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the world oforganic agriculture
STATISTICS & EMERGING TRENDS 2020
OCEANIA 36 MILLION HAEUROPE 15.6 MILLION HA
LATIN AMERICA 8 MILLION HA
ASIA 6.5 MILLION HANORTH AMERICA 3.3 MILLION HA
AFRICA 2 MILLION HA

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Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBLIFOAM – Organics International

The World of Organic Agriculture
Statistics and Emerging Trends 2020
Edited by Helga Willer, Bernhard Schlatter, Jan Trávníÿek,Laura Kemper and Julia Lernoud

For the PDF version, corrigenda, supplementary material see
http://www.organic-world.net/yearbook/yearbook-2020.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 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 thestatements 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 articles. Their opinions do not necessarily express the views of FiBL
or IFOAM – Organics International.
This document has been produced with the support of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), theInternational Trade Centre (ITC), the Sustainability Fund of Coop Switzerland (Coop Fonds für Nachhaltigkeit), andNürnbergMesse. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinions of SECO, ITC,
Coop Switzerland, or NürnbergMesse.
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/yearbook-2020.html.
Any inquiries regarding this book and its contents should be sent to Helga Willer, FiBL, Ackerstrasse 113, 5070 Frick,
Switzerland, e-mail 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 thetables: Please quote source, title of table and then the overall report. The whole report should be cited as:
Willer, Helga, Bernhard Schlatter, Jan Trávní²ek, Laura Kemper and Julia Lernoud (Eds.) (2020): The World ofOrganic Agriculture. Statistics and Emerging Trends 2020. 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 2020. 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
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 contact@ifoam.bio, Internet www.ifoam.bio, Trial Court Bonn, Association Register no. 8726

Language editing: Laura Kemper, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
Cover: Simone Bissig, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
Layout: Jan Trávní²ek, Bernhard Schlatter, Helga Willer, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
Maps: Jan Trávní²ek, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
Graphs (if not otherwise stated): Jan Trávní²ek, Bernhard Schlatter and Helga Willer, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
Infographics: Kurt Riedi, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland
Cover picture: Organic tea garden in China. Picture: Jinghong Yu. The president of Organic Tea Farmers
Association of Xitou Township, Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province China

Printed by Medienhaus Plump, Rolandsecker Weg 33, 53619 Rheinbreitbach, Germany
Price: 30 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 FiBL shop at shop.fibl.org

ISBN Printed version 978-3-03736-158-0
ISBN PDF version 978-3-03736-159-7

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Glossary

10

Foreword from SECO and ITC

11Foreword from FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International

12

Foreword from the Editors

13

Acknowledgements

14

Organic Agriculture: Key Indicators and Top Countries

19

The World of Organic Agriculture 2020: Summary
Helga Willer, Bernhard Schlatter, Jan Trávní²ek, Laura Kemper, and Julia Lernoud

20

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE WORLDWIDE: CURRENT STATISTICS

31

Current Statistics on Organic Agriculture Worldwide: Area, Operators and Market
Bernhard Schlatter, Jan Trávní²ek, Julia Lernoud and Helga Willer

32

›
›
›
›
›
›

General notes on the data
Organic land
Organic producers and other operator types
Retail sales and international trade data
Organic farming in developing countries and emerging markets
Land use and key commodities in organic agriculture

35
37
58
65
70
72

Organic Cotton
Lisa Barsley, Liesl Truscott, Evonne Tan, Amish Gosai, and Alice Dos Santos

132

GLOBAL MARKET ORGANIC IMPORTS

137

The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink
Amarjit Sahota

138

Organic imports in the European Union 2018 വ A first analysis
Elena Panichi

142

STANDARDS AND LEGISLATION, POLICY SUPPORT

149

Public Standards and Regulations
Emanuele Busacca,, Flávia Moura e Castro, Joelle Katto-Andrighetto and Beate Huber

150

Internal Control Systems in Organic Agriculture
Florentine Meinshausen, Toralf Richter, Beate Huber, Johan Blockeel

159

Participatory Guarantee Systems in 2019
Joelle Katto-Andrighetto, Cornelia Kirchner, Flávia Moura e Castro, and Federica Varini

164

Demeter International – Current Statistics
Christoph Simpfendörfer and Sarah Fischer

173

The Mainstreaming of Organic Agriculture in the Himalaya Region
Federica Varini

178

AFRICA

185

Latest Developments in Organic Agriculture in Africa
Jordan Gama and David Amudavi

186

Africa: Current Statistics

193

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

3

Table of Contents
ASIA

201

Developments in the Organic Sector in Asia in 2019
Shaikh Tanveer Hossain and Jennifer Chang

202

Asia: Current statistics

209

EUROPE

217

Organic in Europe: Recent Developments
Helga Willer, Bram Moeskops, Emanuele Busacca, Léna Brisset, and Maria Gernert

218

Europe and the European Union: Key indicators 2018

226

Organic Farming and Market Development in Europe and the European Union
Helga Willer, Bernhard Schlatter and Diana Schaack

227

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

265

Latin America
Patricia Flores

266

Latin America and the Caribbean: Current statistics

270

NORTH AMERICA

277

US Organic Sales Break Through 50 Billion Dollar MarkBarbara Fitch Haumann

278

CanadaTia Loftsgard

283

North America: Current statistics

286

OCEANIA

291

Australia – Findings from the Australian Organic Market Report 2019
Harriet Kendrick

292

The Pacific Islands
Karen Mapusua

297

Oceania: Current statistics

300

ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTLOOK305Worldwide Organic Outlook
Louise Luttikholt

306

ANNEX

309

Key Indicators by Country and Region

310

Data Providers and Data Sources

315

4

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Table of Contents
TablesTable 1: Countries and territories covered by the global survey on organic agriculture 2018 ......................... 33
Table 2: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas)
and regions’ shares of the global organic agricultural land 2018 ...................................................................... 37
Table 3: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) by country 2018 (sorted)............. 39
Table 4: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) and organic share of total
agricultural land by region 2018.............................................................................................................................. 41
Table 5: World: Organic shares of total agricultural land by country 2018 (sorted) ........................................... 43
Table 6: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) by region: growth 2017-2018
and 10 years growth .................................................................................................................................................. 45
Table 7: World: Development of organic agricultural land by country 2017-2018 .............................................. 47
Table 8: World: Organic areas: Agricultural land (including conversion areas)
and further organic areas by region in 2018 .......................................................................................................... 53
Table 9: World: Organic areas: Agricultural land (including conversion areas)
and further organic areas by country 2018 ............................................................................................................ 53
Table 10: World: Development of the numbers of producers by region 2017 to 2018 ........................................ 58
Table 11: World: Organic producers and other operator types by country 2018 ................................................. 60
Table 12: Global market data: Retail sales and per capita consumption by region 2018 .................................... 66
Table 13: Global market data: Retail sales, organic share of all retail sales, per capita consumption,and exports by country 2018 ................................................................................................................................... 68
Table 14: Countries on the DAC list: Development of organic agricultural land 2013-2018 ............................. 71
Table 15: World: Land use in organic agriculture by region (including in-conversion areas) 2018 ................. 75
Table 16: World: Land use and crop categories in organic agriculture worldwide 2018 ................................... 75
Table 17: Use of organic arable land (including in-conversion areas), 2017 and 2018 compared ..................... 77
Table 18: Use of organic permanent cropland (including in-conversion areas), 2017 and 2018 compared..... 79
Table 19: Wild collection and beekeeping areas by region 2017 and 2018 compared ......................................... 81
Table 20: Wild collection and beekeeping areas by crop group 2018 .................................................................... 81
Table 21: Wild collection and beekeeping areas by country 2018 .......................................................................... 83
Table 22: Number of organic beehives by country 2018 .......................................................................................... 88
Table 23: Organic aquaculture: Production volume by species 2018 ..................................................................... 89
Table 24: Organic aquaculture: Production volume by country 2018 ................................................................... 91
Table 25: World: Selected key crop groups and crops area in organic agriculture 2018
(overview including conversion areas) .................................................................................................................. 92
Table 26: Cereals: Organic area by country 2018 ....................................................................................................... 95
Table 27: Citrus fruit: Organic area by country 2018 ................................................................................................ 99
Table 28: Cocoa beans: Organic area by country 2018............................................................................................ 102
Table 29: Coffee: Organic area by country 2018 ...................................................................................................... 105
Table 30: Dry pulses: Organic area by country 2018............................................................................................... 108
Table 31: Temperate fruit: Organic area by country 2018 ...................................................................................... 112
Table 32: Tropical and subtropical fruit: Organic area by country 2018 ............................................................. 116
Table 33: Grapes: Organic area by country 2018 ..................................................................................................... 120
Table 34: Oilseeds: Organic area by country 2018................................................................................................... 123
Table 35: Olives: Organic area by country 2018 ...................................................................................................... 127
Table 36: Vegetables: Organic area by country 2018 .............................................................................................. 130
Table 37: Organic cotton farmers, area and production 2017/2018 ...................................................................... 136
Table 38: Volume of the organic agri-food imports into the EU per country ..................................................... 146
Table 39: Volume of the organic agri-food imports into the EU per product category 2018 ........................... 148
Table 40: Regulations on organic agriculture: Number of countries by region (2019) ..................................... 152
Table 41: Regulations on organic agriculture: Current status by country .......................................................... 155
Table 42: PGS Statistics 2018 and 2019 ...................................................................................................................... 170
Table 43: Certified Demeter operations in member countries of Demeter-International June 2019 .............. 175
Table 44: Certified Demeter operations in other countries as of June 2019 ........................................................ 176
Table 45: Demeter certified vintners and grape area worldwide ........................................................................ 177
Table 46: Demeter certified vintners and grape area worldwide (certified by Demeter-International) ........ 177

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

5

Table of Contents
Table 47: Overview of cultivated area (ha) in the Indian Himalayan states under certified
organic farming, including in-conversion, share at the state and national levels (2017) ............................. 182
Table 48: Africa: Organic agricultural land, organic share of total agricultural land andnumber of organic producers 2018 ....................................................................................................................... 198
Table 49: Africa: All organic areas 2018 .................................................................................................................... 199
Table 50: Africa: Land use in organic agriculture 2018 .......................................................................................... 200
Table 51: Africa: Use of wild collection areas 2018 ................................................................................................. 200
Table 52: Asia: Organic agricultural land, organic share of fasrmland , producers 2018 ................................. 213
Table 53: Asia: All organic areas 2018 ....................................................................................................................... 214
Table 54: Asia: Land use in organic agriculture 2018 ............................................................................................. 215
Table 55: Asia: Use of wild collection areas 2018 .................................................................................................... 215
Table 56: Europe: Organic agricultural land in Europe and the European Union 2018 ................................... 229
Table 58: Europe and the European Union: Land use 2018 ................................................................................... 235
Table 59: Europe and the European Union: Key crops/crop group 2018 ............................................................ 238
Table 60: Europe and the European Union: Organic livestock 2018 .................................................................... 241
Table 61: Europe: Organic operators by country group 2018 ............................................................................... 243
Table 62: Europe and the European Union: Organic retail sales 2018: Key data ............................................... 246
Table 63: Organic shares for retail sales values (euros) for selected products 2018 .......................................... 252
Table 64: Europe: Organic agricultural land by country 2018 .............................................................................. 258
Table 65: Europe: Conversion status of organic agricultural land 2018 .............................................................. 259
Table 66: Europe: Land use in organic agriculture by country 2018 .................................................................... 260
Table 67: Europe: Organic agricultural land and wild collection areas by country 2018 ................................. 261
Table 68: Europe: Organic livestock by country 2018............................................................................................. 262
Table 69: Europe: Organic producers, processors, and importers by country 2018 .......................................... 262
Table 70: Europe: The organic food market 2018 .................................................................................................... 264
Table 71: Latin America: Organic agricultural land, organic share of total agricultural land,and number of producers 2018 .............................................................................................................................. 274
Table 72: Latin America: All organic areas 2018...................................................................................................... 274
Table 73: Latin America: Land use in organic agriculture 2018 ............................................................................ 276
Table 74: Latin America: Use of wild collection areas 2018 ................................................................................... 276
Table 75: North America: Organic agricultural land, organic share of total agricultural land,and number of producers 2018 .............................................................................................................................. 290
Table 76: North America: All organic areas 2018 .................................................................................................... 290
Table 77: North America: Land use in organic agriculture 2018 .......................................................................... 290
Table 78: Estimated certified organic primary producer operations and area in Australia 2002-2018 .......... 293
Table 79: Pacific: Main products that are currently organically certified............................................................ 297
Table 80: Oceania: Organic agricultural land, organic share of total agricultural land, and number of
producers 2018 ......................................................................................................................................................... 303
Table 81: Oceania: All organic areas 2018................................................................................................................. 303
Table 82: Oceania: Land use in organic agriculture 2018 ....................................................................................... 304
Table 83: Key indicators by region 2018 ................................................................................................................... 310
Table 84: Key indicators by country 2018 ................................................................................................................. 310
Table 85: Development of the number of producers and the organic area according to the Ministry ofAgriculture, Livestock and Food in Brasil ........................................................................................................... 333

FiguresFigure 1: World: Distribution of organic agricultural land by region 2018 .......................................................... 38
Figure 2: World: The ten countries with the largest areas of organic agricultural land 2018 ............................ 38
Figure 3: World: Countries with an organic share of the total agricultural landof at least 10 percent 2018 ......................................................................................................................................... 42
Figure 4: World: Distribution of the organic shares of the agricultural land 2018 .............................................. 42
Figure 5: World: Growth of the organic agricultural land and organic share 1999-2018 ................................... 46
Figure 6: World: Growth of the organic agricultural land by continent 2010 to 2018 ......................................... 46
Figure 7: World: The ten countries with the highest increase of organic agricultural land 2018 ...................... 47
Figure 8: World: Distribution of all organic areas 2018. Total: 107.3 million hectares ........................................ 52
Figure 9: World: Distribution of organic producers by region 2018 (Total: 2.8 million producers) ................. 59

6

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Table of Contents
Figure 10: World: The ten countries with the largest numbers of organic producers 2018 ............................... 59
Figure 11: Global market for organic food: Distribution of retail sales by country 2018.................................... 66
Figure 12: Global market for organic food: Distribution of retail sales by region 2018 ...................................... 66
Figure 13: Global market: The countries with the largest markets for organic food 2018 .................................. 67
Figure 14: Global market: The ten countries with the highest per capita consumption 2018 ............................ 67
Figure 15 (left): Countries on the DAC list: The ten countries with the largest areas oforganic agricultural land in 2018............................................................................................................................. 71
Figure 16 (right): Countries on the DAC list: The ten countries with the highest organic sharesof the total agricultural land in 2018 ....................................................................................................................... 71
Figure 17: World: Distribution of main land use types by region 2018 ................................................................. 73
Figure 18: World: Distribution of main land use types and key crop categories 2018........................................ 74
Figure 19: World: Development of organic arable land, permanent cropland and permanent
grassland/grazing areas 2004-2018 ......................................................................................................................... 74
Figure 20: World: Distribution of organic arable cropland by region 2018 .......................................................... 78
Figure 21: World: Use of arable cropland by crop group 2018 ............................................................................... 78
Figure 22: World: Distribution of permanent cropland by region 2018 ................................................................ 80
Figure 23: World: Use of permanent cropland by crop group 2018 ....................................................................... 80
Figure 24: World: Distribution of organic wild collection and beekeeping areas by region in 2018 ................ 82
Figure 25: World: The ten countries with the largest organic wild collection andbeekeeping areas in 2018 .......................................................................................................................................... 82
Figure 26: World: Distribution of organic beehives by region in 2018 .................................................................. 87
Figure 27: World: Development of the organic beehives 2008-2018 ...................................................................... 87
Figure 28: World: Organic aquaculture production volume: Distribution by continentand top 10 countries 2018 ......................................................................................................................................... 90
Figure 29: World: Organic aquaculture production volume: Distribution by species andkey species 2018 ......................................................................................................................................................... 90
Figure 30: Cereals: Organic area 2018 ......................................................................................................................... 93
Figure 31: Cereals: Organic area 2018 ......................................................................................................................... 94
Figure 32: Citrus fruit: Organic area 2018................................................................................................................... 97
Figure 33: Citrus fruit: Organic area 2018................................................................................................................... 98
Figure 34: Cocoa: Organic area 2018 ......................................................................................................................... 100
Figure 35: Cocoa: Organic area 2018 ......................................................................................................................... 101
Figure 36: Coffee: Organic area 2018 ......................................................................................................................... 103
Figure 37: Coffee: Organic Area 2018 ........................................................................................................................ 104
Figure 38: Dry Pulses: Organic area 2018 ................................................................................................................. 106
Figure 39: Dry Pulses: Organic area 2018 ................................................................................................................. 107
Figure 40: Temperate Fruit: Organic area 2018........................................................................................................ 110
Figure 41: Temperate Fruit: Organic area 2018........................................................................................................ 111
Figure 42: Tropical and subtropical fruit: Organic area 2018 ................................................................................ 114
Figure 43: Tropical and subtropical fruit: Organic area 2018 ................................................................................ 115
Figure 44: Grapes: Organic area 2018 ........................................................................................................................ 118
Figure 45: Grapes: Organic Area 2018....................................................................................................................... 119
Figure 46: Oilseeds: Organic area 2018 ..................................................................................................................... 121
Figure 47: Oilseeds: Organic area 2018 ..................................................................................................................... 122
Figure 48: Olives: Organic area 2018 ......................................................................................................................... 125
Figure 49: Olives: Organic area 2018 ......................................................................................................................... 126
Figure 50: Vegetables: Organic area 2018 ................................................................................................................. 128
Figure 51: Vegetables: Organic area 2018 ................................................................................................................. 129
Figure 52: Development of organic cotton fibre production in metric tons ....................................................... 133
Figure 53: European Union: Distribution of agri-food imports by aggregated product category 2018 ......... 142
Figure 54: Estimated global organic group certification ........................................................................................ 160
Figure 55: Estimated global organic group certification per region..................................................................... 160
Figure 56: Most important crops certified by group certification ........................................................................ 161
Figure 57: Development of PGS-certified producers worldwide ......................................................................... 165
Figure 58: Development of the number of Demeter-certified farms .................................................................... 174
Figure 59: Development of the Demeter-certified area in hectares ...................................................................... 175
FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

7

Table of Contents
Figure 60: Africa: The ten countries with the largest organic agricultural area 2018 ........................................ 195
Figure 61: Africa: The countries with the highest organic share of total agricultural land 2018 ..................... 195
Figure 62: Africa: Development of organic agricultural land 1999-2018 ............................................................. 196
Figure 63: Africa: Use of organic agricultural land 2018 ........................................................................................ 196
Figure 64: Africa: The ten countries with the largest number of organic producers 2018................................ 197
Figure 65: Asia: The ten countries with the largest organic agricultural area 2018 ........................................... 211
Figure 66: Asia: The countries with the highest organic share of total agricultural land 2018 ........................ 211
Figure 67: Asia: Development of organic agricultural land 1999 to 2018 ............................................................ 212
Figure 68: Asia: Use of organic agricultural land 2018 ........................................................................................... 212
Figure 69: Europe and the European Union: Growth of organic farmland andretail sales compared, 2000-2018 ........................................................................................................................... 218
Figure 70: Europe: Distribution of organic farmland by country 2018 ................................................................ 229
Figure 71: Europe: Organic agricultural land by country 2018............................................................................. 230
Figure 72: Europe: Organic shares of total agricultural land 2018 ....................................................................... 232
Figure 73: Europe and the European Union: Development of organic agricultural land 1985-2018 .............. 233
Figure 74: Europe: Growth rates for organic agricultural land in Europe andthe European Union 1985-2018 .............................................................................................................................. 233
Figure 75: Europe: The ten countries with the highest growth in organic agricultural land in hectares
and percentage in 2018............................................................................................................................................ 234
Figure 77: Europe and the European Union: Conversion status of organic land in Europe andthe European Union 2018 ....................................................................................................................................... 234
Figure 78: Europe: Distribution of land use in organic agriculture 2018 ............................................................ 235
Figure 79: Europe: Land use in organic agriculture by top 10 countries 2018 ................................................... 236
Figure 80: Europe: Growth in organic agricultural land by land use type 2004-2018 ....................................... 237
Figure 81: European Union: Growth in organic agricultural land by land use type 2004-2018 ...................... 237
Figure 82: Europe and the European Union: Development of organic cow’s milk production 2007-2018 ... 242
Figure 83: Europe and the European Union: Development of the number oforganic producers in 2000-2018 ............................................................................................................................. 244
Figure 84: Europe: Distribution of organic producers and processors by country 2018 .................................. 244
Figure 85: Europe: Number of organic producers by country 2018 ..................................................................... 245
Figure 86: Europe: Distribution of retail sales by country and by single market worldwide 2018................. 246
Figure 87: Europe: Retail sales by country 2018 ...................................................................................................... 247
Figure 88: Europe: Growth of organic retail sales in Europe and the European Union, 2000-2018 ................ 248
Figure 89: Europe: The countries with the highest organic market growth 2018 .............................................. 249
Figure 90: Europe: The countries with the highest per capita consumption 2018 ............................................. 250
Figure 91: Europe: Growth of the per capita consumption 2000-2018 ................................................................. 250
Figure 92: Europe: The countries with the highest shares of the total retail sales 2018 .................................... 251
Figure 93: Europe: Marketing channels for organic products in selected countries 2018 ................................ 254
Figure 94: Europe: Growth of marketing channels for organic products 2015-2018 in selected countries .... 254
Figure 95: Brazilian organic seals for products certified under participatory guarantee systems (left)or by a certification company/third party certification (right) ......................................................................... 268
Figure 96: Latin America and Caribbean: The ten countries with the largest areasof organic agricultural land 2018.......................................................................................................................... 272
Figure 97: Latin America and Caribbean: The ten countries with the highest organic shareof total agricultural land 2018 ................................................................................................................................ 272
Figure 98: Latin America and Caribbean: Development of organic agricultural land 1999-2018 ................... 273
Figure 99: Latin America and Caribbean: Use of agricultural organic land 2018 .............................................. 273
Figure 100: North America: Organic agricultural land in Canada and the United States 2018....................... 288
Figure 101: North America: Organic share of total agricultural land in Canada andthe United States 2018 ............................................................................................................................................. 288
Figure 102: North America: Development of organic agricultural land 1999-2018 ........................................... 289
Figure 103: North America: Land use in organic agriculture 2018 ...................................................................... 289
Figure 104: Australia: Distribution of organic export (metric tons) from Australia by region 2018 ............... 295
Figure 105: Oceania: Organic agricultural land by country 2018 ......................................................................... 301
Figure 106: Oceania: Organic share of total agricultural land by country 2018 ................................................. 301
Figure 107: Oceania: Development of organic agricultural land 1999-2018 ....................................................... 302

8

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Table of Contents
Maps
Map 1: Organic agricultural land and non-agricultural areas in 2018 (in hectares) ............................................ 31
Map 2: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Africa 2018 (in hectares) ................................................. 185
Map 3: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Asia 2018 ........................................................................... 201
Map 4: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Europe 2018 (in hectares) ............................................... 217
Map 5: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Latin America
and the Caribbean 2018 (in hectares) .................................................................................................................... 265
Map 6: Organic agricultural land in Canada and the United States 2018 ........................................................... 277
Map 7: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Oceania 2018 ..................................................................... 291

Infographics
Infographic 1: Key indicators 2018 .............................................................................................................................. 30
Infographic 2: Organic farmland 2018 ........................................................................................................................ 36
Infographic 3: Organic producers 2018 ....................................................................................................................... 57
Infographic 4: Organic retail sales 2018 ...................................................................................................................... 64
Infographic 5: Organic agriculture in Europe: Key indicators 2018 ..................................................................... 216

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

9

Glossary

Glossary€/person: Per capita consumption in euros
AfrONet: African Organic Network
AMI: Agrarmarkt-Informationsgesellschaft - Agricultural Market Information Company, Germany
AOC: African Organic Conference
AU: African Union Commission
AUC: African Union Commission
CAP: Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union
CAADP: Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme
CIHEAM: Centre international de hautes études agronomiques méditerranéennes
CNCA: China National Certification and Accreditation Administration
COTA: Canada Organic Trade Association, Canada
CPC: Candidates and Potential Candidates for the European Union
CSC: Continental Steering Committee of the Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative for Africa (EOA-I)
EFTA: European Free Trade Association
EOA(-I): Ecological Organic Agriculture (Initiative for Africa)
EU: European Union
EU-28: Member countries of the European Union
EU-NACOA: EU/North-African Conference on Organic Agriculture
Eurostat: Statistical office of the European Union, Luxembourg
FAO: Food 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
GOTS: Global Organic Textile Standard
Ha: Hectares
Horizon 2020: Research and Innovation programme of the European Union, running from 2014 to 2020
HS codes: Harmonized System Codes
ISOFAR: International Society of Organic Agriculture Research, Germany
ITC: International Trade Centre, Switzerland
Mio.: Million
MOAN: Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network, Italy
MT: Metric tons
NASAA: National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia
NOARA: Network of Organic Agriculture Researchers in Africa
OTA: Organic Trade Association, United States of America
PGS: Participatory Guarantee Systems
POETcom: Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community
SDC: wiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
SECO: State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Switzerland
SÖL: Stiftung Ökologie & Landbau – Foundation Ecology & Agriculture, Germany
SOAAN: Sustainable Organic Agriculture Action Network
TP Organics: European Technology Platform for Organic Food and Farming
U.S.: United States
USDA: United States Department of Agriculture

10

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Foreword from SECO & ITC

Foreword from SECO and ITC
The adoption of organic agricultural practices contributes greatly to the targets set by
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In such a dynamic field, access to goodquality data on organic farming not only helps to measure success toward achieving
these SDGs but also to orient decision-makers and other stakeholders along the wholevalue chain. Data can also support the development of a favourable policy
environment, reliable regulations and standards, as well as transparency in theorganic sector.
Once again, increasing demand for organic products stimulated growth in the organic
sector with organic food sales surpassing the 100 billion US dollar mark for the firsttime in 2018. Double-digit growth rates were recorded in many advanced markets fororganic products. The production side is also keeping pace: The latest data shows thatorganic farmland has grown in many countries, and the total organic area increased tomore than 70 million hectares, managed by almost 2.8 million producers..
By providing dynamic and easy access to organic market and production data, theSwiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the International Trade
Centre (ITC) aim to support decision-makers in governmental administrations,development agencies, NGOs, and other actors of the international organic industry.
Considering the latest figures and the continuous and sustainable growth over many
years, the organic movement can look confidently to the future.

Dr. Monica Rubiolo
Head of the Division for Trade
Promotion
Swiss State Secretariat for Economic
Affairs (SECO)
Bern, Switzerland

Joseph Wozniak
Head, Trade for Sustainable Development
Programme (T4SD)
International Trade Centre (ITC)
Geneva, Switzerland

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11

Foreword from FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International

Foreword from FiBL and IFOAM – Organics
International
With the 21sr edition, FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International proudly present a
new edition of “The World of Organic Agriculture.”
Data collection as such is a major and constant concern of the Research Institute ofOrganic Agriculture (FiBL) and IFOAM – Organics International. The comprehensive
data provided over the past two decades in this publication serve as an important tool
for stakeholders, policymakers, authorities, and the industry, as well as forresearchers and extension professionals. It has also proven useful for development
programs and supporting strategies for organic agriculture and markets, and crucial
for monitoring the impact of these activities. The publication also shows our ongoingengagement with transparency in the organic sector; the method of collecting the data
has been refined over time to reflect the global status of organic as much as possible.
“The World of Organic Agriculture” has become one of the most frequently quoted
pieces of literature in scientific, technical, and descriptive papers and reports onorganic agriculture.
This publication also demonstrates the contribution of organic agriculture to the
Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. Given that organic
agriculture touches on almost all of the goals, this book not only shows the land area,
number of producers, and market figures; it also highlights the contribution oforganic agriculture to tackling climate change, ensuring food and nutrition security,
halting biodiversity loss, and promoting sustainable consumption, to name a few.
Overall, “The World of Organic Agriculture” shows the potential organic farming has
to contribute to a sustainable future!
We are grateful to the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), theInternational Trade Centre (ITC), the Coop Sustainability Fund and NürnbergMesse
for supporting this publication. We would like to express our thanks to all authorsand data providers for contributing in-depth information and figures on their region,
their country, or their field of expertise.
Lastly, we would like to thank the editorial team for their dedication and engagement,
and we would also like to express our thanks to the other members of the FiBL team,
who support the activities surrounding the data collection.
Frick and Bonn, February 2020

Prof. Dr. Urs Niggli
Director
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL
Frick, Switzerland

12

Louise Luttikholt
Executive Director
IFOAM – Organics International
Bonn, Germany

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Foreword from the Editors

Foreword from the Editors
In the 21st edition of “The World of Organic Agriculture”, we present the latest
available data on organic agriculture.
Again, many experts have provided valuable data, and we are very grateful to ourdata and information suppliers from all over the world!
Knowledgeable authors once again contributed articles about their regions, theircountries, or their fields of expertise, including the global market report, publicstandards and legislation, Participatory Guarantee Systems, policy support as well asorganic cotton.
This edition of the World of Organic Agriculture includes some novelties: We are very
happy that we can provide the latest (and first) statistics data on imports in theEuropean Union along with an article by Elena Panichi from the European
Commission.
Another novelty is the article with statistics on Internal Control Systems (ICS) by
Florentine Meinshausen and colleagues. This article includes not only data on theextent of ICS but also pertinent background information. Furthermore, we have thepleasure to be able to present statistics from Demeter International.
For the crop chapter in this edition, we did not update the existing crop texts, butinstead, we are presenting graphs: A map on the global distribution by country for agiven crop/crop group, its development, the top countries in terms of organic area andorganic share of the total area, the distribution by continent and, in the case of cropgroups, the breakdown by crop. All of these graphics are based on interactive PowerBI graphs, which you can explore at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html.
Finally, we wish to announce that the Chinese edition of “The World of Organic
Agriculture” will be published for the 9th time by the Organic and Beyond company.
We want to express our warm gratitude to everyone who makes this report possible!

Helga Willer, Bernhard Schlatter, Jan Trávní²ek, Laura Kemper and Julia Lernoud
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland

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13

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements
The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International
are very grateful to their supporters for granting financial support for the global datacollection and for the 2020 edition of “The World of Organic Agriculture”: 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, the International Trade Centre (ITC), Geneva, Switzerland, theSustainability Fund of Coop Switzerland (Coop Fonds für Nachhaltigkeit), Basel,
Switzerland, and NürnbergMesse, the organizers of BIOFACH, Nürnberg, Germany.
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 toproduce this yearbook.
Ibrahim Abdalhamid, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Palestine National Authority,
Palestine National Authority, Palestine; Hadjira Houria Abdellaoui, Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development, Algeria; Heriberto Mamani Acosta, Responsable Nacional del Sistema deControl de la Producción Ecológica, Bolivia; Olugbenga O. AdeOluwa, University of Ibadan, Ibadan,
Nigeria; Marcelle Agius, Ministry for the environment, sustainable development and climate chan,
Malta; Rocio Aguilar, Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica; Lina Al
Bitar, Centro Internazionale di Alti Studi Agronomici Mediterranei - Istituto Agronomico
Mediterraneo di Bari - CIHEAM- IAM Bari, Valenzano, Italy; Khurshid Alam, Bangladesh
Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh; Raed Saleh Almusaylim, Department of Organic
Production, Saudi Arabia; Saif Moh Al-Shara, Ministry of Environment and Water, Agricultural
Affairs and Animal Sector, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; David Amudavi, Biovision Africa Trust,
Nairobi, Kenya; Maria Andreou, Department of Agriculture Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus; Stoilko
Apostolov, Bioselena: Foundation for organic agriculture, Karlovo, Bulgaria; Lidya Ariesusanty,
Indonesia Organic Alliance IOA, Bogor, Indonesia; Angela Atallah, CCPB Middle East, Beirut,
Lebanon; Valdete Avdiu, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Kosovo;; Atef
Abdel Azziz, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Egypt, Egypt; Vugar Babayev, Ganja
Agribusiness Association (GABA), Ganja City, Azerbaijan; Ebba Barany, Eurostat, Luxembourg;
Nouhoun Barro, Ecocert SA West Africa Office, Ougadougou, Burkina Faso; Lisa Barsley, Textile
Exchange, London, United Kingdom; Andrew Bayliss, Soil Association Certification Limited, Bristol,
United Kingdom; Elif Bayraktar Öktem, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of
Turkey, Ankara, Turkey; Milena Belli, Istituto per la Certificazione Etica ed Ambientale (ICEA),
Bologna, Italy; Albrecht Benzing, CERES - CERtification of Environmental Standards - GmbH,
Happurg, Germany; Olena Berezovska, Organic Ukraine Public Union of Producers of Organic
Certified Products, Kyiv, Ukraine; Florian Bernardi, Klaus Büchel Anstalt, Mauren, Liechtenstein; Eva
Berre, Ecocert International, L'Isle Jourdain, France; Dino Beširevi°, Organska Kontrola (OK),Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina; Rommel Aníbal Betancourt Herrera, Agencia de Regulación yControl Fito y Zoosanitario - AGROCALIDAD, Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería MAG, Quito,
Ecuador; Sandeep Bhargava, OneCert International Pvt. Ltd, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India; Olivera
Bicikliski, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Skopje, North Macedonia
Simone Bissig, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland; Johan Blockeel,
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland; Marian Blom, Bionext, Ede, The
Netherlands; Barbara Böck, NürnbergMesse, Nuremberg, Germany; Kerstin Bojar, BIO AUSTRIA,
Wien, Austria; Thavisith Bounyasouk, Department of Agriculture (DOA), Vientiane, Lao PDR;
Lorcan Bourke, Bord Bia - Irish Food Board, Dublin, Ireland; Léna Brisset, IFOAM EU, Brussels,
Belgium; Danila Brunner, Nürnberg Messe, Nuremberg, Germany; Marie Reine Bteich, CIHEAM
Bari, Bari, Italy; Klaus Büchel, Klaus Büchel Anstalt, Mauren, Liechtenstein; Emanuele Busacca,

14

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Acknowledgements
IFOAM EU, Brussels, Belgium; Roberta Cafiero, Ministry of Agriculture Food, Forestry and Tourism
Policies, Rome, Italy; Rudina Cakraj, Ministry Of Agriculture and Rural Development, Tirana,
Albania; Liliana Calmaôui, Asociaôia Educaôie pentru Dezvoltare (AED), Chiòin©u, Republica
Moldova; Celia Carave, Ecocert Iberica, Sevilla, Spain; Claudia Cárdenas Catalán, Servicio Agrícola yGandero (SAG), Ministerio de Agricultura, Santiago, Chile; Geisel Carvalho de Menezes, Ministry of
Finance, Commerce and Blue Economy, Sao Tomé and Príncipe; Jennifer Chang, IFOAM Asia, Seoul,
Republic of Korea; Thomas Cierpka, IFOAM - Organics International, Bonn, Germany; Genaro
Coronel, Servicio Nacional de Calidad y Sanidad Vegetal y de Semillas (SENAVE), Asunción,
Paraguay; Finn Cottle, Soil Association, Bristol, United Kingdom; Catarina Crisostomo, Portugal; Joy
Daniel, Institut for Integrated Rural Development (IIRD), Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India; Nune
Darbinyan, ECOGLOBE - Organic control and certification body, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia;
Monique Decker, Administration des services techniques de l'agriculture (ASTA), Luxembourg;
Levent Denizer, Ecocert IMO Denetim ve Belgelendirme Ltd. Sti, Izmir, Turkey; Giorgia DeSantis,
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, Italy; Famara Diédhiou,
Fédération Nationale pour l'Agriculture Biologique, Thiès, Senegal; Alice Dos Santos, Textile
Exchange, Zürich, Switzerland; Dóra Drexler, Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture(ÖMKi), Budapest, Hungary; Gita /urkovi°, Ministry of Agriculture Croatia, Croatia; Pilar M.
Eguillor Recabarren, Oficina de Estudios y Politicas Agrarias ODEPA, Santiago Centro, Chile;
Pauline Eid Saad, Ministry of Agriculture, Lebanon; Lucy Ellis, Department of Agriculture, Stanley,
Falkland Islands (Malvinas); Ibrahim Elmaghraby; Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt; Carlos
Andres Escobar Fernandez, ECONEXOS, Conexion Ecologica, Cali, Colombia; Nawal Farkacha,
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural development and Forests, Rabat, Morocco; Ditta Fekete,Control Union Certifications B.V., Zwolle, The Netherlands; Addisu Alemayehu Ferede, Ethiopian
Institute of Agricultural Research EIAR, Akaki, Ethiopia; Tobias Fischer, BCS Öko-Garantie GmbH,
Nürnberg, Germany; Sarah Fischer, Demeter-International e.V., Office Echterdingen, Echterdingen,Germany; Barbara Fitch Haumann, Organic Trade Association (OTA), Brattleboro, United States ofAmerica; Dorian Fléchet, Agence Bio, Montreuil-sous-Bois, France; Patricia Flores Escudero, Latin
American Office of IFOAM - Organics International, Lima, Peru; Alexandra Forbord, Norwegian
Agriculture Agency Landbruksdirektoratet, Oslo, Norway; Emmeline Foubert, Certisys, Walhain,
Belgium; Sergiy Galashevskyy, Organic Standard, Kyiv, Ukraine; Jordan Gama, AfrONet c/oTanzanian Organic Network (TOAM), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Juan Manuel Gámez, Comisión
Interamericana de Agricultura Orgánica (CIAO), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Osvaldo Garcia, IMOcert
Latinoamerica LTDA, Cochabamba, Bolivia; Salvador Garibay, Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland; Maria Gernert, IFOAM EU, Brussels, Belgium; Maheswar
Ghimire, Kathmandu, Nepal; Vasko Gjorgjievski, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water
Economy, North Macedonia; Laurent C. Glin, Benin; Denise Godinho, IFOAM - Organics
International, Bonn, Germany; José Miguel González, Ministry of Agriculture, Food andEnvironment, Spain; Amish Gosai, Textile Exchange, Bangalore, India; Katharina Gössinger, BIO
AUSTRIA, Wien, Austria; Guillaume Granier, Ecocert Colombia, Bogota, Colombia; RannveigGuðleifsdóttir, Vottunarstofan Tún ehf., Reykjavik, Iceland; Gunnar Gunnarsson, Vottunarstofan
Tún ehf., Reykjavik, Iceland; Cristina Hagatong, Ministry of Agriculture, Sea, Environment andSpatial Planning, Lisbon, Portugal; Abid Ali Hasan, Zakho Small Villages Projects ZSVP, Dohuk City,
Dohuk, Iraq; Jan Heusser, Coop Fonds für Nachhaltigkeit, Basel, Switzerland; Otto Hofer,
Bundesministerium für Nachhaltigkeit und Tourismus, Wien, Austria; Lee Holdstock, Soil
Association, Bristol UK; Tanveer Hossain Shaikh, Asian Productivity Organization (APO), Tokyo,
Japan; Andrea Hrabalová, CTPOA, Brno, Czech Republic; Beate Huber, Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland; Kinga Iham, Ministry of Agriculture MOA, Thimphu, Bhutan;
Barbara Jäggin, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, Bern, Switzerland; Hakkyun
Jeong, Korea Institute of Rural Social Affairs, Chungnam Province, Republic of Korea; ManChul Jung,
Korea Institute of Rural Social Affairs, Chungnam Province Republic of Korea; Nurbek Kannazarov,
Organic Farming Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan; Joelle Katto-Andrighetto, IFOAM - Organics International,
Bonn, Germany; Harriet Kendrick, Australian Organic Ltd, Nundah, Australia; Eustace Kiarii, Kenya
FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

15

Acknowledgements
Organic Agricultural Network (KOAN), Nairobi, Kenya; Cornelia Kirchner, IFOAM – Organics
International, Bonn, Germany; Natalie-Kleine Herzbruch, FiBL Germany, Frankfurt; Germany;
Lyubomyr Klepbach, Center for Environmental Solutions (CES), Minsk, Belarus; Barbara KöcherSchulz, AMA-Marketing GesmbH AMA, Wien, Austria; Milana Kosanovic, Ecocert Balkan, Belgrad,Serbia; Marja-Riitta Kottila, Pro Luomu, Kauniainen, Finland; Weena Krut-ngoen, ACT Certification- Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand, Nonthaburi, Thailand; Heinz Kuhlmann, ABC
Enterprises, Tokio, Japan; Manoj Kumar Menon, International Competence Centre for Organic
Agriculture ICCOA, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bangalore, India; George Kyrris, Department ofAgriculture Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus; Eva Lacarce, Agence Bio, Montreuil-sous-Bois, France; Graciela
Lacaze, Comisión Interamericana de Agricultura Orgánica (CIAO), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Nicolas
Lampkin, Organic Policy, Business and Research Consultancy; Aurora Josefina Lobato García,
Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER), Ciudad de México, México; Tia Loftsgard,
Canada Organic Trade Association, Ottawa, Canada; Pedro Lopez, PROVOTEC, Madrid, Spain;
Marly Cristina López Rengifo, Dirección General Agrícola (DGA - MINAGRI), Lima, Peru; Anna
Lubovedskaya, Union Organic Farming, Moscow, Russian Federation; Virginija Luksiene, Ekoagros,
Kaunas, Lithuania; Martin Lundø, Food Industries, Copenhagen, Denmark; Louise Luttikholt,
IFOAM - Organics International, Bonn, Germany; Samia Maamer Belkhiria, Ministère del'Agriculture, des Ressources Hydrauliques et de la Pêche, Tunis, Tunisia; Farzaneh Mahdipour,Bioinspecta, Frick, Switzerland; Hossein Mahmoudi, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Evin
Shahid Beheshti University SBU, Velenjak, Evin, Tehran, Iran; Fernando Maldonado Cestona,
Dirección General de Sanidad Vegetal y Animal, El Salvador; John Manhire, The AgriBusiness Group,
Lincoln, New Zealand, Karen Mapusua, Pacific Community, SPC, Suva, Fiji; Félix Oswaldo Maquera
Cuayla, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agraria (SENASA), Ministerio de Agricultura y Riego(MINAGRI), Lima, Peru; Roberto Maresca, Controllo e Certificazione Prodotti Biologici CCPB,
Bologna; Ayumi Matsuura, Cambodian Organic Agriculture Association (COrAA), Phnom Penh,
Cambodia; Florentine Meinshausen, Sustainability Standards & Assurance. Fair & Ethical Trade.
Smallholder Value Chains, Zürich, Switzerland; Virgínia Mendes Cipriano Lira, Ministério da
Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (DTEC/SDA/MAPA), Brasilia, Brazil; Dorota Metera,
BIOEKSPERT Sp. z o.o., Warszawa, Poland, PL; Minna Mietieliva, Ministry for Development of
Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine; Merit Mikk, Centre of EcologicalEngineering - Ökoloogiliste Tehnoloogiate Keskus, Tartu, Estonia; Jelena Milic, Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia; Eugene Milovanov, Organic
Federation of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine; Satoko Miyoshi, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
Japan, Tokyo, Japan; Bram Moeskops, IFOAM EU, Brussels, Belgium; Carolin Möller, NASAA
Certified Organic, Stirling, Australia; Flávia Moura e Castro, IFOAM - Organics International, Bonn,
Germany; Arijana Muši°, Organska Kontrola (OK), Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina; Darija Musulin,
Ministry of Agriculture, Zagreb, Croatia; Mohammed Mutarad Aloun, Ministry of Climate Change
and Environment of the United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates; Samuel Ndungu, Kenya
Organic Agriculture Network KOAN, Nairobi, Kenya; TԢ ThԂ TuyӶt Nhung, Vietnam Organic
Agriculture Association, Hanoi, Vietnam; Urs Niggli, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL,
Frick, Switzerland; Leandro Duarte Nina Fortuna, Oficina de Control Agricultura Organica, Santo
Domingo, Republica Dominicana; Ramón Ernesto Noguera García, Instituto de Protección y Sanidad
Agropecuaria IPSA, Departamento de Inspección Certificación Fitosanitaria, Managua, Nicaragua;
Fortunate Nyakanda, Zimbabwe Organic Producers and Promoters Association ZOPPA, Zimbabwe;
Fatima Obaid Saeed, Ministry of Environment and Water of the United Arab Emirates, United ArabEmirates; Sharon Ong, Ecocert South-East Asia, Singapore; Amresh Pandey, Ecocert SA, Aurangabad,
Maharashtra, India; Elena Panichi, European Commission, Agriculture & Rural Development,
Brussels, Belgium; Vitoon Panyakul, Green Net, Bangkok, Thailand; Ejvind Pedersen, Landbrug &Fødevarer, Copenhagen, Denmark; Petya Pencheva, Bioselena: Foundation for organic agriculture,
Karlovo, Bulgaria; Eliza Petrosyan-Sudzilovskaya, ECOGLOBE - Organic control and certification
body, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia; Diego Pinasco, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad
Agroalimentaria SENASA, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Roberto Pinton, Pinton Organic Consulting,

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Acknowledgements
Padova, Italy; Natalie Prokopchuk, SECO-FiBL-SAFOSO Swiss-Ukrainian Program “Higher Value
Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine”, Kyiv, Ukraine; Patrizia Pugliese, Centro
Internazionale di Alti Studi Agronomici Mediterranei - Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari CIHEAM- IAM Bari, Valenzano, Italy; Bartosz Pytlak, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development-Organic Farming Division, Warsaw, Poland; Andrijana Rako²evi°, Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development, Podgorica, Crna Gora/Montenegro; Brayene Ramanantsoa,
Ecocert, Antananarivo, Madagascar; Juan Carlos Ramirez, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad
Agroalimentaria SENASA, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Alvaro Alfredo Ramos Méndez, Ministerio
Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación (MAGA), Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala; Hans Ramseier,
Bio Suisse, Basel, Switzerland; Sandra Randrianarisoa, Ecocert East Africa, Antananarivo,
Madagascar; Nestor Raveloson, Ecocert, Antananarivo, Madagascar; Pia Reindl, AMA-Marketing
GesmbH AMA, Wien, Austria; Michel Reynaud, Ecocert International, Office, L'Isle Jourdain, France;
Toralf Richter, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Frick, Switzerland; Kurt Riedi,
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland; Nathalie Rison Alabert, Agence
Bio, Montreuil-sous-Bois, France; Lauro Antonio Rivera Gramajo, Ministerio Agricultura, Ganaderíay Alimentación (MAGA), Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala; Christian Robin, Swiss State Secretariat
for Economic Affairs, Bern, Switzerland; Fermín Vicente Romero Houlstan, Dirección Nacional de
Sanidad Vegetal; Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario (MIDA), Panamá, República de Panamá;
Monica Rubiolo, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Bern, Switzerland; Cecilia Ryegård,Ekoweb, Sweden; Olle Ryegård, Ekoweb, Sweden, ; Ayman Saad Al-Ghamdi, Organic Agriculture
Department, Saudi Arabia; Amarjit Sahota, Ecovia Intelligence, London, United Kingdom; Gregory
Sampson, International Trade Centre (ITC), Geneva, Switzerland; Alta Saunders, Ecocert Southern
Africa, Stellenbosch, South Africa; Diana Schaack, Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft mbH, Bonn,
Germany; Aender Schanck, OIKOPOLIS Groupe, Munsbach, Luxembourg; Otto Schmid, ResearchInstitute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland; Claudine Schmit, Administration desservices techniques de l'agriculture (ASTA), Luxembourg; Bernhard Schulz, CERES - CERtification ofEnvironmental Standards - GmbH, Happurg, Germany; Rita Schwentesius, Universidad Autónoma
Chapingo, Chapingo, México, MX; Faviana Scorza, Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, La Sabana,
San José, Costa Rica; Ibrahima Seck, Fédération Nationale pour l'Agriculture Biologique, Thiès,
Sénégal; Hana Šejnohová, Institute of agricultural economics and information, Brno, Czech Republic;
Andreas Selearis, Department of Agriculture (MOA), Nicosia, Cyprus; Dheeraj Sharma, OneCert
international Pvt. Ltd, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India; Elene Shatberashvili, Elkana - Biological Farming
Association, Akhaltsikhe, Georgia; Kateryna Shor, Information Center “Green Dossier”, Ukraine;
Sergii Shupyk, Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine, Kyiv,
Ukraine; Christoph Simpfendörfer, Demeter-International e.V., Office Echterdingen, Echterdingen,Germany; Harpreet Singh Sondh, Control Union Certifications B.V., Zwolle, The Netherlands;
Anamarija Slabe, Institut za trajnostni razvoj, Lubljana, Slovenia; Nicolette van der Smissen,
Consultant for Organic Production, Feres, Greece; Marianna Smith, Ecocert Southern Africa,
Stellenbosch, South Africa; Manjo Smith, Namibian Organic Association NOA, Okahandja, Namibia;
Facundo Soria, Ministerio de Agricultura Ganadería y Pesca (MAGYP), Buenos Aires, Argentina;
Marcela Stahil, Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment of Moldova,
Department for Organic Production and Products of Origin, Chióin©u, Moldova; Franziska Staubli,
Bioinspecta, Frick, Switzerland; Indro Surono, Indonesia Organic Alliance, Bogor, Indonesia; Vic
Tagupa, League of Organic Agriculture Municipalities & Cities (LOAMC), Philippines; Evonne Tan,
Textile Exchange, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Ilse Timmermans, Departement Landbouw en Visserij,
Brussels, Belgium; Thanh Trinh, Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association VOOA, Hanoi, Vietnam;
Bence Trugly, Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), Budapest, Hungary;
Liesl Truscott, Textile Exchange, Bath, United Kingdom; Emma Tsessue, Ecocert SAS, L'Isle Jourdain,
France; Kesang Tshomo, Ministry of Agriculture MOA, Thimphu, Bhutan; Francesco Tubiello, Foodand Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy; Daava Tungalag, Ministry of Food
Agriculture and Light industry of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Tal Weil Tzameret, Ministry ofAgriculture & Rural Development, Plant Protection & Inspection Services (PPIS), Israel; Ray Tzeng,
FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

17

Acknowledgements
Organic Center, National Ilan University (NIU), Yilan City, Taiwan; Edgardo Uychiat, Negros Island
Sustainable Agriculture Research & Development, The Philippines, Miriam van Bree, Bionext, Ede,
The Netherlands; Frederica Varini, IFOAM - Organics International, Bonn, Germany; Jelena
Vasiljevic, Ministry of Agriculture Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia; Airi Vetemaa, Estonian Organic Farming
Foundation EOFF, Tartu, Estonia; Rita Villarreal, Dirección Nacional de Sanidad Vegetal; Ministeriode Desarrollo Agropecuario (MIDA), Panamá, República de Panamá; Anna Voitiuk, Ministry for
Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine; Helena Wistrand,
Moreganic Sourcing, Uppsala, Sweden; Joseph Wozniak, International Trade Centre (ITC), Geneva,
Switzerland; Els Wynen, Eco Landuse Systems, Flynn, Australia; Qiao Yuhui, China Agricultural
University, Beijing, China; Valentyna Zaiets, Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade andAgriculture of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine; Tshering Zam, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests,
Department of Agriculture, National Organic Program, Bhutan; Raffaele Zanoli, Università
Politecnica delle Marche UNIVPM, Ancona; José Zapata, Oficina de Control Agricultura Organica,
Direccion de Certificacion de Productos Agropecuarios (DICERT-RD), Santo Domingo, Republica
Dominicana; Ulrike Zdralek, Bioinspecta, Frick, Switzerland; Diana Zeidan, Canada Organic Trade
Association, Ottawa, Canada; Xiangdong Zhang, Beijing Organic and Beyond Corp., Beijing, China;
Lisha Zheng, Ecocert China, Beijing, China; Zejiang Zhou, IFOAM Asia, China; Maja Žibert, Ministryof Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Darko Znaor, Independent Consultant,
Zagreb, Croatia, Silvia Zucconi, Nomisma - Economic Research Institute, Bologna, Italy.

