The key arable crop group is cereals, which represent almost 50 percent of the organic
arable area and are grown on 624’000 hectares. Wheat was the main cereal grown, with
more than a third of the total arable area, with almost 220’000 hectares, followed by
oats and maize. The key permanent crops were temperate fruits (more than 19’000
hectares), followed by grapes (almost 16’000 hectares), and nuts (9’463 hectares).
Market
In 2013, the organic market continued to grow in North America, reaching almost 27
billion euros. In Canada, the organic market grew by 10 percent in 2013, and in the
United States the organic market grew by almost 11.5 percent. The United States is the
largest single organic market in the world, and North America continues to be the
continent with the largest organic market.
For more information about the Northern American figures, see data tables, page 249.
1
2
3
North America: Graphs
Organic Agriculture in North America: Graphs
Organic Agriculture in North America 2013

Source: COTA and USDA
United States of America

2'178'471
(2011)
Canada 869'239
0 500'000 1'000'000 1'500'000 2'000'000 2'500'000

Hectares
Figure 97: North America: Organic agricultural land in Canada and the United States 2013
Source: Canada Organic Trade Association and United States Department of Agriculture. US data from
2011
North America: Organic share of total organic agricultural

Land 2013
Source: COTA and USDA
Canada 1.3%
United States of America (2011) 0.6%
0.0% 0.2% 0.4% 0.6% 0.8% 1.0% 1.2% 1.4%
Figure 98: North America: Organic share of total organic agricultural land in Canada and
the United States 2013
Source: Canada Organic Trade Association and United States Department of Agriculture. US data from
2011
North America: Graphs
North America: Development of organic agricultural land 2000-2013

Source: COG-COTA and USDA
3.5
3.02 3.01 3.05
3.0
2.58 2.65 2.47
2.5 2.22 2.29
Million hectares
2.0 1.72 1.79
1.5 1.41
1.28 1.26
1.06
1.0
0.5
0.0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 99: North America: Development of organic agricultural land 2000-2013 (for the US
the latest available data are from 2011)
Source: Canada Organic Trade Association and United States Department of Agriculture
Figure 100: North America: Land use in organic agriculture 2013 (for the US the latest
available data are from 2011)
Source: Canada Organic Trade Association and United States Department of Agriculture
North America: Tables
Organic Agriculture in North America: Tables

Table 63: North America: Organic agricultural land, share of total agricultural land and
number of producers 2013
Canada 869'239 1.3% 3'513
United States of America 2'178'471 0.6% 12'880
Total 3'047'710 0.7% 16'393
Source: Canadian Organic Growers (2013) and United States Department of Agriculture (2011); FiBL-
IFOAM survey 2015
Table 64: North America: All organic areas 2013
Agriculture Forest Grazed non agr. Wild collection
Country Total [ha]
[ha] [ha] land [ha] [ha]
Canada 869'239 68 4'317 71'821 945'444
United States of
2'178'471 2'178'471
America
Total 3'047'710 68 4'317 71'821 3'123'915
Source: Canada Organic Trade Association (2013) and United States Department of Agriculture (2011);
FiBL-IFOAM survey 2015
Table 65: North America: Land use in organic agriculture 2013
Arable crops Cereals 624'649
Green fodder from arable land 462'059
Hops 5
Mushrooms and truffles 20
Oilseeds 103'657
Root crops 7'914
Strawberries 38
Textile crops 8'679
Tobacco 124
Vegetables 63'214
Citrus fruit 7'528
Grapes 15'994
Nuts 9'463
Total 3'047'710
Source: Canada Organic Trade Association and United States Department of Agriculture. For the US,
the latest available data are from 2011.
Oceania
Map 8: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Oceania 2013

Oceania: Australia
Organics at all-time high in Australia 1

AUSTRALIAN ORGANIC 2
The Australian Organic Market Report (Australian Organic 2014) is a biennial

publication commissioned by Australian Organic. 3 It tracks trends in the Australian
organic marketplace based on research by the Mobium Group, the Swinburne University
of Technology, and ABS 4 statistics. The following article is a summary of the key findings
of the 2014 report.
The organic industry

The latest Australian Organic Market Report reveals a 15 percent growth in the Australian
organic industry (retail sales and exports), now worth 1.72 billion Australian dollars 5
(approximately 1.3 billion euros). It demonstrates that consumption of certified organic
food, cosmetics, and household products is at a record high in Australia. The biennial
Australian organic industry report reveals that key categories are driving the exceptional
growth results. The availability of organic products in major supermarkets and new,
independent organic retailers is in part responsible for the growth; however, an
extremely strong export market is supporting existing farmers and producers, as well as
encouraging new entrants into the organic arena.
Key category findings
− Dairy is the fastest growing organic category in 2014; the farm-gate value of dairy
products was 113 million Australian dollars (with a retail sales value of 325 million
Australian dollars).
− With compound growth of 127 percent from 2011 to 2014, beef is the second
fastest growing sector, with a total farm gate sales value of 198 million Australian
dollars in 2014.
− The value of wine grape production increased by 120 percent between 2011 and
2014.
− The organic grain category has grown by 20 percent, with total farm gate sales rising
by 67 percent in three years.
− There has been an 18 percent annual growth of organic cosmetics between 2009 and
2014, with skincare (35.4 percent) and hair care (33.7 percent) showing the greatest
rise.
1
Editors‘ note: This article summarizes the Organic Market Report as published by Australian Organic in 2014,
which focuses on market-related information. For information on further aspects of organic agriculture in
Australia we recommend the articles in previous editions of „The World of Organic Agriculture“: the
contributions by Wynen (2010 and previous), Wynen and Mitchell (2011-2013) and Mitchell and Kristiansen
(2014). All former editions can be downloaded at http://www.organic-world.net/yearbook.html.
2
Australian Organic, 18 Eton Street (PO Box 810) Nundah, Queensland, 4012, Australia, austorganic.com
3
Australian Organic owns and supports Australia’s largest organic certifying group Australian Certified
Organic. Australian Organic started as Biological Farmers of Australia in 1987. For more information, see
http://austorganic.com.
4
ABS is the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
5
One euro was 1.3777Australian Dollar (AUD) in 2013.
Oceania: Australia
With demand for organic products outstripping supply, the Australian retail market for
certified organic products is also expected to continue on this growth path with private
label products, certified organic processed foods, and greater affordability driving this
trajectory.
Most certified organic land

The 2014 report finds Australia still has the largest area of organic land in the world. It
has 22 million hectares under organic farming. Most of the growth has been in the
rangeland areas reflecting an increase in certified organic beef production. By June
2014, there were 17.15 million hectares 1 under full organic certification, 1.19 million
under conversion to organic, and 4.31 million under precertification (it takes three years
for a producer to become fully certified in Australia; the precertification is the first-year
period). The state of Queensland has the largest area of certified land.
Farm gate sales

Dairy products make up 22.3 percent of Australia’s organic farm gate sales, and dairy is
the country’s fastest growing organic category. The total farm gate value of dairy
products is almost 114 million Australian dollars, up from 29 million in 2011. Three key
dairy operators reported total farm gate sales of 166.7 million Australian dollars.
One significant contributor to this growth is the large certified organic yoghurt
manufacturer five:am, which was sold to the UK’s PZ Cussons in 2014. five:am achieved
phenomenal growth in its short, three-and-a-half-year history, positioning itself well in
two of Australia’s largest supermarkets at competitive prices.
Meanwhile, the strong demand for certified organic beef continues. While the
conventional beef industry expects growth in the one to two percent range, the organic
beef industry enjoys stronger financial performance. Organic beef sales have increased
substantially since 2012.
The total farm gate value of organic beef was 198 million in 2014, with compound
growth of 127 percent from 2011 to 2014. The average growth for organic beef
businesses in 2014 is 45 percent. With a value of 198 million Australian dollars, organic
beef is worth 1.45 percent of the value of the conventional beef industry (13.6 billion
Fruit and vegetables continue to be the most frequently purchased organic category in
Australia. The sector is worth 234 million Australian dollars and makes up almost 12
percent of the organic industry.
Wine and beverages are worth 117 million Australian dollars. The cosmetic, personal
care, and essential oil sectors grew by 18 percent from 2009 to 2014. The retail revenue
of these categories is 236.1 million Australian dollars. The demand for certified organic
grain in Australia continues to be strong; however, it is significantly undersupplied,
causing concerns for industries downstream such as poultry, which relies on certified
organic grain.
1
As the data collection for “The World of Organic Agriculture 2015” refers to the data per end of 2013, this
figure (17.15 million hectares) was used for the overall global statistics.
Oceania: Australia
Retail sales
Organic retail sales (including non-food products) were valued at 1.39 billion Australian
dollars in 2014. This constituted 0.97 percent of all retail sales. The most important
product group were dairy products, which amounted to 325 million Australian dollars,
followed by fruit and vegetables (210 million Australian dollars), and meat (165 million
Australian organic retail sales 1990-2014

Source: Australian Organic 2014
1'600
Retail sales in million Australian Dollars
1'388
1'400
1'200 1'150
1'000 947
800
623
600 450
400 310
250
190
200 81
28
0
1990 1995 2000 2003 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
Figure 101: Australia: Growth of organic retail sales 1990-2014 (including non-food
products)
Source: Australian Organic 2014
Exports
In 2014, the total export sales of all organic categories was 340 million Australian
dollars. The value of Australian air freight exports of all food and beverages was 1.6
billion Australian dollars in 2012, which is 66 million Australian dollars or 4.3 percent
higher than in 2011.
Imports
The value of imported organic products is 226 million Australian dollars, accounting for
13 percent of organic retail food sales. Imported conventional products are worth 11.3
billion Australian dollars and represent 8.3 percent of conventional retail food sales.
Although the share of imported organic ingredients and products in the total value of
the organic industry has declined by 4 percent between 2012 and 2014, the ongoing
demand for organic products means that imports will continue to increase
comparatively. Imports such as Italian certified organic pastas and sauces will remain
relatively cheaper because the economies of scale of their production outcompete
Oceania: Australia
Australian operations. The ongoing strength of the Australian dollar continues to make
imports comparatively cheap.
In other food categories, the decline of the Australian dollar increases opportunities for
Australian manufacturers that have previously been priced out of the market. Australian
supermarkets are also attempting to fill organic produce demand from local sources.
The Australian organic shopper

Each year, Australian grocery shoppers are asked a range of organic-specific questions.
The 2014 survey results build on Mobium Group’s six years of comparative data on
primary household shoppers and also include some new questions to Australian
consumers. The sample consisted of 1011 Australians aged 18 to 69.
Not surprisingly most certified organic products in Australia are purchased from
supermarkets. Most organic shoppers buy their organic products from supermarkets.
Ninety five per cent of organic buyers shop for organics in a major supermarket on
occasion. Next is greengrocers (75 percent), then markets (73 percent) and
organic/whole food stores (54 percent). As was the case in 2012, many organic shoppers
regularly shop at a variety of outlets to meet their organic purchasing needs.
One third of shoppers say they would only buy a product labelled as ‘organic’ if it is
certified organic.
Price/value continues to be the biggest barrier to buying organic, 82 percent of
respondents say they’re a barrier compared with 80 percent in 2012. The second biggest
barrier is ‘knowing you can trust it’s organic’ (43 percent compared with 48 percent in
2012).
Mobium Group’s findings suggest demographic characteristics are not the best predictor
of whether a consumer will buy organic. Rather, a person’s values concerning personal,
community, and planetary wellbeing are the best indicators of a consumer preference for
organic food. Shoppers who are strongly aligned with these issues are the primary
participants in the organic market. Indeed, in fresh produce, consumer alignment with
these values leads to participation rates that are two to three times higher than the
overall average.
One of the most interesting findings is that organic purchases by those who are not
categorised as green or sustainable shoppers increased from 24 percent in 2012 to 40
percent in 2014. These are the consumers who are driving the growth of certified organic
goods in Australia. The increasing availability of organic products in supermarkets is one
of the reasons for this trend.
The Australian Organic Market Report also found that the perceived benefits of organic
foods are consistently associated with what organic food does not contain and is not
produced with. The top six perceived benefits are: chemical free (80 percent), additive
free (77 percent), environmentally friendly (68 percent), hormone and antibiotic free
(meat) (60 percent), non-GM and free range (each 57 percent).
Free range, cruelty-free, pasture-fed and sustainably-fished are four new attributes
added to the 2014 consumer survey. We also asked organic shoppers to state which of
the known benefits of organic are important to them. Shoppers are particularly
Oceania: Australia
interested in ‘What’s in it for me?’ benefits. A comparison with the Australian Organic
Market Report 2012 research shows characteristics that deliver personal health/wellness
outcomes resonate strongly with most shoppers.
Most organic shoppers allocate 5 percent or less of household food expenditure to
organic purchases. Forty-four per cent say this is their total estimated spend. A cluster of
highly committed organic purchasers exists within the current market, with 10 percent
saying they usually outlay 40 percent or more of their household food spending on
organic products. As noted earlier, the growth in new consumers purchasing some
organic is growing the organic industry overall, as the committed end of the market may
be saturated.
Figure 102: The two best known Australian logos: Australian Certified Organic and NASAA
Recognition of the Australian Certified Organic logo increased from 31 percent in 2012
to 38 percent in 2014, making it the most recognisable logo among consumers. It is
followed by the logo of NASAA 1, the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture,
Australia (23 percent compared with 19 percent in 2012) and the United States logo
USDA Organic (7 percent, the same as 2012).
Contact
Kathy Cogo, Communication manager, Australian Organic, kathy.cogo@austorganic.com,
austorganic.com
Reference
Australian Organic (Ed) (2014): Australian Organic Market Report 2014. Research by Swinburne University of Technology, the
Australian Bureau of Statistics and Mobium Group. Australian Organic, Nundah. Available from
http://austorganic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/AO_Report_2014_web.pdf
1
Formed in 1986, The National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia (NASAA) supports the
education of industry and consumers on organic, biodynamic and sustainable agricultural practices. NASAA is
committed to developing and maintaining organic standards; assisting operators in gaining organic
certification; and conducting ongoing compliance supervision.
Oceania: Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands