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FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Key Indicators

Organic Agriculture: Key Indicators and Top Countries
Indicator

World

Countries with organic
activities1

2018: 186 countries

Organic agricultural land

2018: 71.5 million hectares(1999: 11 million hectares)

Organic share of total
agricultural land

2018: 1.5 %Wild collection andfurther non-agriculturalareas

2018: 35.7 million hectares(1999: 4.1 million hectares)

Producers

2018: 2.8 million producers(1999: 200’000 producers)

Organic market2

2018: 96.7 billion euros(2000: 15.1 billion euros)

Per capita consumption

2018: 12.8 euros

Number of countries
with organic regulations

2018: 103 countries

Number of affiliates of
IFOAM – Organics
International

2018: 779 affiliates from 110
countries

Top countries

Australia (35.7 million hectares)
Argentina (3.6 million hectares)
China (3.1 million hectares)
Liechtenstein (38.5 %)Samoa (34.5 %)Austria (24.7 %)Finland (11.3 million hectares)
Zambia (3.2 million hectares)
Tanzania (2.4 million hectares)
India (1'149'371)
Uganda (210’352)
Ethiopia (203'602)
US (40.6 billion euros)
Germany (10.9 billion euros)
France (9.1 billion euros)
Switzerland (312 euros)
Denmark (312 euros)
Sweden (231 euros)

Germany - 79 affiliates
India - 55 affiliates
China - 45 affiliates
United States - 48 affiliates

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on national data sources and data from certifiers

1 Where the designation "country" appears in this book, it covers countries and territories, see UNSTAT
website http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm.
2 Please note that there are some differences in organic food sales figures from Ecovia Intelligence and thosefrom FiBL due to different methodologies. According to Ecovia Intelligence, global retail sales reached over
105 billion US dollars in 2018. One euro corresponded to 1.1810 US dollars in 2018 according to the European
Central Bank.

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The World of Organic Agriculture › Summary

The World of Organic Agriculture 2020: Summary
HELGA WILLER,1 BERNHARD SCHLATTER2, JAN TRÁVNÍþEK3, LAURAKEMPER4 AND JULIA LERNOUD5
The latest available data on organic agriculture worldwide show that the year 2018
was another good year for global organic agriculture. According to the latest FiBL
survey on organic agriculture worldwide, the organic farmland and organic retailsales continued to grow and reached another all-time high, as shown by the data from
186 countries (data as of the end 2018).
More than 71.5 million hectares of organic farmland

In 2018, 71.5 million hectares of organic agricultural land, including in-conversion
areas, were recorded. The regions with the largest areas of organic agricultural land
are Oceania (36 million hectares, which is half the world’s organic agricultural land)
and Europe (15.6 million hectares, 22 percent). Latin America has 8 million hectares(11 percent) followed by Asia (6.5 million hectares, 9 percent), North America (3.3
million hectares, 5 percent), and Africa (2 million hectares, 3 percent).
Australia has the largest area

The countries with the most organic agricultural land are Australia (35.7 million
hectares), Argentina (3.6 million hectares), and China (3.1 million hectares).
Globally, 1.5 percent of the farmland is organic
Currently, 1.5 percent of the world’s agricultural land is organic. The highest organic
shares of the total agricultural land, by region, are in Oceania (8.6 percent) and Europe(3.1 percent; European Union 7.7 percent).
Liechtenstein has the highest organic share with 38.5 percent
Some countries reach far higher shares than the global share: Liechtenstein (38.5
percent) and Samoa (34.5 percent) have the highest organic shares. In sixteen
countries, 10 percent or more of the agricultural land is organic.
Growth in organic farmland - Increase of 2.0 million hectares or 2.9 percent
Organic farmland increased by 2.02 million hectares or 2.9 percent in 2018. Many
countries reported a significant increase, for instance France (16.7 percent increase;over 0.27 million hectares more) and Uruguay (14.1 percent increase; almost 0.24
million hectares more).

Dr. Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
Bernhard Schlatter, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
3 Jan Trávní²ek, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
4 Laura Kemper, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
5 Julia Lernoud, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
1
2

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The World of Organic Agriculture › Summary
Increase of organic farmland in all regions
There was an increase in organic agricultural land in all regions. In Europe, the areagrew by almost 1.25 million hectares (8.7 percent increase). In Asia, the area grew byalmost 8.9 percent or an additional 0.54 million hectares; in Africa, the area grew by
0.2 percent or over 4´000 hectares; in Latin America, the area grew by 0.2 percent or
13´000 hectares; in North America by more than 3.5 percent or almost 0.1 million
additional hectares; and in Oceania, the area grew by 0.3 percent or over 0.1 million
hectares.
Apart from the organic agricultural land, there is organic land dedicated to otheractivities, most of which are areas for wild collection and beekeeping. Further areas
include aquaculture, forests, and grazing areas on non-agricultural land. These areasof non-agricultural land constitute more than 35.7 million hectares (see page 52).

Growth in most major crop groups
Land use and crop details were available for over 92 percent of the organic
agricultural land. Unfortunately, some countries with very large organic areas, suchas Brazil and India, had little or no information on their land use (see page 77).
Over two-thirds of the agricultural land was grassland/grazing areas (over 48.2
million hectares), which increased in 2018 by 2.9 percent.
With a total of over 13.3 million hectares, arable land constitutes 18.6 percent of theorganic agricultural land. An increase of almost 4.9 percent since 2017 was reported.
Most of this category of land was used for cereals including rice (4.5 million hectares),followed by green fodder from arable land (almost 3.9 million hectares), oilseeds (1.5
million hectares), dry pulses and textile crops.
Detailed information on organic cotton was provided by Textile Exchange, who statesthat 2017/18 was a year to celebrate in the organic cotton sector. Not only did global
production of organic cotton see an impressive 56 percent growth; it also represented
the highest volume seen since 2010/11 with a global total of 180’871 metric tons in
2017/18. The growth stemmed predominantly from India, China and Kyrgyzstan, butalso from Turkey, Tanzania, and Tajikistan. For more information, see Barsley et al. on
page 142.
Permanent crops account for seven percent of the organic agricultural land,amounting to over 4.7 million hectares. Compared to the previous survey, a decreaseof more than -140’000 hectares, or 2.9 percent, was reported; mainly due to fact thatless coffee and tropical fruit was reported for Mexico. The most important crops areolives, with nearly 0.9 million hectares or 18 percent, nuts (over 0.7 million hectares or
15 percent), coffee (over 0.7 million hectares or 15 percent), grapes (0.4 million
hectares or 9 percent), coconut (0.4 million hectares or 8 percent), and cocoa (over 0.3
million hectares or 7 percent) (see page 72).

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The World of Organic Agriculture › Summary
Organic producers on the rise – 2.8 million producers in 2018
There were at least 2.8 million organic producers in 2018.1 Forty-seven percent of theworld’s organic producers are in Asia, followed by Africa (28 percent), Europe(15 percent) and Latin America (8 percent). The countries with the most producers are
India (1’149’371), Uganda (210’352), and Ethiopia (203’602) (see page 58). There has
been a decrease in the number of producers of almost 150’000, or 5 percent, compared
to 2017.

Global market and EU organic imports
Global market has reached more than 95 billion euros
Although organic food sales are growing at a healthy rate, there are still persistent
challenges. For example, demand for organic foods remains concentrated in North
America and Europe. Although the share of these two regions is declining, they still
comprise a large part of global sales. Conversely, it has been challenging for strong
local markets to develop in Asian, Latin American and African countries. For more
information, see the chapter by Sahota on page 138.
Organic food and drink sales reached more than 95 billion euros according to FiBL
(page 65)2,3 in 2018. In 2018, the countries with the largest organic markets were theUnited States (40.6 billion euros), Germany (10.9 billion euros), and France (9.1 billion
euros). The largest single market was the United States (42 percent of the global
market), followed by the European Union (37.3 billion euros, 38.5 percent), and China(8.1 billion euros, 8.3 percent). The highest per-capita consumption in 2018, with 312
euros, was found in Switzerland and Denmark. The highest organic market shareswere reached in Denmark (11.5 percent), the first country to reach an organic market
share of over ten percent, Switzerland (9.9 percent) and Sweden (9.6 percent) (See thechapter on the FiBL survey on the global market, page 65).

Organic imports in the European Union
The European Union, which is the second-biggest organic market, provided data on
its organic imports, showing, for the first time, the key import products and key
importing countries (based on volume in metric tons). In 2018, the EU imported a totalof 3.3 million tonnes of organic agri-food products. Imports of tropical fruit (fresh ordried), nuts and spices represented the single biggest category, totalling 793’597
tonnes or 24.4 percent of total imports, followed by oilcakes, cereals other than wheat,
as well as rice, and wheat. China is the biggest supplier of organic agri-food products

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 treatedwith caution, and it may be assumed that the total number of organic producers is higher than that reported
here.
2 Please note that there are some differences in organic food sales figures from Ecovia Intelligence and thosefrom FiBL due to different methodologies. According to Ecovia Intelligence, global retail sales reached over
105 billion US dollars in 2018.
3 One euro corresponded to 1.1810 US dollars in 2018 according to the European Central Bank.
1

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The World of Organic Agriculture › Summary
to the EU, with 415’243 tonnes of produce; that is 12.7 percent of the total organic
import volume. Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Ukraine and Turkey each have an
8 percent share of the total organic import volume. For more information, see
contribution by Panichi on page 142).

Standards, legislation, policy support
According to the IFOAM survey on standards and legislation, 84 countries hadorganic standards in 2019, and 17 countries were in the process of drafting legislation.
The European Union (EU) adopted the basic act of its new organic regulation in 2018,
which will come into force in 2021. In 2018, the secondary legislation – the delegatedand implementing act for production, labelling, controls, and trade – started to be
drafted and adopted, in a process that will continue in 2020. One important change
refers to group certification, which is currently only allowed in relation to the controlof small operators in developing countries (as defined by OECD1). With the new
regulation, it will be allowed everywhere in the world, including the EU. Groupcertification means that a certain number of small farmers can get organised and be
certified as a single entity. For more information, see the chapter by Busacca et al.
page 150.
In the recent study “Group Certification: Internal Control Systems in Organic
Agriculture: Significance, Opportunities and Challenges,” FiBL and IFOAM
examined the current scale and scope of group certification by region and country.
According to FiBL estimates, about 80 percent of the world’s organic producers are
smallholders in low and middle-income countries (58 countries in total), for whom
individual certification would be unaffordable and administratively too complex tomanage. In total, 2.6 million producers were organized in 5800 internal control system(ICS) groups and managed 4.5 million hectares of organic land in 2018 (For more
information, see chapter by Meinshausen et al. on page 159).
In the article “The Mainstreaming of Organic Agriculture in the Himalaya Region”,
the policy contexts in Bhutan, India and Nepal are analysed. Over the last ten years,
Bhutanese, Nepalese, and Indian policymakers have increasingly recognised the needto transition towards sustainable agriculture, including organic agricultural systems,
to preserve their natural resources and improve livelihoods for their rural
populations. However, there are also challenges associated with this transition. Moreinformation can be found in the article by Varini on page 178.
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) are locally focused quality assurance
systems. PGS have proven to be an affordable alternative to third-party certification,an effective tool to develop local markets for organic produce and are particularly
appropriate for small-scale farmers. Since 2004, the number of PGS initiatives has
been growing on all continents, and they now represent a well-established guarantee

1 Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipients:
http://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/daclist.htm

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The World of Organic Agriculture › Summary
system for Organic Agriculture in many countries. In 2019, ten countries hadrecognised PGS as a guarantee system to ensure the organic quality of products at thenational level. In 2019, IFOAM – Organics International recorded 223 PGS initiatives
in 76 countries in its PGS database, with at least 567’142 producers involved. Of theseproducers, 496’104 were certified. For more information, see the chapter by KattoAndrighetto et al. on page 164.
Statistics provided by Demeter International show that there are more than 5’900
Demeter farmers worldwide with over 200’000 hectares in 63 countries (June 2019).
Demeter International was founded in 1997 and currently has 19 members and four
guest members from Europe, America, Africa, New Zealand and India. For details see
article by Simpfendörfer and Fischer, page 173.

Organic in the Continents
AfricaThere were more than 2 million hectares of certified organic agricultural land in
Africa in 2018. Compared to 2017, Africa reported an increase of 4’130 hectares, a 0.2
percent increase. There were at least 806’000 producers. Tunisia was the country withthe largest organic area (with almost 306’500 hectares in 2017), and Uganda had thelargest number of organic producers (more than 210’000). The country with thehighest organic share of the total agricultural land in the region was the island state
Sao Tome and Principe, with 22.5 percent of its agricultural area being organic. The
majority of certified organic products in Africa are destined for export markets. Key
crops are coffee, olives, nuts, cocoa, oilseeds, and cotton (see page 193). Four countries
in Africa have legislation on organic agriculture, and six countries are in the processof drafting legislation. Five countries have a national standard but no organic
legislation.
In Africa, significant efforts have been made in mainstreaming organic agriculture
into policy, national extension systems, marketing and value chain development, andcurricula of some academic institutions and African-led research activities in thecontinent. Partners of the Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative (EOA-I)
established databases to make research findings and knowledge on EcologicalOrganic Agriculture (EOA) available and accessible by various users. Multistakeholder platforms with varying membership compositions have been establishedin all eight participating EOA-I countries (Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria,
Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda) and consequently, some countries have made good
progress in advocating for policy change by having polices enacted and introducing
policy drafts. The African Union (AU)-led EOA-I Continental Steering Committee(CSC) provided strategic guidance on the implementation of EOA in Africa as
informed by various efforts including urging Ministers of the Ordinary Session of theSpecialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water andEnvironment to approve important elements of mainstreaming organic agriculture
into national, policy, plans and programs. Several important conferences took place:24

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The World of Organic Agriculture › Summary
The 1st International Conference on Agroecology Transforming Agriculture and Food
Systems in Africa (June 2019) in Nairobi, Kenya; the 5th West African Organic
Conference (“Organic Agriculture: Life for All”) by the West African Organic
Network held in Ghana from 12th to 15th November, the 1st EU/North-African
conference on organic agriculture focusing on “Bridging the gap, empowering organic
Africa” in Marrakesh, Morocco from 11-12 November. The Network of Organic
Agriculture Researchers in Africa (NOARA) rigorously stepped up its activities withthe registration of over 200 members from 16 countries, cutting across all regions ofAfrica and three non-African countries that contributed to various organic agriculture
conferences that took place in Africa. The network launched its maiden edition of theAfrican Journal of Organic Agriculture and Ecology (AJOAE) during the 5th West
Africa Organic Conference and is currently leading the process of developing ademand-driven Organic Agriculture Research Agenda for Africa 2030 (OARAA 2030)
with a multi-stakeholder approach, expected to be completed by June 2020. The
momentum for supporting organic agriculture in Africa has picked up and moreprogress is expected in the coming years. For more information, see the chapter by
Gama and Amudavi, page 186.

Asia
The total area dedicated to organic agriculture in Asia was more than 6.5 million
hectares in 2018. There were 1.3 million producers, most of which were in India. The
leading countries by area were China (3.1 million hectares) and India (over 1.9 million
hectares). Timor-Leste had the highest proportion of organic agricultural land
(16.8 percent) (page 209). Seventeen countries in the region have legislation on organic
agriculture, and eight countries are in the process of drafting legislation.
Significant achievements were observed in some Asian countries in 2019, such as thelaunch of the third version of the national organic standard in China. Similarly, theNational Organic Agriculture Board of the Philippines approved the resolution for the
inclusion of Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) in the national organic standards.
In South Korea, a pilot program started to provide environment-friendly rice tomilitary bases, and the central government approved the budget to provide a box
scheme of environmentally-friendly food to pregnant women. Both initiatives are
expected to boost organic farming substantially. The demand for organic food in Asia
continues to grow fast, and it is uncertain whether the supply of local organic produce
can keep up with the ever-increasing demand (see chapter by Hossein and Chang on
page 202).
The dynamic nature of the organic sector in Asia is shown by the many activities
taking place on the continent: In China and the Philippines IFOAM Asia opened
country offices, and global interest in the Asian Local Governments for Organic
Agriculture (ALGOA)1 grew with the hosting of the International Organic Agriculture

1 Asian Local Governments for Organic Agriculture (ALGOA) is a sub-organization under IFOAM Asia andis legally registered in South Korea. The current membership stands at over 260 with representation of local

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The World of Organic Agriculture › Summary
Policy Summit, which took place in September 2019. The Asia Organic Youth Forum
will be expanded into a “World Organic Youth Forum” in June 2020, and the Asia
Organic Innovation Committee launched in December 2019 will carry out researchand document best practices in innovations in Asia.

EuropeAs of the end of 2018, 15.6 million hectares of agricultural land in Europe (European
Union 13.8 million hectares) were managed organically by over 418’000 producers(European Union: over 327’000). In Europe, 3.1 percent of the agricultural area wasorganic (European Union: 7.7 percent). Organic farmland has increased by over 1.25
million hectares compared to 2017. The countries with the largest organic agriculturalareas were Spain (2.2 million hectares), France (2.0 million hectares), and Italy (2.0
million hectares). In ten countries, at least 10 percent of the farmland is organic:
Liechtenstein has the lead (38.5 percent), followed by Austria (24.7 percent) andEstonia (21.6 percent). Retail sales of organic products totalled 40.7 billion euros in2018 (European Union: 37.4 billion euros), an increase of 7.8 percent since 2017. The
largest market for organic products in 2018 was Germany, with retail sales of 10.9
billion euros, followed by France (9.1 billion euros), and Italy (3.5 billion euros) (seethe article by Willer et al., page 227). Mainstream retailers generate most organic foodsales in Europe (page 218).
In June 2018, the new European Union (EU) Regulation 2018/848 on production andlabelling of organic products was published; it will apply from 01 January 2021. The
process of developing secondary legislation started in June 2018 and should beconcluded at the latest by June 2020, six months before the actual application of the
new organic regulation. Furthermore, in June 2018, the European Commission
launched its proposal for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from 2021 to 2027. A
new feature of the CAP is the proposed eco-schemes, which offer a good opportunity
to compensate farmers who want to do more for the climate and the environment.
However, according to IFOAM EU, eco-schemes should be better defined in order tofavour farming systems that provide multiple objectives including organic farming.
On the research side, several major projects focussing on organic agriculture werelaunched, and the Technology Platform for Organic Food and Farming (TP Organics)
finalized its new Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda for Organics &Agroecology (TP Organics 2019). This document serves to relay the research needs ofthe organic sector to policymakers. The four main research areas (moving organics
further, redesign of food and agricultural policies, climate-resilient and diversified
farming systems, and sustainable value chains) and 29 identified priorities require
support at the EU level. For more information, see article by Willer et al. on page 218.

governments from 18 countries in Asia and Central Asia.

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The World of Organic Agriculture › Summary
Latin America and the Caribbean
In Latin America, almost 228’000 producers managed over 8 million hectares ofagricultural land organically in 2018. This constituted 11 percent of the world’sorganic land and 1.1 percent of the region’s agricultural land. The leading countries
were Argentina (3.6 million hectares), Uruguay (2.1 million hectares), and Brazil(1.2 million hectares). The highest shares of organic agricultural land were in Uruguay(14.9 percent), French Guiana (10.1 percent), and the Dominican Republic(7.2 percent). Many Latin American countries remain important exporters of organic
products such as coffee, cocoa, and bananas. In Argentina and Uruguay, temperate
fruit and meat are key export commodities. Nineteen countries in the region havelegislation on organic agriculture, and one country is in the process of drafting
legislation. Brazil has the largest market for organic products in Latin America.
Similar to Asia, demand is coming from a growing middle class that is seeking
healthy, nutritious foods (Sahota, page 138).
Notable developments took place in 2019 in Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Peru. In Mexico,
the new National Agroecology Plan aims to establish agroecology as a guiding
principle in environmental policies, encompassing production, distribution,
processing and consumption. In April 2019, the implementation of the Memorandumof Understanding on Organic Products between Chile and Brazil was announced. This
memorandum will promote trade in organic products in both countries through themutual recognition of their certification and control systems. In Peru, the first editionof the International Food Education Forum was held in November 2019 to promotehealthy eating and nutritional education. Peru’s enforcement of Law No. 30021 (Law
for Promotion of Healthy Eating) aims to promote education policies on healthy foodand a national nutrition education program in schools. Through these initiatives,
organic and agroecologically-produced food is highlighted. For more information, see
the chapter by Flores on page 266.

North America
In North America, 3.3 million hectares of farmland were managed organically in
2018. Of these, 2 million were in the United States and 1.3 million in Canada,
representing 0.8 percent of the total agricultural area in the region (see page 278).
New records were achieved in both the US organic food market and organic non-foodmarket. Organic food sales reached 47.9 billion US dollars,1 an increase of 5.9 percent
compared to 2017. Sales of organic non-food products jumped by 10.6 percent to 4.6
billion US dollars. Almost six percent of the food sold in the United States is now
organic. In 2019, the US organic sector moved ahead with an innovative check-off
programme for which, in less than a year, organic stakeholders invested 1.5 million
US dollars to advance projects focussing on four key actions. Other developments
include the National Organic Program’s (NOP) expected release of a proposed rule1

According to the Central European Bank, 1 euro corresponded to 1.1810 US dollars in 2018.

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The World of Organic Agriculture › Summary
early in 2020 on “Strengthening Organic Enforcement and Oversight” aiming tostrengthen the organic regulations in multiple areas, where increased oversight andenforcement are needed. For more information, see article by Haumann on page 278.
Canada’s total organic market (including food and non-food items) reached 6.38
billion Canadian dollars,1 up from 3.5 billion in 2012, with a compound annual growthrate of 8.7 percent. Statistics indicate the market share of organic food and beverages
sold through mainstream retailers has grown from 1.7 to 2.6 percent (2017). The
Canadian Organic Standards are in their review process, to be updated as part of its
regular 5-year review process. The new standards will be published in November
2020 and will be mandatory as of November 2021. Canada will be reviewing
equivalency arrangements in light of these changes as well as the new regulatory
framework. For more information, see the chapter by Loftsgard on page 283.
OceaniaThis region includes Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Island states. Altogether,
there were almost 21’000 producers, managing 36.0 million hectares. This constituted
8.6 percent of the agricultural land in the region and half of the world’s organic land.
More than 99 percent of the organic land in the region is in Australia (35.7 million
hectares, most of which is extensive grazing land), followed by Samoa (more than
97’000 hectares), and New Zealand (almost 89’000 hectares). The highest organic
shares of all national agricultural land were in Samoa (34.5 percent), followed by
Vanuatu (13.7 percent), Fiji (9.7 percent), Australia (8.8 percent), Kiribati (4.7 percent),and Solomon Islands (4.4 percent). Four countries in Oceania have legislation onorganic agriculture, and twelve countries have a national standard but no organic
legislation.
Now estimated to be worth 2.6 billion Australian dollars, the Australian organic
industry (exports and retail sales) continued to grow in 2018 despite harshenvironmental conditions - with many regions still experiencing significant drought.
The growing interest in Australian products from export markets is continuing toforge ahead with the total export volume for 2018 growing by 13 percent since 2017.
Over 2018, 30,155 tonnes of organic products were exported to 61 different countries.
For more information about Australia, see the report by Kendrick on page 292.
While certification continues to expand across the Pacific and governments are
becoming increasingly interested in taking action to create a supportive policy
environment, a significant development is that regional and national agencies anddevelopment partners are increasingly recognising the value of organic agriculture asa development tool for the Pacific islands context. PGS models in the Pacific include
wild harvest, “whole island”, as well as more traditional grower groups, and there are
currently 11 PGS approved to use the Organic Pasifika Mark. The number and variety

1 According to the Central European Bank, 1 euro corresponded to 1.5294
Canadian dollars in 2018.

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The World of Organic Agriculture › Summaryof PGS-certified products on local markets and for export is expanding. Third-party
organic certification continues to grow slowly. For some growers of long-term crops
such as coconuts, devastation by tropical cyclones makes maintaining certification
through the recovery period uneconomical. These issues are likely to be exacerbatedunder climate change scenarios with more frequent and stronger climate events (seethe chapter by Mapusua, page 297).

OutlookIn her outlook, Louise Luttikholt, executive Director of IFOAM – Organics
International, explains that UN institutions are increasingly recognising the role ofagroecology as a science, a practice, and a social movement that contributes to making
agriculture and food systems more sustainable. At the Committee of World Food
Security’s FAO meeting in October 2019, represented countries expressed
overwhelming support for the “Scaling up Agroecology” initiative. IFOAM ishonoured to support these conversations through its global campaigns, like “Honest
Food” (www.honestfood.bio). By communicating the positive contributions of organic
agriculture clearly, we can build new partnerships and together create greaterawareness of how organic agriculture is part of the solution. For more information,
see the chapter by Luttikholt on page 306.

IFOAM Organic World Congress and Statistics preconference
In 2020, the 20th Organic World Congress (OWC) will be held from 21-27 September
in Rennes, France. In the days leading up to the congress, delegates have theopportunity to participate in one of eight, topic-specific pre-conferences, one of themfocussing on statistics. More information is available at OWC 2020 website
https://owc.ifoam.bio/2020/.

Next FiBL survey on organic agriculture worldwide
The next global organic survey will start in mid-2020; data will be published in
February 2021 and presented at the Biofach Organic Trade Fair in Nuremberg,
Germany. We will contact all relevant experts and would be very grateful if data
could be sent to us. Should you notice any errors regarding the statistical data in thisvolume, please let us know; we will then correct the information in our database andprovide the corrected data in the 2021 edition of “The World of Organic Agriculture.”
Corrections will also be posted at www.organic-world.net.
Contact: helga.willer@fibl.org

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FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Source: FiBL survey 2020

Infographic 1: Key indicators 201830

17.3 mio ha

15.6 mio ha

0.07 mio ha

3.3 mio ha

Organic Agriculture
Worldwide:
Current Statistics

Latin America

36.0 mio ha

6.5 mio ha
11.5 mio ha

2.0 mio ha

8.0 mio ha

Europe

2.8 mio ha

North America

Asia

AfricaOceania

Agricultural land
Other (wild collection, beekeeping, aquaculture, forests, grazed non agricultural land)

Map 1: Organic agricultural land and non-agricultural areas in 2018 (in hectares)
Source: FiBL survey 2020

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Statistics › Introduction

Current Statistics on Organic Agriculture Worldwide:
Area, Operators and Market
BERNHARD SCHLATTER1, JAN TRÁVNÍþEK2, JULIA LERNOUD3 AND HELGAWILLER4
Introduction
The 21st survey of certified organic agriculture worldwide was carried out by the
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in collaboration with many partners
from around the world. The results are published jointly with IFOAM – Organics
International. This survey was supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic
Affairs (SECO), the International Trade Centre (ITC),5 the Sustainability Fund of Coop
Switzerland,6 and NürnbergMesse.7

Data providers
In total, data were provided by more than 200 experts. Governments, private sector
organizations, certifiers, and market research companies have contributed to the datacollection effort.
Several international certifiers deserve special mention as they provided data on
several countries: BioInspecta, CCPB, CERES, Certisys, Control Union, Ecocert,
Ecoglobe, Ekoagros, ICEA, Imocert, Kiwa BCS Oko-Garantie GmbH, LACON,
NASAA Certified Organic (NCO), Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand (ACT),
Organización Internacional Agropecuaria (OIA), OneCert, and Quality Certification
Services (QCS).
A new collaboration with the Inter-American Commission for Organic Agriculture(CIAO) eased data collection in Latin American the Caribbean substantially. Data
from the Mediterranean countries were supplied by the Mediterranean Organic
Agriculture Network (MOAN, c/o Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari), as it
has been for the past decade. Data from the Pacific Islands was provided by the
Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POET.com). Another important source
Bernhard Schlatter, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
Jan Trávní²ek, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
3 Julia Lernoud, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
4 Dr. Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
5 Since 2014, data collection on organic agriculture worldwide has been funded by the International Trade
Centre (ITC) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) under the project “T4SD Global
Platform for Market Data on Organic Agriculture and Sustainability Standards”. For more information on
this project, see www.vss.fibl.org
6 Since 2019, the data collection on organic agriculture has been supported by the Sustainability Fund of Coop
Switzerland.
7 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.
1
2


32


FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Introduction
covering many countries is Eurostat. A list of all data sources and contacts is provided
in the annex.

Countries covered
In total, data from 186 countries/territories were available. Gambia, Guinea,
Mauritania, and Mayotte are new to the list of countries with organic data. Updated
data on the organic area was available for 142 countries; however, for some countries,
updates were only available for the total organic area and not necessarily for thenumber of farms, land use, or other indicators. For the countries for which FiBL
compiles the data among certifiers, not all certifiers provided updated data. When no
new data was available, data from the previous survey were used.
Table 1: Countries and territories covered by the global survey on organic agriculture
2018
RegionAfricaAsia
EuropeLatin America and Caribbean
North America
Oceania
World

Countries* with dataon organic agriculture

Countries per
region1

Share of countries thatprovided data (%)

47
42
48
33
3
13
186

61
51
51
48
4
24
239

77%
82%
94%
69%
75%
54%
78%

Source: FiBL survey 2020
*Where the designation "country" appears in this book, it covers countries or territories.2

Indicators covered
Data on the following indicators were collected: Organic area in hectares including
breakdown by crop; livestock numbers; production data (volumes and values);
producers and further operator types; domestic market data (total retail sales andfood service sales values and volumes, per capita consumption, share of the total
market, and breakdown by product); international trade data (total import and export
values and volumes, and breakdown by product).
Not all data that was collected is published in this book (e.g., production, livestocknumbers, breakdown by product for the domestic market and international tradedata) because it was not possible to draw a complete global picture for these
indicators. More information about the data collection and analysis process isavailable in our metadata, which can be found on Organic Eprints(http://orgprints.org/31359).

Number of countries and areas are mostly based on countries as listed in the FAO database at
http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/RL as well as some additional countries such as Kosovo.
2 For more information on countries, territories and regions see the UNSTAT website at
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm.
1

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

33

Statistics › Introduction
Challenges with the 2020 survey
With the 2020 survey we experienced a number of challenges:− We had data in our database, for which we had not received updates or
confirmation for several years. We decided not to continue using this data after acertain point of time (e.g. from 2015 onwards), which resulted in a substantial drop
in area and producers for some countries.
− We revised some of the crop data for some countries, as the data seemed
implausible.
− We received some major data revisions for some countries, sometimes resulting ina drop of area and producers or change of crop data compared to what we hadcommunicated previously.
− Special case of Mexico: There is a challenge with the number of producers insome countries, as some certifiers provide data on all producers including small
holders, whereas other certifiers provide data on the certificates only. This
problem became particularly marked in the case of Mexico, where the data sourcechanged, and the new source does not include the smallholder farmers, resulting
in a major drop of organic producers in Mexico and Latin America as a whole. Thechange of data source had also an effect on the global number of organic
producers: Almost 150’000, or 5.0 percent less producers were recorded comparedwith 2017. However, in all other continents, with the exception of Africa, thenumber of producers increased.
More information on statistics.fibl.org
Interactive tables and graphs with more details on crops, markets, and international trade,
as well as explanations for certain data can be found on FiBL’s statistics website
statistics.fibl.org.
Contact: Enquiries related to the data should be sent to Helga Willer, Research Institute ofOrganic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland, e-mail helga.willer@fibl.org.

34

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › General Notes

General notes on the data
Area: Data represents certified organic land that is already fully converted as well as land
under conversion because many data sources do not separate or include the latter (for instance,
Austria, Germany, and Switzerland) and because land under conversion is under organic
management. For a definition of organic agriculture, see the IFOAM – Organics International
website.1
Area share of total agricultural land: In some cases, the calculation of the organic share of thetotal agricultural land or that of individual crops, based on FAOSTAT and in some cases theEurostat data, might differ from the organic shares obtained from ministries or local experts.
Producer data: Some countries report the number of smallholders while others report only the
number of companies, projects, or grower groups, which may each comprise several producers.
This applies in particular to many African countries. The number of producers is, therefore,
probably higher than the number communicated in this report.
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. Furthermore, for market
and trade values fluctuating exchange rates must be kept in mind.
PGS: Since 2011, for some countries, areas certified by Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS)
have been included. (For more information about PGS, see the article by Katto-Andrighetto etal. on page 164).
Country definitions: For countries and territories, the FAO country list is used. Where thedesignation "country" appears in this report, it covers countries or territories. In most cases,
countries are groups by region according to the Standard Country and Area Classifications as
defined by the United Nations Statistics Division1 .
Sources: Data was gathered from private sector organizations, governments, and certification
bodies. For detailed information on the data sources, please check the annex at the end of thisvolume (page 315).
Direct year-to-year comparison: A direct year-to-year comparison is not possible for all data as
the data sources may change, data may not be provided on an annual basis, data access may
improve, or exchange rates might change.
Completeness of data: For some countries, either no current data were available, or the data
provided may not be complete. For others, no data were available. It may, therefore, be assumed
that the extent of organic agriculture is larger than documented in this publication.
Data revisions: Data revisions and corrections are communicated at www.organicworld.net/statistics.
Metadata: Metadata for the FiBL survey on organic agriculture worldwide are available on
Organic Eprints at http://orgprints.org/31359.

1 The definition of organic agriculture is available at the website of IFOAM – Organics International
www.ifoam.bio/en/organic-landmarks/definition-organic-agriculture

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

35


36


FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Source: FiBL survey 2020

Infographic 2: Organic farmland 2018



Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land

Organic land
Organic agricultural land
In 2018, 71.5 million hectares were under organic agricultural management
worldwide.1
The region with the most organic agricultural land is Oceania, with 36 million
hectares, followed by Europe with 15.6 million hectares, Latin America (8 million
hectares), Asia (6.5 million hectares), North America (3.3 million hectares), and Africa(2.0 million hectares).
Oceania has half of the global organic agricultural land. Europe, a region that has had
a very constant growth of organic land over the years, has over 22 percent of theworld’s organic agricultural land followed by Latin America with 11 percent (Table 2,
Figure 1).
Australia, which continued to experience growth of its organic area in 2018 (+42'761
hectares), is the country with the most organic agricultural land; it is estimated that 97
percent of the farmland is extensive grazing areas. Argentina is second followed by
China in third place (Table 2, Figure 2). The 10 countries with the largest organic
agricultural areas have a combined total of 56.2 million hectares and constitute threequarters of the world’s organic agricultural land.
Apart from the organic agricultural land, there are further organic areas such as wildcollection areas. These areas constitute more than 35.7 million hectares.
Table 2: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) and regions’shares of the global organic agricultural land 2018
Organic agricultural land
[hectares]

Regions’ shares of the globalorganic agricultural land

Africa2'003'976

3%

Asia

6'537'226

9%Europe15'635'505

22%

Latin America

8'008'581

11%

North America

3'335'002

5%

Oceania

35'999'373

50%

World*

71'514'583

100%

RegionSource: FiBL survey 2020. 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.

Data provided both for the fully converted and in conversion area are included in this work. However,some countries provided only data on the fully converted area, others only on the total organic agriculturalland, and thus the conversion area is not known for many countries.

1

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

37

Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land

Figure 1: World: Distribution of organic agricultural land by region 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

The ten countries with the largest areas of organic
agricultural land 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

Australia

35.69

Argentina

3.63

China

3.14

Spain

2.25

Uruguay

2.15

France2.04

United States of America

2.02

Italy

1.96

India

1.94

Germany

1.52
0

10

20
Million hectares

30

40

Figure 2: World: The ten countries with the largest areas of organic agricultural land
2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

38

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics > Organic Agricultural Land
Table 3: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) by country
2018 (sorted)
For an alphabetical country list (including information on data year), see page 310.
Country

Hectares

Country

Australia
Argentina
China
Spain
Uruguay
FranceUnited States of America
Italy
India
Germany
CanadaBrazilTurkeyAustria
SwedenRussian Federation
Czech Republic
GreecePolandUnited Kingdom
Romania
Peru
UkraineTunisia
Finland
LatviaTanzania
UgandaDenmarkIndonesia
Lithuania
Viet Nam
Philippines
Portugal
Hungary
Estonia
Kazakhstan
Slovakia
Ethiopia
MexicoDominican Republic
Bulgaria
Switzerland
Kenya
Ireland

35'687'799
3'629'968
3'135'000
2'246'475
2'147'083
2'035'024
2'023'430
1'958'045
1'938'221
1'521'314
1'311'572
1'188'255
646'247
637'805
608'758
606'975
538'894492'627484'676457'377326'260
311'461309'100
306'467
297'442280'383
278'467
262'282
256'711251'631239'691237'693
218'570
213'118
209'382
206'590
192'134
188'986
186'155
183'225
169'026
162'332
160'992
154'488
118'699

Egypt
Bolivia
Croatia
Sierra Leone
Samoa
ThailandBelgium
New ZealandSouth Africa
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Pakistan
Timor-Leste
Congo, D.R.
Netherlands
Nigeria
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Papua New Guinea
Madagascar
Slovenia
NorwayParaguay
Ecuador
Togo
Fiji
Azerbaijan
Nicaragua
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Ghana
HondurasCambodia
Vanuatu
IcelandRepublic of Korea
Colombia
Kyrgyzstan
Syrian Arab Republic
SerbiaSaudi Arabia
Moldova
Benin
Chile
Mozambique
Guatemala

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Hectares116'000
114'306
103'166
99'23897'65695'06689'02588'87182'81877'16976'94164'88563'88260'62457'90457'11756'66350'57449'57348'75747'84846'37742'81841'79341'32341'15437'63034'78731'93729'66329'27427'55025'64824'85524'70022'31422'11819'987
19'255
18'631
17'151
16'45416'30514'93314'00039

Statistics › Organic Agricultural LandCountry

Hectares

Mali
Malawi
Myanmar
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Nepal
Sao Tome and Principe
Japan
MoroccoMalaysia
Costa Rica
Tajikistan
TaiwanSenegal
Lao P.D.R.
IsraelBhutanCuba
CyprusPanamaLuxembourg
Palestine
Solomon Islands
United Arab Emirates
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Haiti
French Guiana (France)
Comoros
RwandaEl Salvador
Belarus
Kiribati
French Polynesia
Georgia
Jordan
Liechtenstein
Réunion (France)
LebanonZambiaCameroon
Uzbekistan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Guinea-Bissau
Afghanistan
Algeria
Albania
Armenia
Tonga
Mongolia
Bangladesh

40

12'655
12'39912'305
11'916
11'851
10'934
10'792
9'917
9'576
8'964
8'806
8'759
7'989
7'668
6'666
6'632
6'181
6'022
5'929
5'782
4'870
4'714
4'687
4'455
4'409
4'403
3'103
2'142
2'130
1'679
1'656
1'600
1'512
1'452
1'446
1'413
1'272
1'241
1'228
1'089
943
896
835
786
772
747
694
685
636
504

Country
Cape Verde
Zimbabwe
Martinique (France)
Jamaica
Guadeloupe (France)
Niger
Faroe Islands
Dominica
BelizeEswatini
Channel Islands
BurundiKosovo
New Caledonia
Suriname
GrenadaNamibia
Iraq
Bahamas
Malta
Niue
Oman
MayotteUS Virgin Islands
Cook Islands
KuwaitGambiaPuerto Rico
GuineaSingapore
Mauritius
AndorraLiberia
Lesotho
Bermuda (Processing)Brunei Darussalam (Aquaculture)
Chad (Wild collection)
Guyana (Wild collection)
Hong Kong (Processing)
Mauritania (Wild collection)
Monaco (Processing)
San Marino (Processing)Somalia (Wild collection)
Venezuela (Processing)World*

Hectares
495
415
398
374
272
254
251
240
220
186
180
164
160
94
94
84
66
63
49
47
43
43
35
26
24
22
20
14
10
3
3
2
2
1

71'514'583

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information fromthe private sector, certifiers, and governments. For
detailed data sources see annex, page 315*Total includes correction value for French overseas
departments

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land › Organic Share
Organic share of total agricultural land
The share of the world’s agricultural land that is organic is 1.5 percent.
The highest organic share of total agricultural land, by region, is in Oceania(8.6 percent) followed by Europe with 3.1 percent and Latin America with 1.1 percent.
In the European Union, the organic share of the total agricultural land is 7.7 percent.
In the other regions, the share is less than one percent (Table 4).
Many individual countries, however, have a much higher organic share (Figure 3),
and, in 16 countries, 10 percent or more of the agricultural land is used for organic
production. Most of these countries are in Europe. The country with the highest
organic share is Liechtenstein, with more than 38 percent of its agricultural land
under organic management. It is interesting to note that many island states have highshares of agricultural land under organic management, such as Samoa and Sao Tomeand Principe.
However, 57 percent of the countries for which data is available have less than one
percent of their agricultural land under organic management (Figure 4).
Table 4: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) and organic
share of total agricultural land by region 2018
RegionOrganic agr. land [ha]Share of total agri. land

Africa2'003'976

0.2%

Asia

6'537'226

0.4%

Europe15'635'505

3.1%

Latin America

8'008'581

1.1%

North America

3'335'002

0.8%

Oceania

35'999'373

8.6%

World*

71'514'583

1.5%

Source: FiBL survey 2020.
* Total includes correction value for French overseas departments.
To calculate the percentages, the data on the total agricultural land for most countries was taken from FAO’s
Statistical database on the FAOSTAT website.1 For the European Union, most data were obtained from
Eurostat. Where available, data from national sources were used for the total agricultural land (for instance,
Austria, Switzerland, and the United States), which sometimes differs from that published by Eurostat or
FAOSTAT.
Please note that the calculation of the organic shares based on Eurostat and FAOSTAT data may differ insome cases from the data published by ministries and experts.