KAREN MAPUSUA 1
Recent important developments

The years 2013 and 2014 saw a significant increase in interest in Participatory
Guarantee Systems (PGS) in the Pacific Islands as market opportunities for PGS certified
products evolved, and examples were generated of how organic and PGS can be tools for
holistic and sustainable social and economic development. In 2013, the International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) began collaboration with the Pacific Organic
and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom) in developing models for Participatory
Guarantee Systems (PGS) tailored to the diverse situations of Pacific organic growers.
With learning from the first Pacific PGS BioCaledonia and BioFetia in New Caledonia
and French Polynesia respectively, three pilot PGS are currently under development in
Fiji and Kiribati, focusing on specific products (virgin coconut oil, coco sap sugar and
papaya).
In Sabeto, Fiji, a youth group has formed a PGS to certify and export organic papaya into
New Zealand, an unregulated market, to a well-established organic and fair trade buyer.
This negotiation involved visits of the buyer to inspect the PGS systems, and if
consumers accept the certification, it will potentially open doors for other PGS certified
products to enter New Zealand, the closest market.
Cicia (Lau Islands Fiji) is producing virgin coconut oil (VCO) and selling to a Fijian high
end tourist resort and spa and also to a non-organic market in Korea. And Abaiang,
Kiribati is being certified and producing sugar from coconut sap targeting regional
markets and a fair trade importer and retailer in New Zealand.
The island communities of Cicia and Abaiang fully embraced the idea of organic and PGS
– the traditional leadership engaged in both islands and decided that they would declare
their whole islands organic. The PGS then puts form and rigour around that declaration,
providing systems to verify compliance with the Pacific Organic Standard. The PGS is
greatly strengthened by the support and direction of the traditional leadership. In
Abaiang in Kiribati, a bylaw is being established and the island’s development plan is
framed around maintaining the organic status of the island. Abaiang is the focus of
many development projects due to its vulnerability to climate change impacts (it is a low
coral atoll less than 1 metre above sea level), the organic bylaw and PGS now forms a
framework giving the community a valuable tool for managing these different
interventions and deciding what will benefit their community in the long run.
In Cicia, the local high school is fully involved in the PGS: They provide quality control of
VCO through the science curriculum, business planning through the commerce students
and organics through the agriculture curriculum. The PGS also galvanised the
community when there was an offer to bring in a saw mill and treatment plant to log the
pine forest on Cicia. The timber treatment plant would have meant the island risking its
1
Karen Mapusua, Coordinating Officer, Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom), Increasing
Agricultural Commodities Trade (IACT), Land Resources Division, Secretariat of the Pacific Community,
Private Mail Bag, Suva FIJI, www.spc.int
organic status; the community decided not to accept the mill, as they were committed to
the long-term benefits of organics. Cicia is now in discussion with the Forestry
Department for a project to replant native trees, improving biodiversity and providing
possible income sources from non-timber forest products.
The year 2014 also saw BioCaledonia achieve recognition by IFOAM and become
registered on the IFOAM PGS database. BioCaledonia now has 50 certified farmers, and
producers sell products through basket schemes (the Pacific version of box schemes, as
baskets woven from coconut fronds are used for delivery), and local organic retailers.
Additionally, in 2014, they opened their own outlet. In September 2014, Samoa hosted
the United Nations Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) Conference. The SIDS are a
special group in the United Nations system due to the particular vulnerabilities and
development challenges of small islands. The outcome document for the conference, the
"SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway," is a commitment by the
United Nations to address priorities for SIDS in achieving the future we want. The
document refers to sustainable agriculture in several sections, and organic production is
specifically mentioned for support in the section on biodiversity.
“We recognize that, overall, small-island developing states have extraordinary marine
and terrestrial biodiversity that, in many cases, is fundamental to their livelihoods and
identity. Noting that this valuable biodiversity, and the ecosystem services it provides,
are at grave risk, we strongly support the efforts of small-island developing states to:
(a) conserve biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and
equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources;
(b) export organic, natural, sustainably produced, and locally grown products;
(c) access financial and technical resources for the conservation and sustainable
management of biodiversity.”
IFOAM hosted, together with POETCom, the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and the Government of
Samoa's side event "Organic Islands: Role and Potential of Organic Agriculture for
Sustainable Development." The event showcased learning from the Pacific to
demonstrate the potential for organic agriculture partnerships to provide for sustainable
economic development while also addressing other themes of the conference, including
climate change, biodiversity, and social development. The event was very well-received
by the conference and had one of the largest attendances of all the more than 70 side
events. Keynote speakers included the prime minister of Samoa and the IFOAM
president. The event raised the profile of organics in the Pacific region. The other major
development in 2013/2014 was the implementation of POETCom's membership
policy, which formalized procedures for membership and strengthened governance for
the movement. POETCom now has 30 members across 13 Pacific Island countries.
History
Currently, farming practices in many Pacific communities are largely organic. These
practices are based on "age-old" systems that are free from the residues of agrochemicals
and that allow environmental integrity to remain largely intact. However, the motives
for organic farming have changed. In the past, farming was predominantly for
subsistence living, but in today's cash-driven societies, overseas markets must ensure
that products being labeled and sold as organic produce meet international standards.
Third-party certification began in the Pacific in the late 1980s, but it has been slow to
develop. The organic movement recognized that one of the major challenges facing
Pacific Island organic producers was the high cost of certification, auditing, and
compliance involved in meeting the standards of importing countries.
In order to address this issue, two projects that commenced in 2007 have been
undertaken, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development and
implemented by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
(IFOAM) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) respectively. The main
outcomes of these projects were
− an analysis of the existing situation of organic agriculture and fair trade production
in the Pacific islands and
− a set of Pacific Regional Standards for Organic Agriculture Products, which was
developed through a locally owned process and multi-sector participation.
These projects also facilitated development of a regional strategy and national plans to
lay the foundation of sustainable organic agriculture development in the region. Two key
groupings that were tasked with driving organics forward in the Pacific were formed:
The first, the Regional Organic Task Force (ROTF) is a technical group representing all
sectors and countries involved in organics. This group was charged with developing the
Pacific Standard and will be responsible for implementing the Regional Action Plan. The
second group, the Pacific High Level Organics Group (PHLOG), consists of Pacific
leaders who have shown a commitment to organics development in the region and
provide high-level political support and advocacy.
The first Pacific Organic Standard was officially launched by the Chair of the PHLOG and
Prime Minster of Samoa, at the Ministers’ of Agriculture and Forestry Conference in
Apia Samoa in September 2008. This provides a platform for further regional policy
development around organics.
In 2009, the ROTF recognized the need to evolve from a technical body to a
representative peak body for organics and fair trade in the region, and thus, the Pacific
Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom) was formed.
POETCom established its secretariat in the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat of
the Pacific Community in Suva Fiji in 2012, with funding support from the European
Union-funded “Increasing Agricultural Commodities Trade” (IACT) project. This has
enabled steady progress with coordinated development across the region. The year 2012
also saw the Pacific Organic Standard welcomed into the IFOAM Family of Standards;
and the Pacific’s second Participatory Guarantee System, Bio Fetia from French
Polynesia, registered to use the “Organic Pasifika” Mark.
A significant development for 2012 was the resolution of the Heads of Agriculture and
Forestry Services (HOAFS) for the Pacific Islands 1 at their biannual meeting to “promote
and mainstream organic agriculture into SPC and national agriculture strategies in
1 The Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services (HOAFS) meet every two years. HOFAS consists of the
agriculture department heads of the 22 SPC island countries and territories. The Ministers of Agriculture and
Forestry (MOAF) meet every four years.
recognition of its role in food and nutritional security, climate change adaptation and
mitigation, enhancement of biodiversity and the livelihood opportunities it can
provide”.
The Ministers of Agriculture endorsed this resolution in the Communiqué following
their meeting in Nadi in September 2012.
The year 2013 also saw developments the implementation of the export support scheme
as part of the Pacific Organic Guarantee Scheme, with an MOU signed between
POETCom and three certifying bodies: BioAgricert (Italy), Biogro (New Zealand), and the
National Association of Sustainable Agriculture Australia. The purpose of the MOU is to
provide certification services to the Pacific Organic Standard, allowing Pacific producers
to export under the Pacific Organic Standard for the first time, and allows
commencement of the marketing of a regional organic brand, "Organic Pasifika."
Key actors
Developments in organic agriculture are being spearheaded by the Pacific High Level
Organics Group (PHLOG), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), POETCom,
and the POETCom Focal Points in each Pacific Island country, including:
− BioCaledonia, New Caledonia
− Bio Fenua, French Polynesia
− Farm Support Organisation, Vanuatu
− Fiji Organic Association, Fiji
− Kastom Gaden Association, Solomon Islands
− Zai Na Tina Organic Demonstration Farm, Solomon Islands
− Niue Organic Farmers Association
− Palau Organic Farmers Association, Palau
− Chamber of Agriculture Wallis and Futuna
− Titikaveka Growers Association, Cook Islands
− Tonga National Youth Congress, Tonga
− Women in Business Development Incorporated, Samoa
The movement remains farmer- and farm support organization driven, with support
building from national governments as awareness of the potential for organics increases.
Regional research and academic institutions are also engaged, including the University
of the South Pacific and the National Agricultural Research Institutes of Papua New
Guinea.
Exports
Most of the organically certified products from the region are for export. The following
is a summary table listing the main crops which are currently organically certified and
exported from the Pacific region:
The main international markets for the listed products are Australia and New Zealand,
representing the main destination for the export of organic products due to the
proximity. Japan is a growing market, and other markets include North America and the
European Union.
Table 66: Pacific Region: Main crops, which are currently organically certified and
exported
Products Countries
Vanilla, ginger & other spices & nuts Fiji, Vanuatu, Niue
Cocoa Vanuatu, Samoa, Papua New Guinea
Virgin Coconut Oil Samoa, Fiji, Solomon Islands
Coconut meal Vanuatu
Nonu/noni (Morinda Citrifolia) Cook Islands, Samoa, Fiji, Niue, French Polynesia
Honey Niue
Papaya (pawpaw) Fiji
Bananas Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa
Coffee Papua New Guinea, Samoa
Beef Vanuatu
There is growing interest and activity in the area of Fair Trade programmes, and
certification and efforts are being made by POETCom to link organic producers into
these systems as a way of adding further value to products and ensuring maximum
benefits to the farmers. There is also interest in the area of identifying trading models
outside the well-known fair trade certifications that may be better suited to Pacific
communities and producers. For example, Heilala Vanilla, a Tongan/New Zealand vanilla
exporter, has recently established a community development trust, and a percentage of
each sale is channelled into the trust for community development projects in the areas
they buy vanilla, on top of their long-term buying arrangements and above market rate
price to farmers.
Domestic markets
Generally, the domestic markets for organic certified products are not very developed
and in some cases are non-existent. Organic products are commonly sold as
conventional, without premium prices or any acknowledgement of the organic status of
the product. Some initiatives are ongoing or are in the pipeline to promote consumer
awareness about organic products, in particular by linking the concept of organic with
local food consumption as part of a strategy to reduce non-communicable diseases,
which are a major health issue in the Pacific Islands. Interesting opportunities are now
being explored within the tourist structures of several countries that are facing a growth
in the presence of tourists (e.g. Fiji, Vanuatu, Cooks and Samoa), focusing on
development of Pacific cuisine and linking smallholder organic farmers directly with
tourism and hospitality providers. There is at least one upmarket resort in Fiji, which
has its island organically certified and is committed to serving guests organic produce
from its land.
The growth in interest in PGS in several countries also implies that there is an
opportunity for further development of domestic markets. The acceptance of PGS
certification across the region may also enhance the development of regional trade in
organic goods.
Legislation
Despite the policy brief on organic agriculture of the Secretariat of the Pacific
Community (SPC) developed in 2009, there have been no significant changes in
legislation in the region. The policy brief aims to assist Governments and others in the
region develop relevant policy focuses on how organic agriculture can assist in meeting
regional challenges and outlines seven initial policy recommendations.
Increasingly organic agriculture is gaining mention and recognition in national policy
and planning documents, such as the recent “Over arching sector plan for productive
industries” in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands Organic Policy, but this has not evolved
into legislation. Once again, there are resource constraints at national levels in moving
this agenda forward but the recent endorsements of organics by the HOAFS and MOAFS
may provide further impetus for this development.
Government and international support
The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), as a regional intergovernmental
organization, continues to provide support for coordination. It now houses the
POETCom secretariat. However, the need for developing a longer-term financing
strategy to support the movement is critical. In 2013 and 2014, POETCom received
development assistance from the European Union (EU), the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), the French Pacific Fund, and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), predominantly for training and capacity building
activities at the country level. POETCom national affiliates continue to receive
assistance from partners such as OXFAM New Zealand, the Canada Fund, UNDP small
grants programmes, and bilateral donor assistance from Australia and New Zealand. In a
few cases, national governments also provide financial support, an example being the
Government of Samoa, which funds the costs of third-party certification for the
country's largest organic smallholder group through Women in Business Development
Outlook
Sustainable resourcing for the secretariat and core services of POETCom presents a
challenge, and beyond February 2015, the future is uncertain. However, as governance
and management structures are strengthened, and with the implementation of the
Pacific Organic Guarantee System, in particular the elements of PGS, the export
certification scheme and regional organic branding continues through 2014. The growth
and momentum are likely to continue even if the movement has to take on the
management roles voluntarily. The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is
considering mechanisms which would facilitate the mainstreaming of organics into
strategy and planning across programmes, including public health, fisheries, energy, and
agriculture. This will provide a solid basis for incorporating organics as a development
tool, but financial support will be required to develop the Pacific Organic Guarantee
Scheme fully. There is also an expectation that the local market for organic products will
start to expand as the tourism and hospitality industries start to look towards organics
and sustainability as part of the Pacific Islands brand.
Links/Further reading
› Secretariat of the Pacific Community, www.spc.int
› POETCom web pages,
http://www.spc.int/lrd/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=745&Itemid=495
› Pacific Organic Standard, http://www.spc.int/lrd/lrd/New_LRD_Publications.htm
› Putting Down Roots; POETCom Annual Report 2012,
http://www.spc.int/lrd/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=371&Itemid=517
› Growing Our Future POETCom Strategic Plan 2013 – 2017
http://www.spc.int/lrd/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=365&Itemid=517
Oceania: Current Statistics
Oceania: Current statistics


Organic agricultural land in Oceania reported an important increase in 2013, reaching to
17.3 million hectares, which constituted 4.1 percent of the total agricultural area in the
region. This increase should be attributed to an update of the Australian area data,
where five million hectares more were reported after some years of no data updates.
Forty percent of the world’s organic agricultural land is in Oceania. The area under
organic production has more than trebled since 2000 (5.3 million hectares). Between
2012 and 2013, the area increased in further countries such as Vanuatu, Tonga, and Fiji.
The country with the biggest organic agricultural area is Australia, with 17.2 million
hectares, and the highest proportion of organic agricultural land is in Samoa, with more
than 10 percent of all farmland under organic cultivation.
Land use
In 2013, almost 97 percent of all organic farmland in Oceania was grassland/grazing
areas (16.7 million hectares). Detailed data on land use categories and arable and
permanent crops was, however, not available for most of the countries.
Producers
There were almost 23’000 producers in the region, with the largest number of producers
in Papua New Guinea (18’000), Australia (1’707), and New Zealand (987 producers).
Market
In 2013, market data was only available for Australia and New Zealand. The total organic
market value (the sum of these two countries) was almost 1.1 billion euros. The largest
market was Australia with almost 1 billion euros. The annual organic consumption is 41
euros per person in Australia and 19 euros per person in New Zealand.
For more information, see data tables, page 268.
1
2
3
Oceania: Graphs
Organic Agriculture in Oceania: Graphs

Oceania: Organic agricultural land by country 2013
Australia 17'150'000
New Zealand (2012) 106'753
Samoa (2012) 33'515
Papua New Guinea 20'939
Vanuatu 4'106
French Polynesia 2'469
Fiji 2'164
Solomon Islands… 1'307
Tonga 398
Niue (2012) 61
Cook Islands (2012) 20
0 5'000'000 10'000'000 15'000'000 20'000'000

Hectares
Figure 103: Oceania: Organic agricultural land by country 2013
Oceania: Share of organic agricultural land 2013

Samoa (2012) 11.8%

French Polynesia 5.5%
Australia 4.2%
Vanuatu 2.2%
Papua New Guinea 1.8%
Solomon Islands (2012) 1.6%
Tonga 1.3%
Niue (2012) 1.2%
New Zealand (2012) 0.9%
Cook Islands (2012) 0.7%
Fiji 0.5%
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14%
Figure 104: Oceania: Share of organic agricultural land 2013

Oceania: Graphs
Oceania: Development of organic agricultural land 2000-2013

20.0
18.0
16.0
17.32
14.0
Million hectares
12.0
12.43
12.19
12.18
12.16
12.15
12.15
12.11
12.07
11.81
10.0 11.30
8.0
6.0
6.25
4.0
5.31
5.31
2.0
0.0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 105: Oceania: Development of organic agricultural land 2000-2013

Source: FiBL-IFOAM –SOEL 2002-2015; based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and
Oceania: Tables
Organic Agriculture in Oceania: Tables

Table 67: Oceania: Organic agricultural land, share of total agricultural land and number
of producers 2013
Australia 17'150'000 4.2% 1'707
Cook Islands 20 0.7% 44
Fiji 2'164 0.5% 171
French Polynesia 2'469 5.5% 22
New Caledonia PGS group ( area data not available) 50
New Zealand 106'753 0.9% 987
Niue 61 1.2% 122
Papua New Guinea 20'939 1.8% 17'948
Samoa 33'515 11.8% 743
Solomon Islands 1'307 1.6% 384
Tonga 398 1.3% 123
Vanuatu 4'106 2.2% 696
Total 17'321'733 4.1% 22'997
Table 68: Oceania: All organic areas 2013

Country Agriculture [ha] Wild collection [ha] Total [ha]
Australia 17'150'000 17'150'000
Cook Islands 20 20
Fiji 2'164 653 2'817
French Polynesia 2'469 2'469
New Zealand 106'753 106'753
Niue 61 112 173
Papua New Guinea 20'939 20'939
Samoa 33'515 33'515
Solomon Islands 1'307 1'307
Tonga 398 398
Vanuatu 4'106 4'106
Total 17'321'733 765 17'322'498
Oceania: Tables
Table 69: Oceania: Land use in organic agriculture 2013

Arable crops Arable crops, no details 34206.8
Cereals 2724
Medicinal and aromatic plants 110
Oilseeds 217
Protein crops 18
Strawberries 15
Vegetables 1388
Citrus fruit 480
Cocoa 31
Coconut 3'521
Coffee 18'308
Fruit, tropical and subtropical 455
Grapes 2'782
Nuts 8'800
Olives 470
Total 17'321'733
Outlook
Outlook: Moving Toward Organic 3.0
Moving Toward Organic 3.0

MARKUS ARBENZ 1
The Organic World Congress 2014, held in Istanbul, had many insightful messages
on what Organic 3.0 could mean: “Rather than simply focusing on the niche we have
created, we should build bridges beyond our movement with a strategy of action
rather than word!”
Organic 3.0 was launched at Biofach Nuremberg 2014, and the further development of
its content is an ongoing process. The main drivers here are the BIOFACH Congresses,
the IFOAM Organic World Congresses, and various emerging think tanks such as
SOAAN, the Sustainable Organic Agriculture Action Network. All have started working
on a concept of what the future of organic agriculture could be like.
BIOFACH: The launch and first ideas

Information gathered at eight events in February 2014 and from the study “Organic 3.0”
(Zukunftsinstitut Österreich 2014) brings us to the conclusion that organic has not yet
reached the center of society, although significant developments and successes are to be
noted. More consumer awareness for true sustainability is required. The organic sector
should broadly discuss and provide more trust-building evidence showing that organic
production and consumption is a pathway to sustainability, without overwhelming
consumers with complexity. Organic 3.0 should address lifestyle issues and build a social
network. Innovations are required on all levels, exploring not only technical but also
spiritual solutions and building people’s values and integrity while addressing all
dimensions of sustainability. An exclusive profile on the market and in the political
debate are the paths to social innovation and success. Transparency, credible values, and
local authenticity will play major roles in future markets. In order to reach consumers
with light-hearted and convincing communications, the sector requires young,
innovative leaders with new ideas. The next generation should be given the chance to co-
create and assume responsibility.
Empowering farmers to secure their livelihoods remains a hot issue. Organic 3.0 cannot
just be a societal trend; it must be farmer-led, and their needs and authenticity must
spearhead strategies. To remain credible, Organic 3.0 has to look beyond certification,
e.g. Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) and social guarantees, and avoid the traps of
the present (temporary) successes.
Organic World Congress: Inspiring a clear direction

The 18th Organic World Congress 2014 was attended by 1’100 participants from over 80
countries. They spoke of the growing awareness, beyond the organic movement, of the
contributions organic agriculture can make to overcoming major global challenges,
particularly concerning environmental degradation, climate change, and soil fertility.
The benefits to society in terms of food security, nutrition, health, and poverty
1
Markus Arbenz, Executive Director, IFOAM - Organics International, Bonn, Germany, www.ifoam.bio
reduction are gaining recognition among scientific, governmental, and

intergovernmental institutions.
Thus, Organic 3.0 should better position organic as a practical tool to be used in
implementing sustainability policies and development agendas. This requires
stakeholders to be humble, realistic, and confident in their communications on what
organic agriculture can deliver.
Regarding organic agriculture requirements, Organic 3.0 should move from demanding
minimum requirements only (standards) to the continuous development of true
sustainability of all operations from field to plate. An expansion of possible and
alternative tools for demonstrating compliance is required both for better tailoring to
operator-specific situations and for reducing bureaucracy. These tools may include
showcasing transparency or traceability while using new information technologies. It
may also include the demonstration of the impacts of the system and true cost
accounting. Enhancing consumer trust requires simple and inclusive systems that are
not only formally correct, but also facilitate relationships and engagement. Short value
chains between producers and consumers are excellent options, including supplying to
schools and urban farming.
What enables organics to grow is the "specific to local" context. One important driver in
all regions is market pull. Therefore, Organic 3.0 needs engagement with the different
market actors of the value chain, including food, textiles, cosmetics, and others. A mix of
different market channels (formal and informal ones) needs to be addressed to reach
consumers. Reaching consumers also requires appropriate messaging to create
awareness about the benefits of organic agriculture both for the common good, e.g.,
biodiversity, animal welfare, and landscape, and for individual benefits, e.g., health,
taste, and authenticity.
Governments can drive change by introducing supporting measures, but they can also
hinder the development of organic sectors through overregulation or through ill-advised
subsidies. In order to provide organic farmers a perspective for the future — especially
for the new generation — efforts are needed beyond increasing operator-specific
productivity and profitability. It will be important to develop rural economies and create
jobs, invest in local infrastructure and value addition, and build capacities and foster
innovation through participatory research.
The complex nature of organic agriculture and the interlinked multiple benefits of
organic systems pose a challenge to organic stakeholders when planning and carrying
out communications activities. Therefore, key elements of effective communication
include a breakdown of the complex benefits to understandable issues that are of
concern in a specific context. Organic advocates need to argue with proven
environmental and social impact, and they need to use the power of factual evidence and
emotions.
To achieve substantial growth beyond the niche, alliances outside the organic world are
imperative. Regulatory changes as the main drivers of growth can only be realized if the
organic world develops convening power with like-minded initiatives, even if they are
potential competitors. Priorities for regulatory changes include the handling of risky
substances and avoidance of contamination, access to genetic and other natural
resources, and the reduction of harmful subsidies. There is a need for a more consequent
application of the polluter pays principle and broad introduction of true cost accounting,
including internalization of external costs and benefits.
SOAAN and others: Think tanking the content

The Sustainable Organic Agriculture Action Network (SOAAN) is one of the think tanks
that integrates the debate into a common understanding and comprehensive plan for
Organic 3.0. It will publish its Organic 3.0 contents and concepts as a culmination of the
Organic Expo 2015 in South Korea under the patronage of Goesan County. SOAAN
defines the aspirations of Organic 3.0 as breaking the organic sector out of its niche
status and becoming the mainstream approach to sustainability worldwide. Organic 3.0
improves and builds on Organic 2.0 to meet the apex challenges modern society faces,
such as food security, climate change, poverty alleviation, hunger, health, and
biodiversity stewardship.
Organic 3.0 delivers on the Principles of Ecology and Health by demonstrating how
the adoption of best organic practices in farming, animal husbandry, and environmental
stewardship better attains sustainability. Based on an approach of common interest,
mutual support, and organized responsibility across the value chain, from producer to
consumer, Organic 3.0 manifests the Principles of Fairness and Care; it enables the
organic movement to expand by being inclusive of more producers and building bridges
to like-minded organizations and individuals.
Reference
Zukunftsinstitut Österreich (2014): Organic 3.0: Trend- und Potentialanalyse für die Zukunft. Zukunftsinstitut Österreich,
Wien and BIOFACH Nürnberg. Available at https://www.biofach.de/de/presse/organic-studie/
Annex
Annex: Table: Organic Agricultural Land, Producers, Domestic Sales
The FiBL-IFOAM Survey: Overview Table

Table 70: Organic agricultural land, share of total agricultural land, number of producers,
and domestic sales 2013
Share of all Retail sales
Country Area [ha] Producers
agr. land [%] [Mio €]
Afghanistan 61 0.0002% 264
Albania (2012) 662 0.05% 46
Algeria 700 0.002% 57
Andorra 1 0.01%
Angola 2'486 0.004%
Argentina 3'191'255 2.27% 1'018
Armenia 1'000 0.06% 21
Australia 17'151'000 4.19% 1'707 962
Austria 526'689 19.46% 21'810 1'065 (2011)
Azerbaijan 23'331 0.49% 288 3 (2011)
Bahamas 49 0.47%
Bangladesh 6'860 0.07% 9'335 (2011)
Belarus Wild collection only
Belgium 62'529 4.56% 1'487 403
Belize 1'982 1.30% 900
Benin 1'987 0.06% 2'355
Bermuda Processor only
Bhutan 6'726 1.33%
Bolivia (2011) 32'710 0.09% 9'837
Bosnia and Herzegovina 292 0.01% 24 0
Brazil 705'233 (2012) 0.27% 12'526 (2012) 700
Bulgaria 56'287 1.85% 3'854 7 (2010)
Burkina Faso 16'689 0.14% 11'395
Burundi (2011) 550 0.03% 36
Cambodia 9'889 0.18% 6'753
Cameroon 663 0.01% 88 (2012)
Canada 869'239 1.29% 3'513 2'375
Channel Islands (2012) 260 2.95%
Chile 23'469 0.15% 446 2 (2009)
China 2'094'000 0.40% 2'430
Colombia 31'621 0.07% 4'775 (2011)
Comoros (2011) 2'642 1.70% 1'416
Cook Islands (2012) 20 0.67% 44
Costa Rica 7'449 0.41% 3'000 (2009) 1 (2008)
Côte d'Ivoire 19'263 0.09% 277
Croatia 40'641 3.06% 1'608 104 (2012)
Cuba 7'389 0.11% 2
Cyprus (2012) 3'923 2.69% 719 2 (2006)
Czech Republic 474'231 11.16% 3'910 70 (2012)
Democratic Republic of the
51'838 0.23% 1'123
Congo
Denmark 169'298 6.40% 2'589 917