1 FAOSTAT, the FAO Homepage, FAO, Rome at faostat3.fao.org > Agri-Environmental Indicators >Download http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/RL

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

41

Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land › Organic Share
Countries with an organic share of at least 10
percent of the agricultural land 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

Liechtenstein
Samoa
Austria
Sao Tome and Principe
Estonia
SwedenTimor-Leste
Italy
LatviaSwitzerland
Uruguay
VanuatuFinlandCzech Republic
French Guiana (France)
Slovakia

24.7%
22.5%
21.6%
19.9%
16.8%
15.8%
15.4%
15.4%
14.9%
13.7%
13.0%
12.8%
10.1%
10.0%
0%

10%

38.5%
34.5%

20%
30%
Share of total agricultural land

40%

50%

Figure 3: World: Countries with an organic share of the total agricultural land of atleast 10 percent 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. Calculation oforganic shares based on FAOSTAT, Eurostat, and national sources. For detailed data sources see annex, page 315

Figure 4: World: Distribution of the organic shares of the agricultural land 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. Calculation oforganic shares based on FAOSTAT, Eurostat, and national sources. For detailed data sources see annex, page 315

42

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land › Organic Share
Table 5: World: Organic shares of total agricultural land by country 2018 (sorted)
For an alphabetical country list (including information on data year), see page 310.
Country
Liechtenstein
Samoa
Austria
Sao Tome and Principe
Estonia
SwedenTimor-Leste
Italy
LatviaSwitzerland
Uruguay
VanuatuFinlandCzech Republic
French Guiana (France)
Slovakia
Slovenia
DenmarkFiji
SpainGermany
Australia
Faroe Islands
Lithuania
FranceDominican Republic
Belgium
Croatia
GreecePortugal
CyprusKiribati
NorwayHungary
Luxembourg
Solomon Islands
Papua New Guinea
Bulgaria
PolandFrench Polynesia
Netherlands
Egypt
Tunisia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Sri Lanka
United Kingdom
Réunion (France)

Organic
share
38.5%
34.5%
24.7%
22.5%
21.6%
19.9%
16.8%
15.8%
15.4%
15.4%
14.9%
13.7%
13.0%
12.8%
10.1%
10.0%
9.9%
9.8%
9.7%
9.6%
9.1%
8.8%
8.4%
8.3%
7.3%
7.2%
6.8%
6.6%
6.0%
5.9%
5.4%
4.7%
4.7%
4.5%
4.4%
4.4%
4.2%
3.5%
3.4%
3.3%
3.1%
3.1%
3.0%
2.9%
2.8%
2.7%
2.6%

Country
Sierra Leone
Romania
Argentina
IrelandViet Nam
Tonga
CanadaMontenegro
Channel Islands
UgandaPhilippines
TurkeyPalestine
Comoros
Cook Islands
Republic of Korea
IcelandPeru
BhutanMartinique (France)
IsraelUnited Arab Emirates
TaiwanTogo
India
Dominica
Honduras
Niue
New ZealandAzerbaijan
EcuadorUkraineTanzania
Moldova
Nicaragua
US Virgin Islands
China
United States of America
Cape Verde
Kenya
SerbiaGuadeloupe (France)
Ethiopia
Cambodia
Costa Rica
Burkina Faso
Malta

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Organic
share
2.5%
2.5%
2.4%
2.4%
2.2%
2.1%
2.0%
1.9%
1.9%
1.8%
1.8%
1.7%
1.6%
1.6%
1.6%
1.4%
1.3%
1.3%
1.3%
1.3%
1.2%
1.2%
1.1%
1.1%
1.1%
1.0%
0.9%
0.9%
0.8%
0.8%
0.7%
0.7%
0.7%
0.7%
0.7%
0.7%
0.6%
0.6%
0.6%
0.6%
0.5%
0.5%
0.5%
0.5%
0.5%
0.5%
0.5%

43

Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land › Organic Share
Organic
shareCountry
Indonesia
Benin
ThailandBrazilSingapore
GuatemalaNorth Macedonia
BahamasLao P.D.R.
Bolivia
MayotteRussian Federation
PanamaHaiti
Japan
Congo, D.R.
Malawi
Kyrgyzstan
Paraguay
Ghana
LebanonTajikistan
Pakistan
MexicoSyrian Arab Republic
BelizeJordan
Malaysia
Madagascar
RwandaSudan
Suriname
El Salvador
Chile
Cuba
MyanmarKazakhstan
Senegal
Jamaica
Nigeria
Albania
Côte d'Ivoire
Georgia
Guinea-Bissau
New Caledonia
Colombia
KosovoBosnia and Herzegovina
Armenia

44

0.4%
0.4%
0.4%
0.4%
0.4%
0.4%
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.2%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.05%
0.04%
0.04%
0.04%

Organic
shareCountry
MoroccoMali
Mozambique
Iran (Islamic Republic of)BelarusEswatiniSouth Africa
KuwaitCameroon
Saudi Arabia
AndorraBurundiPuerto Rico
Bangladesh
ZambiaUzbekistan
Gambia
Mauritius
Oman
Zimbabwe
Afghanistan
Algeria
Iraq
Niger
Mongolia
Nepal
Namibia
Liberia
GuineaLesotho
Bermuda (Processing)Brunei Darussalam (Aquaculture)
Chad (Wild collection)
Guyana (Wild collection)
Hong Kong (Processing)
Mauritania (Wild collection)
Monaco (Processing)
San Marino (Processing)Somalia (Wild collection)
Venezuela (Processing)
World

0.03%
0.03%
0.03%
0.03%
0.02%
0.02%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.004%
0.003%
0.003%
0.003%
0.003%
0.002%
0.002%
0.001%
0.001%
0.001%
0.0004%0.0002%0.0001%0.0001%0.00004%

1.5%

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information fromthe private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Calculation of organic shares based on FAOSTAT,
Eurostat, and national sources. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land › Development
Growth of the organic agricultural landCompared with 1999, when 11 million hectares were organic, organic agriculturalland has increased more than six-fold (Figure 5). In 2018, 2.02 million hectares, or 2.9
percent, more were reported compared with 2017. Many countries reported asignificant increase, for instance France (16.7 percent increase; over 0.29 million
hectares more) and Uruguay (14.1 percent increase; almost 0.26 million hectares
more). In addition, Argentina (7.2 percent increase; almost 0.24 million hectares more)and Viet Nam (almost 0.18 million hectares more) reported significant increases(Table 6, Figure 7).
In 2018, the area of organic agricultural land increased in all regions (Table 6, Figure6). The highest absolute growth was in Europe (+8.7 percent, +1.25 million hectares),followed by Asia (+8.9 percent, +0.54 million hectares) and North America (+3.5
percent, +0.11 million hectares).
Ninety-eight countries experienced an increase in the area of their organic agriculturalland, while a decrease was reported in 39 countries. In 41 countries, the organic
agricultural area either did not change, or no new data was received.
The figures shown in the following tables and graphs with historical figures may
differ from what was previously communicated, as data revisions were received andincluded in the FiBL database.
Table 6: World: Organic agricultural land (including in-conversion areas) by region:
growth 2017-2018 and 10 years growth
Organic agr.
land 2017[ha]Organic agr.
land 2018[ha]

1 year
growth[ha]

1 year
growth[%]10 years
growth[ha]

10 years
growth[%]Africa1'999'846

2'003'976+4'130+0.2%+1'003'847+100.4%Asia

6'002'017

6'537'226+535'209+8.9%+2'956'766+82.6%

Europe14'382'480

15'635'505+1'253'025+8.7%+6'406'273+69.4%

Latin America

7'995'447

8'008'581+13'134+0.2%+348'989+4.6%

Region

North America

3'223'057

3'335'002+111'945+3.5%+682'377+25.7%

Oceania

35'894'365

35'999'373+105'008+0.3%+23'847'268+196.2%

World*

69'492'495

71'514'583+2'022'327+2.9%+35'243'503+97.2%

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on data from government bodies, the private sector, and certifiers. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315* Total includes correction value for French Overseas Departments.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

45

Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land › Development

1.4%
1.2%
1.0%
0.8%
0.6%
0.4%

Organic share in percent

1.0%

58.2

0.8%

0.9%

0.8%

36.8

48.7

0.8%

36.7

43.1

0.8%

35.7

0.7%

0.7%

36.3

34.5

31.5

0.6%

30.2 0.6%

29.2

25.8 0.5%

0.4%
17.3

0.2%

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

0.3%

1.6%

0.0%

2002

0

2001

10

2000

20

15.0 0.3%30

19.9 0.4%40

30.0 0.6%50

1999 11.0

Million hectares

60

50.4 1.0%

1.2%

70

71.5

80

69.5 1.4%

Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL-Surveys 1999-2020

1.5%

Growth of the organic agricultural land and organic
share 1999-2018

Figure 5: World: Growth of the organic agricultural land and organic share 1999-2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL surveys 2001-2020

Figure 6: World: Growth of the organic agricultural land by continent 2010 to 2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL surveys 2012-2020

46

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land › Development
The ten countries with the highest increase oforganic land 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

France290'604

Uruguay

264'905

Argentina

244'141

Viet Nam

179'675

Spain

164'302

India

158'221

Germany148'157

Russian Federation

127'146

Turkey125'361

Canada119'8330

100'000

200'000
Hectares300'000

Figure 7: World: The ten countries with the highest increase of organic agriculturalland 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on data from government bodies, the private sector, and certifiers. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Table 7: World: Development of organic agricultural land by country 2017-2018
Important note: A direct year-to-year and 10 years 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 for the previous year is used (see also page 315). At
statistics.fibl.org data back to 2000 is available.1

Country

Organic
agr. land2017 [ha]Organic
agr. land2018 [ha]1 year
growth[ha]

1 year
growth[%]10 years
growth[ha]

10 years
growth[%]Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
AndorraAngolaArgentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
BahamasBangladesh
BelarusBelgium

272
549
772
2
3'385'827
1'430
35'645'038
620'764
37'630
49
1'746
1'338
83'510

786
747
772
2
3'629'968
694
35'687'799
637'805
37'63049
504
1'656
89'025514
198
244'141-736
42'761
17'041-1'242317
5'515

189.1%
36.0%
7.2%-51.5%
0.1%
2.7%-71.1%
23.7%
6.6%

723
476
150
-2'486-697'404
94
23'686'075
91'447
17'292
49
-658
1'656
47'5661147.6%175.5%
24.1%-16.1%
15.6%
197.4%
16.7%
85.0%-56.6%
114.7%

1

The data is available at http://www.organic-world.net/statistics/statistics-data-tables.html.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

47

Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land › Development
Country
BelizeBenin
BermudaBhutanBolivia
Bosnia andHerzegovina
BrazilBrunei
Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
BurundiCambodia
Cameroon
CanadaCape Verde
Chad
ChannelIslands
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
CyprusCzech
Republic
Congo, D.R.
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican
Republic
EcuadorEgypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
FalklandIslands(Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
FinlandFrance48

Organic
agr. land2017 [ha]Organic
agr. land2018 [ha]1 year
growth[ha]

1 year
growth[%]10 years
growth[ha]

10 years
growth[%]380
18'928Processing
6'632
114'306220
16'454-160-2'474-42.2%-13.1%-257
15'582-53.9%
1786.9%

6'632
114'306

-

-

6'632
73'302178.8%

1'273

896

-376

-29.6%

316

54.6%

1'136'857

1'188'255

51'3984.5%

256'135

27.5%

136'629
58'89183
11'042
1'089
1'191'739
495
Wild collection

162'332
56'663164
27'550
1'089
1'311'572
495

25'703-2'22881
16'508
119'833
-

18.8%
-3.8%
97.6%
149.5%
10.1%-0.1%

150'01241'970-186
16'826797
607'894495

1217.6%285.6%-53.2%
156.9%
272.8%
86.4%
-

180

180

-

-

-190

-51.4%

19'4153'023'000
25'560
1'445
25
8'736
50'446
96'6186'186
5'616

16'3053'135'000
22'314
2'142
24
8'964
50'574103'166
6'181
6'022

-3'110
112'000-3'246
697
-1
228
128
6'548
-5
407

-16.0%
3.7%-12.7%
48.3%
-4.0%
2.6%
0.3%
6.8%
-0.1%
7.2%

-66'022
1'282'000-25'462812
24
912
33'131
88'972-8'1332'447-80.2%
69.2%-53.3%
61.1%
11.3%
189.9%
626.8%-56.8%
68.5%

520'032

538'894

18'861

3.6%

140'487

35.3%

60'624226'307-

60'624
256'711240

30'404
240

13.4%
-

53'957100'278240

809.3%
64.1%-

205'258

169'026-36'232-17.7%

7'928

4.9%

41'793105'908
1'677
196'441
186
186'155

41'793116'000
1'679
206'590
186
186'155

10'0922
10'149
-

9.5%
0.1%
5.2%
0.0%
0.0%

-27'565
60'000-5'058111'423
140
86'211-39.7%
107.1%-75.1%
117.1%
305.5%
86.3%

31'93731'937-0.0%-363'998-91.9%

253
16'604259'451
1'744'420

251
41'154297'4422'035'024-2
24'55037'991
290'604-0.8%
147.9%
14.6%
16.7%

239
41'054131'271
1'357'511

1992.9%41054.1%
79.0%
200.4%

Aquaculture

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land › Development
Country
FrenchGuiana (FR)FrenchPolynesia
GambiaGeorgia
Germany
Ghana
GreeceGrenadaGuadeloupe(France)
GuatemalaGuineaGuinea-Bissau
GuyanaHaiti
HondurasHong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
IrelandIsraelItaly
JamaicaJapan
JordanKazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
KosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstan
Lao P.D.R
LatviaLebanonLesothoLiberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
MalawiMalaysia
Mali

Organic
agr. land2017 [ha]Organic
agr. land2018 [ha]1 year
growth[ha]

1 year
growth[%]10 years
growth[ha]

10 years
growth
[%]

3'061

3'103

42

1.4%

452

17.1%

1'491

1'512

21

1.4%

1'512

-

20
1'452
1'373'157
15'278410'140
85

20
1'452
1'521'314
29'663492'627
84

148'157
14'38582'487
-1

10.8%
94.2%
20.1%
-1.7%

20
244
574'199523
166'375
44

20.2%
60.6%
1.8%
51.0%
110.0%

200

272

72

36.1%

188

223.8%

14'00010835
Wild collection
5'586
4'403
29'27429'274
Processing
199'684
209'382
20'17724'855
1'780'000
1'938'221
208'042251'631
11'916
11'91660
63
74'336
118'699
6'568
6'666
1'908'653
1'958'045
374
374
9'956
10'792
1'446
1'446
256'741
192'134
172'225
154'488
1'600
1'600
160
160
20
22
19'327
22'118
7'668
7'668
268'870
280'383
1'353
1'241
Wild collection
2
1'389
1'413
234'134
239'691
5'444
5'782
63'95448'757
12'232
12'399603
9'576
12'65512'655-1'1820-21.2%
0.0%

700
10
835
-4'2494'349
17'4735.3%8054.4%148.1%

9'698
4'679
158'22143'5893
44'36398
49'392836-64'607-17'737
1
2'791
11'513
-112
1
2
24
5'557
338
-15'197
167
8'973
-

4.9%
23.2%
8.9%
21.0%
-0.0002%
4.2%
59.7%
1.5%
2.6%
8.4%
-25.2%-10.3%
6.9%
14.4%
4.3%
-8.3%
1.7%
2.4%
6.2%
-23.8%
1.4%
1488.0%-69'090
18'194758'221
192'490
3'063
63
70'835-303
851'362
-168
1'725
393
57'272150'261
1'600
160
22
10'703
2'424
120'208-2'091-329
2408
110'636
2'168
34'688
11'405
7'994-9'02649.2%
273.1%
64.3%
325.5%
34.6%
148.0%-4.4%
76.9%-31.0%
19.0%
37.4%
42.5%
3554.5%
93.8%
46.2%
75.0%
-62.7%-99.7%
40.6%
85.7%
60.0%
246.6%
1146.9%505.4%-41.6%

14'00010835

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

49

Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land › Development
Organic
agr. land2017 [ha]Country
Malta
Martinique(FR)
Mauritania
Mauritius
MayotteMexicoMoldova
MonacoMongolia
Montenegro
MoroccoMozambique
MyanmarNamibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New
Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
North
Macedonia
NorwayOman
Pakistan
Palestine
PanamaPapua New
GuineaParaguay
Peru
Philippines
PolandPortugal
Puerto Rico
Republic of
Korea
Réunion (FR)Romania
RussianFederation
RwandaSamoa
San Marino
Sao Tome
and Principe

50

Organic
agr. land2018 [ha]1 year
growth[ha]

1 year
growth[%]10 years
growth[ha]

10 years
growth
[%]

43

47

4

8.9%

21

81.6%

364

398

34

9.3%

258

184.3%

Wild collection
1441
673'968
30'142
Processing

3
35
183'225
17'151-11-6-490'743-12'990-81.5%-14.5%-72.8%-43.1%-4
35-149'260-14'954-60.0%-44.9%-46.6%

636
4'455
9'917
14'93312'30566
11'85157'904

636
1'739
742
2'347
2'057
17
2'491
1'701

64.1%
8.1%
18.6%
20.1%
33.3%
26.6%
3.0%

636
-148
6'117
13'37811'750
-58
3'793
5'993

-3.2%
161.0%
860.0%
2117.2%-46.8%
47.1%
11.5%

2'715
9'175
12'586
10'24850
9'361
56'203
94

94

-

-

94

-

88'87133'621254
53'402165

88'87134'787
254
57'117
43

1'166
3'715
-122

3.5%
7.0%
-73.8%-35'593
1'166-101
48'915-116-28.6%
3.5%-28.5%
596.4%-72.8%

2'900

4'409

1'509

52.0%

3'035

220.9%

47'04238
51'304
5'298
15'18346'37743
64'885
4'870
5'929

-665
4
13'581-428-9'254

-1.4%
11.5%
26.5%
-8.1%
-60.9%-10'360
3
44'5643'870
685-18.3%
8.6%
219.3%
387.0%
13.1%

13'67549'57335'899262.5%

46'2521392.7%43'711315'525
187'047494'979
253'786
14

42'818311'461
218'570484'676
213'11814-893-4'06431'523-10'303-40'668
-

-2.0%
-1.3%
16.9%
-2.1%
-16.0%--8'372
125'147
166'764
117'61461'65814-16.4%
67.2%
321.9%
32.0%
40.7%
-

20'70024'700

4'000

19.3%

11'357

85.1%

1'051
258'471

1'272
326'260

221
67'789

21.1%
26.2%

1'084
157'972576.6%
93.9%

479'829606'975

127'14626.5%

528'526

673.7%

1'276
106'406
Processing

2'130
97'656854-8'750

67.0%
-8.2%

-1'567
87'942-42.4%
905.3%

8'780

10'934

2'154

24.5%

7'343

204.5%FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land › Development
Country
Saudi Arabia
SenegalSerbiaSierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
SolomonIslands
SomaliaSouth Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
SwedenSwitzerland
Syrian Arab
Republic
TaiwanTajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Tunisia
TurkeyUgandaUkraineUnited ArabEmirates
UnitedKingdom
United Statesof America
US Virgin
Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Viet Nam
ZambiaZimbabwe
World*

Organic
agr. land2017 [ha]Organic
agr. land2018 [ha]1 year
growth[ha]

1 year
growth[%]10 years
growth[ha]

10 years
growth[%]17'075
7'805
13'423101'184
189'148
46'222

18'631
7'989
19'25599'2383
188'986
47'848

1'556
184
5'831
-1'946
3
-162
1'626

9.1%
2.4%
43.4%
-1.9%
-0.1%
3.5%

-28'004-17'362
10'59426'766
3
43'49618'460-60.0%-68.5%
122.3%
36.9%
29.9%
62.8%

3'927

4'714

787

20.0%

1'086

29.9%

Wild collection
22'6462'082'173
96'318130'05057
576'845
151'404

82'8182'246'475
77'16976'941
94
608'758
160'992

60'172
164'302-19'149-53'10936
31'9139'588

265.7%
7.9%-19.9%-40.8%
63.4%
5.5%
6.3%

23'270915'701
56'013-857
86
217'234
48'91039.1%
68.8%
264.8%-1.1%
1069.4%
55.5%
43.6%

19'987

19'987---15'452-43.6%

7'569
4'920
278'467
91'26631'27841'323
1'588
306'467
520'886262'282289'000

8'759
8'806
278'467
95'066
63'88241'323685
306'467646'247
262'282309'100

1'190
3'886
3'800
32'604-904
125'361
20'100

15.7%
79.0%
4.2%
104.2%-56.9%
24.1%
7.0%

5'798
8'737
206'279
64'31138'88539'534685
139'165
320'41635'32838'907

195.8%
285.8%
209.1%
155.6%
2210.3%
83.2%
98.3%
15.6%
14.4%

4'687

4'687

-

-

4'314

1156.2%497'742457'377-40'365-8.1%-264'349-36.6%

2'031'318

2'023'430-7'888-0.4%

74'484

3.8%

26

26

-

-

26

-

1'882'178
14'881
Processing
58'018445
320
69'492'256

2'147'083
943
25'648264'905943
10'767

14.1%
72.4%

1'216'118
619
16'652130.6%
191.0%
185.1%

237'693
1'228
415
71'514'583

179'675783
95
2'022'327

309.7%
176.0%
29.7%
2.9%

223'681-2'374-6
35'243'503

1596.4%-65.9%-1.3%
97.2%

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see previous editions of “The World of Organic Agriculture” and annex, page 315*Total includes correction value for French overseas departments.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

51

Statistics › All Organic Areas
Further organic areas
Apart from land dedicated to organic agriculture, there are further areas of organic
land dedicated to other activities. The largest part of these are wild collection areas
and areas for beekeeping. Further non-agricultural areas include aquaculture, forests,
and grazing areas on non-agricultural land. These areas totalled 35.7 million hectares,
and all the organic areas together summed up to 107.3 million hectares.
It should be noted that many countries do not report non-agricultural organic areas.
We can, therefore, assume that the data on the other areas are incomplete, inparticular, the data on aquaculture and forests.
For organic aquaculture and beekeeping, other indicators (production and number ofbeehives) are more relevant than the area, and the significance of organic aquaculture
and beekeeping cannot be measured in hectares. In Table 8 and Table 9, some area
data on aquaculture can be found, but it should be noted that it is not complete.
For more information on aquaculture and beekeeping, see pages 89 and 86. Moreinformation on the use of the wild collection areas is available in the corresponding
chapter, page 81.

Figure 8: World: Distribution of all organic areas 2018. Total: 107.3 million hectares
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

52

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › All Organic Areas
Table 8: World: Organic areas: Agricultural land (including conversion areas) andfurther organic areas by region in 2018
RegionAgriculture [ha]Aquaculture [ha]Forest [ha]Grazed non
agri. land
[ha]

Wild
collection[ha]*

Other nonagri. land
[ha]

Total
[ha]

Africa2'003'977

3'600

71'98427'605

11'529'725

107

13'636'998

Asia

6'537'226

206'218123

20'0002'835'448

19'3739'618'388

Europe15'635'505

Latin
America
North
America

8'008'581

83

3'335'002

Oceania

35'999'373

World**

71'514'583

19'750

17'246'818

32'902'070

40'0073'444'450

23'090

11'516'211

205'196

6'981

21'487

3'568'665

64'057

107'237'391

765
209'900

337'060

47'60535'064'187

36'000'138

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315
Blank cells: No data available.
*Wild collection and beekeeping areas**Total includes correction value for French overseas departments.

Table 9: World: Organic areas: Agricultural land (including conversion areas) andfurther organic areas by country 2018
Country
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
AndorraArgentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
BahamasBangladesh
BelarusBelgium
BelizeBenin
BhutanBolivia
Bosnia andHerzegovina
Botswana
BrazilBrunei
Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
BurundiCambodia
Cameroon
CanadaCape Verde
Chad

Agriculture
[ha]
786
747
772
2
3'629'968
694
35'687'799
637'805
37'63049
504
1'655
89'025220
16'454
6'632
114'306

Aquaculture[ha]

Forest[ha]Grazed
non
agri.
land
[ha]

Wild
collection
[ha]*

Other
non
agri.
land
[ha]

786
614'640
1'400
23'630'969
10'00435'687'799
638'023
38'93949
6'285
578'674
89'028220
20'154
14'3781'037'297

613'893
628
1'001
9'310
123

217
123

Total [ha]

1
1'063

5'781
577'019
3
3'700
7'746
922'991896

165'534

166'430

1'188'255

102'502
1'229'445

102'502
2'417'700

307'020
231'765469'352
288'428164
27'55048'0891'339'701
495
124'130

29
162'332
56'663164
27'550
1'089
1'311'572
495

29

47'000
6'643

21'487124'130

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

53

Statistics › All Organic Areas
Agriculture[ha]Country
Channel Islands
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
CyprusCzech Republic
Congo, D.R.
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican
Republic
EcuadorEgypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands(Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
FinlandFranceFrench Guiana(France)
FrenchPolynesia
GambiaGeorgia
Germany
Ghana
GreeceGrenadaGuadeloupe(France)
GuatemalaGuineaGuinea-Bissau
GuyanaHaiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran (Islamic
Republic of)
Iraq
IrelandIsraelItaly
JamaicaJapan
JordanKazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati

54

Aquaculture[ha]

Forest[ha]Grazed
non
agri.
land
[ha]

180
16'3053'135'000
22'314
2'142
24
8'964
50'574103'166
6'181
6'022
538'894
60'624
256'711240

Wildcollection[ha]*
51'548973'000
7'320

Other
non
agri.
land
[ha]

Total [ha]23'090

1'522

2'648

169'026
41'793116'000
1'679
206'590
186
186'155

180
67'853
4'108'000
52'724
2'142
24
8'964
52'096103'166
6'181
6'022
538'894
60'624259'359240
169'02679

40'007330
60'00082'209176'000
1'679
380'624
186
195'188

174'034
9'033

31'93731'937251
41'154297'4422'035'024

251
41'807
11'561'025
2'035'024

653
11'263'583

3'103

3'103

1'512

1'512

20
1'452
1'521'314
29'663492'627
84

215

1'507

108'981317'053272

272

14'000
10
835

5
1'000

63
118'699
6'666
1'958'045
374
10'792
1'446
192'134
154'488
1'600

200'032
1'490'418
18'41214'0051'010
835
60'000
4'403
29'274209'382
224'887
3'428'639
270'043

50'21982'13560'000

4'403
29'274209'382
24'855
1'938'221
251'631
11'91620
3'174
1'521'314
138'644809'68084

20'0004
36

121'625

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

63
118'699
6'669
1'958'045
410
10'792
1'446
192'134
276'113
1'600

Statistics › All Organic Areas

Country
KosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstan
Lao P.D.R
LatviaLebanonLesothoLiberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
MalawiMalaysia
Mali
Malta
Martinique(France)
Mauritania
Mauritius
MayotteMexicoMoldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
MoroccoMozambique
MyanmarNamibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
North
Macedonia
NorwayOman
Pakistan
Palestine
PanamaPapua New
GuineaParaguay
Peru
Philippines
PolandPortugal
Puerto Rico
Republic of
Korea
Réunion(France)
Romania
RussianFederation
RwandaSamoa
Sao Tome andPrincipe

Agriculture[ha]

Aquaculture[ha]

Forest[ha]

160
22
22'118
7'668
280'383
1'241
1
2
1'413
239'691
5'782
48'757
12'3999'575
12'65547

Grazed
non
agri.
land
[ha]

Wild
collection
[ha]*

Other
non
agri.
land
[ha]

179'580
13'48917'068
309
6'363

7'649
8'690

398
3
35
183'225
17'151
636
4'455
9'917
14'93312'30566
11'85157'90494
88'87134'787
254
57'117
43

179'74022
35'60724'736280'383
1'551
6'364
2
1'413
239'691
5'782
56'407
12'3999'575
21'344
47
398

2'800

1'000
112

2'800
3
35
1'141'605
17'528636
147'864278'046827'933
12'3201'123'669
36'27357'90494
88'87134'787
254
61'717
155

556'600

561'009

44'62046'37743
109'505
4'870
5'929

958'380377
143'410268'129813'000
15

1'123'603
24'422

3'600

4'409
46'37743
64'8854'870
5'929
49'57342'818311'461
218'570484'676
213'118
14

Total [ha]49'573
4

213'393
19'53340'00024'70042'818524'858
218'570484'676272'651
14
24'700

1'272

1'272

326'260

1'787'548

2'113'808

606'975

133'838

740'813

2'130
97'656

2'130
97'656

10'93410'934

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

55

Statistics › All Organic Areas
Agriculture[ha]Country
Saudi Arabia
SenegalSerbiaSierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
SolomonIslands
SomaliaSouth Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
SwedenSwitzerland
Syrian Arab
Republic
TaiwanTajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Tunisia
TurkeyUgandaUkraineUnited ArabEmirates
UnitedKingdom
United States
US Virgin
Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Viet Nam
ZambiaZimbabwe

World**

Aquaculture[ha]

Forest[ha]Grazed
non
agri.
land
[ha]

18'631
7'989
19'254
99'2383
188'986
47'848Wildcollection
[ha]*

Other
non
agri.
land
[ha]

Total [ha]18'63142'402
19'254
99'2383
188'986
61'086

34'413

13'238

4'714

4'714
826'400
1'538'832
38'18482'8182'246'474
77'16976'941
94
608'758
160'992

451

107

2'393

19'987
8'759
8'806
278'467
95'066
63'88241'323685
306'467646'247
262'282309'100

826'400
1'621'756
2'284'659
77'16979'785
94
608'758
160'992

8'000

27'9872
2'418'740
117'704

268

71'53327'605

8'761
8'806
2'697'207
230'905
63'88241'323685
431'091809'471
420'610879'100

17'86625'486163'224
158'328570'000

4'687

4'687

457'377457'377

2'023'430

205'196338

2'228'964

26

26

2'147'083
943
25'648237'693
1'228
415

2'147'083
5'943
25'648492'143
3'201'228
282'429

71'514'583

5'000
200'000

209'900

337'060

47'60554'4503'200'000
282'01435'064'187

64'057

107'237'391

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315
Blank cells: No data available.
*Wild collection and beekeeping areas**Total includes correction value for French overseas departments.

56

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Source: FiBL survey 2020

Infographic 3: Organic producers 2018




FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

57


Statistics › Producers and Other Operators

Organic producers and other operator types
Producers
There were almost 2.8 million organic producers worldwide. According to the dataobtained, over 90 percent of the producers are in Asia, Africa, and Europe (Figure 9).
The country with the most organic producers is India, followed by Uganda andEthiopia (Figure 10).
Reporting precise figures on the number of organic farms remains difficult as somecountries:− report only the numbers of companies, projects, or grower groups, which may
each comprise many individual producers;− do not provide data on the number of producers at all;− include collectors in case there are wild collection areas, and− provide the number of producers per crop, and there may be overlaps for thosegrowers 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.
There is a challenge with the number of producers in some countries, as somecertifiers provide data on all producers including small holders, whereas othercertifiers provide data on the certificates only. This problem became particularlymarked in the case of Mexico, where the data source changed, and the new source
does not include the smallholder farmers, resulting in a major drop of organic
producers in Mexico and Latin America as a whole. The change of data source had
also an effect on the global number of organic producers: Almost 150’000, or
5.0 percent less producers were recorded compared with 2017. However, in all othercontinents, with the exception of Africa, the number of producers increased (Table
10).
Table 10: World: Development of the numbers of producers by region 2017 to 20182017 [no.]2018 [no.]1 year
growth[no.]1 year
growth[%]10 years
growth[no.]

10 years
growth[%]Africa806'877

788'858-18'019-2.2

275'890

+53.8

Asia

1'231'159

1'317'023+85'864+7.0

587'427+80.5

Europe397'146

418'610+21'464+5.4

163'812+64.3

Latin America

460'443

227'609-232'834-50.6-56'756-20.0

North America

22'96623'957

+991

+4.3

7'102

+42.1

Oceania

26'75020'859-5'891-22.0

12'393+146.4World

2'945'341

2'796'916-148'425-5.0

989'989+54.8

RegionSource: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

58

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Producers and Other Operators

Figure 9: World: Distribution of organic producers by region 2018 (Total: 2.8 million
producers)
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

The ten countries with the largest numbers oforganic producers 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

India

1'149'371

Uganda (2016)

210'352

Ethiopia (2015)

203'602

Tanzania (2013)

148'610Peru

103'554

Turkey79'563Italy

69'317

Thailand58'490France41'632

Spain

39'5050

500'000

1'000'000

1'500'000

Number of producers

Figure 10: World: The ten countries with the largest numbers of organic producers
2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

59

Statistics › Producers and Other Operators
Further operator types
Regarding data on further operator types, there are almost 96’000 processors andapproximately 6’600 importers, most of them 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 numberof processors, importers, and exporters is far higher than what is indicated in Table
11.
Further operator types reported were beekeepers, exporters, importers, smallholder
groups, and aquaculture enterprises as well as the number of collectors (wildcollection).
Table 11: World: Organic producers and other operator types by country 2018
For many countries (particularly those with no private or governmental data collection system), data on thevarious operator types is missing or incomplete.
Country
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria (2016)
AndorraArgentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan (2015)
Bahamas (2016)
Bangladesh (2011)
BelarusBelgium
BelizeBenin (2017)
Bermuda (2017)
BhutanBolivia (2014)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
BrazilBulgaria (2017)
Burkina Faso (2017)
BurundiCambodia
Cameroon (2017)
CanadaCape Verde
Chad
Chile
China (2016)

Producers1

Processors

10
82
64
1
1'366
35
1'829
25'795
305
1
9'335
24
2'264
150
4'030

10
58
3
4
340 (2016)

4'354
12'114251
217'508
6'471
26'627
16
5'788
499
5'791
1
1
1'609
6'308

2'077
1'651
50
1
24
1'403
1
25
1

Importers

Exporters

4 (2012)1

530
2
99 (2016)

161
62
50

279

1
7
107
1
19
2

273
23
2
10
181
107
1
54
44
1'719
1
4
197 (2014)
3'865

29

66

Some countries report only the numbers of companies, projects or growers groups, which my eachcompromise a number of producers.

1

60

299
4

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

20
2
7
6
71
1
31
19
1
4
88 (2013)
1'198

Statistics › Producers and Other Operators
Country

Producers1

Processors

Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica (2017)
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba (2016)
CyprusCzech Republic
Congo, D.R.
Denmark
Dominican Republic
EcuadorEgypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia (2015)
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
FinlandFranceFrench Guiana (France)
French Polynesia
Gambia (2017)
Georgia (2015)
Germany
Ghana
GreeceGrenadaGuadeloupe (France)
Guatemala (2014)
Guinea (2017)
Guinea-Bissau
GuyanaHaiti
Honduras (2017)
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
IrelandIsraelItaly
Jamaica (2017)
Japan
Jordan (2017)
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati (2017)
KosovoKuwait

3'496
680
58
50
2'776
4'374
510
1'249
4'601
30'1703'637 (2017)16'11912'912
970
380
1'948
2
203'602
4
1
67
5'129
41'632
75
12
1
1'075
31'7133'228
29'594
23
63
6'346
1
1

58
7
1
51
34
368
1
57
822
22
1'018 (2017)70
247 (2017)

4'661
6'023
3'929
29
1'149'371
18'16220
1'725
349
69'317
127
3'678
23
63
37'295900
150
1Importers

Exporters
89
7

14
19
303
78 (2015)
4 (2017)

52
28
3
2
1
165
19
80 (2015)15
178 (2017)
242

10
171
2

33

16
2
40

1
7
301
16'651
9
8

63
545

20

1'723

1'208
29
47

2
15'441
68
1'542

33

9
23
3
1
1
2
515
26
1'452
775
19
26
144
20'087
3'361
5
22
22
1
35

1
42
3

24
79
472

92
3
1
1
8
25

669 (2012)
225
19
2
45
962 (2016)

302
7
15

4
14
32

1

8
1

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

61

Statistics › Producers and Other Operators
Country
Kyrgyzstan
Lao P.D.R. (2011)
Latvia (2018)
LebanonLesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
MalawiMalaysia
Mali (2017)
Malta
Martinique (France)
Mauritania (2017)
Mauritius
MayotteMexicoMoldova
MonacoMongolia
Montenegro
MoroccoMozambique
MyanmarNamibia
Nepal
Netherlands (2017)
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger (2017)
Nigeria (2017)
Niue
North Macedonia
NorwayOman
Pakistan
Palestine (2017)
PanamaPapua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
PolandPortugal
Puerto Rico (2016)
Republic of Korea
Réunion (France)
Romania (2017)
Russian Federation
RwandaSamoa
San Marino

62

Producers1

Processors

1'107
1'342
4'178
111
3
46
2'476
103
32'367295
29
12'272
19
64

29
1
51
60
3

22
3
27'000
135
13
328
277
269
48
8
1'622
1'696
131
876
8'193
2
1'091
1
775
2'057
5
415
1'440
18
12'742
5'187
103'554
12'366
19'2245'213
515'500
306
7'908
40
3'870
2'038

81
94
217
5
15
13
5
19
1
5
39
14
1
5
75 (2016)
19
74
8
6
995
1
304
30
1
14
1
20
457
125
44
2
80
22
94
251
533
788
2
729
32
161
26
24
6
2

Importers

Exporters

10
7

16
1
0
2

11
8
155
6
6
16
14
1
14

2

24
31

385

215
13
28
4
1
87

29

94
4
82

4
93

5

37
4
6

208
33

23
80
103
249
23
3

9

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

6
8
14

Statistics › Producers and Other Operators
Country
Sao Tome and Principe (2017)
Saudi Arabia
Senegal (2013)
SerbiaSeychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia (2017)
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
SomaliaSouth Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Sweden (2017)
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic (2010)
TaiwanTajikistan
Tanzania (2013)
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Tunisia (2017)
TurkeyUganda (2016)
UkraineUnited Arab Emirates (2017)
United Kingdom
United States of America
US Virgin Islands (2017)
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Viet Nam
ZambiaZimbabwe

World*

Producers1

Processors

3'564
6
18'369
373
1
304

4

439
3'738
1'098
237
39'505
1'416
3
39
5'801
7'032
2'458
3'556
953
148'61058'490
4
38'414
1'060
7'236
79'563210'352
501
95
3'544
18'16612
1
47
17'169286
511

2'796'916

24
123
1
4
16
85
409
1
5
230
4'627
879
10
3
1'328
1'289 (2017)
9

17
209
16
42
1
290
1'501
15
5
2'569
1
25
1
4
1
555

Importers

51

22
24

320

89
548 (2017)

Exporters
5
2 (2015)
20
3
2
2
4
1

4
122
109
313
11
1
10
18 (2017)

1
30
69
4
31
20
51

79
97
14

3
182 (2017

2
1

10
1
1
60
5
7

40

6

95'797

6'582

8'846

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315
Blank cells: No data available.
*Total number includes data for countries with less than three operators.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

63


64



FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Source: FiBL survey 2020

Infographic 4: Organic retail sales 2018



Statistics › Retail Sales and International Trade

Retail sales and international trade data1
Retail sales
Whereas Amarjit Sahota presents global trends for the organic market along withmuch background information (page 138) in this chapter, we show the countryrelated market data that was compiled under the framework of the FiBL survey onorganic agriculture. Data on total retail sales value was available for 56 countries(30 percent of the total countries with organic data), which means that for many
countries with organic farming activities, such data is missing.
Total retail sales according to the FiBL survey amounted to almost 97 billion euros in
2018. The country with the largest market for organic food is the United States (40.6
billion euros), followed by Germany (10.9 billion euros), France (9.1 billion euros), andChina (8.1 billion euros). The largest single market is the United States, followed by
the European Union (37.4 billion euros) and China (Figure 85). By region, North
America has the lead (43.7 billion euros), followed by Europe (40.7 billion euros) andAsia (Table 12).
Market growth was noted in all countries for which 2018 data were available, and insome cases, it was in the double digits. France was the country that registered thebiggest growth; the market increased by 15.4 percent. Whereas the highest per capita
consumption by continent is in North America (120 euros), by country it is highest in
European countries. In 2018, Switzerland and Denmark had the highest per capita
consumption (312 euros) worldwide, followed by Sweden (231 euros) andLuxembourg (221 euros) (Table 13).
Looking at the shares the organic market has of the total market, the leader isDenmark (11.5 percent), followed by Switzerland (9.9 percent), Sweden (9.6 percent),
Austria (8.9 percent), and Luxembourg (8.0 percent) (Table 13).

Export data
International trade data is becoming available for more and more countries. These canbe expressed as total export/import volumes in metric tons or as values. Somecountries also provide breakdowns by crop and product. Table 13 shows the values of
total exports where available. More than 50 countries provided data on export values.

Import data
Import data are not available for many countries. Since 2018, the European Union has
collected import data; these are available on page 142. Data on US organic imports
and exports (values and quantity) are available on the USDA website.2

1 Please note that due to differences in the methodology, some of the figures presented in this chapter differ
from those collected in by Ecovia Intelligence (see chapter by Amarjit Sahota on page 146).
2 The data can be found at http://apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/ExpressQuery1.aspx. Go to “standard query” andchoose “Organics selected”.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

65

Statistics › Retail Sales and International Trade
Table 12: Global market data: Retail sales and per capita consumption by region 2018
RegionAfrica*Asia
EuropeLatin America**
North America
Oceania
World

Retail sales [Million €]1

Per capita consumption [€]17
10'07140'729810
43'677
1'378
96'683

0.01
2.4
50.5
1.5
119.9
33.5
12.9

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020, based on data from government bodies, the private sector, and market researchcompanies. For data sources, see annex, page 315.
* Data from Ethiopia and Kenya.
** Data from Belize, Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico, and Peru.

Figure 11: Global market for organic food: Distribution of retail sales by country 2018
Figure 12: Global market for organic food: Distribution of retail sales by region 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020, based on data from government bodies, the private sector, and market researchcompanies. For data sources see annex, page 315

1

According to the Central European Bank, 1 euro corresponded to 1.1810 US dollars in 2018.

66

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Retail Sales and International Trade
The ten countries with the largest markets fororganic food 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020

United States of America

40'559Germany

10'910France

9'139

China

8'087

Italy

3'483

Canada3'119

Switzerland

2'655

United Kingdom

2'537

Sweden

2'301

Spain

1'903
0

10'000

20'00030'00040'00050'000Retail sales in million euros

Figure 13: Global market: The countries with the largest markets for organic food2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020, based on data from government bodies, the private sector, and market researchcompanies. For data sources see annex, page 315

The ten countries with the highest per capita
consumption 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020

Denmark

312

Switzerland

312

Sweden231

Luxembourg

221

Austria

205

Norway159

France136

Germany

132

USA

125

Saudi Arabia

93
0

50

100
150
200
250
Per capita consumption in euros

300

350

Figure 14: Global market: The ten countries with the highest per capita consumption
2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020, based on data from government bodies, the private sector, and market researchcompanies. For data sources see annex, page 315

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

67

Statistics › Retail Sales and International Trade
Table 13: Global market data: Retail sales, organic share of all retail sales, per capita
consumption, and exports by country 2018
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/statistics-data-revisions.html andincluded into the FiBL database.
Data
year

Country
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belgium
BelizeBhutanBolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
BrazilBulgaria
CanadaChile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
CyprusCzech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Estonia
Ethiopia
FinlandFranceGermany
GreeceGuatemala
Hungary
India
Ireland
Italy
JamaicaJapan
Kazakhstan

1

2009
2018
2011
2018
2011
2018
2015
2018
2011
2017
2018
2016
2017
2016
2017
2018
2009
2017
2018
2007
2008
2009
2011
2018
2006
2016
2017
2018
2016
2017
2015
2018
2017
2018
2018
2017
2014
2009
2015
2017
2018
2011
2017
2017
2018
2016
2017
2018
2015

Retail sales[Million €]1

Organic
share [%]

1'224
1'810
3
698
0.1
0.0

8.9
3.0
0.3

€/person

Exports[Million €]

49

122
434
80

205
0.3
61
0.2
0.0

0.4

0.1

778
29

4
4

6
126
434

2.6
3'119
2

84
0.1

8'087

6

1

0.3

213
806
13
19
3

99
2

2.2

24
2

127
1'807

1.2
11.5

12
312

42
13
336

2.7

32
0.1

61

9'139
10'910
66

2.4
4.8
5.3

390
191
27
181
28
707

136
132
6
18
20

30
186

3
0.2
641
0.7

206

43
3.2

3'483
1

58
0.3

2'266

1.4
1'419

11

According to the Central European Bank, 1 euro corresponded to 1.1810 US dollars in 2018.

68

0.3
0.0
179

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

9

Statistics › Retail Sales and International Trade
Country
Kenya
KosovoKyrgyzstan
LatviaLithuania
Luxembourg
MexicoMoldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
New Zealand
NorwayPeru
PolandPortugal
Republic of Korea
Romania
Russian Federation
Samoa
Saudi Arabia
SerbiaSingapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sri Lanka
SwedenSwitzerland
ThailandTurkeyUgandaUkraineUnited Kingdom
USA
Viet Nam
Total

Data
year

Retail sales[Million €]1

2018
2015
2017
2017
2017
2018
2013
2011
2010
2016
2018
2017
2016
2018
2010
2018
2018
2011
2017
2011
2016
2009
2018
2010
2018
2016
2017
2010
2009
2013
2016
2017
2015
2018
2018
2014
2014
2017
2015
2018
2016
2018
2018
2016

3.9
51
51
135
14

Organic
share [%]€/person

Exports[Million €]

0.1
1.5
1.0
8.0

0.1

6
18
221
0.1
0.2

24.4
6
418
51
45
373
15
1'200

1'287
155

4.7
2.2
1.7

75
33

423
14

79
0.5

250
21
330

7
2

224

339
0.2

200
41

2

160

1.1

4
0.1
93
19
16
4

0.2

3
1

49

1.8

27

1'903

2.8

42

2'301
2'655
12
46

9.6
9.9

231
312
0
1

0.1
891

33
2'537
40'55918
96’683

1
5.7
0.2
12.9

38
124.5

259
117
28
182
50
104
194
2'981.3
77

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020, based on data from government bodies, the private sector, and market researchcompanies. For data sources see annex, page 315
Blank cells: No data available

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

69

Statistics › DAC Countries

Organic farming in developing countries and emerging
markets
The Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a forum to discuss issues surrounding aid,
development and poverty reduction in developing countries. The recipients of Official
Development Assistance (ODA) according to DAC, are studied in this section.
More than 2.4 million organic producers from the countries on the DAC list1 werecounted (86 percent of all organic producers). Almost a quarter of the world’s organic
agricultural land, 17.3 million hectares, is located in countries listed on the DAC list.
If wild collection and beekeeping areas are included, the total area is 37.4 million
hectares. Almost half of the agricultural land of the countries on the DAC list is
located in Latin American countries (almost 8 million hectares), with Asia (6.5 million)
and Africa (2.0 million) in second and third place. The countries with the largest areasof organic agricultural land are Argentina, China, Uruguay, India, and Brazil, in thatorder. Not surprisingly, most of them are large countries (Figure 15).
However, when it comes to organic agricultural land as a percentage of the total area
under cultivation, the order is different. The countries on the DAC list with thehighest percentages of organic agricultural land are Samoa (34.5 percent), Sao Tomeand Principe (22.5 percent), and Timor-Leste (16.8 percent). Argentina, with by far thelargest area under organic cultivation (with 3.6 million hectares), is ranked fifteenth
when the organic agricultural area is expressed as a share of the total agriculturalarea. The organic share of the total agricultural land of the top ten countries on the
DAC list is comparable to that of many European countries, and they can be
attributed in part to a high production potential for, and focus on, exports. Support
activities may also play a role. However, out of all the countries on the DAC list, only
26 percent of them have an organic share higher than one percent of the total
agricultural area (Figure 16).
Land use details were available for almost 80 percent of the agricultural land of thecountries on the DAC list; crop data is missing for some of the world’s largest
producing countries (India and Brazil). Available statistics show that organic
grassland/grazing areas constitute over 34 percent of the organic agricultural land,organic arable land 27 percent, and organic permanent crops 18 percent. Exports play
an important role, either for meat products (mainly from Argentina and Uruguay) orfor unprocessed permanent and arable crops. The most important crops are export
crops, such as cereals, coffee, oilseeds, textile crops (mainly cotton), nuts, coconuts,
olives, cocoa, etc. For Africa, coffee and olives, for Asia, cereals and oilseeds, and for
Latin America, coffee and cocoa are the most important crops.

1 The country list of the Development Assistance Committee DAC is available on the OECD website at
http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/daclist.htm

70

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Statistics › DAC Countries
Table 14: Countries on the DAC list: Development of organic agricultural land 20132018
RegionAfricaAsia
EuropeLatin America
Oceania
Total

2013 [ha]2014 [ha]2015 [ha]2016 [ha]2017 [ha]2018 [ha]1'202'738
3'309'384
476'759
6'305'127
62'511
11'356'518

1'252'645
3'436'793
509'089
6'424'945
85'15911'708'630

1'674'509
3'770'051
508'151
6'802'417
73'802
12'828'930

1'793'266
4'813'971
546'663
7'354'087
113'164
14'621'151

1'998'755
5'933'995
541'906
7'959'556
158'871
16'593'083

2'002'669
6'461'521
676'168
7'972'782
221'097
17'334'237

Source: FiBL surveys 2015-2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed
data sources see annex, page 315

The ten countries on the DAC list
with the largest areas of organic
agricultural land 2018

The ten countries on the DAC list
with the highest organic shares of
the total agricultural land 2018

Source: FiBL survey 2020

Source: FiBL survey 2020

Argentina

3.63

China
India
Brazil

22.5%

2.15

Timor-Leste

1.94

Uruguay

14.9%

Vanuatu

13.7%

1.19

Turkey34.5%

Sao Tome and Principe

3.14

Uruguay

Samoa
16.8%

Fiji

0.65

9.7%

Peru

0.31

Dominican Republic

Tunisia

0.31

Kiribati

4.7%

Tanzania,…

0.28

Solomon Islands

4.4%

Uganda0.26

Papua New Guinea

4.2%

0

2
Million hectares

4

7.2%

0%

20%
Organic share

40%

Figure 15 (left): Countries on the DAC list: The ten countries with the largest areas oforganic agricultural land in 2018
Figure 16 (right): Countries on the DAC list: The ten countries with the highest
organic shares of the total agricultural land in 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

71

Statistics › Land Use

Land use and key commodities in organic agriculture
Land use
Over two-thirds of the 71.5 million hectares of organic agricultural land in 2018 were
grassland/grazing areas (almost 48.2 million hectares). The cropland area (arable landwith 13.3 million hectares and permanent crops with 4.7 million hectares) constituted
18 million hectares, and over a quarter of the organic agricultural land. The croplandarea is probably much higher because details on land use are not available for somecountries with large organic agricultural areas such as Brazil and India. General land
use information was available for 92 percent of the organic agricultural land;
however, this does not mean that detailed crop information is available for all areas as
not all countries provided detailed crop data.1
The FAO classification2 of land use was utilized for this survey with slight
modifications. A system similar to that of Eurostat was used for the classification ofcrops. 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), permanent grassland/grazing areas, otheragricultural areas (such as hedges), and agricultural land for which no details wereavailable at all. For crop groups by land use type, see Table 16.
Aquaculture, forest, and grazed non-agricultural land were distinguished from
“agricultural land” with a separate category, as were organic wild collection areas andbeekeeping areas.
The land use information can be summarized by geographical region as follows(Table 15):
− Africa: Land use information was available for more than 90 percent of the totalorganic agricultural land in Africa. Almost two-thirds of the agricultural land isused for permanent crops. The main permanent crops are cash crops, such as
coffee and olives; among the main arable crops are oilseeds (sesame, soybeans, andpeanuts) and cotton. For land use details in Africa, see page 193.
− Asia: Land use details are known for almost two-thirds of the total organic
agricultural land in Asia. Arable land is mainly used for cereals, including rice.
Furthermore, oilseeds, dry pulses and textile crops are important. For land use
details in Asia, see page 209.
− Europe: In Europe, agricultural land use is well known, and the main crop
categories are well documented. Permanent grassland accounts for almost 40
percent of the organic agricultural land. Arable land (49 percent) is mainly used
for the cultivation of cereals and by green fodder (2.6 million hectares and 2.5

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.
2 For more details, see the FAOSTAT homepage, faostat.fao.org: Home > Concepts and Definitions >Glossary, or http://faostat.fao.org/site/379/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=379
1

72

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Statistics › Land Use
million hectares respectively). Permanent crops account for eleven percent of theorganic agricultural land. More than one-third of this land was used for olives,
followed by grapes, nuts, and temperate fruits. For land use details, see page 226).
− Latin America and the Caribbean: Almost three-quarters of the total organic
agricultural land in Latin America is permanent grassland. Permanent crops
account for 9 percent of the total organic agricultural area. More than one-third of
the permanent cropland is used for coffee, followed by cocoa and tropical fruits.
For details on land use in Latin America and the Caribbean, see page 216.
− North America: Arable land and permanent grassland/grazing areas have similar
shares of the total organic agricultural land. A major proportion of the arable land
is used for cereal production and cultivation of green fodder. For details on land
use in North America, see page 278.
− Oceania: Most of the land in Australia is used for extensive grassland/grazing. A
wide range of permanent crops is grown in the Pacific region. For details, see page292.

Figure 17: World: Distribution of main land use types by region 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn73

Statistics › Land Use

Figure 18: World: Distribution of main land use types and key crop categories 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Development of the organic land by land use type2004-2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL-Surveys 1999-2020

60
46.9 48.2

Million hectares

50

33.0 33.0
27.3

30
21.8

20
10

Arable land
crops
Permanent
crops
Permanent
grassland

38.0

40

20.1 20.4 20.0

22.3 22.9 23.1 22.0 21.9

12.7 13.3
10.8
8.5 8.9 10.0
8.0
7.7
5.1 5.9 6.5
4.6 4.9 4.8
3.5 4.4 4.5 4.9
2.6 2.9 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.9
0.9 1.4 1.4 1.9 2.0 2.5

0
2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

Figure 19: World: Development of organic arable land, permanent cropland andpermanent grassland/grazing areas 2004-2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

74

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Statistics › Land Use
Table 15: World: Land use in organic agriculture by region (including in-conversion
areas) 2018
Africa
[ha]

Asia
[ha]

Europe[ha]

Latin
America[ha]North
America[ha]Arable crops

550'334

3'434'390

7'462'240

335'740

Permanent crops

1'258'648

666'832

1'699'119

740'278

Land use

Permanent grassland
World*

Oceania
[ha]

Total
[ha]

1'476'682

57'03413'316'419

151'966

217'250

4'734'094

4'031

27'9306'241'185

5'923'885

1'371'893

34'683'571

48'252'495

2'003'977

6'537'226

15'635'505

8'008'581

3'335'002

35'999'373

71'514'583

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Table 16: World: Land use and crop categories in organic agriculture worldwide 2018Land use
Agricultural land and crops, no details
Arable crops

Arable crops total
Permanent crops

Crop group
Agricultural land and crops, no details
Arable crops, no details
Arable crops, other
Cereals
Dry pulses
Fallow land, crop rotation
Flowers and ornamental plants
Fresh vegetables and melons
Hops
Industrial crops
Medicinal and aromatic plants
Mushrooms and truffles
Oilseeds
Other arable land crops
Plants harvested green
Root crops
Seeds and seedlings
Strawberries
Sugarcane
Textile crops
TobaccoBerries
Citrus fruit
Cocoa
Coconut
CoffeeFlowers and ornamental plants, permanent
Fruit
Fruit of temperate climate zones
Fruit, tropical and subtropical
GrapesMedicinal and aromatic plants, permanent
Nurseries
Nuts

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnArea [ha]3'864'048
369'634
155'090
4'782'363
726'845535'649
1'504
387'352711
12'331286'359
16'602
1'484'585
700
3'866'450
113'765
228
7'507
94'811468'921
5'013
13'316'419
61'54990'047322'184
386'448700'85024
24'318223'516274'448422'277
84'600981
711'46875

Statistics › Land Use
Land use

Permanent crops total
Permanent grassland
World*

Crop group
OlivesTea
Permanent crops, other

Area [ha]872'237
140'511412'565
4'734'094
48'252'495
71'514'583

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315. *Totals include other agricultural areas, land for which no details were available, andcorrection values for some countries for land with double cropping during one year.

76

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Statistics › Land Use › Arable Land
Arable landWith a total of more than 13.3 million hectares, organic arable land constitutes
19 percent of the world’s organic agricultural land and 0.9 percent of the world’s
arable cropland.1
An increase of 5.1 percent over 2017 was reported, and there was an increase in mostcrop categories. However, some categories, such as flowers and ornamental plants,
and textile crops, reported a drop (Table 17).
Almost 60 percent of the arable land is located in Europe, followed by Asia
(26 percent), and North America (11 percent) (Figure 20). Most of the arable croplandis used for cereals including rice (4.8 million hectares), green fodder (3.8 million
hectares), and oilseeds (1.5 million hectares) (Figure 21 and Table 17).
Table 17: Use of organic arable land (including in-conversion areas), 2017 and 2018
comparedCrop group2017 [ha]2018 [ha]Change2017-2018 [ha]Organic
share [%]

Cereals
Dry pulses
Flowers and ornamental plants
Green fodder from arable land
Hops
Industrial crops
Medicinal and aromatic plants
Mushrooms and truffles
Oilseeds
Root crops
Strawberries
Sugarcane
Textile crops
TobaccoVegetables
World*

4'368'170
660'91111'776
3'864'607
605
11'008231'954
14'084
1'414'315
103'427
8'389
89'826504'889
5'878
375'907
12'665'172

4'782'363
726'845
1'504
3'866'450
711
12'331286'359
16'602
1'484'585
113'765
7'507
94'811468'921
5'013
387'352
13'316'419+414'192+65'934-10'273+1'843+106+1'323+54'405+2'518+70'270+10'338-882+4'985-35'968-865+11'444651'247

0.7%
0.8%
0.8%
16.9%
0.6%
0.2%
1.9%
0.4%
1.3%
0.1%
0.6%
0.9%

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315
Not all countries included in the FiBL survey provided data on land use or crop areas.
*Total includes arable crop groups for which no further details were available, data for fallow land, some minor or not
specified crop groups.

1 There were 1'561'336'753 hectares of arable cropland in 2017, according to FAOSTAT, FAO, Rome. See the
FAO Homepage at www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data > Inputs > Land > www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/RL

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

77

Statistics › Land Use › Arable Land

Figure 20: World: Distribution of organic arable cropland by region 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Figure 21: World: Use of arable cropland by crop group 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

78

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Statistics › Land Use › Permanent Crops
Permanent crops
Permanent crops accounted for more than 4.7 million hectares, which is 2.8 percent of
the world’s permanent cropland.1 Compared with 2017, a decrease of more than140'000 hectares, or 2.9 percent, was reported. This decrease is mainly due to the factthat for Mexico (change of data source) considerably less coffee and tropical fruit andfor the Dominican Republic a drop of 77’000 hectares of cocoa was reported.
Seven percent of the organic agricultural land is permanent cropland. Thus,
permanent cropland has a higher share in organic agriculture than in total agriculture,
where permanent crops account for slightly more than 3 percent of the total.
Most of the permanent cropland is in Europe (1.7 million hectares), followed by Africa(1.3 million hectares), and Latin America (almost 0.7 million hectares) (Table 15 andFigure 22). The most important crops are olives, with nearly 0.9 million hectares,
constituting almost 20 percent of the organic permanent cropland, followed by nuts
(more than 0.7 million hectares), coffee (0.7 million hectares), grapes (0.4 million
hectares), and coconuts (almost 0.4 million hectares) (Figure 23 and Table 18).
Table 18: Use of organic permanent cropland (including in-conversion areas), 2017and 2018 compared
Crop group2017 [ha]2018 [ha]Change2017-2018 [ha]Organic
share [%]

Berries
Citrus fruit
Cocoa
Coconut
CoffeeFlowers and ornamental plants
Fruit, no details
Fruit, temperate
Fruit, tropical and subtropical
GrapesMedicinal and aromatic plants
Nurseries
Nuts
OlivesTea
World*

63'59798'186391'550
400'209887'62969
113'672
223'499378'517403'057
79'744736
624'967
882'938
124'9104'874'356

61'54990'047322'184
386'448700'85024
24'318223'516274'448422'277
84'600981
711'468
872'237
140'511
4'734'094-2'048-8'139-69'366-13'762-186'778-45-89'354+17-104'069+19'220+4'856+245+86'501-10'702
15'601-140'262

11.3
1.0
2.7
3.1
6.5
0.4
1.9
1.1
6.1
2.7
5.3
8.1
3.2
2.8

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on data from governments, the private sector, and certifiers. For detailed data sources
see annex, page 315*Total includes permanent crop groups, for which no further details were available.

1 There were 167'877'447.5 hectares of permanent cropland in 2017 according to FAOSTAT, FAO, Rome. See
the FAO Homepage at www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data > Inputs > Land > www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/RL

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

79

Statistics › Land Use › Permanent Crops

Figure 22: World: Distribution of permanent cropland by region 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Figure 23: World: Use of permanent cropland by crop group 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

80

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Statistics › Land Use › 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 regulated by organic laws. A collection area(including beekeeping) of more than 35 million hectares was reported in 2018. The
organic wild collection areas are concentrated in Europe, Africa, Latin America, andAsia (Figure 24 and Table 19); the distribution is thus quite different from that of theorganic agricultural land. The countries with the largest areas are Finland (mainly
berries), followed by Zambia and the United Republic of Tanzania (beekeeping)(Figure 25). According to experts, wild berries, apiculture, and medicinal andaromatic plants, as well as shea nuts in Africa and Brazil, and nuts in Latin America,
play the most important roles (Table 20). Unfortunately, for most of the wildcollection areas, no details are available.
Table 19: Wild collection and beekeeping areas by region 2017 and 2018 comparedRegionAfricaAsia
EuropeLatin America
North America
OceaniaWorld

2017 [ha]13'274'435
3'354'043
17'385'600
4'216'347
83'832769
38'315'026

2018 [ha]11'529'725
2'835'448
17'246'818
3'444'450
6'981
765
35'064'187

Change2017-2018 [ha]Change2017-2018 [%]-1'744'710-518'595-138'782-771'897-76'850-5-3'250'840-13.1%-15.5%-0.8%-18.3%-91.7%-0.6%-8.5%

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on data from governments, the private sector, and certifiers.
For detailed data sources see annex, page 315

Table 20: Wild collection and beekeeping areas by crop group 2018Land use

Area [ha]Apiculture

2'629'713

Berries, wild

638'999

Cereals, wild

4'270

Forest honey

2'500'000

Fruit, wild

305'998

Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild

3'429'678

Mushrooms, wild341

Nuts, wild

1'453'321

Nuts, wild, other700'000

Oil plants, wild

31'995

Palm sugar
Palm trees, wild

916
66'800Rosehips, wild

21'798Seaweed201'485

Wild collection, no details

23'078'849

World

35'064'187

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. The total includes
areas, for which no details were available. For detailed data sources see annex, page 315

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81

Statistics › Land Use › Wild Collection

Figure 24: World: Distribution of organic wild collection and beekeeping areas byregion in 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on data from government bodies, the private sector, and certifiers. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

The ten countries with the largest wild collection andbeekeeping areas 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

Finland11.3

Zambia3.2

Tanzania (2017)

2.4

Romania (2014)

1.8

South Africa

1.5

India

1.5

Brazil (2011)

1.2

Namibia

1.1

China

1.0

Mexico

1.0
0

5

10

15

Million hectares

Figure 25: World: The ten countries with the largest organic wild collection andbeekeeping areas in 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on data from government bodies, the private sector, and certifiers. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

82

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Statistics › Land Use › Wild Collection
Table 21: Wild collection and beekeeping areas by country 2018
Country
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan

BelarusBelgium
Benin
BhutanBolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
BrazilBulgaria
Burkina Faso

Cameroon
Canada
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Côte d'Ivoire
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Ethiopia

Land use
Chestnuts, wild
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, no details
Tilia leaves and Hypericum
Blackberries, wild
Buckthorn, wild
Chestnuts, wild
Cornel, wild
Fruit, wild, other
Hawthorn, wild
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild, other
Walnuts, wild
Wild collection, no details
Blueberries, wild
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, no details
Baobab, wild
Shea nuts, wild
Wild collection, no details
Chestnuts, wild
Berries, wild, no details
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild, no details
Devil's claw
Fruit, wild, no details
Bamboo, wild
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, no details
Fruit, wild, no details
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild, no details
Shea nuts, wild
Wild collection, no details
Apiculture
Wild collection, other
Wild rice, wild collection
Gums natural
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, no details
Palmito, wild
Wild collection, other
Coconuts, wild
Shea nuts, wild
Wild collection, no details
Mushrooms, wild
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection
Apiculture
Gums natural

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnArea [ha]2'770
611'123
628
1'001
9'310
1
8
3
49
374
167
150
56
130
126
576'469
550
3
2'978
722
7'746
922'991
62'030103'504
102'500
224
1'229'421
307'020
15'000
1'500
198'257
17'00847'000
2'373
4'270
116'330
7'800
51'548973'000
6'800
520
462
1'060
2'648
330
60'000174'034
116
8'917

83

Statistics › Land Use › Wild Collection
Country
Fiji
Finland
Georgia
Ghana

GreeceGuatemalaGuineaGuyanaIceland
India
Indonesia

Iran (Islamic Republic of)IsraelJamaica
Kenya
KosovoKyrgyzstan

Lao P.D.R.
LebanonLesothoMadagascar
Mali
Mauritania
MexicoMoldova
Montenegro
MoroccoMozambique
Namibia

84

Land use
Fruit, wild, no details
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, no details
Baobab, wild
Nuts, wild
Shea nuts, wild
Wild collection, no details
Apiculture
Shea nuts, wild
Palmito, wild
SeaweedWild collection, no details
Apiculture
Oil plants, wild
Palm sugar
SeaweedWild collection, no details
Apiculture
Wild collection, no details
Garlic, wild
Bamboo, wild
Apiculture
Wild collection, no details
Almonds, wildApples, wild
Pistachios, wild
Plums, wild
Rosehips, wild
Walnuts, wild
Bamboo, wild
Wild collection, no details
Nuts, wild, no details
Wild collection, no details
Rosehips, wild
Lemongrass, wild
Wild collection, no details
Shea nuts, wild
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection
Fruit, wild
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, no details
Argan Oil, wild
Caper, wild
Carob, wild
Opuntia, wild
Wild collection, other
BaobabCoconuts, wild
Devil's claw
Marula, wild

Area [ha]653
11'263'583
215
60'14713'00035'834317'053
5
1'000
60'000200'032
1'490'418
16'703
303
916
136
354
39'56410'655
4
36
121'625
179'580
177
1'995
2'900
1'214
10
7'193
282
16'786
7
302
6'363
177
7'472
8'690
2'800
958'380
114
263
143'41031'692
250
1'820
4'367
230'000
28'000785'000
1'123'582
21

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Land Use › Wild Collection
Country
Nepal
Nigeria
Niue
Pakistan
Peru
Portugal
Romania
Russian Federation

SenegalSlovenia
SomaliaSouth Africa

Spain
Sudan
Syrian Arab Republic
Tanzania, United Republic ofThailandTunisia
TurkeyUgandaUkraineUnited States of America
Uzbekistan
Viet Nam
ZambiaZimbabwe
North Macedonia
World

Land use
Wild collection, no details
Apiculture
Fruit, wild, no details
Pine nuts, wild
Chestnuts, wild
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, no details
Pine nuts, wild
SeaweedWild collection, no details
Baobab, wild
Wild collection, other
Wild collection, no details
Gums natural
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild, no details
Wild collection, no details
Aloe vera, wild collection
Honeybush
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wildMushrooms, wild
Rooibos tea, wild
Rosehips, wild
Wild collection, no details
BaobabGum Olibanum
Wild collection, no details
Apiculture
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, other
Wild collection, no details
Shea nuts, wild
Wild collection, no details
Wild collection, no details
Blueberries, wild
Wild collection, no details
Bamboo, wild
Wild collection, no details
Forest honey
Nuts, wild, other
Fruit, wild, other
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild, other
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild, no details

Area [ha]24'422
1'000
112
44'620213'393
40'0001'787'548
121
1'317
132'400
15'61318'800
13'238801'000
18'100
7'300
1'093'812
29'02840'01911
360'537
15'42538'184
1'340
1'053
8'000
2'403'700
15'040
117'704
25'486163'224406
157'922570'000
338
5'000
0
54'4502'500'000
700'000
282'00014
556'600
35'064'187

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

85

Statistics › Beehives
Beehives
There were almost 2.6 million organic beehives in 2018, representing almost 2.6
percent of the world’s beehives.1 Organic beehives are concentrated in Latin America(37 percent) and Europe (37 percent) (Figure 26). The country with the largest numberof organic beehives is Brazil (629’939), followed by Zambia (388’067), and Bulgaria(264’069). The total number increased almost five-fold since 2007, when over 535’000
beehives were reported (Figure 27).
However, it is important to note that some of the increases can be attributed to thecontinually improving data availability. The large increase from 2014 to 2015 is due tothe fact that data for some countries such as Brazil was available for the first time. In
addition, the growth between 2016 and 2017 is due to a significant increase of thebeehives in Brazil, China, and Zambia. For 2018, decreases were reported for Brazil,
Mexico and Ethiopia.
Nevertheless, it is expected that organic beekeeping will continue to grow worldwide
thanks to the increasing demand for organic honey and bee products. One of the main
challenges for new organic beekeepers is the conversion process due to the lack ofaccess to knowledge on organic beekeeping practices and the organic certification
process. Furthermore, the production of good quality organic honey and the control of
the Varroa parasite with organic methods are major obstacles for organic beekeepers.
In 2015, FiBL, Naturland, Demeter, and Apicon created a new beekeeping platform,
the IFOAM Apiculture Forum (IAF).2 The IAF is a self-organised structure of IFOAM Organics International with the aim to advance the development of organic
beekeeping and to encourage the traditional practices employed by sustainablebeekeeping.

1 According to FAO, there were 90'999'730 beehives in 2017. The FAOSTAT website > Production > Liveanimals at http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
2 For more information about the IFOAM Apiculture Forum, please visit www.organicbeekeeping.info

86

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Statistics › Beehives

Figure 26: World: Distribution of organic beehives by region in 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on data from government bodies, the private sector, and certifiers. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Development of the organic beehives 2007-2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL-Surveys 2008-2020

3 112 003
1 260 359

1 064 057

939 310500¬000

897 8361¬000¬000

2 135 041

527 7631¬500¬000

1 129 371

2¬000¬000

2 057 393

2¬500¬000

889 913

Beehives

3¬000¬000

2 585 269

3¬500¬000

02008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Figure 27: World: Development of the organic beehives 2008-2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL surveys 2006-2020. For detailed data sources see annex, page 315

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87

Statistics › Beehives
Table 22: Number of organic beehives by country 2018
Country

Beehives [no.]Country

Argentina

33'788Martinique (France)

Armenia

2'610

MexicoBeehives [no.]120
150'431

Australia

6'475

Moldova

7'200

Austria

21'432Montenegro

2'788

Azerbaijan

932

Morocco

1'242

Belarus65

Nicaragua23'755

Belgium

24

North Macedonia

8'138

Bhutan177

Norway1'721

Bosnia and Herzegovina

150

Poland2'319

Brazil629'939

Portugal

42'105

Bulgaria

264'069

Réunion (France)

1'114

Romania

86'195

Saudi Arabia

1'382

Burkina Faso
Canada11
10'199Chile

36'543

Serbia

3'061

China

229'084

Slovenia

1'814

Croatia

2'022

Spain

81'030Cuba

58'901

Sweden2'182

Czech Republic

584

Switzerland

4'153

Denmark

315

Thailand

27'337

Estonia2'384

Tunisia

893

Finland

4'488

Turkey51'742

France122'545

Ukraine300

French Guiana (France)

21

Uruguay

24'297

Georgia

570

Zambia388'067

Germany

35'000World

2’585’269

Guadeloupe (France)

36

Guatemala

2'210

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

4'640

Iraq

1'600

Italy

171'094

Kosovo40

Latvia28'090

Lebanon393

Liechtenstein
Lithuania

1883

Luxembourg

63

Madagascar

505

88

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information fromthe private sector, certifiers, and governments. For
detailed data sources see annex, page 315

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Aquaculture
Aquaculture
Naturland from Germany was the first organisation to certify organic aquaculture
products, starting in 1995 with the certification of carp in Germany. Organic was thefirst Voluntary Sustainability Standard (VSS) to cover aquaculture production (Potts
et al. 2016). In 2005, IFOAM – Organics International approved the final version of its
aquaculture standard.
A production volume of nearly 163’000 metric tons of organic aquaculture wasreported in 2018. According to the available data, aquaculture production isconcentrated in Europe (56 percent) and Asia (44 percent mainly China). The largest
production volume was found in China (almost 72’000 metric tons) followed by
Ireland (more than 27’000 metric tons, mainly blue mussel, salmon and oysters) and
Norway (almost 17’000 metric tons) (Table 24 and Figure 28).
Unfortunately, some of the countries with a large aquaculture production, such as
Brazil and Indonesia, did not provide data on organic aquaculture; so, it can beassumed that the organic aquaculture production volume is higher.
A breakdown by species was only available for a quarter of the total production.
According to the available data, organic mussels are the most produced species (over18’000 metric tons), followed by salmon (15’500 metric tons), and carps (almost 5’000
metric tons).
Table 23: Organic aquaculture: Production volume by species 2018
Main species
Aquaculture, no details
Mussels
SalmonCarps
Sturgeon
Rainbow trouts
Aquatic plants
Trout
Seabream
ShrimpsSea bass
Oysters
Bream
Bass
Total

Production [MT]118'363
18'313
15'496
4'874
1'756
1'631
722
562
474
421
112
56
54
44
162'878

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

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89

Statistics › Aquaculture

Figure 28: World: Organic aquaculture production volume: Distribution by continentand top 10 countries 2018
Source: FiBL-survey 2020; based on national data sources and certifier data. For detailed data sources see annex, page
315

Figure 29: World: Organic aquaculture production volume: Distribution by species
and key species 2018
Source: FiBL-survey 2020; based on national data sources and certifier data. For detailed data sources see annex, page315

90

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Statistics › Aquaculture
Table 24: Organic aquaculture: Production volume by country 2018
Country
Austria
Bangladesh
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
China
Croatia
Denmark
EcuadorEstonia
Germany
GreeceHungary
IrelandItaly
LatviaLithuania
NorwayPolandPortugal
Romania
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland
TaiwanTurkeyProduction [MT]
9
342
79
2'000
71'667
285
2'966
79
156
6'596
1'452
3'240
27'264
9'608
7605
16'69632
1'100
10'756
630
6'330
370
50
559

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

References and further reading
Bergleiter, S., Berner, N., Censkowsky, U. & Julià-Camprodon, G. (2009): Organic aquaculture 2009 –production and markets. Munich, Organic Services GmbH and Gräfelfing, Naturland e.V. 120 pp.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2010): Organic aquaculture: The future of
expanding niche markets. Available at http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/i2734e/i2734e04c.pdf
Potts, Jason; Wilkings, Ann; Lynch, Matthew; and McFatridge, Scott (Eds.) (2016): State of Sustainability
Initiatives Review: Standards and The Blue Economy. International Institute for Sustainable
Development, Manitoba, Canada. Available at http://www.iisd.org/ssi/standards-and-the-blueeconomy/

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

91

Statistics › Selected Crops
Statistics on selected crops
In this section, some of the data on key crops and crop groups is presented, including
the area under organic management compared with the total area of the crops. FiBL
collected land use and crop data for the first time in 2004; hence, the development
graphs show the growth since that year.
For this edition, we have not updated the existing crop texts but instead, we arepresenting graphs: A map on the global distribution by country for a given crop/crop
group, its development, the top then countries in term of organic area and organic
share of total, the distribution by continent and, in the case of crop groups, thebreakdown by crop. All these graphics are based on interactive Power BI graphs,
which you can explore at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html.
It should be noted that the organic areas are mainly compared with the area harvested
in 2017 as provided by FAO. The data may not necessarily be directly comparable tothe areas sown or planted as registered by the certification bodies.
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. In those cases, where the certifiers did not include information status, we
assumed that land was fully converted. The tables presented in this section are only
part of the information available in the FiBL crop database, which is available atstatistics.fibl.org.
Furthermore, at www.organic-world.net slides on key crops are available.
Table 25: World: Selected key crop groups and crops area in organic agriculture 2018
(overview including conversion areas)
Crop
Cereals
Citrus fruit
Cocoa
CoffeeDry pulses
Fruit temperate
Fruit, tropical andsubtropical
GrapesOilseeds
OlivesVegetables

Latin
America[ha]North
America[ha]600'363
4'919

504'474
167'442

165'361
11'550148'510247'789
3'666
15'37834'35436'010130'998

3'519

20'412274'448

22'590634'479
6'535
54'187

365'858
496'099603'019
184'373

8'101
45'2615'154
31'80111'836115'063719
73'2387'503

422'277
1'484'585
872'237
387'352

Africa
[ha]

Asia
[ha]

Europe[ha]65'050
7'539
171'363361'640
51'558
3'849

1'270'548
12'980376
67'15271'55753'3822'639'748
53'05949'155
6'388
193'684
256'809
39'82787
95'590
12'465

Oceania[ha]

Total [ha]41'293
1'935
24'182No data

3'927

4'782'363
90'047322'184
700'850
726'845
252'516

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

92

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Cereals› Cereals
In 2018, almost 4.8 million hectares or 0.7 percent of the global cereal area was underorganic management.

Figure 30: Cereals: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

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93

Statistics › Crops › Cereals

Figure 31: Cereals: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

94

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Cereals
Table 26: Cereals: Organic area by country 2018
Country
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
BelarusBelgium
BhutanBolivia
Bosnia andHerzegovina
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
CanadaChile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
CyprusCzech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
FinlandFranceGermany
GreeceHungary
IcelandIndonesia
Iran
IrelandIsraelItaly
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kyrgyzstan
Lao
LatviaLebanon
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Mali
Malta
MexicoMoldova
Montenegro
MoroccoNetherlands
Nicaragua
Nigeria
North Macedonia
NorwayPakistan
Palestine
Paraguay

Organic area[ha]
24'20241'293121'659
1'598
212
11'474537
87'545

Organic share
[%]
0.2
0.2
15.6
0.2
0.0
3.8
1.0
7.0

Area fully
converted [ha]24'202

118

0.1

118

16'602
117
19'590319'148292
968'000
100
81
13'612856
35'49887'746
1'538
8'946
45'59166'013310'828
302'000
47'32833'24647
53'974
522
1'661
1'387
326'083
2'964
111'115
486
716
4'598
50'621
26
104
95'428
1'095
93
44
3
37'176
3'541
150
12
3'422
604
310
1'079
6'481
31'179
36
1'127

1.0
0.6
2.3
0.1
0.9
0.2
2.9
3.5
2.6
6.1
0.2
0.3
13.8
7.6
3.3
4.8
5.7
1.4
0.3
0.0
0.6
2.2
10.4
0.2
0.7
0.0
0.1
0.4
8.0
8.0
3.9
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.4
0.4
6.8
0.0
2.2
0.1
0.0
0.7
2.3
0.2
0.2
0.1

128
8'736
523
72'981

Area underconversion [ha]

1'598
84
14
14'564117
19'152304'086438

560'000

274'000

9'145
586
27'70057'566
1'194
8'946
36'73952'246
184'568

4'467
270
7'797
30'181
344

24'61728'08547
53'963
510
1'509
1'137
245'926
2'964
75'535214505
40'83326
104
86'170
982
93

8'854
13'767126'261
22'712
5'161
11
12
153
250
80'15635'580
272
211
1
9'258
113

2

1

2'444
115
12
3'105
604
60
527
5'556
27'327
16

1'097
36

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

250
552
926
3'851
20

95

Statistics › Crops › Cereals
Country
Peru
PolandPortugal
Republic of Korea
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
SenegalSerbiaSlovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
SwedenSwitzerland
TaiwanTanzania
ThailandTunisia
TurkeyUkraine
UAE
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Viet Nam
Zimbabwe
World

Organic area[ha]
12'269133'907
2'809
1'686
84'927
119'753
459
3'693
3'614
20'770
2'435
5
204'782
122'065
12'4292'937
50'86067'144
485
179'261
133'4402
37'059281'215427
2'078
1
4’782’363

Organic share
[%]
1.0
1.8
1.2
0.2
1.6
0.3
0.2
0.3
0.2
2.9
2.4
0.0
3.4
12.3
8.7
0.9
0.8
0.6
0.1
1.6
0.9
0.6
1.2
0.5
0.1
0.7%

Area fully
converted [ha]11'827
99'0952'437

Area underconversion [ha]34'812373

45'366
114'870
427
117
2'612
17'9442'179
5182'044
102'745

22'73819'3192'937
50'86067'051

93

140'209

39'053

2
34'809

2'249

427
1'713
1
2’851’397

4'884
32
3'576
1'001
2'826
256

365
774’840

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315
Blank cells: No data available

96

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Citrus Fruit› Citrus fruit
In 2018, about 90’000 hectares or 1 percent of the global citrus fruit area was underorganic management.

Figure 32: Citrus fruit: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

97

Statistics › Crops › Citrus Fruit.

Figure 33: Citrus fruit: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

98

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Citrus Fruit
Table 27: Citrus fruit: Organic area by country 2018
Country

Organic area[ha]

Organic share[%]

Area fully
converted [ha]Argentina

1'219

0.9

1'095

Azerbaijan

21

0.7

2

Benin

1

0.0

1

Brazil

147

0.0

1

0.0

Cameroon
China
Colombia

11'963

0.5

3

0.0

5'994

Area underconversion [ha]
19

5'969

Costa Rica

25

0.1

Croatia

15

0.7

13

3

Cuba

167

1.2

44

123

46

44
42

Cyprus

91

2.6

1'482

8.4

Ecuador

572

1.5

530

Egypt

1'303

0.7

1'303
282

Dominican Republic

France463

9.6

Gambia

11

0.0

Ghana

3'863

15.2

3'863

Greece

1'850

4.3

1'162

688

Iran

583

0.4

4

579

Israel

316

1.7

239

77

Italy

35'660

24.4

29'198

6'461
14

11

Jordan13

0.2

Lebanon

23

0.2

9

Madagascar

33

0.2

33

Mexico7'223

1.2

Morocco

1'274

1.0

Nigeria20.0

Palestine1

0.1

Paraguay

636

5.6

Peru

75

0.1

56

Portugal

258

1.3

209

Republic of Korea

60

0.3

Senegal

181

995

279
2

1

49

16

0.2

3

13

South Africa

1'033

1.4

842

190

Spain

14'017

4.8

9'139

4'878

Turkey

705

0.5

227

478

United

4'919

1.7

3
90’0470.0
1.0

355’296

20’100Zimbabwe
World

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315. Blank cells: No data available.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

99

Statistics › Crops › Cocoa› Cocoa beans
In 2018, about 322’000 hectares or 2.7% of the global cocoa area was under organic
management.

Figure 34: Cocoa: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

100

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Cocoa

Figure 35: Cocoa: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

101

Statistics › Crops › Cocoa
Table 28: Cocoa beans: Organic area by country 2018
Organic area[ha]Country

Organic share[%]

Belize220

53.6

Bolivia

4'595

44.4

Cameroon

523

0.1

Area fully
converted [ha]Area underconversion [ha]

3'976

619

Colombia381

0.3

Costa Rica

1'624

40.6

Côte d'Ivoire
Democratic Republic of the
Congo
Dominican Republic

1'347

0.0

1'347

51'905-50'852

1'053

81'39953.9

Ecuador15'217

3.3

12'739

2'478

2

0.2

9'326

0.6

8'719

607

El Salvador
Ghana
Grenada

84

6.7

Haiti

3'060

10.5

Honduras

753

39.0

2

3'060

Indonesia

376

0.0

360

Madagascar

3'797

29.8

3'797

Mexico146

0.2

Nicaragua

4'084

41.2

Nigeria700

0.1

Papua New Guinea

1'935

1.8

1'935

Peru

36'946

25.5

36'946

Sao Tome and Principe

6'884

26.5

6'884

Sierra Leone

61'530151.7

61'530

Tanzania

14'948124.0

14'948

Togo

1'312

5.6

UgandaWorld

19'092322’184

25.3
2.7

3'050

17

1'034
700

17'190227’330

1'902
8’412

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315
Blank cells: No data available.

Please note that the decrease of the organic cocoa area is mainly due to the fact that the Dominican Republic
reported 77’000 hectares less than for 2016 (latest available figure prior to 2018).
For more information on cocoa production (organic and other Voluntary Sustainability Standards - VSS),
please see the report “The State of Sustainable Markets – Statistics and Emerging Trends 2019.”1

1 Willer, Helga, Gregory Sampson, Vivek Voora, Duc Dang, Julia Lernoud (2019): The State of Sustainable
Markets – Statistics and Emerging Trends 2019. International Trade Centre (ITC), Geneva. Available at:
http://www.vss.fibl.org/de/vss.html.
For interactive online graphics see the Sustainability Map at https://www.sustainabilitymap.org/trends

102

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Coffee› Coffee
In 2018, around 701’000 hectares or 6.5% of the global coffee area was under organic
management.

Figure 36: Coffee: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn103


Statistics › Crops › Coffee

Figure 37: Coffee: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

104

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Coffee
Table 29: Coffee: Organic area by country 2018
Country
Bolivia
BrazilCameroon
Cape VerdeColombia
Costa Rica
Congo D.R.
Dominican Republic
EcuadorEl Salvador
Ethiopia
GuatemalaHaiti
Honduras
Indonesia
JamaicaKenya
Lao
Madagascar
Malawi
MexicoMyanmar
Nepal
Nicaragua
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
UgandaUnited States
World

Organic area[ha]
11'185689
203
495
10'495
649
8'595
329
1'656
1'493
161'113
8'425
122
23'50060'046
2
251
1'363
652
114
44'23926398
23'91724'182121'087676
429
37'7094'095
81'740
1'224
4'095
65'57087
700’850

Organic share
[%]
47.4
0.0
0.2
1.3
0.8
11.3
0.3
4.4
1.2
23.2
3.0
0.2
4.7
4.8
0.0
0.2
1.7
0.8
2.3
6.9
0.2
15.1
16.3
44.6
28.6
1.7
0.0
43.6
2.7
7.5
17.0
3.0
6.5%

Area fully
converted [ha]9'709Area underconversion [ha]
1'476

495
8'595
1'578
1'440
159'866
6'925
122

78
53
1'247
1'500

59'828

218
2
1

250
652
114
26
21'147
21'233121'087665
429
37'7094'095
81'740
1'224
4'095

2'770
2'950

543’023

10’305

10

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315
Blank cells: No data available.
Please note that the huge drop in the 2018 coffee area is due to the new data source. A direct year-to-yearcomparison is therefore not possible; neither for Mexico nor for the global coffee area.
For more information on coffee production (organic and other Voluntary Sustainability Standards - VSS),
please see the report “The State of Sustainable Markets – Statistics and Emerging Trends 2019.”1

1 Willer, Helga, Gregory Sampson, Vivek Voora, Duc Dang, Julia Lernoud (2019): The State of Sustainable
Markets – Statistics and Emerging Trends 2019. International Trade Centre (ITC), Geneva. Available at:
http://www.vss.fibl.org/de/vss.html.
For interactive online graphics see the Sustainability Map at https://www.sustainabilitymap.org/trends

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

105

Statistics › Crops › Dry Pulses› Dry pulses1
In 2018, around 727’000 hectares or 0.8% of the global dry pulses area was underorganic management.

Figure 38: Dry Pulses: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

1 In past editions of “The World of Organic Agriculture”, this category was called “Protein crops”. In order toharmonize nomenclature with Eurostat, we changed this to “Dry pulses.”

106

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Dry Pulses

Figure 39: Dry Pulses: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

107

Statistics › Crops › Dry Pulses
Table 30: Dry pulses: Organic area by country 2018
Organic area[ha]Country

Organic share[%]

Area fully
converted [ha]2'867Argentina

2'948

0.5

Austria

13'472

58.9

Area underconversion [ha]Azerbaijan

6

0.0

2

4

Belarus

127

0.1

76

52

Belgium

416

24.1

304

Benin

1

0.0

1

Bosnia and Herzegovina

1

0.0

1

Bulgaria

1'238

1.5

4

0.0

4

Canada80'0091.8

80'009China

59'0002.0

44'0001

0.0

Burkina Faso

Colombia
Croatia

15'000

90

3.4

50

40

Czech Republic

3'882

8.7

2'979

903
6'719

Denmark

11'897

57.8

5'177

Ecuador

22

0.0

15

7

Estonia

9'526

14.5

6'990

2'537

Finland

19'777-

13'917

5'860

France115'599

42.6

80'77334'826

Germany

49'00029.8

Greece21'24763.0

11'941

9'306

Hungary

2'719

13.0

2'457

261

Ireland

227

1.7

190

37

Israel

68

1.0

68

Italy

50'47745.2

40'5189'959

Kazakhstan

11'782

1.3

2'895

8'887

215

0.0

215

Kenya
Kyrgyzstan

630

0.6

630

Latvia

9'659

20.0

7'852

Lithuania

029'755

12.5

24'1305'626

Luxembourg

103

16.6

93

10

Madagascar

187

0.2

187
1

Malawi1

0.0

Mauritius

0

0.0

0

Moldova

1'133

3.9

950

1

0.1

1

Montenegro
Mozambique

1

0.0

1

Netherlands

144

6.7

142

183

Nicaragua

693

0.3

693

Norway

566

21.7

465

3

0.0

3

Poland42'328

13.4

28'272

14'056

Portugal

664

14.6

598

66

Republic of Korea

64

0.5

Peru

Romania

4'994

4.2

2'755

Russian Federation

29'596

1.4

28'613

108

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

101

983

Statistics › Crops › Dry Pulses
Country

Organic area[ha]

Organic share[%]

Area fully
converted [ha]Area underconversion [ha]Senegal228

0.1

Slovakia

1'681

13.2

1'639

42

Slovenia

93

7.1

78

15

South Africa

228

37

0.1

37

Spain

34'463

6.6

29'847

4'617

Sweden15'90929.3

11'858

4'051

Switzerland

1'706

32.4

Tanzania

50'853

2.4

50'853

Turkey14'065

1.7

7'803

Ukraine14'4502.9

United Arab Emirates

6'262

7

0.0

7

United Kingdom

3'468

1.6

3'091

378

United States

15'581

0.8

ZimbabweWorld32
726’845

0.1
0.8%

32
496’079

131’015

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315
Blank cells: No data available

Please note that the 2017 data provided for dry pulses (total area) are different fromwhat we communicated in previous editions of this yearbook. This is due to the factthat for China the 2017 data were totally revised.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

109

Statistics › Crops › Temperate Fruit
Organic Temperate Fruit ›In 2018, almost 224’000 hectares or 1.9% of the global temperate fruit area was underorganic management.

Figure 40: Temperate Fruit: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

110

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Temperate Fruit

Figure 41: Temperate Fruit: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

111

Statistics › Crops › Temperate Fruit
Table 31: Temperate fruit: Organic area by country 2018
Country
Albania

Organic area[ha]

Organic share[%]

Area fully
converted [ha]40.0Argentina

7'707

8.2

Austria

2'325

24.3

Azerbaijan

754

1.4

112

Belgium

751

4.0

469

2

0.0

2

6'192

22.0

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Canada

795

3.8

Chile

2'844

2.7

China

51'022

0.8

1

0.0

Croatia

2'228

Cyprus176

Czech Republic

Colombia

Area underconversion [ha]
4

2'868
642
0

795
31'01320'009

15.0

1'447

782

9.4

94

82

3'773

28.2

3'271

502
198

Denmark

559

24.3

361

Ecuador1

0.0

1

Estonia

449

14.7

397

Finland

83

11.2

74

9

France21'38822.2

12'896

8'493

855

54

Georgia855

5.1

Germany

7'950

16.2

Greece

825

1.0

480

345

Hungary

5'000

6.9

1'882

3'117

Iran

2

0.0

2

Ireland

47

6.8

43

4

Israel

58

0.4

45

12
8'871

Italy

27'326

12.4

18'455

Latvia

1'309

33.0

724

Lebanon

89

0.3

42

Liechtenstein

2

0.0

2

47

Lithuania

997

6.2

880

120

Luxembourg

60

18.3

47

13

Mexico

4'058

4.1

Moldova

177

0.2

98

78

Montenegro

49

3.8

35

13

Morocco

3'759

3.9

3'568

191

Netherlands

479

2.7

419

North Macedonia

248

1.4

106

141

Norway

225

10.9

181

45

Oman

4

0.0

Peru

768

4.1

692

Poland12'054

4.9

8'893

3'160

Portugal

999

2.4

817

183

Republic of Korea

130

0.2

Romania

6'500

4.8

41

0.0

Russian Federation

112

3'847

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

41

Statistics › Crops › Temperate FruitCountry

Organic area[ha]

Organic share[%]

Area fully
converted [ha]Area underconversion [ha]680

Serbia

2'873

2.1

2'193

Slovakia

550

15.7

547

3

Slovenia

374

11.9

202

172

South Africa

90

0.2

64

26

Spain

7'326

3.6

4'290

3'036

Sweden

269

16.9

245

25

Switzerland

706

11.3

Tajikistan

468

0.6

247

220

Turkey20'609

4.0

11'100

9'511

Ukraine

2'500

1.5

United Kingdom

1'017

5.2

983

35

United StatesWorld

11'670223’516

4.2
1.9%

115’786

60’866

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315
Blank cells: No data available.

Further reading
Granatstein, David, Elizabeth Kirby, Harold Ostenson, and Helga Willer (2015) Global situation for organic
tree fruits. Scientia Horticulturae. Available online 18 December 2015
doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2015.12.008

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

113

Statistics › Crops › Tropical and Subtropical Fruit› Fruit: Tropical and subtropical fruit
In 2018, around 274’000 hectares or 1.1% of the global tropical and subtropical fruitarea was under organic management.

Figure 42: Tropical and subtropical fruit: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

114

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Tropical and Subtropical Fruit

Figure 43: Tropical and subtropical fruit: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

115

Statistics › Crops › Tropical and Subtropical Fruit
Table 32: Tropical and subtropical fruit: Organic area by country 2018
Organic area
[ha]
564

Country
Algeria

Organic share[%]
0.3

Area fully
converted [ha]502Argentina

84

0.9

84

Azerbaijan

495

4.3

180

Benin

268

2.0

268

Bolivia

40

0.1

38

Bulgaria

36-

Burkina Faso

10'213

66.5

10'213Burundi

164

0.1

164

Cameroon

350

0.1

Canada

1

16.7

Chile

116

0.3

Area underconversion [ha]

315
2

1

Colombia

1'746

0.2

Comoros

1'123

26.7

Cook Islands

24

24.2

Costa Rica

5'228

4.9

Côte d'Ivoire

1'943

0.3

1'923

20

65

8.5

38

27

Croatia

1'123
24

Cuba

104

0.1

48

56

Cyprus

186

11.4

65

121

Dominican Republic

83'50776.8

Ecuador15'813

5.3

13'148

2'665

Egypt

542

0.2

542

10

0.2

10

20'370-

20'370El Salvador
FijiFrance

121

2.7

85

36

French Guiana (France)

194

8.3

118

76

French Polynesia

18

4.0

18

Ghana

1'173

0.3

696

477

Greece

1'029

6.7

722

307
15

Guadeloupe (France)

49

1.4

34

Guatemala

35

0.0

35

Guinea10

0.0Guinea-Bissau

59

0.3

59

Indonesia

888

0.2

888

Iran

4'750

1.6

4'619

Israel

859

3.8

770

131
89

Italy

9'020

24.3

6'305

2'715
5'165

Jordan

167

3.9

Kenya

8'437

6.3

3'272

9

0.3

8

1

Madagascar

3'002

1.4

2'986

17

Mali

709

0.8

Martinique (France)

145

2.6

125

20

10'574

1.9
0LebanonMexicoMontenegro

2

0.1

1

Mozambique

696

0.7

696

116

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Tropical and Subtropical FruitCountry
Nicaragua
North Macedonia
Pakistan
Palestine

Organic area
[ha]
1'128

Organic share[%]
6.0

Area fully
converted [ha]1'106Area underconversion [ha]
23
2

4

9.3

2

2'117

0.6

2'117

5

0.1

1

Peru

12'123

4.2

11'483

Philippines

2'842

0.2

2'842

Portugal

937

4.4

642

296

8

0.1
100

Puerto Rico
Réunion (France)

337

6.2

237

Rwanda

525

0.1

525

4

Senegal

1'734

7.6

1'523

211

Slovenia

41

29.5

28

14

South Africa

25

0.1

25

Spain

4'771

7.7

3'118

Sri Lanka

591

0.4

591

Sudan

50

0.0

50

Suriname

94

3.5

94

1'653

Taiwan

1'381

1.5

1'381

Tanzania

6'063

0.7

6'063

Togo

499

20.6

Tunisia

7'813

8.5

Turkey19'797

29.9

14'582

5'215

Uganda

2'072

0.2

1'884

188

United Arab Emirates

423

0.6

422

1

United States

3'519

9.0

Uzbekistan

806

17.7

806

Viet Nam

19'0238.0

18'823200

ZambiaWorld

785
274’448

3.6
1.1%

785
139’282

20’184

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.

Please note that the major drop of organic tropical and subtropical fruit is due to thefact that for Mexico, due to the change of the data source, more than 100’000 hectaresless were reported.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

117

Statistics › Crops › Grapes› Grapes
In 2018, around 422’000 hectares or 6.1% of the global grapes area was under organic
management.

Figure 44: Grapes: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

118

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Grapes

Figure 45: Grapes: Organic Area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

119

Statistics › Crops › Grapes
Table 33: Grapes: Organic area by country 2018
Country
Albania

Organic area

Organic area

[ha]

[%]

Area fully converted[ha]Area underconversion [ha]20.0Algeria
AndorraArgentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belgium

208
2
3'574
5'783
6'001
41
46

0.3
0.0
1.6
4.2
12.5
0.3
18.5

2

Bulgaria
Canada
Chile

4'092
765
3'360

12.0
6.6
1.6

765

China
Croatia
Cyprus19'888
1'002
263

2.6
4.6
4.5

15'395
869
219

4'493
133
44

Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Estonia

911
52
2'157
3

5.8
0.0
2.8
0.0

837
25
2'157
3

73
27

FinlandFranceGeorgia
Germany
GreeceHungary
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Ireland
Italy
JordanLebanon
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malta
MexicoMoldova
Netherlands
New Zealand
North Macedonia
PolandPortugal
Republic of Korea
Romania
SerbiaSlovakia
Slovenia

1
94'020
130
9'300
4'564
1'759
2'012
3
106'447
10
354
4
130
8
1'164
5
11
1'720
111
276
3'657
70
2'169
43
141
657

0.0
12.6
0.3
9.3
4.5
2.6
1.4
0.0
15.9
0.3
4.2
0.0
10.3
0.5
3.8
0.0
15.5
5.1
0.5
0.0
2.0
0.5
1.2
0.2
1.7
4.1

1
65'29855

028'723
75

3'459
945
2'012
1
74'3991'105814South Africa
Spain
Switzerland
TurkeyUnited Kingdom
United States of America
Uruguay

4'023
113'419
1'063
15'592
104
11'071
3

Uzbekistan
World

85
422 277

208
2
3'574

1
19

40

1

2
32'049

349
4
90
7

5
40
1

4
11

1

11
184
2'610

100
92
1'047

1'652
9
123
462

34
18
195

3.4
12.1
7.2
3.7
28.6
2.7
0.0

2'373
89'798

1'650
23'621

7'790
94

7'802
9

0.1
6.1%

85
275 9043
102 195

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315
Blank cells: Not data

120

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Oilseeds› Oilseeds
In 2018, almost 1.4 million hectares or 0.6% of the global oilseeds area was underorganic management.

Figure 46: Oilseeds: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

121

Statistics › Crops › Oilseeds

Figure 47: Oilseeds: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

122

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Oilseeds
Table 34: Oilseeds: Organic area by country 2018
Organic area [%]Area fully
converted [ha]17'0980.1

17'09830'612

19.7

Country

Organic area [ha]Argentina
Austria

Area underconversion [ha]Azerbaijan

126

0.5

50

76

Belarus

156

0.0

3

153

Belgium

267

1.2

201

Benin

42

0.0

42

Bolivia

4'038

0.3

4'038

23

0.2

23

6'058

0.6

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso

16'7301.9

16'730

Canada53'8990.5

53'899China

478'000

2.4

395'000

Côte d'Ivoire

119

0.1

119

Croatia

9'611

5.3

6'774

Czech Republic

1'681

0.4

881

800

Denmark

2'797

1.6

1'655

1'143
18

Ecuador

122

0.3

104

Egypt

1'740

1.4

1'740

Estonia

4'971

6.7

4'193

Ethiopia

24'936

3.0

24'93683'0002'836

778

Finland

3'071

5.6

2'149

922

France87'357

4.0

54'23233'125Germany

17'800

1.3

Greece

4'025

4.0

1'564

2'461

Guatemala

342

0.6

Guinea-Bissau

111

0.3

104

7

Hungary

8'630

0.9

8'003

627

130'000

0.5

India

342

Indonesia

221

0.0

221

Iran

650

0.2

650

Ireland

189

1.9

134

Israel

7

0.1

7

55

Italy

25'581

5.6

18'5397'042

Kazakhstan

25'082

1.0

21'668

3'414

715

0.5

1

714

5

0.0

4

1

1'167

1.0

1'101

Kenya
Kyrgyzstan
LatviaLiechtenstein

7

0.0

7

5'988

3.2

4'898

1'090

Luxembourg

12

0.4

11

1

Madagascar

1'387

1.6

1'387

Malawi11'996

2.0

11'996Mali

10'110

2.1

Mexico16'145

3.5

Moldova

3'720

0.8

1'951

Myanmar

345

0.0

345

Lithuania

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

1'769

123

Statistics › Crops › Oilseeds
Country

Organic area [ha]Organic area [%]Area fully
converted [ha]Namibia

21

3.4

21

Netherlands

33

0.6

19

Area underconversion [ha]Nicaragua

3'730

6.6

3'730

Nigeria

4'327

0.1

4'197

9

0.1

2

7

133

5.6

122

11

North Macedonia
Norway130

Paraguay

2'343

0.1

Peru

1'442

22.4

1'419

Poland

3'434

0.4

1'675

1'759

Portugal

64

0.5

16

48

Romania

70'0904.0

43'615

Russian Federation

114'882

1.0

109'262

5'620

Senegal

1'362

0.1

975

387

Serbia

1'901

0.4

1'834

66

Slovakia

4'574

1.6

2'491

2'084

Slovenia

378

5.7

329

49

South Africa

74

0.0

64

10

Spain

9'770

1.2

8'134

1'636

Sudan

7'209

0.1

7'209

Sweden

9'453

8.0

8'467

Switzerland

886

3.2

987

Tajikistan

42

0.3

12

30

Tanzania

31'770

1.1

26'285

5'485

Togo

36'448

51.4

Turkey14'637

1.5

8'888

5'749

Uganda44'587

4.6

Ukraine52'0200.6
6051

United Kingdom

112

0.0

United States

61'164

0.2

Zimbabwe
World

1

0.0

1

1’484’585

0.6%

885’285

164’484

Source: FiBL survey 2020 based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315
Blank cells: no data.

Please note that the 2017 data provided for oilseeds are different from what we
communicated in previous editions of this yearbook. This is due to the fact that for
China the 2017 data were totally revised.
For more information on soybean production (organic and other Voluntary
Sustainability Standards - VSS), please see the report “The State of Sustainable
Markets – Statistics and Emerging Trends 2019.”1

1 Willer, Helga, Gregory Sampson, Vivek Voora, Duc Dang, Julia Lernoud (2019): The State of Sustainable
Markets – Statistics and Emerging Trends 2019. International Trade Centre (ITC), Geneva. Available at:
http://www.vss.fibl.org/de/vss.html.
For interactive online graphics see the Sustainability Map at https://www.sustainabilitymap.org/trends

124

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Olives› Olives
In 2018, around 872’000 hectares or 8.2% of the global olive area was under organic
management.

Figure 48: Olives: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

125

Statistics › Crops › Olives

Figure 49: Olives: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

126

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Olives
Table 35: Olives: Organic area by country 2018
Organic area[ha]

Organic area[%]

Albania49

Argentina

4'038

Country

Area fully
converted [ha]Area underconversion [ha]

0.1

36

13

6.4

4'038
5

8

Azerbaijan

13

0.5

Chile

786

3.6

Croatia

1'872

10.0

1'466

406

Cyprus

1'641

15.7

1'101

540

Egypt

1'103

1.4

1'103

France

5'317

30.0

4'213

1'104

Georgia70

0.0

Greece50'8695.8

34'132

16'737

70

Iran

245

0.3

155

90

Israel

902

2.7

708

193

Italy

182'354

56'742239'096

18.0

Jordan356

0.6

Lebanon

259

0.4

259

Malta

9

26.5

9

Mexico236

7.8Montenegro

0

4

2.5

3

1

Morocco

1'284

0.1

1'168

116

Palestine

4'691

7.4

4'101

590

95

0.4

89

Peru
Portugal

17'725

4.9

15'945

1'780

Slovenia

259

20.8

218

41

South Africa

11

0.0

10

0

Spain

200'129

7.8

174'474

25'654

Tunisia

254'411

15.1

Turkey86'04910.2

62'74523'304719

4.9872’2378.1%

488’331

127’391

United States
World

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315
Blank cells: No data available.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

127

Statistics › Crops › Vegetables› Vegetables
In 2018, around 387’000 hectares or 0.6% of the global fresh vegetable area was underorganic management.