Dominica (2011) 240 0.98%
Dominican Republic 180'609 9.28% 24'412
Ecuador 42'781 0.57% 9'245
Egypt 85'801 (2012) 2.33% 790 (2009)
El Salvador 6'736 (2008) 0.44% 2'000 (2007)
Estonia 151'256 16.01% 1'553 22
Ethiopia (2012) 164'777 0.46% 134'626
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 403'212 36.34% 8
Faroe Islands 253 8.43%
Fiji 2'164 0.52% 171 (2012)
Finland 206'170 9.02% 4'284 215
France 1'060'756 3.86% 25'467 4'380
French Guiana (France) 2'702 11.90% 43
French Polynesia 2'469 5.55% 22
Georgia (2011) 1'999 0.08% 150
Germany 1'060'669 6.35% 23'271 7'550
Ghana 28'201 0.18% 1'915
Greece 383'606 4.63% 23'433 (2012) 60 (2010)
Grenada (2010) 85 0.68% 3
Guatemala 13'380 (2011) 0.30% 3'008 (2010)
Guinea-Bissau 1'843 0.11%
Guyana Wild collection only
Haiti 2'878 0.16% 1'210
Honduras 24'950 (2012) 0.78% 4'989 (2011)
Hungary 140'292 3.32% 1'673 25 (2009)
Iceland 9'710 0.43% 33
India 510'000 0.28% 650'000 130 (2012)
Indonesia 65'688 0.12% 5'700
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 12'156 0.03% 1'663
Iraq 40 0.001%
Ireland 52'793 (2012) 1.28% 1'263 (2012) 99 (2011)
Israel 7'471 1.43% 326
Italy 1'317'177 10.29% 45'969 2'020
Jamaica 542 0.12% 80
Japan (2012) 10'611 0.27% 2'130 1'000 (2009)
Jordan 2'898 0.28% 98 (2012)
Kazakhstan (2012) 291'203 0.14%
Kenya 4'894 (2012) 0.02% 12'647 (2011)
Kosovo 114 0.03% 10
Kyrgyzstan 2'856 0.03% 1'128 0
Lao PDR 6'442 0.27% 1'342 (2011)
Latvia 200'433 11.04% 3'473 4
Lebanon 2'571 0.37% 132
Lesotho 560 0.02% 2
Liechtenstein 1'137 30.99% 38 5 (2012)
Lithuania 166'330 5.74% 2'555 6 (2011)
Luxembourg 4'448 3.40% 212 84

Macedonia (FYROM) 3'146 0.29% 382
Madagascar (2012) 30'265 0.07% 14'550
Malawi 265 0.005%
Malaysia 603 0.01% 119
Mali 3'727 0.01% 8'048
Malta (2012) 37 0.36% 12
Martinique (France) 269 0.96% 39
Mauritius (2011) 16 0.02% 3
Mayotte 5 - 2
Mexico 501'364 2.33% 169'703 14
Moldova (2011) 22'102 0.89% 172
Mongolia 12'922 4.68%
Montenegro 3'068 (2011) 0.60% 62 (2010) 0.1 (2010)
Morocco 8'660 0.03% 120 (2010)
Mozambique 13'998 0.03% 5
Myanmar 897 0.01% 15
Namibia 23'086 0.06% 12
Nepal 9'361 0.22% 687
Netherlands 49'394 2.56% 1'646 (2012) 840
New Caledonia PGS group (area data not available) 50
New Zealand (2012) 106'753 0.93% 987 82
Nicaragua (2009) 33'621 0.65% 10'060
Niger 106 0.0002% 1 (2012)
Nigeria 250 (2012) 0.0003% 80 (2011)
Niue (2012) 61 1.23% 122
Norway 51'662 4.77% 2'452 224
Oman 38 0.002% 38
Pakistan 22'397 0.09% 105
Palestinian, State of(2010) 6'354 1.73% 832
Panama 15'183 0.68% 1'300
Papua New Guinea 20'939 1.82% 17'948
Paraguay 62'274 0.30% 7'905
Peru 388'448 1.81% 52'284 14 (2010)
Philippines 101'278 0.85% 3'008
Poland (2012) 661'956 4.28% 25'944 120 (2011)
Portugal 271'532 8.10% 3'308 21 (2011)
Republic of Korea 21'210 1.14% 13'963
Réunion (France) 595 1.49% 144
Romania (2012) 288'261 2.06% 15'315 80 (2011)
Russian Federation 144'254 0.07% 70 120 (2012)
Rwanda (2011) 3'705 0.19% 876
Samoa (2012) 33'515 11.84% 743
San Marino Processor only
Sao Tome and Principe (2012) 4'051 7.23% 2'180
Saudi Arabia 36'595 0.02% 79 (2012)
Senegal 7'176 0.08% 18'393
Serbia 8'228 0.16% 1'281
Singapore Processor only

Slovakia (2011) 166'700 8.79% 365 4 (2010)
Slovenia 38'665 8.37% 3'049 49
Solomon Islands (2012) 1'307 1.56% 384
South Africa 37'466 0.04% 250
Spain 1'610'129 6.47% 30'502 998 (2012)
Sri Lanka 19'517 0.75% 404
Sudan 141'479 0.10% 222
Swaziland 3 0.0003%
Sweden 500'996 16.34% 5'584 1'018
Switzerland 128'140 12.19% 6'308 1'668
Syrian Arab Republic (2010) 19'987 0.14% 2'458
Taiwan 5'937 0.70% 2'988
Tajikistan (2012) 12'659 0.27% 10'486
Tanzania 186'537 0.53% 148'610
Thailand 33'840 0.17% 9'279 51 (2009)
Timor-Leste 24'690 6.58% 72
Togo 4'638 0.14% 9'428
Tonga 398 1.28% 123
Tunisia 139'087 1.38% 2'810
Turkey 461'396 1.90% 65'042 4 (2009)
Uganda (2012) 231'157 1.66% 189'610
Ukraine 393'400 0.95% 175 12
United Arab Emirates 4'150 0.73% 50
United Kingdom 567'751 3.30% 3'918 2'065
United States of America 2'178'471 (2011) 0.64% 12'880 (2011) 24'347
Uruguay (2006) 930'965 6.29% 630
Uzbekistan 213 0.001%
Vanuatu 4'106 2.20% 696
Venezuela 47 0.002%
Viet Nam 37'490 0.36% 6'829
Zambia 7'552 0.03% 10'055 (2009)
Zimbabwe 374 0.002% 2'000
Total 43'091'113 0.98% 1'998'592 56'370
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-survey 2015, based on data from governments, the private sector, and certifiers.
European market data: OrganicDataNetwork - FiBL-AMI- survey 2015, based on data from government
bodies, the private sector, and market research companies. For detailed data sources see annex, page
281.
Annex: Data Providers and Data Sources
Contact
Data Providers and Data Emma Tsessue, Ecocert, BO 47, 32600 L'Isle
Sources Jourdain, France, www.ecocert.com
Angola
Compiled by Julia Lernoud and 1 Certifier data
Helga Willer 2 Argentina
Source
Land use/operator/production data:
Afghanistan SENASA, 2014 “Situación de la Producción
Source Orgánica en la Argentina durante el año
Certifier data. 2013". Buenos Aires. In addition, further
data was provided by SENASA,
Albania
www.senasa.gov.ar
Source
Source: Patrizia Pugliese, Marie Reine Export data is from 2009.
Bteich and Lina Al-Bitar (eds.) (2014): Contact
Juan Carlos Ramirez and Diego Pinasco,
Mediterranean Organic Agriculture. Key
SENASA, Buenos Aires, Argentina,
Features, Recent Facts, Latest Figures.
www.senasa.gov.ar
Report 2014. Mediterranean Organic
Agriculture Network (MOAN), CIHEAM Armenia
Bari, Valenzano
The data is from 2012. Source
Survey of Ecoglobe - Organic control and
Contact certification body, 375033 Yerevan,
Dr. Marie Reine Bteich CIHEAM - Istituto
Republic of Armenia, www.ecoglobe.am.
Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari, Italy,
Contact
www.iamb.it
Nune Darbinyan, Ecoglobe - Organic control
Algeria and certification body, 375033 Yerevan,
Source Republic of Armenia, www.ecoglobe.am.
Source: Mediterranean Organic Agriculture
Network (MOAN)/IAMB, Bari, Italy
Australia
Source
Contact › Australian Organic (Ed) (2014):
Dr. Marie Reine Bteich CIHEAM - Istituto
Australian Organic Market Report
Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari, Italy,
2014. Research by Swinburne
www.iamb.it
University of Technology, the
www.iamb.it
Australian Bureau of Statistics and
Note Mobium Group. Australian Organic,
No separate figure for the number of
Nundah. Available from
producers was available; the figure
http://austorganic.com/wp-
communicated here is that for all operators
content/uploads/2014/11/AO_Report
in the country.
_2014_web.pdf
Andorra › For crop data: Biological Farmers of
Source Australia, Chermside Brisbane,
Ecocert, 32600 L'Isle Jourdain, France Australia. Australian Organic Market
Report 2010
Contact
› Kathy Cogo, Communication manager,
1
Julia Lernoud, Research Institute of Organic Australian Organic, Nundah, Australia,
Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.austorganic.com
www.fibl.org › Andrew Monk, Chairman, Australian
2
Dr. Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Organic, Nundah, Australia,
Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.austorganic.com
www.fibl.org
Austria Belgium
Sources Source
› Data source for land area, land use and › Samborski V., Van Bellegem L.,
farms: Lebensministerium: Gruener Platteau J. (2014): de Biologische
Bericht. Lebensministerium, Wien, Landbouw in Vlaanderen. Departement
www.gruenerbericht.at Landbouw en Visserij. Brussel.
› Domestic market data and export data Available at
are from 2011 and were compiled by http://lv.vlaanderen.be/sites/default/fi
the Organic Retailers Association les/attachments/De%20biologische%2
(ORA). Details on individual products 0landbouw%20in%202013.pdf
are available from RollAMA/AMA- Contact
Marketing Marktentwicklung. Wert › Vincent Samborski, Landbouw en
und Menge. RollAMA/AMA-Marketing, Visserij, Brussels, Belgium
Vienna. › Paul Verbeke, BioForum Vlaanderen
Contact vzw, Antwerpen, www.bioforum.be
› Otto Hofer, Lebensministerium / Belize
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Source
Forestry, Environment and Water › Survey among the certified companies
Management (AT), Vienna, Austria, in Belize by the Belize Organic
www.lebensministerium.at Producers Organisation BOPA,
› Ralph Liebing, ORA ~ Organic Retailers Belmopan, Belize.
Association, Vienna, Austria, www.o-r- Contact
a.org › Maximiliano Ortega, Belize Organic
Azerbaijan Producers Organisation BOPA,
Source Belmopan, Belize
GABA Ganja Agribusiness Association,
Ganja, Azerbaijan, www.gaba.az Benin
Contact Source
Dr. Vugar Babayev; GABA Ganja FiBL Terrain, SYPROBIO-CRRA, Sikasso,
Agribusiness Association, Ganja, Azerbaijan; République du Mali
www.gaba.az Contact
› Laurent C. Glin, FiBL Terrain ,
Bahamas SYPROBIO-CRRA, Sikasso, République
Certifier data. du Mali
Bangladesh Bermuda
Source Certifier data.
Horticulture Export Development
Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Bhutan
www.hortex.org. For the crops some data Source
from an international certifier were Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), National
included. The data are from 2012. Organic Programme DOA, Thimphu,
Bhutan, www.moa.gov.bt
Contact
Mitul Saha, Assistant General Manager, Contact
Horticulture Export Development Kesang Tshomo, Ministry of Agriculture
Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh; MOA, National Organic Programme DOA,
www.hortex.org. Thimphu, Bhutan, www.moa.gov.bt.
Belarus Bolivia
Source Source
Certifier data (wild collection only). GIZ survey based on the data from Bolicert,
BioLatina, Ceres, IMO-Control, Camara de
Exportadores de La Paz and Bolivian
Association of Organic Producers
Organisations – AOPEB. No new data were › LACON GmbH, Brünnlesweg 19,

received for 2012 and 2013. 77654 Offenburg, Germany,
www.lacon-institut.com
Bosnia Herzegovina Not all certifiers provided updated data.
Source Contact
› Organska Kontrola, Sarajevo, Bosnia & › Gyorgyi Acs Feketene, Control Union,
Herzegovina Zwolle, The Netherlands,
Contact www.controlunion.org
› Bernisa Klepo, Organska Kontrola, › Tobias Fischer, BCS, Nürnberg,
Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina Germany, www.bcs-oeko.de;Emmeline
› Aleksandra Nikolic, University of Foubert, CERTISYS, B-1150 Bruxelles,
Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina Belgium, www.certisys.eu.
Brazil › Fabienne Verzeletti, LACON GmbH,
Sources www.lacon-institut.com
› Area and operators: › Aziz Yanogo, Ecocert West Africa,
COAGRE/DEPROS/SDC/MAPA (2013): Ougadougou, Burkina Faso
Dados da agricultura orgânica
Burundi
oficialmente regulamentada no Brasil.
Source
Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Ecocert East Africa, Madagascar. The data
Abastecimento. are from 2011.
The wild collection data are from 2011.
Contact
› Export and domestic market data Sandra Randrianarisoa, Ecocert S.A., Villa
Organics Brasil, Brazil quoted by Karin Arimanantsoa, Madagascar,
Heinze (2014): Brazil: dynamic growth www.ecocert.com.
of the domestic market and exports.
The Organic-Market.info website Cambodia
Contacts Source
› Angela Pernas Escosteguy, Instituto do Cambodian Organic Agriculture Association
Bem-Estar, Porto Alegre, Brazil (COrAA), Khan Chamkar Morn, Phnom
› Ming Liu, Organic Brasil, Brazil Penh, Cambodia, www.coraa.org. The data
are based on a survey among the organic
Bulgaria certifiers in the country.
Sources Contact
› Land area, operators: Ministry of › Winfried Scheewe, Cambodian Center
Agriculture, Sofia, Bulgaria for Study and Development in
› Domestic market data (from 2010): Agriculture (CEDAC), Toul Kok Phnom
Bioselena, Karlovo, Bulgaria. Penh, Cambodia,
www.bioselena.com http://www.cedac.org.kh
Contact
Dr. Stoilko Apostolov, FOA Bioselena, Cameroon
Karlovo, Bulgaria. www.bioselena.com Source
The data were compiled by FiBL and IFOAM
Burkina Faso based on the data of the following
Sources international certifiers:
› The data were compiled by FiBL based › Ecocert West Africa, Ougadougou,
on the data of the following Burkina Faso, www.ecocert.com
international certifiers. Ecocert, BP 47, 32600 L'Isle Jourdain,
› BCS, Nürnberg, Germany, www.bcs- France, www.ecocert.com.
oeko.deControl Union, Zwolle, The › Institute for Marketecology (IMO),
Netherlands, www.controlunion.org 8570 Weinfelden, Switzerland,
› CERTISYS, B-1150 Bruxelles, Belgium, www.imo.ch
www.certisys.eu. › Soil Association Certification Limited,
› Ecocert West Africa, Ougadougou, Bristol, UK,
Burkina Faso www.soilassociation.org/certification
› Not all certifiers provided updated data Chile