Figure 50: Vegetables: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

128

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Statistics › Crops › Vegetables

Figure 51: Vegetables: Organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments.
Online at https://statistics.fibl.org/visualisation.html

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

129

Statistics › Crops › Vegetables
Table 36: Vegetables: Organic area by country 2018
Organic area [ha]Organic area [%]Area fully converted[ha]Argentina

1'036

0.5

971

Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
BelarusBelgium
Benin
Bosnia and Herzegovina

3'902
4'309
213
34
1'846
5
11

5.2
25.4
0.2
0.1
2.9
0.0
0.0

55
9
1'654
5
8

BrazilBulgaria
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
CanadaChile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia

3
2'648
1
143
8'777
109
43'602
22
189
416

0.0
8.8
0.0
0.1
11.5
0.2
0.2
0.0
1.2
3.7

CyprusCzech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
EcuadorEgypt
El Salvador
Estonia
FinlandFrance

71
260
3'916
7
3'571
25'6003217
1'223
26'363

2.2
2.1
34.6
0.0
4.2
3.4
0.0
6.0
10.2
12.0

French Guiana (France)
French Polynesia
GambiaGeorgia
Germany
GreeceGuadeloupe (France)
Guatemala
Hungary
Iceland55
25
1
8
12'477
1'871
28
565
3'976
13

3.4
4.5
0.0
0.0
8.1
2.2
0.6
0.5
7.1
30.5

Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
IrelandIsrael
Italy

135
385
53
274
952
60'732

0.0
0.1
0.0
4.1
0.8
12.1

Jamaica
JordanKenya
Kuwait

57
16
4'786
22

0.3
0.0
2.9
0.4

Kyrgyzstan
Lao
LatviaLebanon
Liechtenstein
Lithuania

49
47
379
56
18
446

0.1
0.0
4.6
0.2
0.0
3.4

291
56
18
415

32

Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malaysia
Malta
Martinique (France)

64
55
161
6
19

54.1
0.1
0.3
0.1
0.8

52
44
148
6
18

13
10
13
0
0

Country

130

Area underconversion [ha]

158
26

3

1
143
8'777
27'29516'307

232

184

27
235
3'771

45
25
144

3'002
25'6003
196
382
23'127

569

22
841
3'237

17
25
1
8

37

1'079
24
485
3'410
13

792
4
80
567

135
100

285

260
939
45'11915
13
15'613

56

0

4'786
22
41

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

80

Statistics › Crops › Vegetables
Area fully converted[ha]Area underconversion [ha]Country

Organic area [ha]Organic area [%]MayotteMexicoMoldova18
25'131
6

0.0
3.4
0.0

Mongolia
Montenegro
MoroccoMozambique
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Nigeria
North Macedonia
NorwayOman
Palestine
Peru
PolandPortugal
Republic of Korea

100
1
2'160
1
40
332
7'297
5
140
184
420
16
2
1'001
6'480
3'278
310

1.2
0.0
1.2
0.0
0.5
0.1
7.6
0.1
0.0
0.4
5.6
0.1
0.0
0.5
3.3
6.1
0.1

Réunion (France)
Romania
Saudi Arabia

160
1'442
692

2.6
0.5
1.0

144
1'147
306

386

SenegalSerbiaSingapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
SwedenSwitzerland
TaiwanThailandTunisia

168
173
3
517
235
1'311
22'105
129
2'379
2'583
2'760
1'858
137

0.3
0.2
0.2
10.0
4.1
0.9
5.7
0.2
22.0
15.8
1.9
0.4
0.1

43
143

125
30

449
208
1'143
18'680
129
2'287

68
26
168
3'425

4'241
5'245
5'780
57
5'681
64'461
2'088
387’352

0.4
2.1
1.1
0.7
4.9
7.7
0.2
0.6%

TurkeyUgandaUkraineUnited Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Viet Nam
World

18
6

0
1
365

1'795
1
40

96
7'232
5
138
117
413
1
45
5'137
3'064

2
68
8
1
1'343
214
16

92

2'760
1'858
2'556

1'687

55
5'307

2
375

2'002
210’289

86
47’624

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Please note that the 2016 and 2017 total area provided for vegetables is different fromwhat we communicated in previous editions of this yearbook. This is due to the factthat for China the 2017 data and for Mexico, the 2016 and 2017 data were totallyrevised.

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131

Organic Cotton

Organic Cotton1
LISA BARSLEY,2 LIESL TRUSCOTT,3 EVONNE TAN,4 AMISH GOSAI5, AND
ALICE DOS SANTOS6
Global trends
2017/18 was a year to celebrate in the organic cotton sector. Not only did global
production of organic cotton see an impressive 56 percent growth; it also represented
the highest volume seen since 2010/11 when the financial crisis led to a dramatic
decline, with a global total of 180’871 metric tons in 2017/18.
Growth stemmed predominantly from India, China and Kyrgyzstan, but also fromTurkey, Tanzania, and Tajikistan. In addition to the 180’871 metric tons of certified
organic cotton produced, there were 44’394 hectares of cotton-growing land intransition to organic in 2017/18, spread largely between these same six countries. Thisis lower than the 219’086 hectares in transition to organic in 2016/17 due to much ofthis land reaching certification and contributing to the 56 percent growth in organic
global fiber production seen in 2017/18.
There were an estimated 182’876 farmers growing certified organic cotton in 2017/18,
spread across 19 countries. Organic cotton was planted on a total of 356’131 hectaresof certified land. An interesting trend seen in India is that farmers significantly
increased the proportion of organic certified land used to grow cotton (as opposed toother organic crops) from 45 to 70 percent in 2017/18.
Estimates indicate that global production of organic cotton will continue to grow in
2019/20, with growth stemming predominantly from India, Tanzania, Turkey,
Kyrgyzstan and Brazil, among others.
The top seven organic cotton-producing countries accounted for 98 percent of global
production in 2017/18. These countries are India (47.29 percent), China (21.33 percent),
Kyrgyzstan (12.33 percent), Turkey (6.44 percent), Tajikistan (4.98 percent), the UnitedStates (2.81 percent) and Tanzania (2.70 percent).

1 This article is a condensed version of the 2019 Organic Cotton Market Report produced by Lisa Barsley,
Evonne Tan, Liesl Truscott, and Amish Gosai, with production data collected by the following Textile
Exchange Regional Ambassadors: Atila Ertem (Turkey and Central Asia), Amish Gosai (India), Sandra
Marquardt (United States), Silvio Moraes (Latin America), Leonard Mtama (East Africa), Silvère Tovignan(West Africa), and Lazare Yombi (West Africa).
The full 2019 Organic Cotton Market Report is available here: https://store.textileexchange.org/product/2019organic-cotton-market-report/
More information about Textile Exchange is available here: https://textileexchange.org/
More information about organic cotton is available on www.aboutorganiccotton.org
2 Lisa Barsley, Materials Strategy Manager, Textile Exchange, London, UK
3 Liesl Truscott, European and Materials Strategy Director, Textile Exchange, Bath, UK
4 Evonne Tan, Data Management & China Strategy Director, Textile Exchange, Kuala Lumper, Malaysia
5 Amish Gosai, Country Program Manager for India, Textile Exchange, Bangalore, India
6 Alice Dos Santos, Organic Cotton Program Coordinator, Textile Exchange, Zürich, Switzerland

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Organic Cotton

Development of organic cotton fibre production
Source: Textile Exchange Organic Cotton Market Report 2019

250'000

Metric tons

200'000
150'000
100'000

2017/18

2016/172015/16

2014/15

2013/142012/13

2011/122010/11

2009/10

2008/09

2007/08

2006/07

2005/060

2004/05

50'000Figure 52: Development of organic cotton fibre production in metric tons
Source: Textile Exchange Organic Cotton Market Report 2019

The remaining two percent was produced by Greece (0.47 percent), Uganda (0.42
percent), Benin (0.39 percent), Burkina Faso (0.30 percent), Peru (0.28 percent), Egypt(0.16 percent), Mali (0.04 percent), Ethiopia (0.02 percent) Brazil (0.01 percent), Senegal(0.003 percent), Argentina (0.001 percent), and Thailand (0.001 percent). See Table 37
for more detail on country-level production, or read on for region-level summaries.

Geography of production
AfricaCountries producing organic cotton in Africa in 2017/18 included Ethiopia, Tanzania
and Uganda in the East, and Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal in the West.
Combined, a total of 7’048 metric tons of organic cotton fibre was produced on 68’321
hectares by 36’091 farmers across Africa. This represents a growth of 20 percent overthe previous season, and Africa currently accounts for four percent of global organic
cotton production. An additional 1’712 hectares of cotton-growing land were inconversion to organic, located in Tanzania (1’297 hectares) and Mali (415 hectares).

China
In China, 2017/18 saw a total of 38’586 metric tons of organic cotton fibre produced on
20’023 hectares by at least 1’472 farmers (note that farmer numbers are incomplete).
This represents a growth of 71 percent over the previous season, and China now

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133

Organic Cotton
accounts for 21 percent of global organic cotton production. An additional 3’669
hectares of cotton-growing land were in conversion to organic.
EMENA and Central Asia
Countries producing organic cotton in the EMENA1 and Central Asia region in
2017/18 included Egypt, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkey. Combined, a totalof 44’097 metric tons of organic cotton fibre was produced on 29’432 hectares by 2’414
farmers. This represents a growth of 88 percent over the previous season, and thisregion now accounts for 24 percent of global organic cotton production. An additional
12’840 hectares of cotton-growing land was in conversion to organic, the majority in
Kyrgyzstan and Turkey, with some also in Tajikistan and Egypt.

Latin America and the Caribbean
Countries producing organic cotton in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2017/18
included Argentina, Brazil and Peru. Combined, a total of 526 metric tons of organic
cotton fibre was produced on 1’300 hectares by 1’172 farmers. This represents agrowth of 38 percent over the previous season, and this region currently accounts for0.3 percent of global organic cotton production. An additional 627 hectares of cottongrowing land was in conversion to organic, split between Peru (309 hectares) andBrazil (318 hectares). There is a new project underway in Haiti to re-introduce cotton
growing to the country using organic agricultural practices, but it is not yet certified.
It’s important to note that a portion of Brazil’s organic cotton is produced under theParticipatory Guarantee System (PGS), an alternative to third-party certification. For
details and breakdown, please see page 45 of Textile Exchange's 2019 Organic CottonMarket Report.

South Asia
Countries producing certified organic cotton in South Asia in 2017/18 included India
and Thailand (note that Thailand’s organic cotton is produced under the Participatory
Guarantee System). Combined, the region produced a total of 85’531 metric tons
organic cotton fibre on 226’411 hectares of land by 141’659 farmers. This represents animpressive 44 percent increase compared to the previous year. India accounts for thevast majority (over 99 percent) of the region's total production, and 47 percent of
global production. Within India, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh each accounted for 29
percent of national organic cotton production in 2017/18, followed by Gujarat (21percent), Maharashtra (15 percent), Rajasthan (six percent), Telangana (one percent),
and Karnataka (one percent).
Pakistan had land in conversion to organic in 2017/18, but no certified production yet(that will come in 2018/19). There is also a pilot program underway in Myanmar.

1

Europe, Middle East and North Africa

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Organic Cotton
United States
In the United States, 5’082 metric tons of organic cotton fibre were produced on 10’644
hectares by 68 farmers in 2017/18. This represents a growth of 12 percent over theprevious season, and the United States currently accounts for almost three percent of
global organic cotton production. The majority (96 percent) of organic cotton in the
United States is grown in the state of Texas, with the remaining four percent grown in
New Mexico and North Carolina.

Organic and Textile Standards
Organic cotton is grown within a rotation system that builds soil fertility, protects
biodiversity, and is grown without the use of any synthetic chemicals or geneticallyengineered organisms. Organic cotton is subject to the national laws governingorganic production including the European Union’s Organic Regulation 834/2007, the
USDA National Organic Program (NOP) in the United States, and the National
Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) in India.
Voluntary standards, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and the OrganicContent Standard (OCS) provide chain of custody assurance from the farm to the final
product, with GOTS also addressing textile processing.
Between 2017 and 2018, the total number of OCS-certified facilities grew 16 percent,from 3’643 to 4’226. The highest growth rate was seen in Italy (141 percent) but interms of actual number of facilities, the largest contributors to the global growth are
Bangladesh (+304 facilities) and Turkey (+169).
The total number of GOTS-certified facilities grew 15 percent between 2017 and 2018,from 5’024 to 5’760. Progress is seen in both production and consuming regions.
Countries and regions with the largest growth rate in 2018 are Bangladesh (29percent), USA (25 percent), Pakistan (23 percent) and South Korea (23 percent). In
terms of total numbers, the highest increase is reported from India (+315 facilities),
followed by Bangladesh (+155) and Europe (+98).

Further reading
Textile Exchange (2019): Organic Cotton Market Report 2019. The Textile Exchange, Texas. Available athttps://store.textileexchange.org/product/2019-organic-cotton-market-report/

Note on Table 37: Organic cotton farmers, area and production 2017/2018*NOTE: The land area figures reported by Textile Exchange refer to land certified to an organic standard by a
producer group growing organic cotton. However, the same piece of land can be, and increasingly is being,used to grow other organic crops in addition to cotton. Crop rotation is fundamental to organic agriculturebut, with the low and falling cotton price in recent years, more and more farmers are moving away from
cotton to grow other crops, such as marigold in India, which can fetch a higher price on the market. Thismeans that reported land area figures do not necessarily reflect the land area used to grow only organic
cotton, and may therefore seem disproportionately high compared to the organic cotton volumes harvested.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

135


BeninBurkina Faso
Ethiopia
Mali
SenegalTanzania
UgandaAfrica Total
China Total
Egypt
GreeceKyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
TurkeyMiddle East & Central Asia Total
Argentina
BrazilPeru
Latin America Total
India
PakistanThailandSouth Asia Total
USA Total
GLOBAL TOTAL

Africa

136

1'180
949
266
2'414
22
930
220
1'172
141'421183
55
141'65968
182'876

3'565
8'403
200
1'118
280
14'206
8'319
36'091
1'472
19

No. ofFarmers
3'730
3'509
174
8'542
81
40'913
11'37268'32120'023219
1'153
14'631
8'011
5'418
29'432
100
619
580
1'300
226'31696
226'411
10'644356'131

Certified
Organic Area[ha]*

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Source: Textile Exchange Organic Cotton Market Report 2019.

South Asia Total
USA Total
Total

Latin America Total
South Asia

Middle East & Central Asia Total
Latin America

Africa Total
China Total
Middle East & Central Asia

Country

RegionTable 37: Organic cotton farmers, area and production 2017/2018

Organic cotton

1'757
1'371
164
213
13
12'521
1'862
17'901
96'968777
2'500
55'77222'49729'130
110'676
4
69
1'223
1'296
240'0264
240'030
14'520481'391

Organic seedcotton [MT]
712.6
538.0
60.4
76.6
5.5
4'890.0
764.6
7'048
38'586.3
287.4
850.0
22'308.7
8'998.6
11'652.2
44'097
1.6
22.3
502.3
526
85'529.9
1.6
85'5315'081.9
180'871

Organic
cotton fibre
[MT]

0.39%
0.30%
0.03%
0.04%
0.003%
2.70%
0.42%
3.9%
21.33%
0.16%
0.47%
12.33%
4.98%
6.44%
24.4%
0.001%
0.01%
0.28%
0.3%
47.29%
0.000%
0.001%
47.3%
2.81%
100%

Share oforganic fibre
prod. [%]

9'100.00
258.502'439.00
12'840317.80308.75627
25'237.15
4.85
25'242304.5544'394415.001'296.50
1'712
3'669.08
1'042.68

Total inconversion
land area [ha]Global Market
Organic Imports

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

137

Global Market for Organic Food and Drink

The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink1
AMARJIT SAHOTA2Introduction
Organic food sales surpassed the 100 billion US dollar mark for the first time in 2018.
Starting from almost nothing in the 1990s, the global organic food market is now
worth 105.5 billion US dollars.3,4 Organic is considered a major sustainability successstory in the food industry. Widely regarded as the premier eco-label, over 300 ecolabels are now present in the food industry representing someethical/environmental/sustainability attributes. With organic farming now practised inover 180 countries, organic is considered the bastion of sustainability in the foodindustry.

North America
North America has the largest market for organic food & drink. Valued at 51 billion
US dollars, the market comprises almost half of global revenues.
Organic products have high penetration in food retailers in the USA and Canada. All
leading food retailers are now marketing organic foods under their private labels. O
Organics (Safeway) and PC Organics (Loblaws) are the leading private labels fororganic foods in the US and Canada, respectively. Kroger, the second-largest foodretailer, announced that sales of its Simple Truth private label products surpassed 2
billion US dollars in 2017. The Simple Truth brand houses a wide range of organic,
natural and free-from products.
Organic foods and ingredients are also making inroads in the catering & foodservice
sector. A number of restaurants, cafés and fast-food establishments are using organic
ingredients. Some foodservice outlets are focusing on organic products. For instance,
the first USDA-certified organic fast food outlet opened in San Francisco under theOrganic Coup banner in 2015. It was operating 12 fast food restaurants in California
and Washington in 2019.

1 This chapter has been prepared by Ecovia Intelligence (formerly known as Organic Monitor) from its 2019
report on the “The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink”. No part of this chapter maybe reproduced orused in other commercial publications without written consent from Ecovia Intelligence. To request
permission, write to Ecovia Intelligence, 79 Western Road, London W5 5DT, Phone (44) 20 8567 0788, e-mailservices@ecoviaint.com, www.ecoviaint.com.
2 Amarjit Sahota is the Founder and President of Ecovia Intelligence (formerly Organic Monitor), a specialist
research, consulting & training firm that focuses on global sustainable product industries. Contact: Ecovia
Intelligence, 79 Western Road, London W5 5DT, Phone (44) 20 8567 0788, E-mail services@ecoviaint.com,
www.ecoviaint.com
3 Please note that there are some differences in organic food sales between the calculations of Ecovia
Intelligence and those of FiBL due to different methodologies.
4 One euro corresponded to 1.810 US dollars in 2018 according to the European Central Bank.

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Amy’s Drive Thru is the first drive-through organic vegetarian fast-food restaurant.
The first drive-through location opened in Rohnert Park, California in summer 2016. It
plans to open five more outlets in California and then expand further.
Demand for organic foods continues to outpace supply, with organic products
imported into the US from every continent. Imports of organic products are being
facilitated by organic trade arrangements between the US and various countries, suchas Switzerland, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, as well as the EU.

EuropeThe European market for organic food & drink is the second largest in the world.
Worth roughly 45 US dollars, it comprised 42 percent of global revenues in 2018.
Mainstream retailers generate most organic food sales in Europe. All leading
supermarkets are offering organic foods under their private labels. In Germany (thelargest country market), supermarkets, drugstores, discounters, and organic foodshops have developed private label ranges.
Distribution of organic foods is increasing in retail and non-retail channels. Organic
products are making inroads in professional home delivery schemes, online retailers,
as well as drugstores and pharmacies. Direct marketing is becoming increasingly
prominent in northern Europe. Organic farmers are selling direct to consumers via
farmers markets and farm shops. The growing popularity of regional produce isdriving this trend. For instance, the British box scheme company Riverford delivers
about 50’000 organic vegetable boxes a week.
Many retailers are actively promoting their organic product ranges. It is becoming
increasingly common for supermarkets to undertake advertising on television, radio,magazines and billboards for their private label ranges.
Similar to North America, organic foods/ingredients are being used by catering &food service establishments. A growing number of chained outlets, such as
McDonald’s, IKEA and Pret A Manger are sourcing organic products. National
governments are encouraging the use of organic foods in public institutions. For
instance, the French government introduced a bill in February 2018 requiring that atleast half of food purchased by the Catering and Food Service (CFS) sector must beeither organic, come with a quality label, or be locally produced by 2022.
Organic food sales are concentrated in Western Europe. Central & Eastern European(CEE) countries, such as Poland, Ukraine and Hungary, are important producers oforganic crops. However, they have relatively small markets for organic products.

Other regions
Although demand for organic products is rising across the world, the market fororganic food & drink in other regions remains relatively small. The combined market
value in other regions (Asia, Australasia, Latin America and Africa) totalled 9.6 billion
US dollars in 2018.

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Global Market for Organic Food and Drink
Asia has the third-largest market for organic products. The organic food market is
experiencing healthy growth as consumer awareness is increasing in countries, such
as India, China and Indonesia. Organic foods were rare in the 2000s. Following thetrend in Europe and North America, large food retailers are becoming more active inselling organic products. Some are launching private labels and setting up supply
chains for their organic product ranges.
The largest producers of organic crops are countries with large agricultural sectors,
such as India, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. The largest
consumers, however, are the most affluent countries, such as China, South Korea,
Japan, Taiwan and India. Indeed, China and India started off as large producers andexporters of organic products, and have only recently developed sizeable internalmarkets.
Brazil has the largest market for organic products in Latin America. Similar to Asia,
demand is coming from a growing middle class that is seeking healthy, nutritious
foods. According to Organis, 19 percent of Brazilians are now regular buyers oforganic products. Street markets and supermarkets are the most important outlets fororganic food sales. Other Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Peru, Chile,and Colombia, have export-oriented organic food markets.
Australia and New Zealand also have important markets for organic products. Bothcountries are established as leading exporters; organic products include beef, lamb,kiwi fruit, apples, pears, onions, wine, and dairy products.

Growth outlook
Organic food & drink sales are projected to continue to grow at a healthy pace in the
coming years. Initially starting from Europe and the United States, organic foodproduction and consumption has now become a global phenomenon.
Organic farming is now practised in almost all countries of the world. However,demand for organic foods remains concentrated in North America and Europe.
Although the share of these two regions is declining, they still comprise over 85
percent of global sales. A major challenge is for strong local markets to develop in
Asian, Latin American and African countries.
Another challenge is the rise in competing for sustainable food products.
Sustainability is becoming an integral part of the food industry, with a growing
number of companies adopting eco-labels and sustainability schemes. Organic is justone part of a growing complex sustainability mix. There is a concern that it may be
increasingly marginalised in favour of other schemes.
Consumer preferences are also changing. Consumers are demanding ethical andsustainable products; however, organic is only one of the various options they now
have. Globally, plant-based foods are gaining currency as they appeal to consumers
who want to reduce/avoid animal-based products. Some of the reasons why
consumers buy plant alternatives to meat and dairy products are the same reasons
why consumers buy organic foods: concern for the environment, animal welfare, and140

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnGlobal Market for Organic Food and Drink
general health. In the US, organic dairy product sales have already been affected bythis change in consumer behaviour.
Although the forecast may appear rosy for the organic products market, there arequestions on how organic foods will fit into a food industry that is becoming rife with
eco-labels, sustainability schemes, and ethical food options. How it navigates itself
through this green maze will determine the pace of growth in the coming decade.

Reference
Ecovia Intelligence (2019): The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink. Ecovia Intelligence. Moreinformation is available on www.ecoviaint.com

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Organic imports to the European Union

Organic imports in the European Union 2018 വ A first
analysis
ELENA PANICHI1This article summarises the European Commission’s Agricultural Market Brief No 14,“Organic imports in the EU” (European Commission 2019). The brief aims to describe
the main features of the imports of organic agri-food products into the European
Union (EU) from third countries both in terms of products and origin. For more
information about the regimes for imports from third countries, TRACES and theclassification used, please see explanations in the “background” section at the end of
this chapter.

Organic import volumes in metric tons
In 2018, the EU imported a total of 3.3 million tonnes of organic agri-food products.

Figure 53: European Union: Distribution of agri-food imports by aggregated productcategory and by country 2018
Source: TRACES /European Commission 2019

Elena Panichi, Deputy Head of Organics Unit, Agriculture & Rural Development, European Commission,
Brussels.
Disclaimer: the information and views set out in this article are those of the author and do not necessarilyreflect the official opinion of the European Commission.
1

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Organic imports to the European Union
Figure 53 and Table 39 show that imports of tropical fruit (fresh or dried), nuts andspices represent the single biggest category, totalling 793’597 tonnes or 24.4 percent of
total imports. The next most imprortant import products are oilcakes (352’043 tonnes,
10.8 percent), cereals other than wheat and rice (255’764 tonnes, 7.8 percent), Wheat(243’797 tonnes, 7.5 percent), and rice (216’017 tonnes, 6.6 percent).
The EU sources its organic agri-food imports widely, with a total of 115 countries
registering exports to the EU. In volume terms, China is the biggest supplier oforganic agri-food products to the EU, with 415’243 tonnes of produce; that is
12.7 percent of the total. Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Ukraine and Turkey eachhave an 8 percent share of the total import volume

An analysis per country
The analysis of the key countries shows the following:− Almost three-quarters of the imports from China in volume consist of oilcakes.
The remaining imports are represented mainly by soybeans (5.7 percent) andoilseeds other than soya (5 percent).
− Concerning Ecuador, more than 90 percent of the imported products are tropicalfruit (fresh or dried), nuts and spices. This is likely mostly bananas. The remaining
10 percent is divided mainly between preparation of vegetables, fruits or nuts (3.8
percent) and Palm and palm kernel oils (2.4 percent). Fishery products, cocoa
beans, vegetables and others each represent less than 1 percent of the imports involume.
− Dominican Republic supplies the EU almost exclusively with tropical products:
90.0 percent of the imports are tropical fruit (fresh or dried), nuts and spices, andalmost 10 percent is represented by cocoa beans.
− Ukraine is the most important supplier of organic products to the EU from theEuropean continent. 70 percent of the total imports consist of cereals, broken down
into cereals other than wheat and rice (42.8 percent) and wheat (28.5 percent).
Oilseeds represent more than 15 percent in total, broken down into oilseeds otherthan soybeans (10.8 percent), and soybeans (5 percent).
− For Turkey, cereals represent the first products imported into the EU, almost 40
percent split into wheat (19.7 percent) and other cereals (17.8 percent). Oilseeds
represent a substantial share of the total imports (16.9 percent), while fruit andvegetables altogether amount to more than 24 percent, vegetables, fresh, chilled ordried (12.9 percent) and fruit (fresh or dried) excluding citrus & tropical fruit (11.5
percent).

An analysis of selected products and product groups
Based in the adjusted value of imports of organic agri-food, the most important
product groups were tropical fruit (fresh or dried), nuts and spices, unroasted coffee,

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Organic imports to the European Union
tea in bulk and mate, fruit (fresh or dried) excluding citrus & tropical fruit, and cocoa
beans (see also Table 39).
− The EU imports organic tropical fruit (fresh or dried), nuts and spices mainly from
Ecuador (31.8 percent), followed by the Dominican Republic (31 percent) and Peru
(17.4 percent). The remaining countries represent a substantially lower sharecompared to the first three.
− Regarding unroasted coffee, tea in bulk and mate, Peru is the biggest supplier interm of volume (31.2 percent), followed by Honduras (30.9 percent) and Mexico(7.2 percent).
− More than half of the fruit (fresh or dried), excluding citrus & tropical fruit comesfrom Argentina, Turkey (20.7 percent each) and New Zealand (11.5 percent).
− The Dominican Republic is the main supplier of cocoa beans (36.5 percent),
followed by Peru (21 percent), while the rest comes mainly from Africa (40percent) broken down into Congo (13.3 percent), Sierra Leone (10.3 percent),
Uganda (6.8 percent), Tanzania (4.3 percent) as well as Sao Tome and Principe andMadagascar.

Importance of certain organic products relative to total imports
In order to assess the importance of the organic agri-food imports of the total agrifood imports into the EU, an analysis was made of the share of organic produce byproduct category.
Olive oil represents the most important product category, with 20.7 percent of total
imports being organic. Flours and other products of the milling industry have a shareof 15.2 percent, beet and cane sugar 11.0 percent, and rice 10.9 percent. While tropicalfruit (fresh or dried), nuts and spices was the most important organic productcategory in absolute terms, organic imports only account for 9 percent of total EU
agri-food imports for such products.
These data suggest that there is an important demand for specific organic products,
such as organic olive oil, flours, sugar, rice and tropical fruit.

Background
Third countries
The EU imports organic products from third countries under two different regimes:
1) equivalent third countries (US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, India, Argentina,
Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Chile, Israel, Switzerland and Tunisia), whichhave a production and control system recognised as equivalent, for certain productcategories, by the EU, listed in Annex III of Regulation 1235/2008, and2) the control body system: private bodies authorised by the European Commission
and listed in annex IV of the same Regulation that can operate in third countries andcertify operators for the purpose of exports. As of 2021, under the new Regulation
2018/848, the control bodies will have to apply for compliance to EU rules.

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Organic imports to the European Union
Electronic Certificate of Inspection (CoI)
Since October 2017, the Certificate of Inspection (CoI) that must accompany every
consignment entering the EU has become electronic. Besides enhancing thetraceability of the organic consignments coming from third countries, the system has
allowed the EU to start collecting valuable data and create a database on the importsof organic products. The collected data are only available in volumes, while values
have been estimated.

TRACES - the European Commission's multilingual online management tool
TRACES (TRAde Control and Expert System) is the European Commission's
multilingual online management tool hosting the sanitary certificates requested on
intra-EU trade and importation of animals, food, feed and plants. It is available in 35
languages, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, free of charge. Its main objective is tosimplify and accelerate the trading process by centralising all data included in thecertificates. The module for CoIs has been developed according to the organic
regulation in force. It ensures the traceability of the products intended to be imported
into the EU as organic, as well as the exchange of information between the different
actors in the supply chain. The system provides a built-in automatic check for the CN
codes of the products, by allowing only the import of products falling in the scope of
the EU organic legislation.

Product classification
The classification used here is based on that of the “Monitoring Agri-trade Policy”
published monthly by the European Commission Directorate General Agriculture(DG AGRI). There, products are divided into six classes: "commodities, other primary,processed, food preparations, beverage and non-edible products:− “Commodities” includes, among others: cereals, vegetable oils and oilseeds,
sugars, milk powders and butter, unroasted coffee and cocoa.
− “Other primary” includes meat products, fruit and vegetables, milk yoghurt andhoney.
− “Processed” includes cheese, meat preparations, wine and fruit juices.
− “Food preparations” includes infant food, confectionery and pasta.
− “Beverages” includes beers, spirits and soft drinks.
− ”Non-edible”“ covers: plants and essential oils.
− Moreover, in its scope, the organic regulation also covers products from the fisherysector, which are reported under the label “non-agri”.

Sources
European Commission (2019): Organic Imports in the EU. A first analysis-Year 2018. EU AgriculturalMarkets Briefs. No 14, March 2019. Available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/foodfarming-fisheries/farming/documents/market-brief-organic-imports-mar2019_en.pdf
European Commission (2019): Agri-food trade in 2018: Monitoring Agri-trade Policy“ 2019/01. The European
Commission, Brussels, Available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/food-farmingfisheries/news/documents/agri-food-trade-2018_en.pdf

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Organic imports to the European Union
Tables on organic imports to the European Union
Table 38: Volume of the organic agri-food imports into the EU per country
Tonnes (MT)Share of all organic
imports (%)
12.7
8.5
8.4
8.2
8.1
6.4
5.2
3.9
3.9
2.2
2.2
2.1
1.9
1.7
1.5
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.2
1.1
1.0
1.0
1.0
0.9
0.8
0.8
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.6
0.6
0.5
0.5
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.3
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.0

Rank

Country

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57

China
Ecuador
Dominican Republic
UkraineTurkey
Peru
US
UAE
India
BrazilMexicoArgentina
Colombia
Moldova, Republic Of
Kazakhstan
Egypt
IsraelHonduras
TunisiaParaguay
Russian Federation
Chile
ThailandCanadaPakistan
Sri Lanka
Philippines
UgandaSouth Africa
SerbiaTogo
MoroccoNew Zealand
Costa Rica
Ghana
Cote D'Ivoire
Cuba
Bolivia
Viet Nam
Burkina Faso
Congo, D.R.
Cambodia
Sierra Leone
Indonesia
Ethiopia
Kenya
PanamaMadagascar
Tanzania, United Republic Of
Nicaragua
Australia
Japan
Senegal
Sudan
Mali
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Bosnia And Herzegovina

146

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264’218
207’274
170’753
127’806
125’807
72’35371’047
67’73863’25755’39250’25046’73640’95940’37940’14835’17134’06933’43732’80329’82327’091
26’57023’87423’32723’222
22’57622’12319’95019’208
16’477
14’94814’392
13’972
13’274
12’67412’456
10’788
8’553
7’965
7’496
7’322
6’684
6’328
5’162
4’254
3’790
3’388
2’756
2’637
2’579
2’539
1’873
1’478

Organic imports to the European Union
Rank

Country

58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115

Sao Tome And Principe
Uruguay
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Benin
Albania
Guatemala
Algeria
Papua New Guinea
RwandaChad
Azerbaijan
Uzbekistan
Belarus
Niger
KosovoLesotho
Palestinian Territory, Occupied
GuyanaCameroon
Georgia
ZambiaBangladesh
Haiti
North Macedonia
Nepal
Myanmar
Armenia
Samoa
Namibia
French Polynesia
Korea, Republic ofSaudi Arabia
Mozambique
El Salvador
Singapore
Somalia
Zimbabwe
NigeriaFiji
East Timor
Netherlands Antilles
Kyrgyzstan
Equatorial Guinea
JordanSolomon Islands
BelizeTaiwanComoros
Montenegro
Malaysia
Suriname
LebanonGrenadaBurundiMauritius
GambiaAfghanistan
Oman
Total

Tonnes (MT)
1’472
1’378
1’374
1’328
1’302
1’300
1’198
1’180
1’169
1’116
966
949
942
680
544
515
474
433
401
377
347
251
222
211
210
201
180
159
152
138
123
107
99
95
66
66
65
61
57
55
54
49
46
31
28
27
27
26
22
20
18
7
3
3
2
1
0
0
3’258’532

Share of all organic
imports (%)
(0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
100.0

Source: TRACES/European Commission 2019

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Organic imports to the European Union
Table 39: Volume of the organic agri-food imports into the EU per product category
2018
Rank

Products

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29

Tropical fruit, fresh or dried, nuts and spices
Oilcake
Cereals, other than wheat and rice
Wheat
Rice
Oilseeds, other than soybeans
Beet and cane sugar
Vegetables, fresh, chilled and dried
Fruit, fresh or dried, excluding citrus & tropical fruit
Unroasted coffee, tea in bulk & maté
Soybeans
Fruit juices
Cocoa beans
Preparations of vegetables, fruit or nuts
Sugar, other than beet & cane
Palm & palm kernel oils
Olive oil
Citrus fruit
Wine, vermouth, cider and vinegar
Flours and other products of the milling industry
Food preparations, not specified
Eggs and honeyBulbs, roots and live plants
Vegetable oils other than palm & olive oils
Miscellaneous seeds and hop cones
Gums, resins and plant extracts
Soups and sauces
Fish
Infant food and other cereals, flour, starch or milk
preparations
Starches, inulin & gluten
Pasta, pastry, biscuits and bread
Other feed and feed ingredients
Pet food
Cocoa paste and powder
Water and soft drinks
Essential oils
Roasted coffee and tea
Non-agicultural products
Bovine meat, fresh, chilled and frozen
Non edible animal products
Chocolate, confectionery and ice cream
Coffee and tea extracts
Sugar alcohols
Ethanol
Sheep and goat meat, fresh, chilled and frozen
Spirits and liqueurs
Fatty acids and waxes
Odoriferous substances
Pork meat, fresh, chilled and frozen
Cut flowers and plants
Butter
Total

30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51

793’597352’043
255’764
243’797
216’017
192’927
166’328
148’108
147’114
127’940
105’870
89’11774’22055’19840’11639’76230’13829’042
21’373
20’376
18’263
17’87112’505
10’192
7’385
7’061
5’961
5’828
4’484

% of agri-food
imports
24.35
10.80
7.85
7.48
6.63
5.92
5.10
4.55
4.51
3.93
3.25
2.73
2.28
1.69
1.23
1.22
0.92
0.89
0.66
0.63
0.56
0.55
0.38
0.31
0.23
0.22
0.18
0.18
0.14

3’947
2’918
2’580
1’844
1’821
1’718
1’171
793
729
666
453
383
256
250
233
132
107
74
42
19
1
0
3’258’532

0.12
0.09
0.08
0.06
0.06
0.05
0.04
0.02
0.02
0.02
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
100.00Tonnes (MT)

Source: TRACES/European Commission 2019

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Standards andLegislation,
Policy Support

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Standards, Legislation, Policies › Public Standards and Regulations

Public Standards and Regulations
EMANUELE BUSACCA,1, FLÁVIA MOURA E CASTRO,2 JOELLE KATTOANDRIGHETTO3 AND BEATE HUBER4Development of the new EU organic regulation
The European Union (EU) adopted the basic act of its new organic regulation in 2018,
which will come into force in 2021. In 2018, the secondary legislation – the delegatedand implementing act for production, labelling, controls, and trade – started to be
drafted and adopted, in a process that will continue in 2020. The revision neverthelessalready started almost a decade ago.
At the end of 2011, less than three years after the current organic regulations5 cameinto force, the European Commission (Commission) decided to review the EU organic
legislative framework, launching a 1.5-year impact assessment. In March 2014, theCommission submitted a proposal to the EU Council of agriculture ministers(Council) and the European Parliament (Parliament).
After the Council and the Parliament developed their own positions, the three EU
institutions entered into the “trialogue” negotiations, with the aim of reaching anagreement and adopting a final text. It took the negotiators 18 trialogue meetings andalmost two years to reach an agreement.
After legal checks and translation into all the EU’s official languages, the text was
published in the EU Official Journal in June 2018. The new organic regulation will
apply from 1 January 2021.
The text that has been adopted represents the “Basic Act”. This means that many
details of the text still have to be developed and adopted in the form of delegated andimplementing acts. This process of development of secondary legislation started inJune 2018 and should be concluded by June 2020 at the latest, six months before theactual application of the new organic regulation.

Emanuele Busacca, IFOAM EU, Brussels, Belgium, www.ifoam-eu.org
Flávia Moura e Castro, IFOAM – Organics International, 53113 Bonn, Germany, f.castro@ifoam.bio,
www.ifoam.bio
3 Joelle Katto-Andrighetto, IFOAM - Organics International, 53113 Bonn, Germany, j.katto@ifoam.bio,
www.ifoam.bio
4 Beate Huber, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, Switzerland. Beate Huber has, together
with co-authors (Otto Schmid of FiBL and Lukas Kilcher of FiBL) compiled this chapter in the 2005 to 2019
editions of “The World of Organic Agriculture”.
5 Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 and its implementing Regulations (EC) No 889/2008 and No 1235/2008
1
2

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Standards, Legislation, Policies › Public Standards and Regulations
Changes in control and certification1
The organic control system in the new regulation will be closely linked to the newgeneral legislation on official controls for food and feed that was published in 2017.
Additionally, specific control requirements for organic production are detailed in the
new organic regulation.
One important change refers to group certification, which is currently only allowed inrelation to the control of small operators in developing countries (as defined by
OECD2). With the new regulation, it will be allowed everywhere in the world,
including the EU. Group certification means that a certain number of small farmers
can get organised and be certified as a single entity. One certificate covers all the
farmers, who cannot sell their certified products other than through the group itself.
Specific criteria will be established to define what categories of farmers can join thegroup (see chapter on internal control systems by Meinshausen et al. on page 159).
Another novelty is that the annual physical inspection will not be mandatory foreveryone. Today this applies to 100 percent of certified farms and facilities. A
derogation for low-risk farms and facilities implies that those farms and facilities areinspected every 24 months rather than every year. Controls will have a strong riskbased focus.
Retailers that only sell pre-packaged organic products will not need certification but
will be subjected to the checks of the general official controls legislation. Additionally,
Member States can decide to exempt from certification farmers who sell small
quantities of organic products directly to the final consumer as well as very small
operators who sell directly unpacked organic products (other than feed) to the final
consumer.
A topic that was heavily debated during the legislative process was related to theactions to be taken when residues of non-allowed substances are detected on organic
products. Member States have different procedures, and an agreement has not beenfound. Therefore, Member States can continue applying their national approaches
until the topic is discussed again, after 2021.

Changes concerning imports
In the new regulation, there will be two systems to import organic products fromoutside the EU:− Trade agreements: most third countries that currently have equivalence
arrangements with the EU will have to renegotiate the terms through formal trade
agreements. Under the current system, thirteen third countries have unilateral orbilateral equivalence arrangements with the EU: Argentina, Australia, Canada,

1 The new EU Organic Regulation introduces changes at various levels, but this chapter describes only themain ones referring to controls and trade.
2 Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipients:
http://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/daclist.htm

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Standards, Legislation, Policies › Public Standards and Regulations
Chile, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea,
Switzerland, Tunisia and United States of America.
− Certifiers: where there is not a trade agreement, the Commission will establish alist of recognised control bodies (or authorities) that will be authorised to perform
controls and certification in third countries. The EU regulation will be
implemented identically within the EU and outside the EU. Some flexibility will beallowed for the use of plant protection products and or fertilisers traditionallyused in third countries.

Organic agriculture regulations worldwide: current situation
According to data collected by IFOAM – Organics International and FiBL, 68 countries
had fully implemented organic regulations as of 2019. Eighteen countries had
developed regulations, which are not fully implemented, while 17 were in the processof drafting legislation (Table 1).
Table 40: Regulations on organic agriculture: Number of countries by region (2019)
RegionAfricaAsia
EuropeLatin America & Caribbean
North America
Oceania
Total

Drafting

Fully
Implemented

Not fully
Implemented

Total

6
8
2
1

1
8
37
16
2
4
68

3
9
3
3

10
25
42
20
2
4
103

17

18

Source: IFOAM – Organics International

Australia and New Zealand have fully implemented regulations that apply to exports
only. Consultations on whether and how organic production for the domestic market
should also be regulated have been taking place in New Zealand since 2018, initiatedby the government through the Ministry for Primary Industries.
India is a more complex case: with fully implemented regulations that apply toexports only, the country is developing a new regulation that also applies to thedomestic sector. New legislation was approved at the end of 2017 and enforcement
was foreseen to begin in 2018. Currently, various implementation rules are still being
developed; therefore, the classification for the country in Table 41 refers only to thelegal framework for organic exports.
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) are recognised as systems to verify
compliance with standards within the legal framework for organic agriculture of 10

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Standards, Legislation, Policies › Public Standards and Regulations
countries with fully implemented regulations (see also chapter by Katto-Andrighetto
et al. in this volume on page 164).1
Regional standards are adopted by 48 countries. For the 28 countries in the EU, thistakes place within the framework of a compulsory regional regulation: the EU
regulation on organic production. For the remaining 20 countries, this is in reference
to their endorsement of regional voluntary standards: the East African Organic
Agriculture Standard (EAOPS) and the Pacific Organic Standard (POS). The EAOPS
was adopted by the East African Community in April 2007 and thereby became an
official (but voluntary) standard for Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
The POS has been endorsed by the Conference of Pacific Ministers of Agriculture andFisheries, which includes 15 member countries, and provides a platform for further
regional policy development. New Caledonia and French Polynesia2 have developed
and are implementing regulations adopting the POS.
Data on regulations around the world were collected from various authorities andexperts. The categorisation of regulations as being “not fully implemented” or “fully
implemented” was based directly on the feedback from the persons interviewed, andsome of the information was subject to verification. The indication “not fully
implemented” relates to countries that(a) have only recently adopted legislation and are still in the process of finalising its
implementation (for example Belarus and Ukraine, where new organic
regulations officially entered into force in 2019) and(b) have developed and adopted legislation but are not providing the resources
necessary for its implementation.
For some countries, we did not receive any information, and therefore we have nodata to provide.
Table 41 shows the list of countries and the current status of their regulations onorganic agriculture (drafting, fully implemented or not fully implemented) as well as
relevant remarks where appropriate (if the regulations apply for exports only; if
regional voluntary standards or compulsory regulation are in place; and if PGS arerecognised).
Organic standards that are endorsed by the international organic movement are listed
in the IFOAM Family of Standards. Private standards, national regulations andregional standard are admissible for the IFOAM Family of Standards.3

1 PGS recognition is also considered by some of the countries that are drafting regulations or where recently
approved regulations are not yet fully implemented, but they were not considered in this overview. This is
the case for example for India and Mongolia.
2 Overseas collectivity of the French Republic and its sole overseas country, but exempted from compliancewith the EU organic regulation.
3 Information on the organic guarantee system of IFOAM is available at www.ifoam.org/ogs, information on
the IFOAM Family of Standards at https://www.ifoam.bio/en/ifoam-family-standards-0.

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Standards, Legislation, Policies › Public Standards and Regulations
Please send comments or information about countries that are not listed to Flávia
Moura e Castro (f.castro@ifoam.bio).

Harmonisation and equivalence: The Organic Equivalence Tracker
In 2019, IFOAM - Organics International launched the Organic Equivalence Tracker,
an online global list of equivalence arrangements for organic products between
government trade partners.
An equivalence arrangement is the mechanism enabling trade of organic products
between countries that have adopted organic regulations. The main effect of anequivalence arrangement is the acknowledgement that the regulations of theexporting country are equivalent insofar as they are deemed to meet the objectives of
the importing country’s organic regulation. Equivalence arrangements can be:− Unilateral: one country deciding the equivalence of another country’s regulation
without reciprocation; or− Bilateral: reciprocal equivalence of each other’s regulations.
IFOAM – Organics International has been promoting harmonisation and equivalencein organic agriculture since 2002, in partnership with the UN Food and Agricultural
Organization (FAO) and UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD),
through various international events and projects.1 Networks of government andprivate sector stakeholders were built around the topic, raising the profile of the issue
and facilitating solutions and recommendations for trade facilitation. Having tracked
the development of equivalence arrangements in the past decades, we can now makethis information available as a relevant online tool for governments, traders,
researchers and policy advocates interested in the trade of organic products.
The Organic Equivalence Tracker is organised as an interactive table displaying all
countries participating in unilateral and bilateral arrangements. There are currently 17
entries: 16 countries as well as the European Union (EU) as one entity, which includes
all 36 full members of the European cooperation for Accreditation.2 It also includes
information on trade facilitation measures between countries that have not stipulated
any equivalence arrangements but nevertheless adopt provisions facilitating intercountry trade. For instance, the United States recognises governments of some trading
partners to provide oversight of domestic certification bodies for the provision of the
National Organic Program (NOP) certification within their respective jurisdictions forthe purpose of exporting to the United States.
To

accesstheOrganic

Equivalence

Tracker,

pleasevisit

thewebsite:https://www.ifoam.bio/en/organic-equivalence-tracker

1 Particularly worthy of notice are the sequential projects, the International Task Force on Harmonization andEquivalence in Organic Agriculture (2003-2008) and the Global Organic Market Access project (2009-2012).
2 For more information, please visit: https://european-accreditation.org/

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Standards, Legislation, Policies › Public Standards and Regulations
The Equivalence Tracker is a living tool that will be updated constantly by our Policy& Guarantee team at IFOAM - Organics International. We also encourage thesubmission of updates from sector experts: this can be done by contacting Joelle
Katto-Andrighetto at j.katto@ifoam.bio.

Literature and 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 2092/91; Consolidated version: http://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02007R0834-20130701
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 oforganic products with regard to organic production, labelling and control; Consolidated Version:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02008R0889-20170521
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 oforganic products from third countries; Consolidated version: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02008R1235-20190409
Huber, Beate, Otto Schmid, Verena Bartlogg, Flavia Mouro y Castro (2019): Public Standards and Legislation,
In: Willer, H. and Lernoud, J. (Eds.) (2019): The World of Organic Agriculture 2020. FiBL, Frick, andIFOAM - Organics International, Bonn., pages 152-159. Available at https://orgprints.org/34570/. See
also earlier editions of this article in “The World of Organic Agriculture”, https://www.organicworld.net/yearbook.html
Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic
production and labelling of organic products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007);
Consolidated version: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02018R084820180614

Table 41: Regulations on organic agriculture: Current status by country
RegionCountry

AfricaAlgeria
BurundiCameroon
Egypt
Ethiopia
Kenya
Madagascar
Mauritius
MoroccoRwandaSouth Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
Tunisia
UgandaArmenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
BhutanCambodia
China
India
Indonesia
Iran

Asia

Asia

Status of regulations onorganic agriculture
Not fully Implemented

Relevant Remarks

Regional voluntary standards (EAOPS)
Drafting
Drafting
Not fully Implemented
Regional voluntary standards (EAOPS)
Drafting
Drafting
Not fully Implemented
Regional voluntary standards (EAOPS)
Drafting
Drafting
Regional voluntary standards (EAOPS)
Fully Implemented
Regional voluntary standards (EAOPS)
Not fully Implemented
Not fully Implemented
Drafting
Drafting
Drafting
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Not fully Implemented

Only for export.