for 2013 Source
Contact › Certified areas, producers/
› Andrew Bayliss, Soil Association smallholders, livestock : Servicio
Certification Limited, Bristol, UK, Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG) Santiago,
www.soilassociation.org/certification Chile, www.sag.gob.cl.
› Loni Hensler, Institute for › Organic export value: Servicio Nacional
Marketecology (IMO), 8570 de Aduanas, Santiago, Chile
Weinfelden, Switzerland, www.imo.ch › Domestic market data (2009)
› Aziz Yanogo, Ecocert West Africa, according to USDA: Organic Products
Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, Report Chile. GAIN Report Number
www.ecocert.com CI0031. November 30, 2010
Canada Contact
Pilar M. Eguillor Recabarren, Oficina de
Source
Land area, producers and other operator Estudios y Políticas Agrarias (ODEPA),
types: Survey of the Canada Organic Trade Ministerio de Agricultura, Teatinos 40,
Association (COTA), Ottawa, Canada, based Santiago, Chile, www.odepa.gob.cl.
on information of the certifiers. China
Market data Canada Organic Trade Sources
Association (COTA), Ottawa, Canada Land area, market and export data;
Contact Zhongguo Youji Chanye and Fazhan
› Matthew Holmes, Executive Director, Baogao (2014) White Book of the
Canada Organic Trade Association China Organic Sector, CNCA, Beijing,
(COTA), Ottawa, Canada, China.
http://ota.com/otacanada.html According to the report, the total
› Anne Macey, Canadian Organic certified organic acreage in 2013 was
Growers (COG), Ottawa, Ontario K1N 2.1 million hectares, with 1.3 million
7Z2, Canada, www.cog.ca. hectares certified to the Chinese
› Marie-Eve Levert, Canada Organic Organic Standard for the domestic
Trade Association (COTA), Ottawa, market and 0.8 million hectares
Canada certified by foreign certification bodies
Note of organic standards for export
See also article about organic farming in markets.
Canada in this and in previous editions of Contact
“The World of Organic Agriculture.” › Dr. Wang Maohua, Certification and
Accreditation Administration of the
Chad People's Republic of China CNCA
Source › Yuhui Qiao, Chinese Agricultural
Ecocert West Africa, Ougadougou, Burkina University, Beijing, China
Faso. The data are from 2012. Wild › Zejiang Zhou, Vicepresident, Board of
collection only. IFOAM Asia, IFOAM World Board,
Contact China
Aziz Yanogo, Ecocert West Africa,
Ougadougou, Burkina Faso Colombia
Channel Islands Source
› ECONEXOS, Conexion Ecologica, Calle
Source
FAOSTAT (2014) Organic area data Channel 5 No. 45A-125, Cali, Colombia,
Islands. The FAOSTAT website, FAOSTAT, info@econexos.org,
Rome, Italy, FAOSTAT > Resources > Land. www.econexos.com, based on a survey
Download of December 12, 2014 among the certifiers.
http://faostat.fao.org/site/377/DesktopDef Contact
ault.aspx?PageID=377#ancor › Carlos Escobar,
The data is from 2012. ECONEXOS - Desarrollo en
Movimiento, Cali República de › Ecocert West Africa, Ougadougou,

Colombia, www.econexos.com. Burkina Faso, www.ecocert.com
Comoros › Not all certifiers provided updated
Source data.
Ecocert, BO 47, 32600 L'Isle Jourdain, Contact
France, www.ecocert.com. The data is from › Gyorgyi Acs Feketene, Control Union,
2011. Zwolle, The Netherlands,
Contact www.controlunion.org
Sandra Randrianarisoa, Ecocert S.A., Villa › Tobias Fischer, BCS, Nürnberg,
Arimanantsoa, Madagascar, Germany, www.bcs-oeko.de;
www.ecocert.com. › Aziz Yanogo, Ecocert West Africa,
Ougadougou, Burkina Faso,
Congo, Democratic Republic of www.ecocert.com
Source Croatia
Certifier data. The area data is from 2012,
Sources
the producer data from 2008. › Area and operators: The data were
Cook Islands provided via the Mediterranean
Source Organic Agriculture Network (MOAN),
Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade c/o IAM Bari, by the Ministry of
Community (POETCom), Suva Fiji, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural
www.spc.int. The data is from 2012. Development, Zagreb, Croatia,
Contact www.mps.hr.
Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the Pacific › Market& trade data: Darko Znaor,
Community (SPC), Private Mail Bag, Suva Independent Consultant, 10000
Fiji, www.spc.int Zagreb, Croatia. The data is from
Costa Rica 2012.-
Source Contact
› Land area, operators and export › Dr. Marie Reine Bteich, C.I.H.E.A.M. -
volume data: Servicio Fitosanitario del Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di
Estado (2014): Programas Especiales/ Bari, Italy, www.iamb.it.
Agricultura Orgánica. Estadísticas › Darija Musulin, Ministry of
2013. M.A.G Costa Rica, San José. Agriculture, Zagreb, Croatia,
› Export value (2009 data) PROMOCER www.mps.hr
(2011): Costa Rica: exportaciones de › Darko Znaor, Independent Consultant,
productos orgánicos según destino. 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
› Domestic market data (2008) were Cuba
provided by the organic sector Certifier data.
organization MAOCO.
Cyprus
Contact Source
Roberto Azofeifa, Ministerio de Agricultura Land area and producer data: Eurostat,
y Ganadería, 10094-1000 San José, Costa Luxembourg
Rica. Market data (from 2006): Organic Retailers
Côte d'Ivoire Association, Ecozept and Biovista (eds.)
The data were compiled by FiBL based on (2008): Specialised Organic Retail Report
the data of the following international 2008. Freising and Vienna 2008
certifiers. Czech Republic
Sources Source
› BCS, Nürnberg, Germany, www.bcs- Institute of Agricultural Economics and
oeko.de Information (UZEI), Department of Agri-
› Control Union, Zwolle, The environmental Policy, 602 00 Brno, Czech
Netherlands, www.controlunion.org Republic
The market and international trade data are Dominican Republic,

from 2012. www.agricultura.gob.do.
Contact Contact
› Hana Šejnohová, Institute of José A. Zapata G., Secretaria de Estado de
Agricultural Economics and Agricultura, Oficina de Control Orgánico,
Information (UZEI), Department of Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic,
Agri-environmental Policy, 602 00 www.agricultura.gob.do.
Brno, Czech Republic Ecuador
› Andrea Hrabalova, Institute of Source
Agricultural Economics and Land area, operators, exports: Agrocalidad,
Information (UZEI), 602 00 Brno, Quito Ecuador, www.agrocalidad.gob.ec.
Czech Republic The aquaculture data are from 2012.
Denmark Contact
› Christian Báez, Agrocalidad, Quito,
Sources
› Land area, land use, Operators: Ecuador
Ministeriet for Fødevarer, Landbrug og › Paulina Betancourt, Agrocalidad,
Fiskeri Quito, Ecuador
NaturErhvervstyrelsen , 1780 Egypt
København V. www.naturerhverv.dk Source
› Domestic sales: Source: Landbrug & Mediterranean Organic Agriculture
Fødevarer. Based on data from Network MOAN, c/o IAMB Bari. The data is
statistics Denmark and Organic from 2012.
Denmark. Contact
› Exports, imports: Statistics Denmark. Dr. Marie Reine Bteich, C.I.H.E.A.M. -
› Other marketing channels: Organic Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari,
Denmark. Data compiled by Danish Italy, www.iamb.it
Agriculture & Food Council, Agro Food Note
Park 15, 8200 Aarhus. For Egypt only a figure for the total
Contact operators is available for 2009, this figure is
› Carmen I. Calverley. Ministeriet for listed under “producers”.
Fødevarer, Landbrug og Fiskeri El Salvador
NaturErhvervstyrelsen , Nyropsgade Source
30, 1780 København V. Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Final
www.naturerhverv.dk 1a. Avenida Norte, 13 Calle Poniente y
› Ejvind Pedersen, Danish Agriculture & Avenida Manuel, Gallardo, Santa Tecla, El
Food Council, Agro Food Park 13, 8200 Salvador. Data is from 2008.
Aarhus N, Denmark.
Estonia
Dominica
Sources
Source › Land area, land use, operators:
Division of Agriculture, provided by
Ministry of Agriculture of Estonia as
Dominica Organic Agriculture Movement
published in: Vetemaa, Airi and Merit
(DOAM) Inc., PO Box 1953 - Roseau,
Mikk (Eds.) (2014): Organic Farming in
Commonwealth of Dominica. The data is
Estonia 2013. Compiled by the
from 2011.
Estonian Organic Farming Foundation.
Contact
Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of
Ms. Aikuali Joseph, Dominica Organic
Estonia, Tallinn.
Agriculture Movement (DOAM) Inc.,
http://orgprints.org/27330/
Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica.
› Market data (2012) were provided by
Dominican Republic the Merit Mikk, Centre of Ecological
Source Engineering, Tartu, Estonia
Secretaria de Estado de Agricultura, Oficina
de Control Orgánico, Santa Domingo,
Contact Finland
Merit Mikk, Centre of Ecological Sources
Engineering, Tartu, Estonia › Land area and operators: Finnish Food
Ethiopia Safety Authority Evira, Helsinki,
Source Finland
Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, › Wild collection: Centre for Economic
Akaki, Ethiopia. The data is from 2012 Development, Transport and the
(export data from 2010). Environment: Lapland;
The 2013 were received after the data for › Market data: Pro Luomo, Kauniainen,
this publication were processed. The key Finland; for total market value: Finnish
data for 2013 are: Grocery Trade Associations
› Total organic agricultural land: 164’094 Contact
hectares; › Marja-Riitta Kottila, Pro Luomu,
› Producers: 135’827; Kauniainen, Finland
› Exports: 191 million US dollars. › Sampsa Heinonen, Evira, Helsinki,
Contact Finland
Addisu Alemayeh, Ethiopian Institute of France
Agricultural Research, Akaki, Ethiopia Source
Falkland Islands › Agence Bio, Montreuil-sur-Bois,
Source France. www.agencebio.org
Department of Agriculture, Bypass Road, › Retail sales: ANDi / Agence Bio,
Stanley, Falkland Islands, Montreuil-sur-Bois, France
www.agriculture.gov.fk. Contact
Contact › Nathalie Rison, Agence Bio, Montreuil
Lucy Ellis, Department of Agriculture, sous Bois, France, www.agencebio.fr
Bypass Road, Stanley, Falkland Islands, French Guyana
www.agriculture.gov.fk Source
Faroe Islands Agence BIO: The Agence Bio website,
Source Agence Bio, 93100 Montreuil sous Bois,
Vottunarstofan Tún ehf, Laugavegur 7, 101 France. Available at
Reykjavík, Iceland, www.tun.is. http://www.agencebio.org/la-bio-dans-les-
Contact regions
› Gunnar Gunnarsson, Vottunarstofan Contact
Tún ehf., Reykjavík, Iceland, Nathalie Rison, Agence Bio, Montreuil sous
www.tun.is Bois, France, www.agencebio.fr
› Rannveig Guðleifsdóttir, French Polynesia
Vottunarstofan Tún ehf., Reykjavík, Sources
Iceland, www.tun.is Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade
Fiji Islands Community (POETCom), Suva Fiji,
www.spc.int. To this data, data from 2
Sources
international certifiers were added. Not all
Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade
sources had updated data.
Community (POETCom), Suva Fiji,
www.spc.int. To this data, data from one Contact
Karen Mapusua, Pacific Organic and Ethical
international certifier was added.
Trade Community (POETCom)
Contact
Data provided by Karen Mapusua, Pacific Gambia
Organic and Ethical Trade Community Data for Gambia have not been supplied
(POETCom). since 2007 by any of the certification
bodies. IFOAM and FiBL therefore
concluded that there is currently no
certified organic production in the country.
Any information on certified organic
farming in Gambia should be sent to Julia Note

Lernoud or Helga Willer at A direct year-to-year comparison over the
julia.lernoud@fibl.org and past ten years is not possible, because data
helga.willer@fibl.org. from more certifiers were available than
previously. From 2009 to 2013, the sources
Georgia
have remained the same, but not all
Source
Elkana Survey, Elkana, 16 Gazapkhuli certifiers provided updates every year.
street, 0177 Tbilisi, Georgia, Greece
www.elkana.org.ge. The data is from 2011. Sources
Contact › Land area and operators: Ministry of
Elene Shatberashvili, Biological Farming Agriculture, Greece
Association Elkana, 16 Gazapkhuli street, › Market data (from 2010) were
0177 Tbilisi, Georgia, www.elkana.org.ge provided by Nicoletta van der Smissen,
Feres, Greece
Germany
Sources Contact
› Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft › Nicoletta van der Smissen, Feres,
mbH (AMI), Bonn, Germany, Greece
www.ami-informiert.de; Grenada
Contact Data from one international certifier (data
› Diana Schaack, Agrarmarkt from 2010).
Informations-Gesellschaft mbH (AMI), Guadeloupe
Bonn, Germany, www.ami- Source
informiert.de Agence BIO: The Agence Bio homepage
Ghana 93100 Montreuil sous Bois, France.
Source Available at http://www.agencebio.org/la-
The data was compiled by FiBL based on the bio-dans-les-regions
data of the following international Contact
certifiers. Nathalie Rison, Agence Bio, Montreuil sous
› BCS, Nürnberg, Germany, www.bcs- Bois, France, www.agencebio.fr
oeko.de; Guatemala
› CERTISYS, Brussels, www.certisys.eu Source
› Control Union, Zwolle, The Department of Organic Agriculture,
Netherlands, www.controlunion.org Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganaderia y
› Ecocert West Africa, Ougadougou, Alimentación (MAGA), Ciudad de
Burkina Faso Guatemala, Guatemala C.A. 01013,
› IMO, Weinfelden, Switzerland, http://www2.maga.gob.gt. The data is from
www.imo.ch 2011.
Not all certifiers provided updated
data. Guinea Bissau
Contact Certifier data.
› Gyorgyi Acs Feketene, Control Union, Guyana
Zwolle, The Netherlands Source
› Tobias Fischer, BCS, Nürnberg, Ecocert Colombia, Bogota D.C., Colombia.
Germany, www.bcs-oeko.de Data on wild collection only.
› Emmeline Foubert, CERTISYS, Contact
Brussels, Belgium Wenndy Johana Ramírez F., Ecocert
› Loni Hensler, IMO, Weinfelden, Colombia, Bogota D.C., Colombia
Switzerland
› Aziz Yanogo, Ecocert West Africa, Haiti
Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, Source
www.ecocert.com Ecocert Colombia, Bogota D.C., Colombia.
Contact Contact
› Richard Escobar, Henao, Bogota D.C, › Dr. P.V.S.M. Gouri, Agricultural and
Colombia Processed Food Products Export
› Marcela Machuca Henao, Bogota D.C, Development (APEDA), New Delhi,
Colombia India, www.apeda.com
› Manoj Kumar Menon, International
Honduras
Competence Centre for Organic
Source
Agricultura Orgánica Honduras, Secretaria Agriculture ICCOA, Bangalore, India
de Agricultura y Ganadería, Tegucigalpa, Indonesia
Honduras, SENASA Honduras. Source
The area data is from 2012 and the operator Indonesian Organic Alliance, Bangor,
data is from 2011. Indonesia (www.organicindonesia.org).
Contact Survey among the certifiers active in the
Ing. Sandra Elvir, Jefe del Departamento de country.
Agricultura Organica, Honduras Contact
Lidya Ariesusanty, Indonesia Organic
Hungary
Alliance, Indonesia,
Sources
› Land area and operators: National www.organicindonesia.org
Food Chain Safety Office, Budapest, Iran
Hungary, www.nebih.gov.hu Source
› Market and trade data (from 2009): Environmental Sciences Research Institute,
Survey of Biokorsar, Budapest, Shahid Beheshti University ESRI, Evin,
Hungary Tehran, Iran. The information is based on
Contact the data of the certifiers active in the
› Agnes Juhasz, National Food Chain country.
Safety Office, Budapest, Hungary, Contact
www.nebih.gov.hu Hossein Mahmoudi, Environmental
› Dora Drexler, ÖMKI, Budapest, Sciences Research Institute, Shahid
Hungary, www.biokutats.hu Beheshti University ESRI
Iceland Iraq
Source Data for Ira were received for the first time.
Vottunarstofan Tún ehf., Laugavegur 7, 101 Source
Reykjavík, Iceland, www.tun.is. Zakho Small Villages Projects (ZSVP),
Contact Dohuk City, Dohuk, Iraq
Gunnar Gunnarsson, Vottunarstofan Tún Contact
ehf., Laugavegur 7, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland, Dr. Abid Ali Hasan, Zakho Small Villages
www.tun.is Projects (ZSVP), Program Coordinator in
Rannveig Guðleifsdóttir, Vottunarstofan Iraq, Dohuk City, Dohuk, Iraq
Tún ehf., Reykjavík, Iceland, www.tun.is
Ireland
India Source
Source › Area, operators and livestock data:
› Land area, operators, exports: Eurostat. The data is from 2012.
Agricultural and Processed Food › Market data: Bord Bia, Dublin, Ireland,
Products Export Development based on Data of Kantar. The data is
(APEDA) Ministry of Commerce & from 2011.
Industry, Government of India, New Contact
Delhi - 110 016, India, › Philipp Cullen, Department of
www.apeda.com. Agriculture Fisheries and Food,
› Market data were provided by Manoj Johnstown Castle Estate, Co. Wexford,
Kumar Menon of the International Ireland www.agriculture.gov.ie.
Competence Centre of Organic
Agriculture ICCOA, Bangalore
› Lorcan Burke and Rosaleen Japan

O'Shaughnessy, Bord Bia, Dublin, Source
Ireland Primary production, producer, export and
import data: Ministry of Agriculture,
Israel
Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Tokyo 100 -
Source
Source for all data: Standardization and 8950, Japan, www.maff.go.jp/e/index.html.
Accreditation Department Ministry of The area and producer data are from 2012
Agriculture and Rural Development Plant Domestic market data (from 2009): Heinz
Protection and Inspection Services (PPIS), Kuhlmann, ABC Enterprises, Tokio, Japan
Israel, Contact
www.ppiseng.moag.gov.il/ppiseng/ISRAEL. › Yu Watanabe , IFOAM Japan, Tokyo,
.The data are published in the “Annual Japan
Report: Export of Fresh and Processed › Heinz Kuhlmann, ABC Enterprises,
products to the European Union” Tokio, Japan
Contact Jordan
Mirit Amrani, Head Standardization and Source
Accreditation Department, Ministry of Mediterranean Organic Agriculture
Agriculture and Rural Development, Plant Network (MOAN), maintained by IAM Bari
Protection and Inspection Services (PPIS), Contact
Israel › Dr. Marie Reine Bteich, C.I.H.E.A.M. -
Note Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di
The data cover only the products exported Bari, Italy, www.iamb.it
to the European Union. Kazakhstan
Italy Source
Sources The data were compiled by the Organic
› Operator, primary crops, livestock Centre of Kazakhstan
products, imports: SINAB Italian (www.organiccenter.kz); a survey among the
Information System on Organic certifiers was carried out. The data is from
Farming, Rome, Italy 2012.
› Domestic market (totals), ASSOBIO, Contact
Padova, Italy Evgeniy Klimov, Director of the Organic
› Share of all retail sales: Nomisma, Centre of Kazakhstan and director of the
Bologna, Italy Foundation for Integration of Ecological
Contact Culture, 40, Almaty, Kazakhstan,
› Roberto Pinton, ASSOBIO, 35121 www.organiccenter.kz
Padova, Italy Kenya
› Marta Romeo, SINAB Italian Source
Information System on Organic Kenya Organic Movement (KOAN), Nairobi,
Farming, Rome, Italy Kenya, www.koan.co.ke. The data are
› Francesco Solfanelli, Università collected among the organic operators in
Politecnica Marche, Ancona, Italy the country and cover most of the country’s
› Silvia Zucconi, Nomisma, Bologna, organic land/producers. The data is from
Italy 2012.
Jamaica Contact
Source Jack Juma, Kenya Organic Movement
Jamaica Organic Movement JOAM, P.O. (KOAN), Nairobi, Kenya, www.koan.co.ke
Box 5728, Kingston 6, Jamaica,
www.joamltd.org. The data is from 2009.
Contact
Trevor Brown, Jamaica Organic Movement
JOAM, www.joamltd.org
Korea, Republic of Lebanon

Source Source
National Agricultural Products Quality Mediterranean Organic Agriculture
Management Service, Korea (for area, Network (MOAN), maintained by IAM Bari.
production, imports) and Korea Rural Contact
Economic Institute for market volume. › Marie Reine Bteich, C.I.H.E.A.M. -
Contact Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di
› Jennifer Chang, Korean Federation of Bari, Italy, www.iamb.it
Organic Agriculture Organisations Lesotho
(KFSA), Republic of Korea Certifier data
› Man Chul Jung, Korean Federation of
Liechtenstein
Organic Agriculture Organisations
Source
(KFSA), Republic of Korea
Klaus Büchel Anstalt, Institute of
Kosovo Agriculture and Environment, 9493
Source Mauren, Liechtenstein, www.kba.li.
Initiative for agricultural development of Contact
Kosovo (IADK), Mitrovica, Republic of Data were provided by Klaus Büchel,
Kosovo Institute of Agriculture and Environment,
Contact 9493 Mauren, Liechtenstein, www.kba.li.
Basri Hyseni, Initiative for agricultural
Lithuania
development of Kosovo (IADK), Mitrovica,
Source
Republic of Kosovo
› Land area, production volume,
Kyrgyzstan operators: Lithuanian Institute of Agri
Source Economics, Vilnius, Lithuania
Agricultural Commodity and Service › International trade data: Agricultural &
Cooperative "Bio Farmer", Kyrgyzstan Food Market Information System,
Contact 03105 Vilnius, Lithuania, www.vic.lt.
Gulzaada Aleshova, Helvetas, Jalalabad, › Domestic Market data (from 2011):
Kyrgyzstan Ekoconnect, Dresden, Germany and
AMI, Bonn, Germany
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Source Contact
› Department of Agriculture (DOA), PO Virgilijus Skulskis, Lithuanian Institute of
BOX 811, Vientiane, Laos Agri Economics, Vilnius, Lithuania
Contact Luxembourg
› Thavisith Bounyasouk, Department of Source
Agriculture (DOA), PO BOX 811, › Land area and operator data:
Vientiane, Laos Administration des Services
Latvia Techniques de l'Agriculture ASTA,
Source Luxembourg. Land use data are from
› Area and Operators: Ministry of 2009
Agriculture of Republic of Latvia, Riga, › Market data : Biogros Estimate, 13 Parc
Latvia d'Activité Syrdall, L-5365 Munsbach,
› Market data (from 2011): Ekoconnect, www.biogros.lu/de/home/
Dresden, Germany and AMI, Bonn, Contact
Germany › Nadine Kieffer, Administration des
Contact Services Techniques de l'Agriculture
− Livija Zarina, State Priekuli Plant (ASTA), 1019 Luxembourg,
Breeding Institute SPPBI, Priekuli, www.asta.etat.lu.
Cesis distr, Latvia › Aender Schanck, Biogros, 13 Parc
d'Activité Syrdall, L-5365 Munsbach,
www.biogros.lu/de/home/
› Raymond Aendekerk, IBLA, 13, rue Mali

Gabriel Lippmann, Parc d'activité FiBL Terrain, SYPROBIO-CRRA, Sikasso,
Syrdall, L-5365 Munsbach, République du Mali
www.biolabel.lu Contact
› Laurent C. Glin, FiBL Terrain,
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav
Republic SYPROBIO-CRRA, Sikasso, République
Source du Mali
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Malta
economy, Skopje, provided by Source
Mediterranean Organic Agriculture › Total land area and operators (2012):
Network (MOAN) Eurostat: the Eurostat homepage,
Contact Eurostat, Luxemburg
› Olivera Bicikliski, Ministry of › Land use data from are from 2011 and
Agriculture, Forestry and Water were provided by the Mediterranean
Management, Skopje, Former Yugoslav Organic Network MOAN, c/o IAM Bari,
Republic of Macedonia Italy
› Marie Reine Bteich, Mediterranean Contact
Organic Agriculture Network (MOAN), Marie Reine Bteich, Mediterranean Organic
c/o IAM Bari, Italy Network MOAN, c/o IAM Bari, Italy
Madagascar Martinique (France)
Sources Source
› Australian Certified Organic, Nundah, Agence BIO: The Agence Bio, Montreuil
Australia, www.aco.net.au Ecocert S.A., sous Bois, France. Available at:
Villa Arimanantsoa, Madagascar, http://www.agencebio.org/la-bio-dans-les-
www.ecocert.com (2011 data) regions
› LACON GmbH, Brünnlesweg 19, Contact
77654 Offenburg, Germany, Nathalie Rison, Agence Bio, Montreuil sous
www.lacon-institut.com Bois, France, www.agencebio.fr
Contact Mauritius
› Sandra Randrianarisoa, Ecocert S.A., Source
Villa Arimanantsoa, Madagascar, Ecocert S.A., Villa Arimanantsoa,
www.ecocert.com Madagascar, www.ecocert.com. The data are
› Fabienne Verzeletti, LACON GmbH, from 2011.
www.lacon-institut.com Contact
Malawi Sandra Randrianarisoa, Ecocert S.A., Villa
Source Arimanantsoa, Madagascar,
Ecocert Southern Africa, Gardens, Cape www.ecocert.com
Town, South Africa, Mayotte (France)
http://www.ecocert.com/ Source
Contact Agence BIO: The Agence Bio, Montreuil
Cliflyn McKenzie, Ecocert Southern Africa, sous Bois, France. Available at:
Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa, http://www.agencebio.org/la-bio-dans-les-
http://www.ecocert.com/ regions
Malaysia Contact
Nathalie Rison, Agence Bio, Montreuil sous
Source
Department of Agriculture, Malaysia Bois, France, www.agencebio.fr
Contact Mexico
Data provided by Ong Kung Wai, Humus Source
Consultancy, Penang, Malaysia Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, based on
data of the certifiers
Contact communicated is that for all operators in