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Standards, Legislation, Policies › Public Standards and Regulations
RegionEuropeEurope156

IsraelJapan
JordanKazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Malaysia
Mongolia
Nepal
Pakistan
Philippines
Republic of Korea
Saudi Arabia
Sri Lanka
TaiwanTajikistan
United Arab Emirates
Albania
Austria

Status of regulations onorganic agriculture
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Drafting
Not fully Implemented
Drafting
Fully Implemented
Not fully implemented
Drafting
Drafting
Not fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Not fully implemented
Drafting
Not fully Implemented
Not fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented

BelarusBelgium

Not fully implemented
Fully Implemented

Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bulgaria

Drafting
Fully Implemented

Croatia

Fully Implemented

CyprusFully Implemented

Czech Republic

Fully Implemented

Denmark

Fully Implemented

Estonia

Fully Implemented

Finland

Fully Implemented

FranceFully Implemented

Georgia
Germany

Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented

GreeceFully Implemented

Hungary

Fully Implemented

Iceland
Ireland

Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented

Italy

Fully Implemented

KosovoLatviaNot fully Implemented
Fully Implemented

Liechtenstein
Lithuania

Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented

Country

Relevant Remarks

Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)

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Standards, Legislation, Policies › Public Standards and Regulations
RegionLatin
America &Caribbean

Latin
America

Oceania

Luxemburg

Status of regulations onorganic agriculture
Fully Implemented

Malta

Fully Implemented

Montenegro
Netherlands

Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented

NorwayPolandFully Implemented
Fully Implemented

Portugal

Fully Implemented

Romania

Fully Implemented

RussiaSerbiaSlovak Republic

Drafting
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented

Slovenia

Fully Implemented

Spain

Fully Implemented

SwedenFully Implemented

Switzerland
TurkeyUkraineUnited Kingdom

Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Not fully Implemented
Fully Implemented

Country

Relevant Remarks
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)

Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)
Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)

Regional compulsory regulation (EURegulation)

Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Bolivia
BrazilChile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
EcuadorEl Salvador
GuatemalaHonduras
MexicoNicaragua
PanamaParaguay
Peru
St. Lucia
Uruguay
Venezuela

Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Not fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Not fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Drafting
Fully Implemented
Not Fully Implemented

CanadaUSA
Australia
Fiji

Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented
Fully Implemented

PGS recognition.
PGS recognition.
PGS recognition.
PGS recognition.

PGS recognition.

PGS recognition.

PGS recognition.

PGS recognition.

Only for export.
Regional voluntary standards (POS)

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Standards, Legislation, Policies › Public Standards and Regulations
RegionFrench Polynesia

Status of regulations onorganic agriculture
Fully Implemented

Kiribati (Micronesia)
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Nauru
New Caledonia

Fully Implemented

Country

New Zealand
Niue
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tonga
TuvaluVanuatu

Fully Implemented

Relevant Remarks
Regional voluntary standards (POS);PGS Recognition.
Regional voluntary standards (POS)
Regional voluntary standards (POS)
Regional voluntary standards (POS)
Regional voluntary standards (POS)
Regional voluntary standards (POS);PGS recognition.
Only for export.
Regional voluntary standards (POS)
Regional voluntary standards (POS)
Regional voluntary standards (POS)
Regional voluntary standards (POS)
Regional voluntary standards (POS)
Regional voluntary standards (POS)
Regional voluntary standards (POS)
Regional voluntary standards (POS)

Source: IFOAM – Organics International
EU Regulation = EU Regulation on organic agriculture, EAOPS = East African Organic Agriculture Standard; POS - PacificOrganic Standard

Please send comments or information about changes and countries that are not listed
to Flávia Moura e Castro (f.castro@ifoam.bio).

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Standards, Legislation, Policies > ICSInternal Control Systems in Organic Agriculture:
Significance, Opportunities and Challenges
FLORENTINE MEINSHAUSEN,1 TORALF RICHTER,2 BEATE HUBER, 3 JOHANBLOCKEEL4
Importance of group certification
In the recent study “Group Certification: Internal Control Systems in Organic
Agriculture: Significance, Opportunities and Challenges” FiBL and IFOAM examinedthe current scale and scope of group certification by region and country (Meinshausen
et al. 2019).5 According to FiBL estimates, about 80 percent of the world’s organic
producers are smallholders in low and middle-income countries, for whom individual
certification would be unaffordable and administratively too complex to manage.
These producers are recognised as organic due to group certification, a system inwhich groups of farmers implement an Internal Control System (ICS) and are certified
by a third-party certification body, which assesses the performance of the ICS andperforms a representative number of spot-check inspections of group members.
The approach of ICS-based group certification was pioneered by IFOAM – Organics
International (IFOAM) over the past twenty years and has been adopted by the entire
organic sector, including the EU and the US National Organic Programme. Groupcertification is the only way that smallholder farmers in low-income countries canaccess certified international markets, and besides reducing certification costs andcomplexity, it also provides other important economic and social benefits.

The global scale of group certification
There are presently no available official statistics about ICS certified producer groups.
The relevant databases and certified operator lists mostly do not specifically identify
producer groups, nor the number of producers within them.
Hence, different data source and extrapolation had to be used to collate data about thescope and spread of ICS groups (see Figure 54, Figure 55). These estimates suggestthat there are about 2.6 million organic producers organised in around 5’900 ICS

Florentine Meinshausen, Sustainability Standards & Assurance. Fair & Ethical Trade. Smallholder Value
Chains, Zurich, Switzerland
2 Toralf Richter, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Department of International Cooperation,
5070 Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
3 Beate Huber, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Department of International Cooperation,
5070 Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
4 Johan Blockeel, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Department of International Cooperation,
5070 Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
5 The FiBL study “Group Certification Internal Control Systems in Organic Agriculture: Significance,
Opportunities and Challenges” can be downloaded at https://orgprints.org/35159
1

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Standards, Legislation, Policies › ICS
groups in 58 countries (mainly in Africa, Asia and Latin America), covering a total
area of around 4.5 million ha of certified organic land.

Figure 54: Estimated global organic group certification
Source: FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International

Figure 55: Estimated global organic group certification per region
Source: FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International

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Standards, Legislation, Policies > ICS
The main products sold by ICS-certified groups are coffee and cocoa, but these groups
supply many other important commodities (see Figure 56). The size of groups canvary greatly between different regions and from country to country. The biggest
groups are found in Africa, where groups with more than 10’000 farmers are notuncommon. Farms in organic groups have a typical size of 1-4 hectares, depending on
the region, but many groups also include some medium-sized and large farms.

Figure 56: Most important crops certified by group certification
Source: FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International

The need to harmonise and strengthen group certification requirements
Results of a stakeholder survey and the expert interviews in the frame of the FiBL
study showed that they consider most elements of organic group certification to be„important“ or „very important“ and that they are generally implemented „well“ or„quite well“. However, the interviews also highlighted various challenges and a needfor more guidance or stronger criteria in some areas in order to ensure consistent
application of the requirements. This is particularly relevant as the new EU regulation
on organic production (EU) 2018/848 (published in 2018 and coming into force in2021) will allow group certification of small farms anywhere in the world, including
the EU. The details about how to control and implement these rules are being
elaborated (see chapter by Busacca et al. on page 150).
The FiBL study further concludes that it is very important that organic regulations
define group certification as a separate „scope“, with specific control procedures andcompetency requirements for certification bodies, in a similar way to which there are

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Standards, Legislation, Policies › ICS
specific requirements for the certification of processing or feedstuff operations since
ICS are more complex than certifying individual farms or enterprises and require
additional skill sets. This would strengthen oversight by accreditation bodies andcompetent authorities and help to achieve transparency and reporting on group
certification data. It is also mentioned in the study that there is a need for more
explicit guidance on the following aspects of group certification.
− Size of producer groups: As groups can be very large (> 10’000 farms in one
group), it could be important to have clear rules on the maximum size of acertified group, and/or how large groups can be organised into homogenous
subgroups and the related sampling rules for external controls.
− Size of member farms in groups: Definitions of farm size and ways of controlling
medium and large farms in different group settings should be defined in moredetail in order to harmonise inspection procedures among the certification bodies.
− Farm extension and capacity building: Training on how to implement organic
principles in practice is crucial for the long-term success and compliance of organicgroups. There should be more explicit requirements to include these aspects aspart of the group certification process. As part of this process, consideration
should be given to allowing the same field officer to conduct internal inspections
and to provide advisory/training services, as this would facilitate capacity
building, especially within groups with a very limited ICS budget.
− Reliable basic farm data is essential, especially regarding the size and location of
the farm fields and crop data in order to monitor and control. Gathering this data
is a major challenge for many groups. It would be helpful to provide groups withadequate digital tools and training to improve data management. Useful lessons inthis respect can be learned from the efforts of other standards such as Rainforest
Alliance/UTZ. It is also important to make the data collected for the ICS more
useful and relevant for farmers and the group so that groups see data gathering as
beneficial for them rather than merely a certification requirement.
− External control of groups: Additional guidance and more explicit rules areneeded to ensure more consistent application of group certification requirements.
In particular, consideration should be given to establishing audit protocols andrules to ensure that the relatively few external farm inspections are done
thoroughly. One mechanism for doing this would be by introducing clear rules,
such as a maximum number of audits per day, as is done in other sustainability
standards. This would create a level playing field between certifiers and prevent
cost (and quality) cutting. More guidance is also needed on dealing with nonconformities and sanctions for the group in order to harmonise the application ofcontrol standards.

The international rules for group certification are changing
The new EU Organic Regulation (EU) 2018/848 (Basic Act) as published in 2018
includes basic rules for the certification of grower groups which will apply from 2021
onwards to all organic “groups of operators”, both in the EU and worldwide.
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Standards, Legislation, Policies > ICS
The EU has taken up the findings and recommendations of the FiBL study with greatinterest. IFOAM - Organics International has led a project to strengthen group
certification requirements internationally and worked with IFOAM EU on a joint
position to achieve strengthened meaningful new requirements for groups. The
Commission and the Member States are currently working on secondary legislation
which will, in addition to the Basic Act requirements, re-define the rules for group
certification.
The details are not yet finalised, but some fundamental changes to the rules andconditions for group certification can be expected. There may be a maximum numberof farms per group and a higher external control rate. It is very likely that only organic
farms which meet the size restrictions of the Regulation and who are organised in a
separate legal entity can be certified as a “group of operators”, which would affect allprocessor/exporter-led groups, but also federations of cooperatives as well as all
cooperatives who also have non-organic or larger organic farm members. The
requirements for the internal control system and the control procedures will also be
defined in more detail.
According to IFOAM’s analysis, some of the proposed changes will help to improve
the transparency and quality of group certification. However, there is also widespread
concern that the new legal requirements will have a substantial negative impact on
millions of small-farmers all around the world as groups would need to spend theirscarce resources not on much-needed farmers training and support, but on expensive
legal registration and administration procedures and higher external control costs.
The new requirements would differ substantially from those of other organic
regulations and important voluntary certification schemes; hence implementation will
be confusing and inconsistent.

Literature
Meinshausen, Florentine; Richter, Toralf; Blockeel, Johan and Huber, Beate (2019): Group Certification.
Internal Control Systems in Organic Agriculture: Significance, Opportunities and Challenges.
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick. https://orgprints.org/35159/
Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic
production and labelling of organic products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007);
Consolidated version: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02018R084820180614

Further reading
The chapter "Group Certification: Market Access for Smallholder Agriculture" in a book published by
Springer on sustainable global value chains comprehensively explains the concept of group certification andall relevant terminologies (Steidle/Herrmann 2019). It further provides an overview on where the concept
stems from, which chances and challenges emerge from it and suggests that training combined with the useof modern, affordable ICT tools is crucial for group certification to work in a sustainable and credible
fashion. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-14877-9_34
Steidle M., Herrmann G.A. (2019) Group Certification: Market Access for Smallholder Agriculture. In:
Schmidt M., Giovannucci D., Palekhov D., Hansmann B. (eds) Sustainable Global Value Chains.
Natural Resource Management in Transition, vol 2. Springer, Cham.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-14877-9_34

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Standards, Legislation, Policies › PGS

Participatory Guarantee Systems in 2019
Joelle Katto-Andrighetto,1 Cornelia Kirchner,2 Flávia Moura e Castro,3and Federica Varini4
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 (IFOAM
definition, 20085). PGS are particularly suitable for small-scale farmers and local
markets. In 2004, IFOAM – Organics International organised, in cooperation with
MAELA (Latin American Agroecology Movement), the first international workshop
on alternative certification in Torres (Brazil), which brought together initiatives fromvarious continents to discuss the common grounds between various approaches andneeds behind alternative certification systems. An important outcome was the birth of“Participatory Guarantee Systems” as a concept and the creation of an international
task force on PGS, now the permanent IFOAM PGS Committee. Since then, thenumber of PGS initiatives and producers involved in them has been growing on allcontinents, and they now represent a well-established guarantee system for Organic
Agriculture in many countries (for definitions see the end of the article). In 2019, ten
countries had recognised PGS as a guarantee system to ensure the organic quality of
products at the national level.6
IFOAM – Organics International is the only organisation collecting data about PGS ona global level. To date,7 we have recorded in our PGS database 223 PGS initiatives in
76 countries, with at least 567’142 producers involved and 496’104 producers certified.

1 Joelle Katto-Andrighetto, IFOAM - Organics International, 53113 Bonn, Germany, j.katto@ifoam.bio,
www.ifoam.bio
2 Cornelia Kirchner IFOAM – Organics International, 53113 Bonn, Germany, c.kirchner@ifoam.bio,
www.ifoam.bio
3 Flávia Moura e Castro, IFOAM – Organics International, 53113 Bonn, Germany, f.castro@ifoam.bio,
www.ifoam.bio
4 Federica Varini, IFOAM – Organics International, 53113 Bonn, Germany, f.varini@ifoam.bio,

www.ifoam.bio
More information about the IFOAM definition of organic agriculture is available on the IFOAM website athttps://www.ifoam.bio/en/organic-landmarks/definition-organic-agriculture. A definition of PGS is available
at https://www.ifoam.bio/en/organic-policy-guarantee/participatory-guarantee-systems-pgs,
6 These countries are Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, French
Polynesia and New Caledonia. PGS recognition is also considered by some of the countries that are drafting
regulations or where recently approved regulations are not yet fully implemented, but they were notconsidered in this overview. For example, this is the case for India and Mongolia.
5

7 Data compiled in October 2019.

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Standards, Legislation, Policies > PGS

Development of PGS-certified producers worldwide
496'104

Source: IFOAM – Organics International 2019

600'000

0

46'94517'00025'000

11'000

9'000

100'000

6'000

200'000

76'750300'000

142'955

400'000

76'000

Producers

500'000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Figure 57: Development of PGS-certified producers worldwide
Source: IFOAM – Organics International

The highest number of producers involved in PGS can be found in India, where
according to the data from the Indian Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, atotal of 509’351 producers are involved in PGS. At least 471’007 of them are certified
producers, which represents a growth of 316.5% compared to the number of certified
producers in 2018. They cultivate a total PGS certified area of 371’276 hectares.
Worldwide, there are only eight other countries with more than 1’000 producers
certified by PGS: Brazil (6’309), Thailand (2’110), Uganda (2’044), Peru (1’790), Bolivia(1’287), Vanuatu (1’284), France (1’144) and Fiji (1’111).

Regional development
Asia
Asia counts more PGS producers than any other region, with at least 521’381
producers involved, of which 475’663 are certified (+311.6% compared to 2018). Thisdevelopment is related to the expansion of PGS in the whole region in the past years,
but it is mostly due to the sharp increase in the number of farmers joining thegovernmental initiative PGS-India implemented by the National Center of Organic
Farming (NCOF).1 After India, the highest numbers for producers involved in PGS in
Asia are found in the Philippines (2’440) and South Korea (2’000). In terms of certified

1 The number of certified producers and the hectares certified organic by PGS-India are constantly updated

on the national PGS platform: https://www.pgsindia-ncof.gov.in/
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Standards, Legislation, Policies › PGS
producers, Thailand (2’110) has the second-highest number in the region, after India.
Furthermore, Asia has the second-highest number of PGS initiatives operational (35)compared to other regions.

Latin and Central America
Latin and Central America, which has 11’058 certified producers (-39.3% compared to2018) among 22’147 producers involved, is the region with the highest number ofoperational PGS initiatives: 81 in total (8% growth rate compared to 2018). Brazil (26)
has the most, followed by Chile (14), which has seen an increase of more than 114.3%
in operational initiatives between 2017 and 2018.
Bolivia experienced a decrease in the number of producers certified and involved,
respectively, with a decrease of 84.2% and 72.1%. The decrease could be linked todifficulties PGS initiatives have been facing in the past two years in order to fulfil therequirements and pay the costs to obtain or renew their official recognition with thecompetent authority, SENASAG.
Brazil is now the country in the region with the highest number of producers certified(6’309). In 2019, Brazil and Chile implemented the first bilateral equivalenceagreement on organic production in the region (see article by Flores on page 266). Thisis the first bilateral equivalence agreement Brazil has ever signed and the first in theworld to recognise, without restrictions, both third-party and PGS as guarantee
systems for organic certification.
Peru, where PGS have been implemented for the past 15 years, is the country with thesecond-highest number of producers certified (at least 1790 producers certified) in theregion. In 2019, the government launched a public consultation on the regulation oforganic certification, which recognises and regulates PGS (“Proyecto de Decreto
Supremo que aprueba el Reglamento de Certificación y Fiscalización de la Producción
Orgánica y su Exposición de Motivos”). Various PGS stakeholders, gathered during
the X National PGS Meeting in May 2019, discussed the proposed regulation andagreed on a series of amendments that were then submitted to the competentauthority, SENASA, and supported by IFOAM – Organics International. The Decree
has not yet been released, and it is not expected before early 2020.

AfricaIt is estimated that in Africa there are 16’353 producers involved, 4’188 of whom are
certified. Nine PGS initiatives are under development in the region, and 17 areoperational. This represents a decrease in the number of initiatives compared to what
we reported in 2017 and the previous years. This decrease is related to theconsolidation of various PGS groups (previously included in the survey as PGS
initiatives) under fewer National PGS initiatives, especially in East Africa where the
National Organic Agriculture Movements are operating as oversight bodies for thenational PGS groups.
Several new West African countries appear in the survey in 2019. In Ghana, Togo andSão Tomé and Principe, PGS initiatives have been starting to formalise thanks also to
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Standards, Legislation, Policies > PGS
the support of the project Organic Market for Development (OM4D)1, which aims –among other things – to link producers directly to local consumers by setting up andpromoting PGS as an affordable alternative to third party certification for domestic
markets.

Oceania
In Oceania, there are at least 3’462 producers involved. Of these, 9’912 are certified,
which represents an increase of 10.6 percent compared to the figures for 2018. This ismostly related to developments in Vanuatu, which is now the country in the region
with the highest number of PGS-certified producers (1’284), followed by Fiji (1’111).

North America
Due to an unfavourable legal framework, PGS initiatives are less widespread in North
America, where the figures tend to be stable over the years. In the USA there is one
single PGS, Certified Naturally Grown2, which offers certification to farmers andbeekeepers producing food for their local communities by working in harmony withnature, without relying on synthetic chemicals or GMOs. More than 655 farmers andbeekeepers throughout the United States and Canada are certified through thissystem.

EuropeIn Europe, we have seen an increase compared to data reported for 2018, with 2’032
producers involved, the majority of which are located in France where 1’144 arecertified producers (+14.7 percent compared to 2017). In European countries, it is quite
widespread that organic PGS-certified producers also have a third-party certificationand can thus access official organic markets. Currently, at least 30 PGS initiatives canbe found in at least ten countries. At the national level, both in Spain and France,
different PGS initiatives have been moving towards the creation of formal national
networks of PGS initiatives. Despite the different contexts, in both countries the pushto build such network comes from the desire to increase mutual support between
initiatives, sharing knowledge and products as well as strengthening advocacy for
PGS at the local and national scale.
Thanks to the implementation of the EATingCRAFT3 project – the first transnational
project on PGS in Europe – several new European countries, led by local Civil Society

1 This project is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to learn more visit:https://www.ifoam.bio/en/OM4D
2 To learn more about this initiative, visit their website https://www.cngfarming.org/

3 The Education Towards the Creation of Alternative Food Networks project (EATingCRAFT) is
funded by the European Union under the Erasmus + program. To learn more visit:https://www.ifoam.bio/en/eatingcraft-education-towards-creation-alternative-food-networks
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Standards, Legislation, Policies › PGS
Organisations working on CSA1, experimented with the possibility of establishing
PGS initiatives in 2019 (Czech Republic, Hungary and Greece).

General notes on the data
Every two years IFOAM – Organics International conducts a global PGS survey. The
last survey was conducted in 2019; therefore, the figures for most of the PGS are from
October 2019. Additional data were collected through bilateral communication with
PGS initiatives, competent authorities and PGS experts. If new data is not received,
data from the previous year or older data is used, unless no update is provided forseveral years. In such cases, initiatives might be considered no longer active and thus
excluded from the current statistics. When PGS are recognised under a nationalorganic regulation, data that is collected and published by competent authorities isused. This is the case in Brazil,2 Chile,3 Bolivia,4 Costa Rica,5 Mexico,6 and India.7

Definitions used
PGS initiative: Entity or organisation that has defined/chosen/adopted a common setof standards for organic agriculture and a common set of procedures (i.e. they have acommon manual describing those procedures), and that has a coordination body (i.e.
secretary, association) that has the overview of the data coming from theregional/subgroups, local groups or the individual farmers directly. A PGS initiative
will also typically use one common label to identify the products of their farmers asorganic and/or a logo that is used by other PGS initiatives, such as a national/regionalorganic logo.
Explanatory note: A PGS initiative can be composed of one single local group,
especially at the initial stage of development. Even though it is common for PGS
initiatives to be composed of various local groups, it is also possible that the PGS
producers in a PGS initiative work together based on geographic proximity or
technical expertise, without forming a local group.

CSA = Community-supported agriculture is a system that connects producers and consumers by allowing
the consumer to subscribe to the harvest of a certain farm or group of farms.

1

2 Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, Brasil: Cadastro Nacional de Produtores Orgânicos.
Available at http://www.agricultura.gov.br/assuntos/sustentabilidade/organicos/cadastro-nacionalprodutores-organicos
3 Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero, Chile: Certificación de Productos orgánicos. Available at
http://www.sag.cl/ambitos-de-accion/certificacion-de-productos-organicos/132/registros
4 Consejo Nacional de Producción Ecológica (UC-CNAPE), email communication, data for 2016.
5 Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado, MAG, Costa Rica: Lista Oficial de Grupos en Certificación Participativa.
Available at https://www.sfe.go.cr/DocsARAO/Lista_inscritos_Certificacion_Participativa.pdf
6 Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria, Mexico: Padrón de Organismos deCertificación Participativa de productos orgánicos a pequeños productores y producción familiar. Available
at https://www.gob.mx/senasica/documentos/padron-de-organismos-reconocidos-para-otorgar-certificacionparticipativa-de-productos-organicos-a-pequenos-productores
7 Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, India: Participatory Guarantee System for India. Available at

http://pgsindia-ncof.gov.in

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Standards, Legislation, Policies > PGS
PGS status: Setting up a PGS is a long process and requires two or more years before
the producers involved can be fully certified. In our data collection, we distinguishbetween two situations:(c) Operational PGS: a PGS that is implementing a functional certification system tocertify their producers and has granted at least one certificate to one farmer.
(d) PGS under development: a PGS that is in the process of developing a functional
certification system to certify their producers and has not yet emitted any
certificates.
Number of producers within a PGS: There are two categories of producers
considered for a PGS initiative:(a) Producers involved: Farmers and processors that are involved in a PGS either as
certified or as not having yet received certification, including those that are in theprocess of conversion and that are expecting/intending to get a PGS certificate in
the near future.
(b) Producers certified: Farmers and processors that have been verified through a
PGS and that have received a PGS certificate or a proof of certification, if they areapproved as part of a group within a PGS initiative.

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169

170

2’216
850
115’54900
177
0113’090

4’650
177
371
0
0
0
178
0
0
0
19
6
47
0
0
0
271
515

4’188
228
286
0
0
0
178
50
0
27
18
4
0
0
0
291
532
515
0
2’044
15
475’66300
112
0471’007

Producers
certified
2019

9’273
1’450
342’799
123
100
222
167
333’144

17’795
306
371
2’027
30
0
930
0
0
30
90
10
47
315
0
500
371
2045

Producers
involved
2018
16’353
586
536
3’110
30
0
1’337
150
0
27
90
11
0
315
20
497
360
2’045
0
7’224
15
521’381
123
100
249
1000
509’351

Producers
involved
2019

14
1
29
0
0
4
0
2

33
1
1
0
0
0
6
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
4
3

PGS
operational
2018

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

AFRCIA TOTAL
Benin
Burkina Faso
BurundiEthiopia
Ghana
Kenya
Mali
Mauritius
MoroccoMozambique
Namibia
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome
SenegalSouth Africa
Tanzania
Togo
UgandaZimbabwe
ASIA TOTAL
Bangladesh
BhutanCambodia
China
India

Producers
certified
2018

Table 42: PGS Statistics 2018 and 2019

Standards, Legislation, Policies › PGS

17
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
6
1
0
1
1
35
0
0
4
0
2

PGS
operational
2019

6
0
38
1
1
3
4
0

9
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
5
0

25
0
0
1
1

PGS under
dev 2018

9
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
2
0
1
0
26
1
1
5
1
0

PGS under
dev 2019

6
378’4780023
0371’276

1’112
164
57
0
0
0
0
0
0
352
0
23
0
0
0
370
140
0
0

PGScertified
land 2019(ha)1’127
80
0
0
981
0
0
0
49
17
0
18’220
20
0
8164

147
4
0
86
44
39
0
266
114
111
60
1116
295

142
5
682
310
304
39
0
245
250
155
60
2110
242
0
1’612
80
0
0
1144
0
0
0
186
202
0
11’05820
01287

Producers
certified
2019

1’394
191
0
0
1070
0
0
0
49
56
28
23’418
40
5
9284

781
7
822
288
110
300
0
1970
2000
756
60
1611
338

Producers
involved
2018
425
8
855
495
304
373
0
2440
2000
756
60
2110
732
0
2’032
191
5
2
1214
100
0
10
225
260
25
22’14740
53395

Producers
involved
2019

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Indonesia
Japan
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Myanmar
Nepal
Pakistan
Philippines
South Korea
Sri Lanka
TaiwanThailand
VietnamMongolia
EUROPE
Belgium
BosniaCzech Republic
FranceGermany
GreeceHungary
Italy
Spain
TurkeyLATIN AMERICA TOTAL
Argentina
BelizeBolivia

Producers
certified
2018

Standards, Legislation, Policies > PGS

2
0
0
1
1
3
0
5
1
1
1
5
3

171

6
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
2
2
0
75
1
0
1

PGS
operational
2018
1
1
1
2
1
3
0
7
1
1
1
6
4
0
18
1
0
0
3
0
0
0
3
11
0
81
1
0
4

PGS
operational
2019
0
1
1
2
7
1
1
9
0
1
0
6
0
7
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
2
1
1
15
1
1
0

PGS under
dev 2018

0
1
0
1
0
1
1
9
0
1
0
1
2
1
12
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
1
1
1
7
1
1
0

PGS under
dev 2019

0
2
0
773
379
66
0
346
0
222
0
5363
28
0
1’700
0
0
0
250
0
0
0
1’358
92
0
9’096
170
0
190

PGScertified
land 2019
(ha)

172

5’401
233
312
31
0
765
0
113
47
3’014
0
120
0
776
16
760
2’633
14
0
1’156
14
0
88
150
0
27
1’184
142’955

6’309
233
373
32
0
637
25
139
78
1’790
0
135
0
671
16
655
2’912
14
10
1’111
265
0
88
140
0
0
1’284
496’104

Producers
certified
2019
5’401
233
526
82
252
2’578
0
273
1’000
3’244
0
500
0
1767
17
1’750
3’905
19
13
2’199
14
120
179
150
0
27
1’184
391’078

Producers
involved
2018
7’105
233
649
85
3712
1’877
50
228
211
3947
10
500
100
1767
17
1’750
3’462
21
10
1’111
295
120
179
150
0
76
1’500
567’142

Producers
involved
2019
26
15
6
5
0
4
0
7
1
8
0
1
0
2
1
1
11
1
0
4
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
156

PGS
operational
2018

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Source: IFOAM – Organics International

BrazilChile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
EcuadorGuatemalaMexicoParaguay
Peru
Puerto Rico
Uruguay
Dominica
NORT AMERICA
CanadaUSA
OCEANIA TOTAL
Australia
Cook Islands
Fiji
French Polynesia
Kiribati
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Vanuatu
GLOBAL TOTAL

Producers
certified
2018

Standards, Legislation, Policies › PGS

26
14
6
5
0
4
1
7
2
10
0
1
0
2
1
1
13
1
1
6
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
166

PGS
operational
2019
0
0
4
0
1
1
1
1
0
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
1
2
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
89

PGS under
dev 2018

0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
3
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
57

PGS under
dev 2019

2’564
908
335
154
0
80
1
659
235
3’250
0
550
0
8’440
0
8’440
7’214
2’200
20
3’071
167
0
436
0
0
50
1’270
406’040

PGScertified
land 2019(ha)Standards, Legislation, Policies > Demeter Statistics

Demeter International – Current Statistics
CHRISTOPH SIMPFENDÖRFER1 AND SARAH FISCHER2Demeter is the only ecological association that has built up a network of individual
certification organisations worldwide. In 1997, Demeter-International was founded
for closer co-operation in the legal, economic and spiritual spheres. Presently,
Demeter-International has 19 members and four guest-members from Europe,
America, Africa, New Zealand and India. Thus Demeter-International represents
more than 5’900 Demeter farmers with over 200’000 hectares in 63 countries (June2019).
Demeter-International e.V. is a non-profit organisation, and its member organisations
work together in the spirit of an international confederation with democratic
principles. In order to become a member, it is necessary to have a functioning
Demeter certification programme. Associations which support the objectives of
Demeter-International can be elected as associated members. Demeter’s basis is the
Biodynamic agriculture method, originated by Rudolf Steiner in his “Agriculture
Course” given in Koberwitz in 1924 and developed further in practice and research.
The main tasks of Demeter-International are− Development and approval of International Demeter Standards for production
and processing as minimum requirements for the worldwide trade of Demeterproducts,− International registration and protection of the Demeter trademark,− Certification of single farms/operations in countries without their own Demeterorganisation,− Harmonisation of the Demeter certification program worldwide,− Commitment to advancing the public understanding and acceptance of the
Biodynamic method in relevant international institutions,− Support for the establishment of autonomous Biodynamic associations and
Demeter organisations where none exist.
Demeter has seen continuous growth in certified farms over the past decades. Since
the turn of the millennium, the number of Demeter farms worldwide has increased byaround 2’500 to almost 5’400 in 2018 (Figure 58) and the certified area almost doubled(Figure 59). Germany is the country with the largest area and has the highest numberof producers (Table 43, Table 44).

1 Christoph Simpfendörfer, Demeter-International e.V., Office Echterdingen, Hauptstraße 82, 70771
Echterdingen, Germany, www.demeter.net
2 Sarah Fischer, Demeter-International e.V., Office Echterdingen, Hauptstraße 82, 70771 Echterdingen,Germany, www.demeter.net

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173

Standards, Legislation, Policies > Demeter Statistics
The latest developments show a strong interest in Demeter certification. As a result ofgrowth in recent years, more than 200’000 hectares (June 2019) are now underbiodynamic management and have Demeter certification. Demeter bananas, forexample, are currently a very dynamic sector. Due to the great interest in conversion
and the newly created distribution channels, large areas have been converted tobiodynamic cultivation.
Biodynamic viticulture is also becoming increasingly important. At present, around
760 wineries in Europe are Demeter-certified, led by France with 375 wineries. It isalso gratifying that a winery has been certified in both Liechtenstein and Denmark.
Internationally, Demeter wine comes mainly from Chile and Argentina. In total,around 15’000 hectares of the Demeter-certified area are biodynamic vineyards (Table
45).

Development of Demeter-certified farms worldwide
1997-2018
6'000

Farms

5'000
4'000
3'000

2'785
2'827
2'813
2'931
2'988
3'016
3'223
3'303
3'282
4'052
4'068
4'215
4'386
4'583
4'637
4'742
4'800
4'920
4'950
5'091
5'279
5'387

Source: Demeter-International 2019

2'000
1'000
0

1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017

Figure 58: Development of the number of Demeter-certified farms
Source: Demeter International

174

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Standards, Legislation, Policies > Demeter Statistics

87'101
88'53992'977
96'837
98'533
100'588
106'970
101'992
104'994
118'709
121'239
128'391
142'373
140'352
144'335
147'009
153'246
156'400
161'074
170'833
180'706
187'549

Development of Demeter-certified farmland
worldwide 1997-2018

HectaresSource: Demeter-International 2019

200'000
180'000
160'000
140'000
120'000
100'000
80'00060'00040'000
20'00001997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017

Figure 59: Development of the Demeter-certified area in hectares
Source: Demeter International

Table 43: Certified Demeter operations in member countries of DemeterInternational (DI) as of June 2019
Area (ha)Austria
BrazilDenmark
Egypt
FinlandFranceGermany
Great Britain
India
Italy
Luxembourg
The Netherlands
New Zealand
NorwaySlovenia
Spain
SwedenSwitzerland
USA
Total

Farms
7’164
3’388
2’998
2’610
384
14’62984’4263’886
9’303
10’355
536
8’681
928
548
238
7’743
873
5’070
9’001
172’761

Processors
231
30
43
87
17
606
1’579
100
39
362
8
148
15
20
31
275
17
297
118
4’023

Distributors
43
31
11
7
3
83
401
44
4
77
2
45
0
0
2
0
6
79
88
926

0
3
14
0
3
56
181
9
0
56
0
37
0
0
1
16
6
60
36
478

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

175

Source: Demeter International

Standards, Legislation, Policies > Demeter Statistics
Table 44: Certified Demeter operations in other countries as of June 2019
Area (ha)Argentina
Belgium
Bulgaria
Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Czech Republic
Dominican Rep.
Ecuador
Ethiopia
GreeceGuinea Bissau
Honduras
Hungary
Iran
IrelandIsraelJapan
KuwaitLiechtenstein
Lithuania
Malaysia
MexicoMorocco
Nepal
Paraguay
Peru
PolandPortugal
Romania
SerbiaSicilySlovakia
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Tunisia
TurkeyUgandaUnited Arab Emirates
Vietnam
Total
Total certified operations*

Farms
1’187
143
0
1’474
108
106
11
68
3’537
1’410
512
32
381
694
72
6’371
72
93
106
0
0
3
1’389
0
304
27
118
996
307
4’261
574
200
35
426
169
245
1’479
699
1’148
527
0
0
29’284202’045

Processors
38
8
0
23
7
1
2
1
5
14
3
1
26
1
1
27
1
7
1
0
0
1
11
0
6
1
96
52
8
17
11
2
2
25
1
24
1’204
112
153
2
0
0
1’895
5’918

Distributors
6
4
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
5
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
2
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
29
955

*Total certified operations in member countries of Demeter-International (DI) and other countries
Source: Demeter International

176

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

1
1
1
3
1
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
0
3
1
0
1
3
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
2
0
1
1
31
509

Standards, Legislation, Policies > Demeter Statistics
Table 45: Demeter certified vintners and grape area worldwide (certified by DemeterInternational members)
Country

Farms

Cellars

Area (ha)Austria62

Denmark

1

1

France375

6363

Germany

4

69 (fully certified)

Italy

132

686

620
7

1´544

Liechtenstein

1

2

New Zealand

6

108

Slovenia

11

Spain

53

Switzerland

55

United Kingdom

9

United States

58

92
1

2’126
340

2

53
1’314

Table 46: Demeter certified vintners and grape area worldwide (certified by DemeterInternational)
Country

Farms

Cellars

Argentina

111

Area (ha)

Chile

20

1’012

Czech Republic

1

53

288

Greece2

5Hungary

6

32

Mexico1

6Portugal

13South Africa

4

75

809

14’724

Total (certified by Demeter-International
members and Demeter- International)*Number of farms with grapes for wine**Number of certified cellars/wineries without their own land***Area (ha) with certified grapes for wine
Source: Demeter-International

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

177

Standards, Legislation, Policies > Policy contexts Himalaya Region

The Mainstreaming of Organic Agriculture in the
Himalaya Region: Policy Contexts in Bhutan, India and
Nepal12FEDERICA VARINI3
Organic Agriculture delivers on preserving mountain livelihoods
In vast areas of Bhutan, Nepal, and the Indian Himalaya Region, traditional
agriculture still represents the main occupation, agroecosystems remain
predominantly untouched, and the disruptive effects of the Green Revolution remainminimal as a result of inaccessibility, marginality, and landscape characteristics. There
are obvious incompatibilities between the needs of mountain agroecosystems and theprecepts of industrial agriculture. Mountain agriculture is an integrated and holistic
system fostered by abundant local resources and shaped by traditional knowledge
and the ability to adapt to environmental hardships.
Over the last ten years, Bhutanese, Nepalese, and Indian policymakers haveincreasingly recognised the need to transition towards sustainable agricultural
systems to preserve their natural resources and improve livelihoods for their rural
populations. Political commitment has been implemented with varying intensity,
including policies and programs with specific budget earmarks for measures
supporting organic farming as a way of providing cultural-relevant intervention with
benefits ranging from poverty alleviation to sustainable management.

BhutanBhutan strives to be the world leader in environmental sustainability. Today it is the
only carbon negative country worldwide, thanks also to a provision in its constitutionthat enforces the protection of its forest coverage. Political support for organic
agriculture in Bhutan is consequent with this vision and began over a decade ago withthe launch of the National Framework for Organic Farming in Bhutan (NFOFB) in
2006. As foreseen in the policy framework, the National Organic Program (NOP) wasestablished in 2008. The NOP, with a full-time national coordinator and a dedicatedunit within the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests (MoAF), ensures supervision andstrategic foresight for the development and the implementation of the actions andprogrammes concerning the support of organic farming.

The Mainstreaming of Organic Agriculture and Agroecology in the Himalaya Region. Policy Contexts in
Bhutan, India and Nepal. 2019. IFOAM – Organics International and World Future Council. Germany.
2 See also chapter about organic agriculture in Asia in this volume, page 202).
3 Federica Varini, IFOAM – Organics International, 53113 Bonn, Germany, f.varini@ifoam.bio,
www.ifoam.bio
1

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Standards, Legislation, Policies > Policy contexts Himalaya Region
In 2012, Bhutan declared it would become a 100 percent organic state by the year 2020.
Besides the protection of the environment, the aim of the government was also tobuild strategies to improve the economic conditions of its farmers, who are mostly
organic by default and with one of the lower application rates of synthetic inputs
worldwide, and to support them in reaching international organic markets while
making the sustainable tourism sector even stronger.
Since then, the objective to turn Bhutan into an organic state has been supported byseveral different comprehensive policies and programs. In 2018 Bhutan reached morethan 6000 hectares of organic agriculture land equal to 1.3 percent of the total
agricultural land and 6.6 percent of the arable land. However, despite its pioneering
vision, a recent assessment performed by the International Centre for Integrated
Mountain Development (ICIMOD and MOAF 2018) at the request of the MOAF
concluded that Bhutan will not be able to achieve 100 percent organic status by 2020.
The assessment showed that since the 100 percent target was set, the Bhutanese
government has continuously lowered its support for organic to focus instead on
ensuring food security. This is clearly visible in the progressive decrease in budgetary
allocations for the organic program compared to the total budget for the MoA in the
period 2014-2017.
One of the nation’s primary objectives remains to increase field crop production andagriculture infrastructure, thereby enhancing cereal self-sufficiency and nutrition
security. This objective might be perceived as conflicting with the 100 percent organic
goal since its achievement has been ensured also through measures that involve
facilitating access to synthetic fertilisers for farmers’ communities via subsidies ontransport, especially for cash crops like cereals and potatoes, while decreasing support
to the organic programme. The focus on self-sufficiency arose as a result of Bhutanese
dependence on cereal imports and the necessity to boost national production. The
economic model developed by Feuerbacher et al. (2018), supports these concerns andconcludes that a mere conversion from conventional farming to organic by default
would likely lead to contraction in agricultural production due to the gap in yields.
The acknowledgement that the 2020 vision will not be achieved has triggered apositive, open, and honest discussion about the future of Bhutan’s farming and foodpolicy. The outcomes of the ICIMOD report were validated in a multi-stakeholder
workshop in May 2017. A phased approach to support organic farming withprioritisation of activities to be implemented over 15 years was agreed.
Following this revision, the Bhutanese government appears to be lending renewedsupport to the organic mission. The 12th Five Year Plan (2018–23) has established a
dedicated set of measures to develop organic farming under the Organic Flagship
Program. The program has a budget allocation of 11.7 million euros, the highest
financial support ever earmarked for organic in the country. According to thegovernment “the program will target the organic production of eight selected export
commodities and four for domestic consumption. Implemented by the NOP, thisaction aims to produce approximately 254’000 MT of bio-inputs within five years,

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

179

Standards, Legislation, Policies > Policy contexts Himalaya Region
generate approximately 1’500 new jobs, and to engage around 33’000 farmers acrossthe country” (Gross National Happiness Commission 2019). The plan aims to achieve
approximately 13’500 hectares by 2023 and no longer mentions the 100 percent
organic farming target.

Indian Himalayan Range1
The Indian Himalayan Region covers an area of approximately 54 million hectares. A
cradle of water resources and rich in biodiversity, this part of India is home toimportant and fragile ecosystems and natural resources. The region has been only
marginally impacted by the Green Revolution, and livestock is commonly integrated
into the farming systems, making manure largely available. Based on these premises,
the state of Sikkim chose to pursue a 100 percent organic mission. However, Sikkim is
not the only Himalayan state looking at organic farming as a strategy for transforming
the local agricultural systems. The adoption of organic farming is already a reality inmost other Himalayan states, and political promotion of organic farming is ongoingwith varying intensity across all states.
In India, agriculture falls under state jurisdiction, and state governments are primarily
responsible for the sector’s growth and development. At the central government level,
institutional support for organic production began in 2001, when the Indian
government began to promote organic farming as a niche sector by launching the
National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), which has the objective tosupport organic production for export through third-party certification. Today thecentral government proposes several important programs to support the developmentof organic farming and agroecology. In 2015, two key programs fully dedicated tosupporting organic farming were launched:− The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) is a component of the Soil HealthManagement under the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture led by the
Ministry of Agriculture. The program aims to support domestic organic market
development through certification of small-scale producers via Participatory
Guarantee Systems (PGS) with a subsidy scheme covering a variety of costs, suchas input purchase, harvesting, transportation costs, and marketing. Himalayanstates have to co-finance only an additional 10 percent out of the total budget
received from the central state. The total amount allocated for the scheme in the
period 2015-2018 was 118 million euros. All Himalayan states have implemented
the program with varying level of intensity.
− The Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the North East Region(MOVCDNER) is a value chain-based organic farming scheme in the northeastern region under the Ministry of Development of the north eastern region. A

1 The Indian states located across the Himalayan range can be divided between western and easternstates. Western Himalaya refers to the region including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, andUttarakhand. In the Eastern part are the north eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur,
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura as well as Assam Hills and West Bengal Hills.

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Standards, Legislation, Policies > Policy contexts Himalaya Region
total sum of approximately 50 million euros have been allocated to this scheme inits first phase (2015-2018). The mission aims to support the creation of producers’organisations, on-farm and off-farm organic inputs production, support forcertification, post-harvest, processing, and marketing. The government reported
that almost 50’000 farmers benefited from the program. A second phase is foreseen
for the period 2018-2020, with a budget allocation of approximately 28 million
euros. All Himalayan states have implemented the program with varying levels ofintensity.
Thanks in part to this support the Indian organic market has been experiencing
steady double-digit growth. Additionally, India houses the largest number ofcertified organic producers in the world (more than 1.1 million producers), and itis the country exporting the largest amount of organic cotton.
The Himalayan states are also playing a role in the development of the organic
sector. Many of them developed policy frameworks specifically dedicated tosupporting organic farming such as Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand (draft), Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh (see also Table 47).
− Himachal Pradesh’s Organic Policy was developed in 2011. As framed in thepolicy, the state launched its specific research centres for organic agriculture. Since
2018, the Department of Agriculture has been promoting organic farming closely
in line with Zero Natural Budget Farming (ZNBF)1. This overarching program
includes the implementation of national organic programs like the Paramparagat
Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) and the creation of a state unit for ZNBF.
− In 2018, Uttarakhand allocated approximately 195 million euros for developing theorganic sector over the following three years. Synergies have been created between
the PKVY program supporting organic farming and the national program aiming
to improve Ganga River water quality.
− In Sikkim, political commitment to support organic farming in Sikkim began in
2003, when former Chief Minister Pawan Chamling announced his vision for
Sikkim to become India’s first organic state. The vision was strengthened in 2010
with the design of the “Sikkim Organic Mission”, a road map detailing allnecessary measures to become a fully organic state by 2015, including the gradualphase-out of subsidies for synthetic inputs and their subsequent ban. Thisobjective was achieved and in December 2015, the state declared itself the firstorganic state in the world with 75’000 hectares of certified organic land. Anotherimportant measure was the establishment, in 2016, of the National Organic
Farming Research Institute in the state capital of Gangtok, which provides
research and technological backstopping to organic production systems, not only
for Sikkim but for all of the Indian northeast hill region.

1 Agroecological farming approach that promotes growing crops in harmony with nature based on
traditional practices

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Standards, Legislation, Policies > Policy contexts Himalaya Region
Table 47: Overview of cultivated area (ha) in the Indian Himalayan states undercertified organic farming, including in-conversion, share at the state and national
levels (2017)
State

Jammu & Kashmir
Himachal Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Arunachal Pradesh
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
NagalandSikkim
TripuraAssamWest Bengal
Subtotal
Total India

Organic
agricultural landin 2017 (ha)1

Total cultivatedarea (ha)2

Share of organic
land (state level)

Share of organic
land – countrylevel

22’870
14’15342’3046’179
5’397
40’335998
88’39
76’0762’251
28’011
5’811
253’224
1’786’494

733’000
551’000
788’000
166’000
140’000
240’000
91’000261’000
95’000277’000
2’701’0004
5470’0005
11’513’000
158’000’000

3.12%
2.57%
5.37%
3.72%
3.86%
16.81%
1.10%
3.39%
80.08%3
0.81%
1.04%
0.11%

1.28%
0.79%
2.37%
0.35%
0.30%
2.26%
0.06%
0.49%
4.26%
0.13%
1.57%
0.33%
14.17%

Source: Compiled by IFOAM – Organics International based on various sources (See footnotes)− The government of Manipur has not yet developed an organic policy. However, it
has been supportive of organic agriculture, having formed a government agency
specifically dedicated to promoting organic agriculture. This agency, known as
Manipur Organic Mission Agency, aims to convert as much of the state’s area into
organic zones by 2025 and act as the implementing body of the MOVCDNER
program.
− Nagaland is currently in the process of drafting an organic policy. In May 2019,
the Additional Director of State Agriculture Department, Kevikhu Achumi,
confirmed during a public event that the government would continue to work
toward spreading organic farming across the state.

Nepal
The establishment of commercial organic farming in Nepal started in the early 1990s.
Though certified organic farming accounts for a small segment of acreage, production,

APEDA, 2017, http://apeda.gov.in/apedawebsite/organic/data.htm#certification_process_5
Tej Partap, Hill Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities‫ כ‬Ind. Jn. of Agri.Econ. Vol.66, No.1, Jan.-March
2011.
3 De facto conventional agriculture is forbidden in the state of Sikkim because the use of synthetic inputs isbanned by law. However, not all of the cultivated land is by third party organic-certified.
4 Figures do not differentiate the organic cultivated area based on plain and mountainous geographical areasof the state.
5 Figures do not differentiate the organic cultivated area based on plain and mountainous geographical areasof the state.
1
2

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Standards, Legislation, Policies > Policy contexts Himalaya Region
and number of producers (less than 1’000 in 2017), organic farming is not a newconcept in the Nepalese context, where a very high percentage of agriculture farming
is by default organic, and recently there has been growing interest from both thegovernmental and non-governmental sectors to advocate for its promotion.
In 2004, With the National Agricultural Policy, the government included for the firsttime the promotion of organic farming among its strategies to modernise theagriculture sector. In 2006, the Nepal Permaculture Group, together with other key
stakeholders, the private sector, and civil society organisations, drafted the nationalorganic standards for production and processing. Endorsed by the government, thesestandards continue to remain voluntary because Nepal’s National Regulation on
Organic Production has not yet been enacted. A decade later, the Agriculture
Development Strategy (ADS) (2015–2035), was established to guide the Agriculture
Sector of Nepal over 20 years. It recognises organic branding as a possible component
in increasing the competitiveness of the Nepalese agricultural sector. The strategy
includes promoting community-based seed production, supporting integrated
systems such as agroecology, promoting extension services in organic farming,
production of organic inputs and subsidies for purchasing fertilisers (organic andsynthetic).
In November 2017, the current ruling party released its election manifesto, which
includes the target to make Nepal a chemical and pesticide-free country within ten
years. However, this statement has thus far not been supported by a concrete road
map. Nevertheless, it seems that more concrete measures are developing. In April
2018, the Karnali Province government enacted a Policy and Development Program(2018- 2019) that outlines the area’s gradual transformation into a fully organic
province.
Additionally, in 2019, the Nepal government formed a 15-member High-Level
Taskforce on Organic Promotion in Nepal to develop a proposal for a holistic
program that guides the development of organic farming over the coming years.
According to the national press, the document suggests several recommendations,which include establishing a separate Organic Development Board, conducting
training on organic agriculture for farmers and awareness programs for consumers,
and providing support dedicated to researcher and extension services. The document
was submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture in July 2019.