Rita Schwentesius, Universidad Autónoma the country (2010 data).
Chapingo, Carretera México - Texcoco Km.
Mozambique
38.5. Chapingo, México
Sources
Moldova Certifier data.
Source Myanmar
Moldovan Investment and Export
Source
Promotion Organisation Report "Organic Myanmar Organic Agriculture Group,
Agriculture in Moldova: Local and Regional Yangon, Myanmar. To the data of the
Perspectives". 2012. The data is from 2011. Myanmar Organic Agriculture Group (from
Mongolia 2011), the data of one international certifier
Source were added.
Contact
Ecocert China, Beijing 100193, China San Linn, Myanmar Organic Agriculture
Contact Group, Yangon, Myanmar
Weimin Yu, Ecocert China, Beijing 100193,
China Namibia
Source
Montenegro To the data provided by the Namibian
Source Organic Association, PO Box 1504,
› Area data (from 2011): Monteorganica, Okahandja, Namibia. PGS figures are
Podgorica, Montenegro. included.
› Operator data (from 2010): Ministry of Contact
Agriculture, Forestry and Water Manjo Smith, Namibian Organic
Management, Podgorica, Montenegro. Association (NOA), PO Box 1504,
› Market data (from 2010): Ecozept - Okahandja, Namibia
Market research and marketing Nepal
consulting agency. Freising, Germany Source
Contact The data were provided by Maheswar
Prof. Dr. Natasa Mirecki, Biotechnical Ghimire, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Faculty, University of Montenegro, Mihaila Contact
Lalica, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro, Maheswar Ghimire, Kathmandu, Nepal
www.btf.ac.me/en/
Netherlands
Morocco Sources
Source › Land area: Centraal Bureau voor de
Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Pêche Statistiek, 2490 HA Den Haag,
Maritime, Rabat, Morocco, Netherlands (Data 2013).
http://www.agriculture.gov.ma and › Operator data (from 2012): Eurostat
Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Market data: Bionext, Zeist; the Bionext
Network MOAN, C.I.H.E.A.M., c/o Istituto website, available at
Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari, Italy, http://www.bionext.nl/zakelijk/feiten-
www.iamb.it. cijfers
Contact › International trade data: Bionext, Zeist
Allal Chibane, Ministère de l’Agriculture et Contact
de la Pêche Maritime, Rabat, Morocco, › Marian Blom, Bionext, Utrecht, The
http://www.agriculture.gov.ma; Netherlands
Dr. Marie Reine Bteich, C.I.H.E.A.M.
New Caledonia
Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari,
Source
Italy, www.iamb.it. Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade
Note on producer data Community (POETCom), Suva Fiji,
No separate figure for the number of www.spc.int;
producers was available; the figure
Contact Contact
Data provided by Karen Mapusua, Pacific Trine Thanh Ha, Statens
Organic and Ethical Trade Community landbruksforvaltning (SLF), Oslo, Norway
(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int Oman
New Zealand Source
Source Organic Plant Production and
The AgriBusiness Group, Christchurch, New Agroeceosystems Research in the Tropics
Zealand, www.agribusinessgroup.com. The and Subtropics, Kassel University,
data is from 2012. Witzenhausen, Germany, www.uni-
Contact kassel.de/agrar/?language=en.
Jon Manhire, the AgriBusiness Group, Contact
Christchurch, New Zealand, Prof. Dr. Andreas Bürkert, Organic Plant
www.agribusinessgroup.com Production and Agroeceosystems Research
Nicaragua in the Tropics and Subtropics Kassel
The data are from 2009. University, Witzenhausen, Germany,
Source www.uni-kassel.de/agrar/?language=en.
Ministerio Agropecuario y Forestal Pakistan
MAGFOR, Managua. Nicaragua, Data was provided by one international
www.magfor.gob.ni certifier. The number of producers provided
Contact in the tables is in fact the number of clients,
Mauricio Carcache Vega, MAGFOR, to each of which a number of producers
Manuagua, Nicaragua might be associated.
Niger Palestine, State of
Data source: Certifier data. Not all certifiers Source
provided updated data for 2013. Mediterranean Organic Agriculture
Nigeria Network MOAN, C.I.H.E.A.M. - Istituto
Source Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari, Italy,
The data were compiled by FiBL and IFOAM www.iamb.it. The data are from 2010.
based on the data of one international Contact
certifier and the University of Ibadan, Dr. Marie Reine Bteich, C.I.H.E.A.M. -
Ibadan, Nigeria. One certifier who had been Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari,
active in Nigeria in the past reported that Italy, www.iamb.it.
they are not working in the country Note
anymore, which explains the big drop of There was no separate figure for the
organic agricultural land. number of producers; the number presented
Contact here refers to all organic operators in the
Olugbenga O. AdeOluwa, University of country.
Ibadan, Nigeria
Panamá
Niue Source
Source Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario,
Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Dirección Nacional de Sanidad Vegetal,
Community (POETCom), Suva Fiji, Panama, www.mida.gob.pa
www.spc.int. The data is from 2012. Contact
Contact Fermín Romero, Dirección Nacional de
Data provided by Karen Mapusua, Pacific Sanidad Vegetal, Ministerio de Desarrollo
Organic and Ethical Trade Community Agropecuario, Panama,
(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int http://www.mida.gob.pa
Norway
Sources
Norwegian Agricultural Authority SLF, Oslo,
Norway
Papua New Guinea › Ecocert, L'Isle Jourdain, France,

Source www.ecocert.com;
Certifier data and Pacific Organic and › Organic Certification Center of the
Ethical Trade Community (POETCom), Suva Philippines OCCP (2009 data),
Fiji, www.spc.int Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City,
Contact Philippines, www.occpphils.org.
Karen Mapusua, Pacific Organic and Ethical Contact
Trade Community (POETCom), Suva Fiji, › Gyorgyi Acs Feketene, Control Union,
www.spc.int Zwolle, The Netherlands,
Paraguay www.controlunion.org;
Source › Tobias Fischer, BCS, Nürnberg,
Servicio Nacional de Calidad y Sanidad Germany, www.bcs-oeko.de;
Vegetal y de Semillas, Department of › Simone Groh, Ceres, Happburg,
Organic Agriculture, Asuncion, Paraguay, Germany, www.ceres-cert.com;
www.senave.gov.py › Lani Katimbang-Limpin, OCCP,
Contact Quezon City, Philippines,
Genaro Coronel, Servicio Nacional de www.occpphils.org
Calidad y Sanidad Vegetal y de Semillas, › Camille Godard, Area Manager,
Department of Organic Agriculture, Ecocert, L'Isle Jourdain, France,
Asuncion, Paraguay, www.senave.gov.py www.ecocert.com;
Perú Note
Not all certifiers provided data on the
Source
› Area and number of producers: number of producers, which therefore must
SENASA. Producción Orgánica. Lima, be higher than communicated here.
Perú Poland
› Market and Trade data: PromPeru, San Source
Isidro - Lima 27 Perú, › Land area and land use, livestock and
www.promperu.gob.pe. The total value production (from 2012): Eurostat, the
of domestic market is an estimate, Eurostat Website
based the data from Promperu that the › Market data (from 2011): Andrzej
domestic market is between 13.1 and Szeremeta, based on national data
23.2 million US dollars (2010). sources
Contact Portugal
Dr. Jorge Leonardo Jave Nakayo, Director Source
de Producción Orgánica, Ministerio de › Total organic land and Operators:
Agricultura, SENASA, Peru Mediterranean Organic Agriculture
Philippines Network (MOAN), c/o IAM Bari, Italy
Sources › Land use and operators (2011):
The data were compiled by FiBL from a Ministério da Agricultura, do
number of certifiers, but there are more Desenvolvimento Rural e das Pescas
certifiers active than those listed below. A › Market data: INTERBIO (2011),
direct year-to-year comparison over the http://www.interbio.pt
years is not possible. Not all certifiers Contact
provided updated data. › Marie Reine Bteich, Mediterranean
Certifiers who provided data Agronomic Institute of Bari (IAMB),
› BCS, Nürnberg, Germany, www.bcs- Valenzano, Italy
oeko.de; Réunion
› Ceres, Happburg, Germany, Source
www.ceres-cert.com; Agence BIO, Montreuil sous Bois, France.
› Control Union, Zwolle, The Available at http://www.agencebio.org/la-
Netherlands, www.controlunion.org; bio-dans-les-regions
Contact Samoa
Nathalie Rison, Agence Bio, Montreuil sous Source
Bois, France, www.agencebio.fr Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade
Romania Community (POETCom), Suva Fiji,
Sources www.spc.int. The data is from 2012.
› Organic area; land use, livestock and Contact
production (from 2012): Eurostat, the Data provided by Karen Mapusua, Pacific
Eurostat Website Organic and Ethical Trade Community
› Wild collection (from 2012): Ministry (POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int
of Agriculture MADR, Bucharest, San Marino
Romania, see Certifier data
http://www.madr.ro/ro/agricultura- Sao Tome and Prince
ecologica/dinamica-operatorilor-si-a- Source
suprafetelor-in-agricultura- Ecocert West Africa, Ougadougou, Burkina
ecologica.html. Faso. The data is from 2012.
› Market data (from 2011): BCG-Global Contact
Advisors (2013) Romanian Organic Data provided by Aziz Yanogo, Ecocert West
Sector – Business Insight Booklet. Africa, Ougadougou, Burkina Faso,
Global Advisors, Bio-Romania www.ecocert.com
Association, University of Bucharest.
Bucharest 2012 Saudi Arabia
Source
Contact
› Iulia Grosulescu, Counsellor Organic GIZ Organic Farming Project, Riyadh, Saudi
Farming Office, Ministry of Agriculture Arabia
and Rural Development, 24,Blvd Carol Contact
I, Bucharest Romania Felix Ruhland, Deutsche Gesellschaft für
› Marian Cioceanu, Asociatia Bio Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ),
Romania, Str.Mihai Eminescu, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, www.giz.de
Bucureşti, Romania, http://www.bio- Senegal
romania.org/contact/ Source
To the data provided by the National
Russia
Federation for Organic Agriculture,
Source
Survey among the certifiers active in the AGRECOL BP. 347 Thiès, Sénégal, data from
country, carried out by Eco-control Ltd., international certifiers were added.
141506 Solnechnogorsk, Russia, www.eco- Contact
control.ru. Not all certifiers provided Famara Diedhioe, National Federation for
updated data. Organic Agriculture, AGRECOL, BP. 347
Thiès, Sénégal
Contact
Dr. Andrey Khodus, Eco-control Ltd., Serbia
141506 Solnechnogorsk, Russia, www.eco- Source
control.ru Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water,
Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
Rwanda
Source Contact
Ecocert S.A., Villa Arimanantsoa, › Jelena Milic, Ministry of Agriculture,
Madagascar, www.ecocert.com. The data are Forestry and Water, Belgrade, Republic
from 2011. of Serbia
› Marie Reine Bteich, Mediterranean
Contact
Sandra Randrianarisoa, Ecocert S.A., Villa Agronomic Institute of Bari (IAMB),
Arimanantsoa, Madagascar, Valenzano, Italy
www.ecocert.com. › Marija Kalentic German International
Cooperation GIZ. Novi Sad, Serbia
Sierra Leone › IMO, Weinfelden, Switzerland,

Data had been available previously from one www.imo.ch
international certifier, but the projects are › Soil Association, Bristol, UK
not involved in organic farming any longer. Contact
Singapore › Gyorgyi Acs Feketene, Control Union,
Two international certifiers reported a Zwolle, The Netherland
number of processors. › Andrew Bayliss, Soil Association,
Bristol, UK
Slovakia
› Diana Callear, Afrisco, Lynnwood
Sources
Ridge, South Africa, www.afrisco.net
Area/operators/livestock/crop production:
› Tobias Fischer, BCS, Nürnberg, Source,
Eurostat, the Eurostat Website.
BCS
Market data (2010): Ecozept, market
› Loni Hensler, IMO, Weinfelden,
research and marketing consulting agency.
Switzerland
Freising, Germany.
› Clifyn Mckenzie, Ecocert Southern
Slovenia Africa, Gardens Cape Town
Sources › Fabienne Verzeletti, LACON GmbH,
› Area, operators, livestock, crop www.lacon-institut.com
production: Ministrstvo za kmetijstvo,
gozdarstvo in prehrano-Ministry of Spain
Agriculture, Forestry and Food, SI– Sources
› Area and land use, operators:
1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia,
Ministerio de Agricultura,
www.mkgp.gov.si .
Alimentación y Medio Ambiente
› Market data: Institute for Sustainable
(2014): Agricultura ecologica-
Development, Ljubljana, Slovenia
estadisticas 2013. MAGRAMA, Madrid,
Contact
Spain
Anamarija Slabe, Institute for Sustainable
› Market and international trade data
Development, Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
(from 2012): Ministerio de Agricultura,
Solomon Islands Alimentación y Medio Ambiente
Source (2013): Caracterizacction del sector de
Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade la produccion ecologica. MAGRAMA,
Community (POETCom), Suva Fiji, Madrid 2013
www.spc.int. The data is from 2012. Contact
Contact › Gonzálvez Pérez, Victor, Spanish
Data provided by Karen Mapusua, Pacific Society of Organic Agriculture SEAE,
Organic and Ethical Trade Community Catarroja (Valencia), Spain,
(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int www.agroecologia.net
Somalia › Joan Picazos, Biocop Productos
No data were reported for Somalia. Biológicos, S.A. (BIOCOP), Lliçà de vall
South Africa (Barcelona), Spain, www.biocop.es
Source Sri Lanka
The data were compiled by FiBL and IFOAM The data were compiled by FiBL from two
based on the data of the following international certifiers. Only one of the
international certifiers. certifiers provided data on the number of
› Afrisco, Afrisco, Lynnwood Ridge, producers, whereas the other only provided
South Africa, www.afrisco.net the number of operators. The number of
› BCS, Nürnberg, Germany producers must therefore be higher than
› Control Union, Zwolle, The communicated in this book.
Netherlands, www.controlunion.org Sudan (former)
› Ecocert Southern Africa, Gardens Cape Sources
Town, www.ecocert.com Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation
Export Development& Quality Control
Unit, Republic of the Sudan. To these the Contact