Moving forward, but not without contradictions
By and large, institutional interventions in these three countries allow for better accessto organic inputs, especially organic fertilisers, the creation of governmental units
dedicated to organic farming, and support for specific research, training, andextension service programs. They also allow increased support to reach local andinternational markets, i.e. through subsidies for certification.
Although positive, policy interventions across the three countries remain not without
contradictions and often struggle to break free from current unsustainable

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Standards, Legislation, Policies > Policy contexts Himalaya Region
development paradigms. Under the guise of food insecurity reduction, increased
amounts of chemicals have been provided to farming communities in Nepal, India,
and Bhutan, which is in contradiction with the vision of pursuing a full transition toorganic and agroecological farming. Overall, governments worldwide continue toprovide disproportional support to conventional agriculture in the name of achieving
higher productivity and reducing food insecurity, as observed in all countries
investigated. In all three countries, the use of synthetic fertilisers has been increasing
thanks to public support to access those inputs. In India, for instance, this duality isclearly visible. Besides supporting organic farming, the country has one of the mostheavy fertiliser subsidy programs worldwide. In the year 2017-2018 for instance, theIndian government allocated approximately 9 billion euros to subsidise fertiliser
purchase. In comparison, the two dedicated programs for organic farming, PKVY and
MOVCDENR, were supported over the period 2015-2018 with a total budget of
approximately 168 million euros.

India also allows the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops and, as ofnow, only five different GM Bt cotton varieties were approved forcommercialisation. India is the biggest organic cotton exporter worldwide;
widespread GM contamination is a major factor for increased costs, loss of
reputation, and market loss for the organic supply chain. Sikkim is not the only
Indian state to have fully banned GM crops, as Maharashtra and Karnataka also
enforced a ban on Bt cotton, in 2012 and 2015, respectively. Additionally, due to alegislative void on GM food, India is experiencing issues with GM contamination
for food containing cottonseed oil.
It is therefore vital to promptly discontinue such detrimental policy measures.
Institutional support to organic and agroecological farming has increased thevisibility and importance of a wider range of mountain organic products and thesecountries are providing inspiration and impetus. However, to upscale the role oforganic and agroecological farming in mountain development and worldwide, policy
frameworks should go beyond the conventional „value-adding chain“ approach andpursue organic and agroecological farming as a holistic strategy to achieve the vast
spectrum of targets foreseen by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the2030 Agenda.

References
Bhushan, Chandra, Amit Khurana, Sonam Taneja and Bhavya Khullar, Genetically Modified Processed Foods in
India—Need to Curb Illegal Sales in the Indian Market, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi.
ICIMOD & MoAF (2018). Organic Agriculture Development Strategies: Roadmap for 12th Five Year Plan and
Beyond. Kathmandu: ICIMOD: http://lib.icimod.org/record/33841/files/icimodOrganic_strategy_BTa.pdf
Feuerbacher, A. and J. Luckmann et al. (2018) Is Bhutan destined for 100% organic? Assessing the economywide effects of a large-scale conversion policy. PLoS One 13(6): e0199025.
Gross National Happiness Commission (2019): Twelfth Five Year Plan Document 2018-2023, Gross National
Happiness Commission (2019), Royal Government of Bhutan, Thimphu
Soil Association, 2017, Failed Promises: The Rise and Fall of GM Cotton in India.Soil Association, Bristol

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Africa
306'467
9'917
772
116'000

495
Cape Verde

12'655
7'989
20

254

76'94156'663835

10

99'2382

50'57416'45457'11741'32329'663186'155
1'089
262'282

60'624154'488

2'130
164

10'934
Sao Tome
and Principe278'467
2'142 Comoros
12'3991'228
Share of organic agricultural land

14'933415

66

35 Mayotte

48'757<1%

1'272 Réunion
186

1-5%
1

5 - 10 %> 10%

3 Mauritius

82'818Map 2: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Africa 2018 (in hectares)
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, governments, and for North Africa,
the Mediterranean Organic Agricultural Network (MOAN)
For detailed data sources see annex, page 315

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Africa › Overview

Latest Developments in Organic Agriculture in Africa
JORDAN GAMA1 AND DAVID AMUDAVI2
Organic agriculture (known as ecological organic agriculture in Africa) has gained
momentum and grown in recognition among farmers, practitioners, policymakers andother stakeholders for its significant role in addressing food insecurity, landdegradation, poverty, and climate change among other benefits. Specifically, efforts
have been made in mainstreaming organic agriculture into policy, national extension
systems, marketing and value chain development, and curricula of some academic
institutions and African-led research activities in the continent.

The Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative (EOA-I)
The Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative (EOA-I) had several achievements
during the year 2019. Databases of the initiative have been established by partners tomake research findings and knowledge on Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA)
available and accessible by various users3. An external process identified 18 organic
practices to be scaled up, including conservation farming, practices for maintenanceand enhancement of soil fertility, biopesticides, organic manure and water
conservation practices.
There has been increased public awareness of EOA practices and products and their“multi-functional” benefits. Overall, two-thirds of those reached by the EOA Initiativein participating countries are already aware of EOA practices and technologies.
Across the 18 practices identified, the proportion of producers implementing suchpractices increased in 2017 compared to 2013. Evaluation findings show evidence of
impact on farmers’ knowledge, attitudes and uptake of EOA practices andtechnologies leading to the uptake of a range of technologies and practices. Overall, it
is reported that about 58 percent of the organic producers have realized a more than
10 percent increase in their incomes, while 73 percent have had their quality of life
improved. However, there are obstacles to transition that need to be addressed,
including farmers’ fears of social exclusion, low economies of scale, lack of organizedvalue chains, and lack of knowledge at all levels.
With the expectation of a substantially increased share of organic quality products inlocal, national and regional markets, achievements have varied in terms of improved
access to markets and increased monetary income by participating households. Somecountries have adopted very innovative approaches to reach farmers and connect

Jordan Gama, President AfrONet and CEO Tanzanian Organic Network (TOAM), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,
afronet.bio and kilimohai.org/TOAM
2 Dr. David Amudavi, Biovision Africa , Kasarani off Thika Rd, Nairobi Kenya,https://biovisionafricatrust.org
1

3

Fore more information see the EOA website http://eoai-africa.org/research

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Africa › Overview
them to markets. This has consequently led to increased knowledge and practice of
EOA, improved access to seed, improved food security, increased incomes, andadvocacy platforms. Volumes of organic exports have increased in some countries.
The EOA-I partners supported several trade fairs resulting in numerous market
orders from European, Japan and China.
Multi-stakeholder platforms with varying membership compositions have been
established in all eight participating EOA-I countries (Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali,
Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda). Consequently, some countries have madegood progress in advocating for policy change by introducing policy drafts. For
example, Kenya has an organic agricultural policy draft, which is within the national
structures of policymaking. In Uganda, in collaboration with the organic sector, theMinistry of Agriculture obtained the Certificate of Financial Implications from the
Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, eventually leading to the approvalof the organic policy in July 2019. Nigeria has its third draft policy on organic
agriculture. The policy focuses on promoting, propagating, developing andimplementing the practice of organic agriculture and seeks to prevent contaminationof underground water, destruction of the environment, and depletion of natural
resources, among others.
The EOA Initiative, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development andCooperation (SDC), the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) and theAfrican Union, included a range of beneficiaries, both men and women. In theevaluation of the first phase, 75 percent of the key informants reported an increase of
20 to 30 percent in the adoption of EOA practices and technologies as well as entry
into new markets. Farmers, traders/processors and consumers are some of the key
value chain actors in organic agriculture production, market and consumer systems.
Farmer needs revolve around knowledge, skills and practices on EOA as well as
access to organic inputs and markets. The processors are keen on having a consistent
supply of quality organic products, accessing reliable markets of organic products andfinancial services, including insurance. Consumers would like to have access tohealthy foods free from chemicals and thus, would consistently require information
on sources and availability of information on a range of organic
products/differentiation of products.
Another achievement was that the EOA-I platforms in Eastern, Western and Northern
Africa were successfully held in the second half of 2019. The 1st International
Conference on Agroecology Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems in Africa
took place in June 2019. It was organized by Biovision Africa Trust, IFOAM –Organics International and World Food Preservation (LLC) and brought together over
400 national, regional, continental and international agroecology and agribusinessdevelopment stakeholders.

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Africa › Overview
Institutional Developments
The African Union (AU)-led EOA-I Continental Steering Committee (EOA-I CSC),
supported by its Secretariat, has provided strategic guidance on the implementationof EOA in Africa as informed by various efforts. The 11th EOA-I CSC meeting held in
Zanzibar commissioned a study to assess the EOA-I governance structures andprovide recommendations to revamp them that can effectively drive theimplementation of the EOA-I agenda in Africa. The report has been produced, andactions for implementation are on course. The structures driving the mainstreaming ofvarious elements of the initiative include the National Steering Committees (NSC)
chaired by representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture or the related line
ministries, Regional Steering Committees (RSC) chaired by representatives ofRegional Economic Committees and the EOA-I CSC chaired by a representative of theAfrican Union Commission (AUC).
The African Union also commissioned a study on the legal, policy and institutional
development of EOA in Southern, Northern, Central and Western Africa, building on
the East Africa study commissioned by Biovision Africa Trust on behalf of the EOA-I
CSC. Results from the study, including the development of scorecards to show thestatus of EOA developments in African countries, were presented at the Ministerial
Session of the 3rd Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural
Development, Water and Environment in October 2019. The ministers haverecommended that the Heads of States endorse the EOA-I CSC Secretariat to be
officially recognized as an official support agency of the African Union, implementing
its decision on organic agriculture and that Biovision Africa Trust be recognized as its
official host. Further, the Member States and Regional Economic Communities havebeen urged to fast track the establishment of regional and national committees topartner with others to implement the EOA Initiative. The ministers have also urged
the AU and the Member States to mainstream EOA into national investment plans
and the African Union Commission & EOA-I Secretariat to develop some high-levelindicators to monitor the performance of EOA in the continent and have themincluded in the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme(CAADP) biennial review process.
Growth in the coalition of international partners was realized during 2019. A key
milestone for the EOA-I is the collaboration and partnership between the Initiative
and the new Knowledge Centers for Organic Agriculture (KCOA) initiative supportedby the German development agency. The initiative was officially launched during theNuremberg Biofach event in February 2019. With the current trend of depletion of
resources and climate change, Africa is likely to feel the consequences more strongly.
This initiative, therefore, will contribute to improvements in entire food andagricultural systems using ecologically sustainable practices. Recognizing the value ofthe initiative, the African Union Commission has requested that BMZ (the German
Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development) consider extending
support for additional regional knowledge hubs to Central Africa. GIZ (the German
Corporation for International Cooperation) and the EOA-I secretariat have also
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Africa › Overview
requested that the AU consider hosting the KCOA continental digital platform. This
request has been received with much enthusiasm by the Department of Rural
Economy and Agriculture (DREA) of the African Union Commission.
To bring in more efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of EOA projects
in Africa, the EOA-I CSC – with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development
and Cooperation (SDC) and its fund executing agency, Biovision Africa Trust –introduced a more effective granting system and monitoring and evaluation systemand built a SharePoint-based extranet that would make the work of the EOA-I CSC
more efficient.

Data on the status of organic agriculture
Data on organic agriculture in Africa is scanty and perhaps not precise. The EOA-I
CSC, collaborating with IFOAM, has developed a survey tool to support the gatheringof relevant data1 on programmes and initiatives. The tool will be regularly used withother strategies, bringing Ministries of Agriculture and National Bureaus of Statistics
on board to provide relevant data on organic agriculture and identify gaps andopportunities for further actions. This will be further facilitated by the development ofsome high-level indicators to monitor the performance of EOA in the continent andhave them included in CAADP’s biennial review reporting process. These efforts are
aimed to improve the data that will be fed into the database of Eurostat, the Statistical
Office of the European Union.

Achievements by the African Organic Network (AfrONet)
The year 2019 saw significant achievements in the institutionalization of the African
Organic Network (AfrONet).2 AfrONet is the umbrella body, established during thesecond African Organic Conference in 2012, in Lusaka, Zambia to unite and motivate
non-state African ecological/organic stakeholders (Gama, 2018). AfrONet is an
important body for the future of the African organic movements and organic sector
development.
AfrONet aims to strengthen and support national, regional and continental networks,
overseeing the development and growth of the EOA Initiative for Africa, and it is amember of the EOA’s Continental Steering Committee (CEC) and Regional/Cluster
Steering Committees.3 AfrONet is positioning itself to network with all key networks

https://www.surveymonkey.de/r/C7JQ537
Information about AfrONet is available on www.afronet.bio
3 The EOA initiative in Africa is a response to support and implement the African Union Council Decision on
Organic Farming passed during the Eighteenth Ordinary Session, 24-28 January 2011, EX.CL/Dec.621 (XVIII).
The overall goal of the initiative is to mainstream Ecological Organic Agriculture into national agricultural
production systems by 2025 to improve agricultural productivity, food security, access to markets andsustainable development in Africa. This is to be realized through scaling up ecologically and organicallysound strategies and practices through institutional capacity development, scientific innovations, market
participation, public policies and programs, outreach and communication, efficient coordination, networking
and partnerships in Africa.
1
2

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189

Africa › Overview
in the African continent. Specifically, in Southern Africa, AfrONet is reaching out tothe Southern African Network for Organic Development (SANOD) and IFOAM’s
Southern African Network (ISAN), which have been uniting stakeholders and further
developing organic agriculture in the region. Other active regional networks relevant
to AfrONet are from Western, Central, and Eastern Africa. AfrONet has been bringing
together all the networks, partners and other stakeholders under the platform of theAfrican Organic Conference (AOC). Following the 4th AOC in Saly, Senegal, 2018,
Morocco will host the 5th AOC in Marrakesh in 2021. This conference will be the first
AOC to be held in a north African Member State.
Stemming from the desire to have a platform akin to the Partnership Platform of theComprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the EOA-I
CSC Meeting held in Accra, Ghana in November 2019 recommended a review of thegovernance of the EOA Initiative and that it be led by a strong Multi-stakeholder
Platform (MSP). This will help galvanize efforts and improve coordination between
institutions and different levels of government, fast-track access to empirical evidence
for policymakers and technocrats, and support fundraising for the initiative. The MSP
arrangement will bring together representatives from different interest groups todiscuss and share challenges, opportunities, policy actions and advocacy strategies
and to tap into the potential by different partners to address complex challenges
facing the development and scale-up of the EOA Initiative.
AfrONet’s regional affiliates achieved various milestones in 2019. The 5th West African
Organic Conference (WAOC) with the theme “Organic Agriculture: Life for All” by
the West African Organic Network was held in Ghana from 12th to 15th November,with over 350 participants from about 30 countries. The forum resolved that all
Member States within the Economic Community of West African States region andbeyond should strive to develop a vibrant organic and ecological agriculture sector
that contributes much to improve life for all – including ecosystems, biodiversity,
lives and businesses – and leave a flourishing legacy for future generations.
Establishment of an annual BioWest Africa Fair was approved, as well as
harmonization of PGS organic standards in the region. Burkina Faso will host the 6th
WAOC in 2021.
The National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) Morocco, the International
Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR), AfrONet and other institutions coorganised the 1st EU/North-African conference on organic agriculture (EU-NACOA)
in Marrakesh, Morocco from 11-12 November with the theme “Bridging the gap,
empowering organic Africa”, which brought together 140 participants. The conference
had 33 oral presentations and 62 posters from a total of 24 countries representing
Africa, Europe, Asia and North America (Azim et al. 2019). The status of organic
production in North Africa and Morocco was presented. In this region, the umbrellaorganization FIMABIO (the Organic Federation of Morocco) is an important actor,
coordinating producers, processors and distributors of organic products. The scientifictrack had presentations on research activities and results, which aimed to solve

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Africa › Overview
problems and challenges related to organic production. Information was also given
about regulations, for example, the organic regulation in the USA as well as changes
to the recently revised EU regulation that are of relevance for countries exporting to
the EU. Contributions from young Masters and PhD students were presented, sharing
their results in posters and presentations, and actively taking part in the discussion.
Their excellent results and presentations give hope for the fruitful development oforganic agriculture in Morocco and beyond (Loes 2019). Tunisia will host the second
edition of the EU-NACOA in 2022. To underscore the focus on organic agriculture,
INRA Morocco plans to have a four-year research program on Organic and Ecological
Agriculture (2021-2024), which will be funded by the Moroccan government alongwith FIMABIO.

The Network of Organic Agriculture Researchers in Africa (NOARA)
NOARA, the Network of Organic Agriculture Researchers in Africa, is a network
established by African organic agriculture researchers that met for the first time in
Modena, Italy, in 2008. It was launched in 2009, during the 1st African Organic
Conference (AOC) in Kampala, Uganda and was revamped during the 2nd AOC held
in Lusaka, Zambia, in May 2012. To enhance hosting of NOARA and better
management of its activities, the General Assembly of the 4th AOC in 2018 at Saly,
Senegal, recommended that AfrONet host NOARA and re-organize the network for
effective and efficient execution of its roles. NOARA is now officially registered andhosted in Nigeria with a Board of Trustees in place. The vision of NOARA is Africawith zero hunger, poverty eradicated, improved livelihoods and a sustained
ecosystem through innovative organic and ecological agriculture research (for more
information visit www.noara.bio).
The roles of NOARA include: spearheading organic agriculture research, extension,
training and value chains and market development; undertaking lobbying andadvocacy on organic and ecological agriculture research at high levels; supporting
capacity building for key players in organic and ecological agriculture across thecontinent; mobilizing resources for NOARA’s endeavours in promoting organic
agriculture on the continent; providing management and administrative consultancy
to like-minded programmes and partners on organic agriculture research; andundertaking any other functions as deemed necessary to address NOARA’s
objectives.
In 2019, NOARA rigorously stepped up its activities with the registration of over 200
members from 16 countries, cutting across all regions of Africa and three non-Africancountries that contributed to various organic agriculture conferences that took placein Africa. The network launched its maiden edition of the African Journal of Organic
Agriculture and Ecology (AJOAE) during the 5th West Africa Organic Conference heldin Ghana and is currently leading the process of developing a demand-driven Organic
Agriculture Research Agenda for Africa 2030 with a multi-stakeholder approach,expected to be completed by June 2020.

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Africa › Overview
Outlook
Organic production growth projections in Africa show potential for millions ofsmallholder farmers and their families to move out of poverty and hunger and enjoy abetter quality of life. The fact that traditional African agriculture is based on low
external inputs provides an excellent foundation upon which organic agriculture canenhance productivity, resilience, and the profitability of smallholder farming in
Africa. With this base and investments allocated to research and development of
ecologically sustainable systems, going organic portends an ideal development option
for Africa. Organic farming practices integrate traditional farming methods and theuse of affordable, locally available resources. As such, they are highly relevant to themajority of African farmers. Therefore, the necessary intensification of agricultural
production in Africa can and should be ecological, maintain ecosystem services, andbe based on restoring, building, and maintaining the natural resource base,particularly soil, water, and biodiversity. A better future for the organic sector
requires African governments and their relevant institutions, farmers and farmerorganizations, development partners and the private sector to invest resources in
relevant research, policy and programmes and establish platforms for experiencesharing, learning and collaboration and thereby build the basis for sustainable, longterm food and nutrition security and poverty reduction.

References
African Union, Executive Council (2011). Decision on organic farming. Doc. EX.CL/631 (XVIII). Eighteenth
Ordinary Session. 24 - 28 January 2011, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Available at
http://www.au.int/en/sites/default/files/decisions/9646
council_en_24_28_january_2011_executive_council_eighteenth_ordinary_session.pdf
Azim, Khalid; Hafidi, Mohamed; Bouizgarne, Brahim and Rahman, Gerold (Eds.) (2019). BOOK OF
ABSTRACTS: 1st EU/North-African Conference on Organic Agriculture (EU-NACOA) “Bridging theGap, Empowering Organic Africa”. pp. 1-143. Proceedings of 1st EU/North-African Conference on
Organic Agriculture (EU-NACOA), Marrakesh, 11-12 November 2019. https://orgprints.org/36867/
Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative, Continental Steering Committee (2015). The EcologicalOrganic Agriculture (EOA)-Initiative. 2015-2025 Strategic Plan. EOA Continental Steering
Committee, African Union Commission
Gama, Jordan (2018). Latest Developments in Organic Agriculture in Africa. In: FiBL & IFOAM – Organics
International (2018): The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends 2018.
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick, and IFOAM – Organics International, Bonn.
Available at http://www.organic-world.net/yearbook.html
Loes Anne-Kristin (2019): Organic Science in Morocco: EU-NACOA. Web article :http://isofar.org/isofar/index.php/2-uncategorised/297-organic-science-in-morocco-eu-nacoa-2. Last
Access in 19/01/2020.
.

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Africa › Statistics

Africa: Current Statistics
JAN TRÁVNÍþEK1, BERNHARD SCHLATTER2, JULIA LERNOUD3 AND HELGAWILLER4
There were almost 2.0 million hectares of agricultural land in 2018, which is
0.2 percent of the continent’s total agricultural area and 2.8 percent of the globalorganic agricultural area. The organic agricultural land in Africa has increased by
4’130 hectares or 0.2 percent compared to 2017, and it increased by almost 2 million
hectares from the 53’000 hectares in 2000. In 2018, 47 countries reported data onorganic activities. Tunisia is the country with the largest organic area, with almost
306’500 hectares, and Uganda is the country with the highest number of organic
producers, with over 210’000. The country with the highest organic share of the total
agricultural land is the island state of Sao Tome and Principe, with 22.5 percent of its
agricultural area being organic, followed by Egypt with 3.1 percent, and Tunisia with
3 percent.

Land use
In 2018, almost two-thirds of all organic agricultural land was used for permanent
crops (almost 1.3 million hectares) in Africa. Almost 30 percent was used for arable
crops (over 550’000 hectares), and only 0.2 percent (over 4’000 hectares) was
grassland/grazing area. For 10 percent of the organic agricultural land, no details wereavailable.
Tunisia (306’000 hectares, mainly olives), Tanzania (over 278’000 hectares, mainly
coffee Uganda (over 262’000 hectares, mainly nuts and coffee), Ethiopia (186’000
hectares mainly coffee), Kenya (over 154’000 hectares, mainly nuts and coconuts), andEgypt (116’000, mainly medicinal plants), had the largest organic permanent cropareas. The key organic permanent crop is coffee, with over 360’000 hectares reported,
12.6 percent of the total coffee area of the region. The largest organic coffee areas are
in Ethiopia (over 161’000 hectares) and Tanzania (almost 82’000 hectares). The organic
coffee area has increased almost 20-fold since 2004; some of the increase can be
attributed to the continually improving data availability. Cocoa was grown on almost
171’500 hectares, and it has grown more than 70-fold since 2004, representing 2.1
percent of the continent’s cocoa area. The largest areas of organic cocoa are found in
Sierra Leone (61’500 hectares), Democratic Republic of Congo (51’900 hectares), andUganda (over 19’000 hectares).

Jan Trávní²ek, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
Bernhard Schlatter, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
3 Julia Lernoud, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
4 Dr. Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
1
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Africa › Statistics
Almost thirty percent of the organic farmland was used for arable crops, most ofwhich are oilseeds (almost 194’000 hectares, 0.7 percent of the total oilseed area;
mainly sesame), textile crops (104’000 hectares, 2.2 percent of the region’s total cottonarea), and cereals. More than 65 percent of the region’s cotton is found in the United
Republic of Tanzania (almost 68’500 hectares), followed by Uganda (13’100 hectares).
Since 2004, the organic cotton area grew almost 11-fold. Cereals were grown on over
65’000 hectares in 2018; the key producing countries were the United Republic of
Tanzania (almost 51’000 hectares), Egypt (almost 9’000 hectares), and Senegal (almost
3’700 hectares).

Producers
There were at least 788'858 organic producers in Africa. The countries with the mostorganic producers are Uganda (over 210’000), Ethiopia (over 203’000), and the United
Republic of Tanzania (over 148’000). 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 over 11.5 million hectares
certified as organic in 2018. Zambia is the country with the largest area (more than
3.2 million hectares, mainly beekeeping), followed by the United Republic of Tanzania(2.4 million hectares, mainly beekeeping), South Africa (1.5 million hectares, mainly
devil’s claw), Namibia (1.1 million hectares, mainly devil’s claw), Somalia (over826’000 hectares, mainly natural gums), and Mozambique (more than 813’000
hectares, mainly coconuts). Medicinal plants, such as devil’s claw (Harpagophytum
procumbens) are the commodities that have the largest area (over 2.7 million hectares),followed by nuts (over 700’000 hectares), such as mongongo nuts. Beekeeping is the
key activity in organic wild collection in Africa with more than 5.0 million hectares.
Zambia is the country with the largest wild collection area used for organic
beekeeping with more than 2.5 million hectares, representing 49 percent of the totalbeekeeping area.
For more information about the African figures, see data tables for Africa, page 198.

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Africa › Statistics › Graphs

Organic Agriculture in Africa: Graphs
Africa: The ten countries with the largest organicarea 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

Tunisia (2017)306’467

Tanzania (2017)278’467

Uganda (2016)262’282

Ethiopia (2015)

186’155

Kenya

154’488

Egypt

116’000

Sierra Leone

99’238South Africa

82’818

Sudan

76’941

Congo, D.R. (2017)60’6240

50’000100’000 150’000 200’000 250’000 300’000 350’000
Hectares

Figure 60: Africa: The ten countries with the largest organic agricultural area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Africa: The countries with the highest organic shareof total agricultural land 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

Sao Tome and Principe

22.5%

Egypt

3.1%

Tunisia

3.0%

Réunion (France)

2.6%

Sierra Leone

2.5%

Uganda1.8%

Comoros

1.6%

Togo

1.1%

Tanzania, United… 0.7%
Cape Verde

0.6%
0%

5%

10%
15%
20%
Share of total agricultural land25%

Figure 61: Africa: The countries with the highest organic share of total agriculturalland 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

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195

Africa › Statistics › Graphs
Africa: Development of organic agricultural land 1999-2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL-Surveys 2001-2020

2.5
2.002.00
1.68

0.860.89

1.0

1.00

1.071.07

1.151.20

1.25

2014

1.5

2012

Million hectares

2.0

1.79

0.68
0.5

0.32 0.36

2018

2017

2016

2015

2013

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

0.020.05

1999

0.0

0.23

0.51 0.49

Figure 62: Africa: Development of organic agricultural land 1999-2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL-surveys 2001-2020

Figure 63: Africa: Use of organic agricultural land 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

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Africa › Statistics › Graphs
Africa: The ten countries with the most organic
producers 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

Uganda210'352

Ethiopia

203'602

Tanzania

148'610Togo

38'414Kenya

37'295Madagascar

32'367

Congo, D.R.

30'170Burkina Faso

26'627

Senegal18'369Mali

12'272050'000100'000
150'000
Producers

200'000

250'000

Figure 64: Africa: The ten countries with the largest number of organic producers
2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

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Africa › Statistics › Tables
Organic Agriculture in Africa: Tables
Table 48: Africa: Organic agricultural land, organic share of total agricultural land andnumber of organic producers 2018
For information on data year, see page 310.
Country

Area [ha]Share of total
agr. land [%]Algeria
Benin
Burkina Faso
BurundiCameroon
Cape Verde
Comoros
Côte d'Ivoire
Congo, D.R.
Egypt
Eswatini
Ethiopia
GambiaGhana
GuineaGuinea-Bissau
Kenya
LesothoLiberia
Madagascar
MalawiMali
Mauritius
MayotteMoroccoMozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Réunion (France)
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
SenegalSierra Leone
South Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
UgandaZambiaZimbabwe
Total*

772
16'45456'663
164
1'089
495
2'142
50'57460'624116'000
186
186'155
20
29'663
10835
154'488
1
2
48'757
12'39912'655335
9'917
14'93366
254
57'117
1'272
2'130
10'934
7'989
99'23882'81876'941
278'467
41'323306'467
262'282
1'228
415
2'003'976

0.002%
0.4%
0.5%
0.01%
0.01%
0.6%
1.6%
0.2%
0.2%
3.1%
0.02%
0.5%
0.003%
0.2%
0.0001%0.1%
0.6%
0.00004%
0.0001%
0.1%
0.2%
0.03%
0.003%
0.3%
0.03%
0.03%
0.0002%0.001%
0.1%
2.6%
0.1%
22.5%
0.1%
2.5%
0.1%
0.1%
0.7%
1.1%
3.0%
1.8%
0.01%
0.003%
0.2%

Producers [no.]64
4'030
26'627
16
499
1
680
2'776
30'170970
2203'60213'228
1
137'295
3
32'367295
12'272
22
3
277
269
8
2
1'091
306
3'870
3'564
18'369304
237
3
148'61038'414
7'456
210'352286
511
788'858

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 316*Total number includes data for countries with less than three operators.

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Africa › Statistics › Tables
Table 49: Africa: All organic areas 2018
Country
Algeria
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
BurundiCameroon
Cape Verde
Chad
Comoros
Côte d'Ivoire
Congo, D.R.
Egypt
Eswatini
Ethiopia
GambiaGhana
GuineaGuinea-Bissau
Kenya
LesothoLiberia
Madagascar
MalawiMali
Mauritania
Mauritius
MayotteMoroccoMozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Réunion (France)
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
SenegalSierra Leone
SomaliaSouth Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
UgandaZambiaZimbabwe
Total

Agriculture[ha]

Aquaculture[ha]

Forest[ha]Grazednon agri.
land [ha]772
16'454Wildcollection
[ha]
628
3'700
102'502
231'765

56'663
164
1'089
495

47'000
124'130

2'142
50'57460'624116'000
186
186'155
20
29'663
10835
154'488
1
2
48'757
12'39912'655335
9'917
14'93366
254
57'117
1'272
2'130
10'934
7'989
99'23882'81876'941
278'467
41'323306'467
262'282
1'228
415
2'003'976

1'522
60'000
9'033
108'981
1'000
121'625
6'363
7'649
8'690
2'800

268'129813'000
1'123'603
3'600

1'000

34'413826'400
1'538'832
2'393
2'418'740

451

3'600

71'53327'60571'98427'60525'486158'328
3'200'000
282'014
11'529'725

Total
[ha]
1'400
20'154102'502
288'428164
48'089495
124'130
2'142
52'09660'624176'000
186
195'18820
138'6441'010
835
276'1136'364
256'407
12'39921'3442'800
335
278'046827'933
1'123'669
254
61'717
1'272
2'130
10'93442'402
99'238826'400
1'621'756
79'7852'697'207
41'323431'091
420'6103'201'228
282'429
13'636'998

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

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199

Africa › Statistics › Tables
Table 50: Africa: Land use in organic agriculture 2018Land use
Agricultural land and crops, no details
Arable crops

Crop group

Area [ha]169'179
65'05051'55811'309937
39'82792
46'628

Cereals
Dry pulses
Fallow land, crop rotation
Flowers and ornamental plants
Fresh vegetables and melons
Industrial crops
Medicinal and aromatic plants
Oilseeds
Plants harvested green
Root crops
Seeds and seedlings
Strawberries
Sugarcane
Textile crops
Arable crops, otherArable land crops total
Cropland, no details
Other agricultural land
Permanent crops

193'684
6'203
19'253
2
679
9'773
104'373967
550'334
20'462
1'322
34
7'539

Berries
Citrus fruit
Cocoa
Coconut
CoffeeFruit
Fruit, temperate
Fruit, tropical and subtropical
GrapesMedicinal and aromatic plants
Nurseries
Nuts
Olives
Tea/mate, etc.
Permanent crops, other171'363
24'531361'640
8'722
3'849
49'155
6'388
40'9532
220'046
256'809
6'285
101'333

Permanent crops total
Permanent grassland

1'258'648
4'031

Total

2'003'976

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Table 51: Africa: Use of wild collection areas 2018Land use

Area [ha]Medicinal and aromatic plants, wild

2'769'518

Apiculture
Forest honey
Nuts, wild
Fruit, wild
Oil plants, wild
Rose hips, wild
Wild collection, no details

2'573'441
2'500'000
958'969
301'369
31'69221'7882'372'948

Total

11'529'725

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 316

200

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Asia

606'975

636

192'134

22'118943

1'452
694 37'630

10'79224'7008'806

3'135'000

19'987
1'241
6'666
4'870

786

63

11'916

1'446

64'88522

2'895

11'851

6'632

504

4'687
18'63143

1'938'221

8'759
12'305

7'668
95'066
218'570

27'550237'693
77'169603
Share of organic agricultural land

3 Singapore

<1%
1-5%

251'631

5 - 10 %> 10%

63'882

Map 3: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Asia 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020 based on information from the private sector, certifiers, governments, and, the Mediterranean
Organic Agricultural Network (MOAN) for the Mediterranean countries
For detailed data sources see annex, page 315.
.

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201

Asia › Overview

Developments in the Organic Sector in Asia in 20191
SHAIKH TANVEER HOSSAIN2 AND JENNIFER CHANG3
Major developments in the organic sector in Asia in 2019
The area of organic agricultural land in Asia is about 6.5 million hectares or 0.4
percent of the total agricultural sector of the region. There is a growing interest inorganic production in Asia. Assuring consumers of the genuineness and safety oforganic products is critical for thriving commercial organic agriculture andagribusiness, particularly in the context of Asian consumers. Asian farmers are
becoming more concerned about the origin and trustworthiness of organic products.
They like to know how the products are grown and how quality is maintained
throughout the supply chain. Trusted food traceability systems are needed to trackand monitor food products along the entire value chain, including the integrity offarm inputs, food production at the farm level, and harvest and postharvest handlingsuch as processing, transporting, warehousing, marketing, etc.
Blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, which involve all parties in asmart agriculture ecosystem, can help in the development of a trusted, self-organised,open, ecological food traceability system. The adoption of digital technology inorganic farming is not only making the organic sector a more profitable enterprise but
will also encourage youth to practice agriculture. Further, these new technologies willaddress the issues of ageing and agricultural successors in countries like Japan, South
Korea and Taiwan. Some countries, such as Vietnam, took initiative by incentivising
entrepreneurs to import digital equipment in order to promote smart digital organic
agriculture.
Significant achievements were observed in some Asian countries in 2019, such as thelaunch of the third version of the national organic standard in China. Similarly, theNational Organic Agriculture Board of the Philippines approved the resolution for the
inclusion of Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) in the national organic standards
after consultation with various stakeholders. In South Korea, a pilot program started
to provide environment-friendly rice to military bases, and the central government
approved the budget to provide a box scheme of environmentally-friendly food topregnant women.
The demand for organic food in Asia continues to grow fast, and it is uncertain
whether the supply of local organic produce can keep up with the ever-increasing
demand.

For more information about Bhutan, India and Nepal see policy hapter by Varini in this volume, page 178.
Dr. Shaikh Tanveer Hossain, Agriculture Department, Asian Productivity Organization, Japan
3 Jennifer Chang, IFOAM Asia, Seoul, Republic of Korea, https://asia.ifoam.bio/
1
2

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Asia › Overview
Bangladesh
The growth of the organic sector is gradually increasing in Bangladesh after the
adoption of the National Organic Agriculture Policy (NOAP) in 2016. Althoughorganic farming is expanding, the organic farmland area and the number of organic
producers remains small. The total certified area under organic production, including
aquaculture, is only about 6’000 hectares, which is less than 0.1 percent of thecountry's total farmland. Aquaculture (shrimp) accounts for a significant share (5781
hectares) of the certified area while the rest (503.9 hectares) is covered by organic tea.
Organic tea is mostly exported to the USA, Japan, UK, and Germany and organic
shrimp to the European market.
Apart from certified organic products, different entrepreneurs and progressive
farmers are also involved in producing various non-certified organic products such as
fruits, vegetables, rice, wheat, cashew nut, and soybeans to meet the domestic market
requirements. Some NGOs are trying to adopt the PGS for their product certificationin the domestic market. Farmers, retailers, and consumers are becoming moreconcerned and the demand for more organic produce. However, trustworthiness isthe biggest issue from the consumers' point of view. Thus, traceability systems willplay a significant role in the domestic organic market.

Cambodia
Cambodia has been a focus for interventions by international development agencies
since the early 1990s after thirty years of civil war. Policy development has become
reliant on aid programs, which applies to the organic agriculture sector as well. Withno equivalent word for “organic” in the local language, it was translated as “natural”
and understood as farming without chemical inputs.
The Cambodian Organic Agriculture Association (COrAA), the only local organic
certification body, was established through an international development initiative in2006 and is still struggling to make the organisation “localised” and self-sustaining.
There are forty NOP-certified1 operators, 14 of which are in organic rice production
and 12 are in organic pepper production. All production was through contract
farming. The number of buyers involved in contract farming through agriculture
cooperatives for organic rice has increased while contract farming of organic cashew
nuts has also been launched.
The Cambodian government is under pressure to be part of the efforts to harmonise
the organic standards among ASEAN countries.2 With the support of European
donors, the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries has organised a

The National Organic Program (NOP) is the federal regulatory framework in the United States of America
governing organic food.
1

2

The ASEAN standard for organic agriculture is available on the ASEAN website,
https://tinyurl.com/qor3crn
FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn203

Asia › Overview
consultation workshop to prepare the “Technical Guideline for a National OrganicStandard”.

China
Market: Under the “Belt and Road Initiative”1, the import of organic products is
growing rapidly, with an increase in foreign certification under the China organic
standards. More and more organic products are sold in high-end Supermarkets andthrough online platforms. However, some problems have been detected with online
sales as farmers claimed to be “organic” to profit from the premium price for certified
organic products.
Policy: The third version of the national organic standard was revised and was
enforced from 1st January 2019. Group certification is now required to be inspectedannually, which will be helpful for smallholders to access the domestic market. The
increasing number of policies focusing on ecological development has led to thecentral and local governments taking more interest in promoting organic farming.
More and more central government agencies are visiting the head office of IFOAM Organics International in Bonn to discuss options for future partnerships in organic
agriculture.
Anniversary of the organic movement: The 30th anniversary of China’s organic
movement was celebrated by the Chinese organic stakeholders in November 2019with the attendance of high-level IFOAM personnel. Big organic brands are joining
IFOAM as members, which shows increasing consumer awareness and demand fororganic and healthy food in China. The IFOAM Asia Country Office in China wasofficially launched to enable better networking in China.

India
The effects of climate change have again impacted agriculture in the country, ringing
alarm bells for the country to react and change. Following years of drought or scarce
rainfall, the average rainfall during just the month of September 2019 was 48 percent
above normal. Overall, the country recorded the highest rainfall in 25 years during themonsoon period.2
Crops were devastated by the excessive rain in many parts of the country. Organic
production was also affected as a result – however, there are various instances in the
country, where organic farms with fertile soils and rich biodiversity have stood thetest of such effects of climate change.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a global development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in2013. More information can be found on Wikipedia at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_and_Road_Initiative.
2 The Times of India, September 30, 2019: September rainfall in India on course to be highest in 102 years.
Available at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/september-rainfall-in-india-on-course-to-be-highestin-102-years/articleshow/71366624.cms
1

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Asia › Overview
With lessons learned from the changing climate and the effects of chemicals on theecosystem, the Government of India has begun to promote various initiatives thatprovide incentives for organic farmers. These include dedicated schemes such as
Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Mission Organic Value Chain
Development for the North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) among other schemes thatpertain to the agriculture sector in general.1
The year has witnessed an increase in area under organic cultivation and increased
demand for organic products within the country. The organic market trends in India
indicate a current growth rate of 25 percent, and it is estimated to grow at this rateuntil 2022, according to ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce andIndustry). There is still a large scope for organic certification and India is expected to
become one of the top producers and consumers of organic foods in the world. 2,3

Indonesia
In 2019, no new policy or regulation on organic agriculture was released by thegovernment. The government program “1000 Organic Villages” has shown significant
results where many farmer groups have joined the program and have been certified
organic for trading on both domestic and international markets.
The organic industry also continues to grow, especially to fulfil international market
demand. The biggest growth was in organic essential oils both for food and cosmetic
ingredients. Organic coconut also shows increasing growth in the form of oil, milk,
desiccated coconut and water.
Research on organic agriculture is led by the farmers’ movement, and there is also a
growing interest in environmental issues. Research on organic cultivation still focuseson soil fertility and plant protection of certain crops only. Many potential crops have
not yet attracted the interest of organic researchers.

Japan4The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Japan (MAFF) revised theJapanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) and implemented the “Organic Food
Identification Standards for Restaurants” in January 2019. A MAFF survey shows the

For more information about Bhutan, India and Nepal see policy hapter by Varini in this volume, page 178.
The total farm area currently under third-party organic certification and PGS-India certification in the
country is 2.7 million hectares including 0.6 million hectares under the PKVY scheme; 640’000 hectares under
MOVCDNER scheme (both PGS), and 170’000 hectares under other initiatives. An additional 10’000 hectares
are certified by civil society-led PGS initiatives. Under the National Program for Organic Production (NPOP)
of APEDA 1.9 million hectares are certified.
3 The Hindu Business Line: Organic market may touch 12,000 cr by 2020: March 21, 2018. Available athttps://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/organic-market-may-touch-12000-crore-by2020/article23314105.ece#
4 More information about organic agriculture in Japan can be found on the website of the Ministry ofAgriculture and Fisheries at https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/env/sustainagri/organicagri.html
1
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Asia › Overview
Japanese Organic Market is estimated at 185 billion yen1 as compared to 130 million
yen in 2009, showing rapid growth of the organic market.
The export of organic green teas is increasing, and the share of certified organic tea
farms accounts for 6.3 percent of the total tea farms, which is a considerably higher
share than that of other organic crops in Japan.
The total certified organic farmland is 10’792 hectares comprising 0.24 percent of all
farmland in Japan.2 Currently, 0.5 percent of all farmers in Japan practice organic
farming, though only 0.2 percent are certified organic. Of the conventional farmers, 55
percent are willing to convert to organic farming, showing there is room for organic
farming to grow. Support for farming techniques, knowledge sharing, building
market and creation of retail logistics are needed for the organic sector.
MAFF is now supporting local governments promoting organic agriculture throughthe establishment of a platform of local governments. In August 2019, seventeen local
governments became part of this initiative.

South Korea
In 2019, the South Korean organic market is estimated at approximately 350 million
euros (450 billion Korean won), while the market for pesticide-free food is estimatedat approximately 1 billion euros. Approximately 39 percent of the market share ofenvironmentally-friendly food (organic and pesticide-free food combined) was taken
up by school meal programs, 29.4 percent by large food outlets and 19.2 percent byspeciality shops and consumer cooperatives.
According to the newly-amended Environmentally-Friendly Promotion Act, thedefinition of environmentally-friendly agriculture is “an industry increasing
biodiversity, enhancing biological circulation and processes of the soil and producing
agricultural products in a healthy environment to preserve farming ecosystems”,
moving away from the food safety-centred approach. It is hoped that this approach
will help consumers broaden their view on organic agriculture. In June 2019, a onemonth pilot program contributed 5000 tons of environmentally-friendly rice tomilitary bases, and it is expected that this volume will increase in 2020. In 2020,
another pilot program will provide pregnant women with environmentally-friendly
food.3

Philippines
The growth of organic agriculture in the Philippines in the last few years was
reinforced by the continuous growth of the League of Organic Agriculture
Municipalities and Cities in the Philippines (LOAMCP-PH). In 2019, they partnered

One euro corresponded to 130.40 yen in 2018, according to the Central European Bank (seehttp://sdw.ecb.europa.eu/browse.do?node=9691296)
2 As of April 1st, 2018.
3 Fifty percent of the funds for the box scheme food package will be provided by the central government and30 percent from the local governments.
1

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Asia › Overview
with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)1, which mandated
all Local Chief Executives (LCEs) or municipal and city mayors to become members of
LOAMCP-PH.
In an effort to mainstream organic agriculture, the Negros Island Region (part of the
Visayas region) has been hosting the Organic Farmers Festival for the last 14 years
with support from the local government. Its vision is to reach 100’000 hectares inconversion and certified organic farms on the island. Currently, there are 20’000
hectares with organic production, including 5000 hectares of bananas, pineapples, thecereal adlai (Coix lacryma-jobi), moringa, coffee, cacao, rice and other crops.
In November 2019, the National Organic Agriculture Board, in consultation withvarious stakeholders, approved the resolution for the inclusion of Participatory
Guarantee Systems into the national organic standards. This will pave the way forthousands of farmers to label their products as organic.
Another major resolution was the creation of the Undersecretary for Organic
Agriculture to facilitate the tracking of organic agriculture in the Philippines. Thesemajor resolutions will have significant effects on the continuous growth of organic
agriculture in the Philippines.

ThailandThai organic agriculture continues to see a rapid expansion of organic rice farming
after the launch of the subsidy scheme by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative
since 2017. However, without a comprehensive follow-up plan, the progress isunlikely to continue when the project ends in 2020.
With the unfavorable exchange rate, Thai organic exports suffer from slow growth, if
not stagnant. Domestic markets, however, are expanding fast with the acceptanceof PGS organic. The recent efforts by some local public hospitals to procure organic
foods for its patients also help local organic expansion.

IFOAM Asia in 2019
The operations of IFOAM Asia were expanded to China and the Philippines with the
opening of country offices.
Global interest in the Asian Local Governments for Organic Agriculture (ALGOA)2
grew with the hosting of the International Organic Agriculture Policy Summit“ALGOA+4”, which brought together policy experts and implementers from allcontinents. Membership grew rapidly in close partnership with the local governmentsin the Philippines and South Korea. International partnerships are under discussion,
especially with similar groups in Europe.

The central government agency, which supervises all local chief executives.
Asian Local Governments for Organic Agriculture (ALGOA) is a sub-organization under IFOAM Asia andis legally registered in South Korea. The current membership stands at over 260 with representation of local
governments from 18 countries in Asia and Central Asia.

1
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Asia › Overview
ALGOA focusses on capacity and policy development, research and documentation,
public procurement and good governance. It will be set up in strategic countries in
Asia under the full support of the respective governments and ALGOA/IFOAM Asia
members and partners.
The Asia Organic Youth Forum will be expanded into a “World Organic Youth
Forum” in June 2020 with the full support of the government of Goesan County,
South Korea, while “Women in Organic Agriculture in Asia (WOAA)” is expected tobe launched in early 2020 to represent the voices of the women stakeholders inorganic agriculture.
Furthermore, the Asia Organic Innovation Committee sponsored by Xichong County,
China, was launched in December 2019 to carry out research and document bestpractices in innovations in Asia.

Contributors by country
Bangladesh› Dr Shaikh Tanveer Hossain, Asian Productivity Organization, Japan, e-mail tanveer107@yahoo.com› Dr Md. Khurshid Alam, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), e-mailkhurshidal@hotmail.com
Cambodia› Ayumi Matsuura, Board Member, Cambodian Organic Agriculture Association (COrAA) and Country
Director-Cambodia, International Volunteers of Yamagata (IVY), email ivy@online.com.kh
China› Li Feng, IFOAM Asia China Country Director, email li.feng.organic@outlook.com› Zhou Zejiang, Senior Advisor of the Organic Food Development Centre, (OFDC) and-MEP, e-mailzejzhou88@yahoo.com
India› Joy Daniel, Director, Institute of Integrated Rural Development, e-mail joydaniel@lipok.org
Indonesia› Indro Surono, Indonesia Organic Alliance, e-mail i.surono@gmail.com
Japan› Miyoshi Satoko, Representative for Global Organic Textile Standards Japan, e-mail miyoshi@globalstandard.org
Korea› Manchul Jung, Deputy director, Korea Institute of Rural Social Affairs, e-mail jungkobe@hanmail.net› Jennifer Chang, Executive Director, IFOAM Asia, email jchang2011@gmail.com
Philippines› Vic Tagupa, Technical officer, League of Organic Agriculture Municipalities & Cities (LOAMC), e-mailvictagupa2016@gmail.com› Edgardo Uychiat, Executive Director, Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture Research & Development.
email boyetuychiat@yahoo.com
Thailand› Vitoon Panyakul, Green net, e-mail vitoon@greennet.or.th

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Asia › Statistics

Asia: Current statistics
JAN TRÁVNÍþEK1, BERNHARD SCHLATTER2, JULIA LERNOUD3 AND HELGAWILLER4
Overview
The area of organic agricultural land in Asia is more than 6.5 million hectares, which
is 0.4 percent of the total agricultural area in the region. Nine percent of the globalorganic agricultural land is in Asia. Since 2001 (420’000 hectares), the organic land has
grown over fifteen-fold. Between 2017 and 2018, the organic area in Asia increased byover 0.5 million hectares or 9 percent. The country with the largest organic
agricultural area is China (3.1 million hectares), and the country with the mostproducers is India (1’149’371 producers). The countries with the highest organic
shares of the total agricultural land are Timor-Leste (16.8 percent) and Sri Lanka (2.8
percent).

Land use
In Asia, 53 percent of all organic farmland was used for arable crops (3.4 million
hectares) in 2018, 10 percent (nearly 667’000 hectares) for permanent crops, and
0.4 percent for grassland/grazing areas (over 27´000 hectares). Land use information
was not available for 37 percent of the agricultural land, so we can assume that eachcategory has a larger share of the total organic land.
Cereals comprise the key organic arable crop group (mainly wheat and rice), withover 1.3 million hectares, representing 0.4 percent of the total cereal area in Asia. Most
organic cereals were grown in China (over 968’000 hectares) and Kazakhstan (morethan 111’000 hectares). Oilseeds (mainly soybeans) are also an important crop groupgrown on at least 634’000 hectares (mainly in China and India) and represented 1.2
percent of the total oilseed area in Asia. The key organic cereals were rice, grain maize
and wheat. Organic rice represented 41 percent of the total organic cereal area and,
together with wheat (22 percent) and grain maize (19 percent), represented almost 82
percent of the total organic cereal area in Asia. Organic rice was mainly grown in
China (332’000 hectares), constituting 64 percent of the total organic rice in the region.
The largest organic wheat areas were also in China (174’000 hectares) followed by
Kazakhstan (over 100’000 hectares), representing almost all of the total organic wheatarea in Asia.
Most of the organic permanent cropland was used for coconuts (over 232’000
hectares), tea (nearly 132’000 hectares), coffee (over 67’000 hectares), nuts (over 55´000
hectares), and temperate fruit (over 53’000 hectares). The Philippines had the largest

Jan Trávní²ek, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
Bernhard Schlatter, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
3 Julia Lernoud, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
4 Dr. Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
1
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Asia › Statistics
organic coconut area, with almost 160’000 hectares, representing 69 percent of thetotal organic coconut area of the region. Most of the organic coffee in Asia was grownin Indonesia, where over 60’000 hectares were reported, followed by Timor-Leste(4’100 hectares); both countries represented 95 percent of the organic coffee area in
Asia. Organic coffee represented 2.5 percent of the total coffee in Asia. Almost 3.7
percent of the total tea grown in Asia was organic; most of it was in China (111’000
hectares) followed by Viet Nam (almost 8’900 hectares).