data of three international certifiers were Dr. Marie Reine Bteich, C.I.H.E.A.M. -
added. Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari,
Contact Italy, www.iamb.it
Afaf Abdelrahim Elgzouly, Federal Ministry Notes
of Agriculture & Irrigation Export No separate figure for the number of
Development& Quality Control Unit, Sudan producers was available; the figure
communicated is that for all operators in
Suriname the country.
The certifier, who had provided data
previously, ceased its activities in 2012. . Taiwan, Province of China
Source
Swaziland Taiwan Organic Agriculture Information
Data source: Certifier data. Centre. Statistics 1996-2012 at
Sweden http://info.organic.org.tw/supergood/front
Sources /bin/ptlist.phtml?Category=104854,
› Area, livestock and operators, Original Source: Agricultural and Food
Jordbruksverket, Jönköping, Sweden, Agency, Council of Agriculture, Taiwan. The
www.jordbruksverket.se. data are from 2012.
› Market data: Statistics Sweden SCB, Tajikistan
Orebro, Sweden Source
Contact SAS - SUGDAGROSERV, 2 Baraka Boboeva,
› Carla Larsson, Statistics Sweden SCB, Khujand 735700, Tajikistan. (Data 2012).
Orebro, Sweden To these data, the data of one international
› Göran Ekbladh, Jordbruksverket, certifier were added (2012).
Jönköping, Sweden, Contact
www.jordbruksverket.se. Javohir Eshmatov, SAS - Sugdagroserv, 2
› Kristina Ottosson, Jordbruksverket, Baraka Boboeva, Khujand 735700,
Jönköping, Sweden, Tajikistan.
www.jordbruksverket.se
Tanzania
Switzerland Source
Sources Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement
› Land area and crop data: Federal (TOAM), PO Box 70089, Dar es Salaam,
Agency for Statistics (BfS), Neufchatel, Tanzania, www.kilimohai.net. Survey
Switzerland. Please note that compared among the organic operators in the country.
with previous years the data source has Contact
changed and that a direct year-to-year Noel C. Kwai, Tanzania Organic Agriculture
comparison is not possible. Movement (TOAM), PO Box 70089, Dar es
› Operators and Market data: Bio Suisse, Salaam, Tanzania, www.kilimohai.net.
Basel, Switzerland, Thailand
www.biosuisse.ch/de/bioinzahlen.php. Source
Contact Green Net Survey among the international
› Elisa Pfäffli, Bioinspecta, Frick, and domestic certifiers; Green Net, 10330
Switzerland Bangkok, Thailand
› Helga Willer, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland Contact
Syria Data provided by Vitoon Panyakul, Green
Source Net, 10330 Bangkok, Thailand,
Mediterranean Organic Agriculture www.greennet.or.th.
Network MOAN c/o C.I.H.E.A.M; Bari; Italy. Timor-Leste
The data is from 2010. The data are based on the information of
one international certifier.
Togo Note
Sources Some areas contain crops that can be
The data were compiled by FiBL based on harvested from the same parcel. Therefore,
the data of the following international the total of the land use/crop data exceeds
certifiers. Not all certifiers provided the actual area surface cultivated for organic
updated information. farming. A correction value was used in
› Ecocert, Ecocert West Africa, order to calculate the correct total.
Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, Data on the organic domestic market value
www.ecocert.com are roughly estimated (2010 data).
› IMO, Weinfelden, Switzerland, Uganda
www.imo.ch Source
› LACON GmbH, Brünnlesweg 19, National Organic Agricultural Movement of
77654 Offenburg, Germany Uganda (NOGAMU), PO Box 70071, Clock
Contact Tower, Kampala, Uganda,
› Loni Hensler, IMO, Weinfelden, www.nogamu.org.ug. The data is from 2012.
Switzerland The 2013 were received after the data for
› Aziz Yanogo, Ecocert West Africa, this publication were processed. The key
Ougadougou, Burkina Faso data for 2013 are:
› Fabienne Verzeletti, LACON GmbH, › Total organic agricultural land: 230’232
Offenburg, Germany hectares;
Tonga › Producers: 186’778;
Sources › Exports: 44.64 million US dollars.
› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Contact
Community (POETCom), Suva Fiji, Chariton Namuwoza, National Organic
www.spc.int Agricultural Movement of Uganda
Contact (NOGAMU), PO Box 70071, Clock Tower,
› Karen Mapusua, Pacific Organic and Kampala, Uganda, www.nogamu.org.ug.
Ethical Trade Community (POETCom), Ukraine
Suva Fiji, www.spc.int Source
Tunisia › Area: Organic Federation of Ukraine
Source (OFU), Kyiv, Ukraine
Source: Direction Générale de L'Agriculture www.organic.com.ua
Biologique (DGAB), Tunis, Tunisia › Land use details, domestic market,
Contact international trade: Organic Federation
› Samia Maamer Belkhiria, Direction of Ukraine (OFU), Kyiv, Ukraine,
Générale de L'Agriculture Biologique www.organic.com.ua
(DGAB), Ministry of Agriculture and Contact
Hydraulic Resources, Tunis, Tunisia › Eugene Milovanov, Organic Federation
› Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ben Kheder, B.P of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
54, Chatt Meriem, Sousse, Tunesia www.organic.com.ua
Turkey United Arab Emirates
Source Source
› Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Ministry of Environment and Water
Livestock (MoFAL), Ankara, Turkey (MOEW), United Arab Emirates
› Market data (2010): Estimate by Erdal
Contact
Süngü, MoFAL, Ankara, Turkey › Eng. Saif Mohamed Alshara, Ministry
Contact of Environment and Water, United
› Erdal Süngü, Ministry of Food, Arab Emirates
Agriculture and Livestock (MoFAL), › Mohammad Al-Oun (PhD). Director,
Ankara, Turkey, www.tarim.gov.tr. Water and Food Research Food
Programme, Jordan National Centre
for Research and Development
United Kingdom Contact

Sources Karen Mapusua, Pacific Organic and Ethical
› Land use details/crops/operators: Trade Community (POETCom), Suva Fiji,
Defra and National Statistics www.spc.int
› Market data: Soil Association 2014: Venezuela
Organic Market Report 2013. Bristol, Note
United Kingdom Certifier data. The data is from 2009
Contacts
› Dr. Catherine Gerrard and Dr. Susanne Viet Nam
Padel, The Organic Research Centre Source
Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association,
Elm Farm, Newbury, UK,
Hanoi, Vietnam
www.organicresearchcentre.com
› Martin Cottingham, UK Contact
Nhung Tu Thi Tuyet, Vietnam Organic
United States of America Agriculture Association, Hanoi, Vietnam
Sources Note
› Land area and producers (from 2011): Data include PGS
United States Department of Zambia
Agriculture, Washington, USA, Source
http://www.ers.usda.gov/data- OPPAZ, Lusaka, Zambia. The data are from
products/organic- 2009. To these data, area data from one
production.aspx#.UsV8fMpczGA. international certifier on beekeeping and
› Market data: Organic Trade beehives were added.
Association 2013: Organic Industry
Zimbabwe
Survey, Brattleboro VT 05301, USA,
Source
www.ota.com › Certifier data
Contacts Contact
› Catherine Greene, United States › Dominikus Collenberg, Organic Africa,
Department of Agriculture, Harare, Zimbabwe
Washington, USA,
› Clifyn Mckenzie, Ecocert Southern
www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/organic/.
Africa, Gardens Cape Town
› Barbara Haumann, OTA, Brattleboro
VT 05301, www.ota.com
Uruguay
Source
Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca
(MGAP), Montevideo, Uruguay,
www.mgap.gub.uy. The data are from 2006
Contact
Betty Mandl, Ministerio de Ganadería,
Agricultura y Pesca (MGAP), Montevideo,
Uruguay, www.mgap.gub.uy.
Uzbekistan
Source
Certifier data, compiled by FiBL.
Vanuatu
Source
Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade
Community (POETCom), Suva Fiji,
www.spc.int
FiBL Market Development Services
www.fibl.org
Service Area – Quality Production
Is your agricultural production future-proof?

 Agricultural consulting – improving production technology and quality
 Organic inputs – enhancing access, technology and input efficiency
 Transition management – shifting from conventional to organic methods
Service Area – Quality Trade
Are your trading partners reliable?
 Finding new business partners – linking with promising new partners

 Monitoring trading partners – tools to assess trade relationships
 Trade & certification – harnessing diverse quality standards for trade
Service Area – Quality Processing
How do you make sure that your products excel?
 Quality & risk management – assessing risk in the whole production process
 Improved storage & processing – tackling critical factors to enhance value
 Certification & documentation – procedures to ensure annual approval
Service Area – Quality Marketing
Are your products optimally positioned in the market?
 Marketing strategy development – practical research to improve targeting

 Residue analysis & mitigation – interventions to ensure food safety
 Product standards & certification – implementation and documentation
Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau

Institut de recherche de l’agriculture biologique
Contact FiBL, Department of International
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
Istituto di ricerche dell’agricoltura biologica
Cooperation, Ackerstrasse 113, P.O.-Box 219,
Instituto de investigaciones para la agricultura orgánica
CH-5070 Frick, Phone +41 62 865 72 72,
E X C E L L E N C E F O R S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y Fax +41 62 865 72 73, info.suisse@fibl.org
DOMAIN EMAIL ONLINE AND MUCH
NAMES ADDRESSES VISIBILITY MORE
I’m organic and it shows!

The new internet extension “.bio” has been launched in 2014, in addition to the
generic extensions «.com» or «.de». Since then, more than 7,000 stakeholders of the bio
Community - farmers, producers, distributors, wine growers, restaurants - have demonstrated
their commitment to this new way of turning themselves visible on the internet by registering
their “.bio” domain name.
To register: http://hosting.1und1.de/bio-domain
Photographer: Tristan Paviot
To learn more: www.domains.bio
The new Internet addresses of the Organic Movement.
en-IFOAM-woA-SB-201502-160-240-bio-boy-bw.indd 1 05/01/2015 23:48

Organic agriculture is practiced in 170 countries, and more than 43 million
hectares of agricultural land are managed organically by approximately
2 million farmers. The global sales of organic food and drink reached almost
72 billion US dollars in 2013.
The 16th edition of The World of Organic Agriculture, published by the

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), documents recent
developments in global organic agriculture. It includes contributions from
representatives of the organic sector from throughout the world and pro-
vides comprehensive organic farming statistics that cover surface area
under organic management, specific information about land use in organic
systems, numbers of farms and other operator types as well as selected
market data.
The book also contains information on the global market for organic food,
information on standards and regulations as well as insights into current
and emerging trends for organic agriculture in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin
America and the Caribbean, North America and Oceania.
In addition, the volume contains reports about the organic sector in

Australia, Canada, the Pacific Islands, and the United States of America.
Short updates are available from a number of countries in Asia as well as
Latin America and the Caribbean.
The latest data are presented annually at BIOFACH in Nuremberg, Germany

2016 : 10 - 13 February.
Supported by
In cooperation with
ISBN IFOAM 978-3-944372-11-2

ISBN FiBL 978-3-03736-270-9

Agricultura Organica Ifoam

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Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau

Institut de recherche de l’agriculture biologique

Oceania 17.3 million ha

AFRICAN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

bra of the tree

s mixin tering them

3. Fill-iny and gree Manag

For further information contact:

International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) | Charles-de-Gaulle-Str. 5

The World of Organic Agriculture

For PDF version, corrigenda and supplementary material see

Die Deutsche Bibliothek – CIP Cataloguing-in-Publication-Data

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse113, 5070 Frick, Switzerland,

THE GLOBAL MARKET FOR ORGANIC FOOD & DRINK 119

› China grows more for domestic 155

› Retail sales by country 197

› Japan equivalency, expansion of EU scope 247

Figure 89: Serbia: Export volumes by destination country 2013 222

Foreword from SECO and ITC

Thierry Buchs Joseph Wozniak

Foreword from FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International

Frick and Bonn, February 2015

Prof. Dr. Urs Niggli Markus Arbenz

Gonzálvez Pérez, Sociedad Española de Agricultura Ecologica (SEAE) / Spanish Society

Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement TOAM, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Marie-Eve

Jourdain, France; Nathalie Rison Alabert, Agence BIO, Montreuil-sous-Bois, France;

Organic Agriculture 2015: Key Indicators and Leading

Australia (17.2 million hectares)

Falkland Islands (Malvinas) (36.3 %)

2013: 2 million producers

2013: 72 billion US dollars US (24.3 billion euros),

Switzerland (210 euros),

Number of countries 2013: 82 countries

The World of Organic Agriculture 2015: Summary

Key data on organic agriculture

Moving Toward Organic 3.0

Map 1: Organic agricultural land and wild collection areas in 2013

Current Statistics on Organic Agriculture Worldwide:

More information on www.organic-world.net

General notes on the data

Organic agricultural land

Figure 1: World: Distribution of organic agricultural land by region 2013

Country Hectares Country Hectares

Country Hectares Country Hectares

Shares of organic agricultural land by region and country

Countries with more than 10 percent of organic agricultural land

Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 36.3%

Figure 4: World: Distribution of the shares of organic agricultural land 2013

Table 5: World: Shares of organic agricultural land by country 2013, sorted

Country Share Country Share

Development of the organic agricultural land

Table 6: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) by region:

Figure 5: World: Growth of the organic agricultural land 1999-2013

Figure 6: Growth of the organic agricultural land by continent 2005 to 2013

0 1'000'000 2'000'000 3'000'000 4'000'000 5'000'000 6'000'000

Table 7: World: Development of organic agricultural land by country 2010-2013

All organic areas, including non-agricultural areas

Table 9: World: All organic areas by country 2013

Organic producers and other operator types