Producers
In 2018, 1’317’023 organic producers were reported in Asia. India is the country withthe most organic producers (1’149’371), followed by the Thailand (58’490).
Unfortunately, many countries do not report the number of producers or only report
the number of companies; thus it is assumed that the number of producers is higher.
Since 2004, when there were 100’000 organic producers, the number has increased
over thirteen-fold.

Wild collection
In 2018, 2.8 million hectares of organic wild collection were reported in Asia.
Unfortunately, detailed data is available for only 4 percent of the reported area. From
the details available, wild nuts (over 55’000 hectares) and wild fruit (3’750 hectares)
are the key commodities. Furthermore, bee pastures (over 56’000 hectares) play animportant role. India is the country in the region with the largest organic wildcollection area, with 1.5 million hectares, followed by China (1 million hectares), andThailand (over 117´000 hectares).

MarketIn Asia, organic market data is not available for most of the countries, but we canassume that the market is continually growing. Nine countries (more than 20 percentof the countries with organic data) provided organic retail sales values (Table 13, page68). From the data available, we can assume that at least 10 billion euros of organic
products were sold in Asia. For China, nearly 8.1 billion euros were reported for 2018,
making the country the world’s fourth-largest market for organic products.
Furthermore, Japan has a large organic domestic market valued at 1.4 billion euros,
and South Korea reported a market of 330 million euros (2017). More information
about the Asian market is available in the chapter about the global market from
Amarjit Sahota (page 138).
For more information about the Asian figures, see data tables for Asia, page 211.

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Asia › Statistics › Graphs

Organic Agriculture in Asia: Graphs
Asia: The ten countries with the largest organic area
2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

China

3'135'000

India

1'938'221

Indonesia

251'631

Viet Nam

237'693

Philippines

218'570

Kazakhstan

192'134

Thailand95'066

Sri Lanka

77'169Pakistan

64'885

Timor-Leste

63'8820

1'000'000

2'000'000
Hectares3'000'000

4'000'000

Figure 65: Asia: The ten countries with the largest organic agricultural area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Asia: The countries with the highest organic share of
total agricultural land 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

Timor-Leste

16.8%

Sri Lanka

2.8%

Viet Nam

2.2%

Philippines

1.8%

Palestine

1.6%

Republic of Korea

1.4%

Bhutan1.3%

Israel

1.2%

United Arab Emirates

1.2%

Taiwan

1.1%
0%

5%
10%
15%
Share of total agricultural land

20%

Figure 66: Asia: The countries with the highest organic share of total agricultural land
2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

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211

Asia › Statistics › Graphs
Asia: Development of organic agricultural land
1999- 2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL-Surveys 2001-2020

7.0

6.54
6.00

Million hectares

6.0

4.88

5.0

3.85
3.69
3.58
3.52
3.36
3.223.40
3.002.90
2.68
2.46

3.78

4.0
3.0
2.0

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

1999

0.0

0.420.430.49
0.020.06

2000

1.0

Figure 67: Asia: Development of organic agricultural land 1999 to 2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL surveys 2001-2020; based on information from the private sector, certifiers, andgovernments. For detailed data sources see annex, page 315

Figure 68: Asia: Use of organic agricultural land 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

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Asia › Statistics › Tables

Organic Agriculture in Asia: Tables
Table 52: Asia: Organic agricultural land, organic share of farmland, producers 2018
For information on data year, see page 310.
Country

Area [ha]Organic share [%]Producers [no.]Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
BhutanCambodia
China
Georgia
India
Indonesia
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Iraq
IsraelJapan
JordanKazakhstan
KuwaitKyrgyzstan
Lao P.D.R.
Lebanon
Malaysia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Philippines
Republic of Korea
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Syrian Arab Republic
TaiwanTajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Viet Nam
Total*

786
694
37'630504
6'632
27'5503'135'000
1'452
1'938'221
251'631
11'91663
6'666
10'792
1'446
192'134
22
22'118
7'668
1'241
9'576
636
12'30511'85143
64'885
4'870
218'570
24'700
18'631
3
77'16919'987
8'759
8'806
95'066
63'882
4'687
943
237'693
6'537'226

0.002%
0.04%
0.8%
0.01%
1.3%
0.5%
0.6%
0.1%
1.1%
0.4%
0.03%
0.001%
1.2%
0.2%
0.1%
0.1%
0.01%
0.2%
0.3%
0.2%
0.1%
0.001%
0.1%
0.3%
0.003%
0.2%
1.6%
1.8%
1.4%
0.01%
0.4%
2.8%
0.1%
1.1%
0.2%
0.4%
16.8%
1.2%
0.004%
2.2%
0.4%

10
35
305
9'335
4'354
5'788
6'308
1'075
1'149'371
18'162
20
349
3'678
23
63
1
1'107
1'342
111
29
13
48
1'622
5
415
1'440
12'36615'500
6
1'416
2'458
3'556
953
58'490
4
95
1
17'1691'317'023

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315*Total number includes data for countries with less than three operators.

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213

Asia › Statistics › Tables
Table 53: Asia: All organic areas 2018
Agriculture[ha]Country
Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
BhutanBrunei Darussalam
Cambodia
China
Georgia
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
IsraelJapan
JordanKazakhstan
KuwaitKyrgyzstan
Lao P.D.R.
Lebanon
Malaysia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Philippines
Republic of Korea
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Syrian Arab Republic
TaiwanTajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Viet Nam
Total

786
694
37'630504
6'632

Aquaculture
[ha]

123
5'781

Forest
[ha]

123

Wild
collection[ha]

Other nonagri. land
[ha]

9'310
1'063
7'746

29
27'5503'135'000
1'452
1'938'221
251'631
11'91663
6'666
10'792
1'446
192'134
22
22'118
7'668
1'241
9'575
636
12'30511'85143
64'885
4'870
218'570
24'700
18'631
3
77'16919'987
8'759
8'806
95'066
63'882
4'687
943
237'693
6'537'226

973'000
215
1'490'418
18'41250'2191'507

20'0004

13'48917'068309

1524'42244'620

8'000
2
268

117'704

17'866200'000
206'218

5'000
54'4502'835'448

40'880

123

Total
[ha]
786
10'00438'9396'285
14'37829
27'550
4'108'000
3'174
3'428'639
270'043
82'13563
6'669
10'792
1'446
192'13422
35'60724'736
1'551
9'575
636
12'32036'27343
109'505
4'870
218'570
24'700
18'631
3
77'16927'987
8'761
8'806
230'905
63'882
4'687
5'943
492'143
9'618'388

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

214

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Asia › Statistics › Tables
Table 54: Asia: Land use in organic agriculture 2018Land use
Agricultural land and crops

Crop group

Arable land crops

Cereals
Dry pulses and protein crops for the production of grain
Fallow land, crop rotation
Fresh vegetables and melons
Medicinal and aromatic plants
Mushrooms and truffles
Oilseeds

68'786
1'127'835
363'269
61'42510'300
1'629
59'963

Plants harvested green
Root crops
Seeds and seedlings
Strawberries
Sugarcane
Textile crops
TobaccoArable crops, no details

Berries
Citrus fruit
Cocoa
Coconut
CoffeeFlowers and ornamental plants, permanent
Fruit
Fruit, temperate
Fruit, tropical and subtropical

1'545
341'397
20'34968
44
2'399
341'616
52'4003'434'390
58'861
13'156139
12'980376
232'293
67'15222
10'15953'38234'354

GrapesMedicinal and aromatic plants, permanent
Nuts
Olives
Tea/mate, etc.
Permanent crops, other

22'590
17'04755'613
6'535
131'907
19'146

Arable land crops total
Cropland, no details
Other agricultural land
Permanent crops

Permanent crops total
Permanent grassland
Total

Area [ha]2'336'057

666'832
27'9306'537'226

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Table 55: Asia: Use of wild collection areas 2018Land use

Area [ha]Apiculture

56'267

Berries, wild
Fruit, wild
Medicinal and aromatic plants, wildMushrooms, wild
Nuts, wild
Oil plants, wild
Palm sugar
Rose hips, wild
SeaweedVegetables, wild

161
3'750
56
0.1
55'076
303
916
10
136
4

Wild collection, no details
Total

2'718'769
2'835'448

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn215

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020

Infographic 5: Organic agriculture in Europe: Key indicators 2018216

Europe24'855

251297'442
46'377608'758

206'590606'975

280'383
256'711239'691

117'699

1'656
457'377180

89'025
1'521'314
57'904
5'782

484'676538'894

2'035'0242
213'118

2'246'475

309'100
188'986

637'805
209'382
47'848 103'166
326'260
896 19'255
162'332
4'455 160
1'958'045
4'409
747

1'413
160'992

492'627

Share of organic agricultural land
<1%
1-5%

17'151646'247

47 Malta
Cyprus
6'022

5 - 10 %> 10%

Map 4: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Europe 2018 (in hectares)
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020; based on information from the private sector, certifiers, governments, Eurostat and theMediterranean Organic Agriculture Network. For detailed information on sources, please check annex.

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217

Europe › Overview

Organic in Europe: Recent Developments
HELGA WILLER,1 BRAM MOESKOPS,2 EMANUELE BUSACCA, 3
LÉNA BRISSET4, AND MARIA GERNERT5
In 2018, in Europe, the organic area and market continued to grow. Data show that
the European organic food market increased to more than 40 billion euros; however,
only by single digits (+7.5 percent) and thus slower than in the past. The area grew
more or less at the same pace as the market did (Figure 69; see chapter on European
organic statistics, page 227).

Europe: Growth of organic area and retail sales
2000-2018 compared
Source: FiBL-AMI surveys 2006-2020

Cumulative growth in %

600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Area growth

Retail sales growth

Figure 69: Europe and the European Union: Growth of organic farmland and retailsales compared, 2000-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI surveys

Projections from the European Commission indicate that increasing demand fororganic food is expected to boost EU supply in the short term. However, over the
medium term, challenges for conversion to organic farming, as well as further market
shifts towards other environmentally-friendly alternatives, could slow down thegrowth of organic production, according to the European Commission (2019a). Factsand developments presented in this chapter – the EU regulation on organic

Dr. Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
Dr. Bram Moeskops, Research and Innovation Manager, International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements EU (IFOAM EU), Brussels, Belgium, www.ifoam-eu.org
3 Emanuele Busacca, IFOAM EU, Brussels, Belgium, www.ifoam-eu.org
4 Léna Brisset, IFOAM EU, Brussels, Belgium, www.ifoam-eu.org
1
2

5

Maria Gernert, IFOAM EU, Brussels, Belgium, www.ifoam-eu.org

218

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Overview
production, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and research efforts – will also
influence the evolution of the sector.

New EU organic rules adopted
In June 2018, the new European Union (EU) Regulation 2018/848 on production andlabelling of organic products was published. The new EU organic regulation will
apply from 01 January 2021. The text that has been adopted represents the “BasicAct”. This means that many details of the text still have to be developed and adopted
in the form of delegated and implementing acts. The process of development of
secondary legislation started in June 2018 and should be concluded at the latest byJune 2020, six months before the actual application of the new organic regulation.
More details about the new organic regulation can be found on page 150.

Proposal for the Common Agricultural Policy post-2020 launched
In June 2018, the European Commission launched its proposal for the Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2021 to 2027. The new CAP presents a New
Delivery Model founded on a results-based approach, which gives more flexibility tomember states in the implementation of the policy objectives.
Organic farming can make a decisive contribution towards a sustainable food andfarming sector while satisfying citizens’ preferences. However, large-scale conversion
to organic is only possible if the CAP’s ambition is revised upwards, allowing more
farmers to make the necessary additional efforts and investments. With the rightincentives and an adequate budget in the next CAP, many more farmers could makean even larger contribution to the environment, climate, and rural communities
beyond 2020 (IFOAM EU, 2019).
The organic movement is concerned about the significant cuts foreseen to the second
pillar, Rural Development, which so far has been providing crucial support to farmers
for the conversion to organic and has helped them with maintenance payments. The
second pillar should be strengthened, and more than 30 percent of its budget should
be dedicated to the climate and environment CAP objectives (IFOAM EU 2019).
As part of the new green architecture, the newly proposed eco-schemes offer a good
opportunity to compensate farmers who want to do more for the climate and theenvironment. The schemes are 100 percent funded under the first pillar, whichconstitutes over three-quarters of the total CAP budget. However, essential elements
are still missing: eco-schemes should be better defined in order to favour farming
systems that provide multiple objectives including organic farming. Moreover, aminimum of 30 percent of the first pillar should be dedicated to this new tool.
Last but not least, the increased flexibility of the CAP must be counterbalanced withstrong common safeguards. Ambitious ring-fencing of at least 70 percent of the entire
CAP budget across both pillars can avoid a downward spiral for the climate and theenvironment.

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Europe › Overview
Organic Agriculture and the SDGs
At an event on organic agriculture and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
held in Brussels in February 2019, members of the Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture (FiBL) and further scientists presented research results showing that in
low-income countries organic farming can represent an economic advantage forsmallholders in addition to the well-known environmental benefits that the organic
system brings. Organic agriculture is, therefore, a means of achieving the United
Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the organizers (dePorras 2019).
SDG 2 seeks to end hunger and malnutrition and ensure access to safe, nutritious andsufficient food (Eurostat 2019). According to Eurostat, organic farming is a production
method that puts the highest emphasis on environmental protection and animal
welfare considerations, avoiding or largely reducing the use of synthetic chemical
inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides, additives and medical products. It is interesting
to note that the European Union (Eurostat 2019) uses the indicator “Area underorganic farming” to measure measures progress towards SDG 2 (among otherindicators)). Eurostat (2019) notes that with 7 percent of the farmland being organic in
2017, significant progress towards SDG 2 has been made. However, while theEuropean Commission did not set a target for the further development of the organicarea, Germany did, declaring it aimed to achieve an organic share of 20 percent of thetotal farmland – as a contribution to achieving SDG 2 (Bundesregierung 2018).
In Germany, the organic share of the total market is also used to measure the progress
towards SDG 12 – sustainable consumption (Bundesregierung 2018).

Research
Organic farming research is funded under national research programs or nationalorganic action plans as well as through European programmes. Several organic
farming research projects have been funded under the EU framework programmes
since the mid-1990s. So far, the following projects focussing on organic agriculture
have been funded by the current framework programme (Horizon 2020): OK-Net
Arable, OK-Net EcoFeed1 (see more information below), LIVESEED2, ECOBREED3,
BRESOV4 (three projects on organic seed and plant breeding). RELACS5 and OrganicPLUS,6 which investigate alternatives for contentious inputs used in organic farming,
started in spring 2018. In 2019, a new project addressing animal welfare in organic
farming, PPilow, started as well as a thematic network on organic fruit production,
BioFruitNet.

https://ok-net-ecofeed.eu/
https://www.liveseed.eu/
3 http://ecobreed.eu/
4 https://bresov.eu/
5 https://relacs-project.eu/
6 https://organic-plus.net/
1
2

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FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Overview
In 2019, the CORE Organic network, which joins forces of the EU Member States andfunds transnational research projects, celebrated its 15th anniversary. The current
CORE Organic consortium, 1 which includes 26 partners from 19 countries, selected 12
projects that will run until 2021 and are distributed across four thematic areas: Plant
production systems, animal feed, livestock systems, and organic food processing.2
Also in 2019, CORE Organic joined forces with the ERA-Net SUSFOOD2 in thetransnational Call “Towards sustainable and organic food systems” focusing on thefollowing research themes: Resource-efficient, circular and zero-waste food systems,
diversity in food from field to plate, mild food processing, and sustainable and smart
packaging.
The outcomes of the CORE Organic projects are archived in the Organic Eprints open
access repository, which today has more than 22’000 entries (Willer/Rasmussen 2019).

Organic Farm Knowledge for farmers and advisers to exchange knowledge
In December 2018, the Horizon 2020-funded “OK-Net Ecofeed” project launched theextended knowledge platform Organic Farm Knowledge (www.organicfarmknowledge.eu), which was originally set up in the framework of OK-Net Arable.
The platform aims to promote the exchange of information and share practicalsolutions among farmers across Europe. The platform is available in 12 languages. In
2019, the platform started to be expanded to cover tools and solutions related toorganic feed for pigs and poultry, as well as seed, breeding, and many other topics.
The final goal is for the platform to become the European reference platform forpractical knowledge on organic farming.

Field days – Exchange meetings of farmers and researchers
National and international exchange meetings of farmers, researchers, and otheractors have been gaining in importance in recent years. The French “Tech and Bio”
and the Swiss organic arable day (“Bioackerbautag” recently alternating annuallywith the organic livestock days “Bioviehtag”) have taken place for several years now.
In Germany, in 2019, the second edition of the organic field days (Ökofeldtage) took
place, attracting more than 11’000 visitors.

Science Day 2019 at BiofachOn 15 February 2019, the TP Organics’ Science Day took place at BIOFACH under thetitle “Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange – Challenges of the Organic
Sector“. TP Organics3 is the European Technology Platform for Organic Food andFarming. The Science Day was dedicated to the draft research topics in TP Organics’
new Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, “Diversified farming systems basedon ecological approaches”, “Redesign of food and agricultural policies from local to

1 CORE Organic was initiated as a part of the Commission’s ERA-NET Scheme in 2004. It intends to step up
cooperation between national research activities and aims to enhance the quality, relevance, and utilisation ofEuropean research resources through coordination and collaboration.
2 http://projects.au.dk/coreorganiccofund
3 www.tporganics.eu

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Europe › Overview
EU level”, “Sustainable food systems for sustainable consumption”, “Research &innovation in light of the new organic regulation” and “Organics and emerging
technologies”. In parallel workshops, the participants discussed further substantiating
the content in terms of the specific challenges, the research scope as well as expected
impacts. The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda was produced in 2019 inview of Horizon Europe, the follow-up research and innovation frameworkprogramme of Horizon 2020. In the second part of Science Day, the Organic Farm
Knowledge platform was launched by FiBL before a policy debate with the European
Commission, Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung and organic farmers’
association Naturland took place on promoting innovation and knowledge exchange
between researchers, farmers and food small and medium enterprises.

Organic Innovation Days
The 5th edition of the Organic Innovation Days,1 TP Organics’ annual event, took placein cooperation with the EU projects LIAISON2 and XF-ACTORS3 in Brussels in
December 2019. The Organic Innovation Days aim to discuss research needs andinnovations within and outside the organic sector to transform our food systems
together with a broad range of stakeholders – including companies and researchers,
farmers and farmer organisations, and policymakers across Europe. The first day
showed the important role of organic farming and agroecology in the transition offood and farming systems. On the second day, TP Organics launched its new Strategic
Research & Innovation Agenda4 (see below). In a high-level policy debate with theEuropean Commission and FiBL Europe, farmer representatives discussed the needsof young organic farmers innovating for the future. In a panel discussion, participantsfrom different EU projects shared their views on the use of technology in organic foodand farming. The panel stressed the importance of knowledge sharing andparticipation of farmers as well as consumers in research to create a fair share along
the value chain.

Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe, the EU’s 9th Framework Programme for research and innovation(R&I), will provide a proposed budget of 100 billion euros for the period 2021-2027.
TP Organics published a briefing5 that aims to provide an overview of the programme(its structure and content) and policy process, including the anticipated timeline. The
European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a provisional agreement on
Horizon Europe in spring 2019. Following this agreement, the European Commission
has begun the preparation of the first Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan will identify
missions and European Partnerships and serve to prepare the content of the work

http://tporganics.eu/organic-innovation-days/
http://liaison2020.eu/
3https://www.xfactorsproject.eu/
4
https://tporganics.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ifoam-sria-full-final.pdf
5
https://tporganics.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/tporganics-horizon-europe-briefing.pdf
1

2

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FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Overview
programmes and calls for proposals for the first four years of Horizon Europe. The
first work programme is expected by autumn 2020.
Ten billion euros are to be allocated to the Cluster “Food, Bioeconomy, Natural
Resources, Agriculture and Environment”. Thanks to TP Organics, the legal texts of
Horizon Europe state that Horizon Europe should support organic farming andagroecology. TP Organics also welcomes the planned Mission for Soil Health andFood as well as the partnership for “Accelerating farming systems transition” which
will be crucial to support the upscaling of organic farming and agroecology.
However, TP Organics is concerned that the inclusion of the “Innovation Principle” inHorizon Europe could be used to undermine the Precautionary Principle, and hencesocial and environmental protections in the EU1. Innovation is only useful if it does
not harm public and environmental health.

Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of TP Organics
TP Organics’ new Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda for Organics &Agroecology (TP Organics 2019) that was launched during the Organic Innovation
Days 2019 (see above) is the outcome of an intensive participatory development
process which included discussions and stakeholder consultations at workshops andonline held in 2018-2019 as well as the collaboration of many different experts.
Reflecting the combined knowledge and expertise of the whole organic value chain,
this key document serves to relay the research needs of the organic sector topolicymakers who have a crucial role to play in the transformation of European foodand farming systems that is urgently needed by ensuring a common, integrated andholistic approach to food policy.
Research and innovation on organics and agroecology can enable this transition
towards a more sustainable future for all. The four main research areas (moving
organics further, redesign of food and agricultural policies, climate-resilient anddiversified farming systems, and sustainable value chains) and 29 priorities identified
require proper support at the EU level, in particular through Horizon Europe (seeabove), the European Partnerships and Missions as well as EIP-AGRI to leverage thepotential of organic food and farming and agroecology. The priorities reflect theknowledge and innovation needs of farmers, processors, companies and civil society
groups that are all eager to work with researchers to transform the food and farming
systems of Europe. TP Organics is convinced that dedicating appropriate funding andsupport to these priorities will help steer Europe’s food and farming systems towards
full sustainability and thriving societies.

1 This tool was created by industry lobbyists to block and delay important social, health and environmental
regulations. Despite several efforts by civil society organisations including TP Organics to remove theInnovation Principle from Horizon Europe, it is still part of the recitals. More information about thisdangerous principle making its way into EU law is available at https://tporganics.eu/innovation-principle/

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Europe › Overview
20th Organic World Congress
Every three years, the organic sector comes together to host the world’s largest
organic gathering, the Organic World Congress (OWC). In 2020, the 20th OWC will beheld in Europe for the first time since 2008, and it will take place from 21 to 27
September in Rennes, France. Drawing from the motto, „From its Roots, Organic
Inspires Life“, OWC 2020 will aim to provide organic and likeminded stakeholders
working toward sustainable agriculture, value chains, and consumption with anopportunity to exchange their knowledge, innovations, and experiences. In the days
leading up to the congress, delegates have the opportunity to participate in one ofeight, topic-specific pre-conferences, one of which will focus on organic farming
statistics.1

References and further reading
Bundesregierung (2018): Deutsche Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie. Aktualisierung 2018. Berlin, 2018.
www.deutsche-nachhaltigkeitsstrategie.de
Council of the European Union (2007): 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 OJ L 189,
20.7.2007, p. 1–23. Available at http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2007/834/oj
de Porras Acuna, Miguel Angel (2019) Workshop "The Contribution of Organic Agriculture to the SDGs:
Scientific evidence from comparative research". Workshop at: The Contribution of Organic
Agriculture to the SDGs: Scientific evidence from comparative research, Brussels, February 26, 2019
European Parliament and the Council (2018): Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing
Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007. OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 1–92. Available at https://eurlex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/848/oj
European Commission (2017a): The Future of Food and Farming - Communication from the Commission to
the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and theCommittee of the Regions - The Future of food and farming, COM (2017) 0713 final. Available at:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2017:713:FIN
European Commission (2017b): Reflection Paper on the Future of EU Finances, COM(2017) 358. Available at:
ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/reflection-paper-eu-finances_en.pdf
European Commission (2019a), EU agricultural outlook for markets and income, 2019-2030. European
Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, Brussels. https://ec.europa.eu/info/foodfarming-fisheries/farming/facts-and-figures/markets/outlook/medium-term_en
European Commission (2019b): CAP and development. The Europa Website. European Commission,
Brussels. Available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/farming/internationalcooperation/cap-and-development_en
Eurostat (2019) Sustainable development in the European Union. Monitoring report on progress towards the
SDGs in an EU context 2019 edition. Eurostat, Luxembourg. Available athttps://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statisticsexplained/index.php/Sustainable_development_in_the_European_UnionIFOAM EU (2018):Towards a post-2020 CAP that supports farmers and delivers public goods to Europeans.
Avoiding a race to the bottom - An ambitious and better targeted. IFOAM EU, Brussels. Available athttps://www.ifoam-eu.org/sites/default/files/ifoameu_policy_cap_position_20181009_2.pdf
TP Organics (2019): Strategic research & innovation agenda for organics and agroecology leading thetransition to sustainable food and farming in Europe. IFOAM EU, Brussels. Available athttps://tporganics.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ifoam-sria-full-final.pdf

https://owc.ifoam.bio/2020/preconferences/improving-transparency-along-the-supply-chain
1 More information about the pre-conferences is available at

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FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Overview
Willer, Helga and Rasmussen, Ilse A. (2019) International Online Archive Organic Eprints – Current Status.
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Frick. https://orgprints.org/37003/

Websites›››››

ec.europa.eu/agriculture/future-cap_en: European Commission on the CAP reform
ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic: European Commission’s organic farming website
ifoam-eu.org: International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements EU - IFOAM EU
organic-market.info: Market News and updates: www.organic-market.info
tporganics.eu: European Technology Platform TP Organics

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Europe › Key Indicators

Europe and the European Union: Key indicators 2018
Indicator

EuropeOrganic farmland in
hectares

European Union

15.6 million ha

13.8 million ha

3.1 %

7.7 %

Increase in organic
farmland 2017-2018 inhectares1.25 million ha

1 million ha

Relative increase inorganic farmland
2017-2018

8.7%

7.6%

Land use[in million hectares]

Arable crops: 7.5
Permanent crops: 1.7
Permanent pastures: 6.2

Top arable cropgroups

Cereals: 2.6 million ha
Green fodder: 2.5 millionha
Dry pulses: 0.5 million ha

Arable crops: 6.1
Permanent crops 1.5
Permanent pastures: 6.0
Green fodder: 2.3 million
ha
Cereals: 2.2 million ha
Dry pulses: 0.4 million ha

Top permanent cropgroupsOlives: 0.6 million ha
Grapes: 0.4 million ha
Nuts: 0.3 million ha

Olives: 0.5 million ha
Grapes: 0.3 million ha
Nuts: 0.3 million ha

Wild collection area

17.2 million ha

13.9 million ha

Producers [no.]418'610327'222

Processors [no.]75'56971'960

Importers [no.]

5'790

5'034

40.7 billion euros

37.4 billion euros

7.8%

7.7%

Organic shareof total farmland

Retail sales

Growth of retail sales
2017-2018
Organic share of total
marketNo data

No data

Per capita
consumption [euros]

50 euros

76 eurosTop 3 countries Europe
Spain (2.2 million ha)
France (2.0 million ha)
Italy (2.0 million ha)
Liechtenstein (38.5%)
Austria (24.7%)
Estonia (21.6%)
France (+290'604 ha)
Spain (+164'302 ha)Germany (+148'157 ha)Montenegro (+64%)
Ireland (+60%)
North Macedonia (+52%)

Largest arable areas:
France (1.1 million ha)
Italy (0.9 million ha)Germany (0.6 million ha)
Largest permanent cropareas:
Spain (0.6 million ha)
Italy (0.5 million ha)
Turkey (0.2 million ha)
Finland (11.2 million ha)
Romania (1.8 million ha;
2014)
Albania (0.6 million ha)
Turkey: (79'563)
Italy (69'317)
France (41'632)
Italy (20'087)
France (16'651)
Germany (15'441)
Germany (1'723)
Switzerland (548)France (545)Germany (10'910 million
euros)
France (9'139 million euros)
Italy (3'483 million euros)
France (15.4%)
Switzerland (13.3%)
Denmark (12.9%)
Denmark (11.5 %)Switzerland (9.9 %)Sweden (9.6 %)Switzerland (312 euros);
Denmark (312 euros)
Sweden (231 euros)

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020.
For detailed data sources see annex


226


FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics

Organic Farming and Market Development in Europe
and the European UnionHELGA WILLER1, BERNHARD SCHLATTER AND2 DIANA SCHAACK3
In 2018, the development of the organic sector in Europe was characterized by thetrend that both market and area grew more or less at the same pace. This marks achange compared to the previous years when the market grew at a faster rate than thearea/production. It remains to be seen if the trend continues.

1 Key facts and figures: Production and market highlights
More than 15 million hectares of farmland were organic in Europe in 2018 – Spain
had the largest area
In Europe, 15.6 million hectares were managed organically in 2018 (European Union:
13.8 million hectares). With more than 2.2 million hectares, Spain continued to be thecountry with the largest organic area in Europe (more than 14% of the European
organic farmland), followed by France (2 million hectares), and Italy (1.95 million
hectares).

European organic farmland increased by more than one million hectares
The organic land increased by almost 1.3 million hectares in Europe (with a major
increase in farmland in the Russian Federation) and by almost 1 million hectares inthe European Union, representing an increase of 8.7 percent in Europe and 7.6 percent
in the European Union. Growth was a bit higher than in 2017 and higher than in thefirst years of the current decade. From 2009 to 2018, the organic agricultural land
increased by more than two thirds.

Liechtenstein is the country with the highest organic area share in the world
Organic farmland in Europe constitutes 3.1 percent of the total agricultural land and7.7 percent in the European Union. In Europe (and globally), Liechtenstein has thehighest organic share of all farmland (38.5 percent) followed by Austria, the country
in the European Union with the highest organic share of agricultural land (24.7
percent.

Organic producers, processors and importers on the rise
There were almost 420’000 organic producers in Europe (European Union: almost
330’000), with the largest numbers in Turkey (79'563) and Italy (69'317). While in 2018
the number of producers grew by 5.4 percent in Europe (7.1 percent in the European
Union), growth was 64 percent in Europe and 56 percent in the European Union from2009-2018.

Dr. Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
Bernhard Schlatter, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
3 Diana Schaack, Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft mbH, Bonn, Germany, www.ami-informiert.de
1
2

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Europe › Statistics
There were almost 75’600 organic processors in Europe (+5.9 percent compared to2017) and almost 72’000 in the European Union (+5.5 percent). The country with thelargest number of processors was Italy (20'087).
The number of importers grew faster than the number of producers and processors:
Almost 5’800 importers (+ 8.9 percent) were counted in Europe and more than 5’000 in
the European Union (+9.8 percent). Germany had the most importers (1'723).

Retail sales reached the 40 billion euro mark - Market continues to grow
Organic retail sales in Europe were valued at 40.1 billion euros (37.4 billion euros in
the European Union). The European Union represents the second largest single
market for organic products in the world after the United States. With 10.9 billion
euros of retail sales, Germany is the biggest market in Europe and the second biggest
in the world.
The European organic market recorded a growth rate of 7.8 percent (European Union:
7.7 percent). Among the key markets, the highest growth was observed in France (15.4
percent). In the decade 2009-2018, the value of European and European Union organic
markets more than doubled.

Organic imports – China is the largest supplier
Data on organic imports to the European Union in 2018 show that a total of 3.3 million
metric tons of organic products were imported the to European Union. The largest
supplier was China.

European consumers spend more on organic food
European consumers spent 50 euros on organic food per person in 2018 (European
Union: 76 euros). Per capita consumer spending on organic food has doubled in thelast decade. Danish and Swiss consumers spent the most on organic food per capita(312 euros).

Highest organic market shares are in Europe
Globally, European countries account for the highest shares of organic food sales as apercentage of their respective food markets. Denmark has the highest organic market
share globally (11.5 percent) and was the first country to pass the 10 percent mark.

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FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land
2 Organic agricultural land: Area, organic shares, growth
Table 56: Europe: Organic agricultural land in Europe and the European Union 2018
Organic
area[million ha]

Organic
share[%]

Change2017-2018[%]

Change2017-2018[million ha]

Change2008-2018[%]

Change2008-2018[million ha]

European
Union

13.8

7.7%

7.6%

1.0

65%

5.4

Europe

15.6

3.1%

8.7%

1.3

69%

6.4

Source: FiBL-AMI survey based on Eurostat and national data sources. For country details, see Table 63.

2.1 Organic agricultural land
In 2018, 15.6 million hectares were farmed organically in Europe and almost 13.8
million hectares in the European Union (Table 56). Almost 90 percent of Europe’s
organic farmland was in the European Union. The countries with the largest areas oforganic land were Spain (14 percent of Europe’s organic farmland), France, Italy, andGermany. Slightly more than half of Europe’s organic farmland was in these countries(Figure 70). A bit more than one-fifth of the world’s organic farmland was in Europe.
While in former years this share amounted to one quarter of the world’s organic
farmland, it went down due to an impressive area increase in Australia in 2017.

Figure 70: Europe: Distribution of organic farmland by country 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat
For detailed data sources see annex

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229

Europe › Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land
Europe: Organic agricultural land by country 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020
Spain
France
Italy
Germany
TurkeyAustria
SwedenRussian Federation
Czech Republic
GreecePolandUnited Kingdom
Romania
UkraineFinland
LatviaDenmark
Lithuania
Portugal
Hungary
Estonia
Slovakia
Bulgaria
Switzerland
Ireland
Croatia
Belgium
Netherlands
Slovenia
NorwayIceland
SerbiaMoldova
CyprusLuxembourg
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Belarus
Liechtenstein
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Albania
Faroe Islands
Channel Islands
KosovoMalta
Andorra646'247
637'805
608'758
606'975
538'894492'627484'676457'377326'260
309'100
297'442280'383
256'711239'691
213'118
209'382
206'590
188'986
162'332
160'992
118'699
103'166
89'02557'90447'84846'37724'85519'25517'151
6'022
5'782
4'455
4'409
1'656
1'413
896
747
251
180
160
47
2
0

500'000

1'521'314

1'000'000 1'500'000
Hectares2'246'475
2'035'024
1'958'045

2'000'000

2'500'000

Figure 71: Europe: Organic agricultural land by country 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on Eurostat national data sources.
For detailed data sources see annex.

230

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land
2.2 Organic shares of total agricultural land
In Europe, 3.1 percent of the agricultural land is organic and in the European Union,
7.7 percent (Table 56). In ten countries (European Union: eight), ten percent or more of
the agricultural land is managed organically (Figure 72). The countries with thehighest organic shares are Liechtenstein (38.5 percent), Austria (24.7 percent), Estonia(21.6 percent), and Sweden (19.9 percent). Liechtenstein is the country with thehighest organic farmland share in the world.

2.3 Growth of organic agricultural land
In 2018, the organic agricultural land in Europe increased by 1.25 million hectares(EU: almost 1 million hectares) or 8.7 percent (EU 7.6 percent). Growth was therefore
comparable with that of 2015 and 2016 and considerably faster than between 2011 and2014 (Figure 73, Figure 74). In Europe, the absolute growth was higher than in theEuropean Union, due to a major increase in organic farmland in the RussianFederation reported by one international certifier.
The countries that contributed the most to the growth were France, Spain, Germany
and the Russian Federation, with 730’000 additional hectares together (Figure 75). The
highest relative increases were in Montenegro (+64 percent) Ireland (+60 percent) andNorth Macedonia (+52 percent). However, there were also countries that showed adecrease in organic land such as Portugal, the United Kingdom and Poland (Table 63).

2.4 Conversion status of organic farmland
Most, countries provided data on their fully converted and under-conversion areas,
but such details are not available for all countries – for instance, for Austria, Germany,and Switzerland (Table 64).
In Europe, of the 15.6 million hectares of organic agricultural land, 10.5 million
hectares were fully converted1 (9.2 million out of 13.8 million hectares in the European
Union), and at least 2.7 million hectares were under conversion (2.4 million in theEuropean Union). This suggests that, in the near future, an increase in the supply oforganic products can be expected (Figure 76).
By country, the largest in-conversion areas are in Western and Southern European
countries, notably France (532'452 hectares), Italy (467'192 hectares), Spain (316'745
hectares), and Greece (175'874 hectares) (Table 64).

1

Without Austria, Germany and Switzerland

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn231

Europe › Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land
Europe: Organic share of total agricultural land bycountry and country group 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020
Liechtenstein
Austria
Estonia
SwedenItaly
LatviaSwitzerland
FinlandCzech Republic
Slovakia
Slovenia
Denmark
Spain
Germany
EU 15
Faroe Islands
Lithuania
European Union
FranceBelgium
Croatia
GreeceEFTA
Portugal
EU 13
CyprusNorwayHungary
Luxembourg
Bulgaria
PolandNetherlands
EuropeUnited Kingdom
Romania
IrelandMontenegro
Channel Islands
TurkeyEU candidates
IcelandUkraineMoldova
SerbiaMalta
North Macedonia
Other European Countries
Russian Federation
Albania
KosovoBosnia and Herzegovina
BelarusAndorra

15.8%
15.4%
15.4%
13.0%
12.8%
10.0%
9.9%
9.8%
9.6%
9.1%
8.6%
8.4%
8.3%
7.7%
7.3%
6.8%
6.6%
6.0%
6.0%
5.9%
5.5%
5.4%
4.7%
4.5%
4.4%
3.5%
3.4%
3.1%
3.1%
2.7%
2.5%
2.4%
1.9%
1.9%
1.7%
1.4%
1.3%
0.7%
0.7%
0.5%
0.5%
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
0.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.02%
0.01%
0%

10%

24.7%
21.6%
19.9%

38.50%

20%
30%
40%Organic share of total agricultural land50%

Figure 72: Europe: Organic shares of total agricultural land 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat
For detailed data sources see annex of this book.
EU Candidates = Candidates and Potential Candidate countries of the European Union; EFTA = European Free Trade
Association; EU = European Union; EU-13 = countries, which became members of the European Union in or after May
2004; EU-15 = countries, which were member countries of the European Union before May 2004.

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Europe and European Union: Development of organic
agricultural land 1985-2018
Source: Nic Lampkin, FiBL-AMI survey 2020, based on national data sources and Eurostat

17.5
EuropeMillion hectares

15.0

15.6

European Union

13.8

12.5
10.0
7.5
5.0
2.5
0.0
1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

Figure 73: Europe and the European Union: Development of organic agricultural land
1985-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI Surveys 2006-2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat. Data from before 2000 based on
surveys from Nic Lampkin. The data for the European Union cover all countries that were members of the European
Union in 2018.

Europe and European Union: Growth rates of organic
agricultural land 1986-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020, based on national data sources and Eurostat

50

Growth in %40

EuropeEuropean Union

30
20

0

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
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018

10

Figure 74: Europe: Growth rates for organic agricultural land in Europe and theEuropean Union 1985-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI Surveys 2006-2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat. Data from before 2000 based on
surveys from Nic Lampkin. For detailed data sources see annex.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn233

Europe › Statistics › Organic Agricultural Land
Europe: The 10 countries with thehighest growth in organic farmland in
2018 (hectares)
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on Eurostat
and national data sources
FranceEurope: The 10 countries with thehighest relative growth in organic
agricultural land in 2018 (%)
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on Eurostat
and national data sources290'604

Montenegro

Spain

164'302

IrelandGermany148'157

North Macedonia

Russian Federation

127'146

Turkey125'361

64.1
59.7
52.0

Serbia43.4

Albania

36.0

Greece82'487

Russian Federation

26.5

Romania

67'789

Romania

26.2

Italy

49'392Turkey24.1

Ireland

44'363Belarus23.7

Finland

37'991

Iceland23.2

0

200'000
400'000
Area increase in hectares

050
Area increase in percent

100

Figure 75: Europe: The ten countries with the highest growth in organic agriculturalland in hectares and percentage in 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat
For detailed data sources see annex.

Figure 76: Europe and the European Union: Conversion status of organic land inEurope and the European Union 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat
For detailed data sources see annex.

234

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Land Use & Crops
3 Land use and crops grown in organic agriculture
3.1 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 available. The area for all land use types1 has grown steadily since 2004.2
Table 57: Europe and the European Union: Land use 2018
Crop group

Arable land
Permanent
grassland
Permanent crops
Total

Europe[Million hectares](Share of total)

European Union[Million hectares](Share of total)

Change2017-2018
Europe/EU [%]Change2009-2017
Europe/EU [%]

7.4 (2.7%)
6.2 (3.5%)

6.1 (5.8%)
6.0 (9.3%)

11.8%/10.5%
6.0%/6.0%

87%/79%51%/52%

1.7 (11.4%)
15.6 (3.1%)

1.5 (12.5%)
13.8 (7.7%)

5.8%/5.5%
8.7%/7.6%

70%/73%
69%/66%

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources Eurostat.
Note: Total includes other agricultural land and correction values for double-cropped areas.

Figure 77: Europe: Distribution of land use in organic agriculture 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on Eurostat and national data sources

The main land use types are:Arable land crops (mainly cereals, fresh vegetables, green fodder and dry pulses and oilseeds),
Permanent grassland (pastures and meadows), andPermanent crops (fruit trees and berries, olive groves and vineyards).
2 In 2004, FiBL started its data collection on organic crop and land use data.
1

›
›
›

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235

Europe › Statistics › Land Use & Crops
Table 57 and Figure 77 show that arable land constitutes a large part of the organic
farmland, with almost 7.5 million hectares in Europe and 6.1 million hectares in theEuropean Union (48 and 44 percent of the organic farmland, respectively). The arable
land share is higher in Europe as the Russian Federation and Ukraine have large areas
for the production of cereals, oilseed, and dry pulses. Permanent grassland accounted
for 6.2 million hectares in Europe and 6 million hectares in the European Union.
Permanent crops constituted 11 percent of the organic farmland with 1.7 and1.5 million hectares in Europe and the European Union, respectively. Compared tototal agriculture (based on FAO land use data and not strictly comparable), theorganic arable land constitutes 2.7 percent of the total arable land in Europe and5.8 percent in the European Union. Whereas the organic share of total permanentgrazing area is as high as 9.3 percent in the European Union, it is lower in Europe(3.6 percent). Permanent crops have the highest organic shares: 12.5 percent in theEuropean Union and 11.4 percent in Europe.
The largest increase in 2017-2018 was in arable crops (11 percent in Europe), mainly
because additional organic arable area was reported for Russia. In the European
Union, arable land increased by 10.5 percent. Grassland and permanent crops
increased by approximately 6 percent (Table 57, Figure 79, Figure 80). Both arable andpermanent crops almost doubled in the decade 2009-2018 and thus showed a greater
increase than the permanent grassland, which grew by about 50 percent (Table 57,
Figure 79, Figure 80). It also shows the intensification of organic agriculture as theimportance of extensive grassland is decreasing. By country, the largest permanent
grassland or grazing area is in Spain with almost 1.2 million hectares, followed byGermany and France (Figure 78). The largest cropland area (i.e., arable and permanent
crops together) is in Italy (1.4 million hectares), France (1.3 million hectares) and Spain(1.0 million hectares). (Figure 78).
Europe: Land use in organic agriculture 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020
Permanent grassland

Arable crops

Spain

1.2

FranceGermany

0.8

Italy

France0.7

Germany

Italy

Permanent crops

1.2

0.6

Italy

0.9

Russian…

0.5

Spain

0.6

Turkey0.6

France

0.5
0.2
0.1

Czech Republic

0.4

Spain

0.5

Greece0.1

Austria

0.4

Sweden0.5

Germany

0.05

United Kingdom

0.3

Turkey0.4

Portugal

0.05

Greece0.3

Poland0.4

Bulgaria

0.03

Latvia0.1

Finland

0.3

Poland0.03

Sweden0.1

Austria0.2

Iceland

0.02

0.0

0.5

1.0

Million hectares

1.5

0.0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

Million hectares

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

Million hectares

Figure 78: Europe: Land use in organic agriculture by top 10 countries 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on Eurostat and national data sources

236

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Land Use & Crops
Europe: Growth of area by land use type 2004-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI surveys 2006-2020

8

7.5

7

Million hectares

6
5
4

3.1

3
2
1

3.1
3.0

2.2
0.5

0.7

3.3
3.0
0.7

4.1

3.9

3.3

4.0

3.4

3.4

1.0

0.7

0.7

4.8

4.5
4.3

4.6

1.0

1.0

4.9

4.7 4.9

5.4

1.4

1.4

1.3

1.1

6.2

5.7

5.4

4.9 5.0

6.7

5.6

5.9

1.5

1.6

6.2

1.7

0
2004

2006

2008

Arable crops

2010

2012

Permanent crops

2014

2016

2018

Permanent grassland

Figure 79: Europe: Growth in organic agricultural land by land use type 2004-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI Surveys 2006-2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat

European Union: Growth area by land use type 2004-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI surveys 2006-2020

7

Million hectares

6
5
3.8

4
3
2
1

2.9
2.2
0.4

3.2

3.0
2.7
0.7

2.7
0.6

4.0

3.2
3.1

3.0
0.7

0.6

3.4
0.8

4.3

4.5

3.7

3.9

0.9

1.0

4.7

4.5

4.7

4.1

4.3

4.4

1.0

1.2

1.2

5.2
4.7

1.2

5.5
5.2

1.3

5.7

6.0
6.1

5.5

1.4

1.5

0
2004

2006

2008

Arable crops

2010

2012

Permanent crops

2014

2016

2018

Permanent grassland

Figure 80: European Union: Growth in organic agricultural land by land use type 20042018
Source: FiBL-AMI Surveys 2006-2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat

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237

Europe › Statistics › Land Use & Crops
3.2 Crops grown in organic agriculture
Except for a decline of tropical and subtropical fruits (decline in Turkey but increasein other countries) and a decline of citrus fruit (decline in Italy), all key arable andpermanent crop groups showed growth in Europe and the European Union (Table
58).
Table 58: Europe and the European Union: Key crops/crop group 2018

Arable crops

Cereals
Dry pulses
Green
fodderOilseeds
Root crops
Vegetables

Permanent crops

Crop group

Berries
Citrus fruit
GrapesNuts
OlivesTemperate
fruit(Sub)Tropica
l fruit

Organic share(%)

Area (ha)Change 20172018

Change 20092018

Europe

EU

Europ
e

EU

EuropeEU

EuropeEU

2'639'748
504'474

2'179'519
442'829

2%
8.2%

3.9%
18.5%

9%
16%

9%
15%

52%
207%

50%
233%

2'489'390

2'333'638

N/A

NA

5%

6%

79%

85%

496'099
55'913
184'373

307'725
42'425170'909

1.4%
0.6%
3.6%

2.5%
1.2%
7.2%

23%
8%
7%

14%
10%
8%

224%
44%
83%

191%
41%
81%

41'11553'059365'858
343'663603'019

37'58852'354349'036279'559516'918

13.5%
8.1%
9.5%
19%
10%

22.2%
10.2%
11.1%
26%
10%

1%
-4%
8%
10%
2%

2%
-4%
8%
6%
1%

108%
71%
119%
107%
66%

101%
73%
125%
93%
50%

138'442111'006

5.2%

8.5%

3%

9%

92%

93%

36'010

16'207

16.9%

11.4%

-6%

16%

135%

132%

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat. Totals for arable and permanent crops
include further crop groups
Note: For crop details by country, please check crop chapter in this book from page 92 and statistics.fibl.org

Arable crops
A large proportion of the organic arable land (7.5 million hectares in Europe and 6.1
million in the European Union) is used for the production of cereals and green fodderfrom arable land, which, together, account for about two-thirds of the organic arable
land. Regarding the organic share, dry pulses are the most successful crop; in theEuropean Union, they account for almost one-fifth of the total dry pulses area. In
organic farming, they are important for crop rotation and animal feeding, whereas
they have disappeared in conventional farming as protein crops for animal feed areimported, and crop rotation is replaced by fertiliser. Of the major groups, cereals andgreen fodder showed the highest increase in land area. Over the decade 2009-2018, thelargest growth was noted for oilseed and dry pulses, which more than doubled. For
more information about crop groups by country, see the crop chapters in this book(page 92) and our online database at statistics.fibl.org.

238

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Land Use & Crops− Cereals were the largest crop group in Europe and accounted for 2.6 million
hectares or 2 percent of the cereal area in Europe, and in the European Union, they
were the second-largest group, accounting for 2.2 million hectares or 3.9 percent of
the total cereal area. Wheat is the most important cereal (1 million hectares). The
countries with the largest cereal areas are Italy (approx. 326´000 hectares,
including large areas of durum wheat), France (approx. 311´000 hectares) andGermany (approx. 302´000 hectares). The highest organic shares of the total cereals
area are in Austria (15.6 percent), Estonia (13.8 percent) and Sweden (11.4 percent).
Outside the European Union, Turkey, Ukraine and the Russian Federation are
major cereal producers.
− In the European Union, the arable crop group with the largest area was plants
harvested green (green fodder from arable land) with 2.5 million hectares (Europe:
2.3 million hectares). Clover, green maize, and grass on arable land were the main
crop types.
− In 2018, organic vegetables1 were grown on almost 185’000 hectares of land inEurope, and more than 170’000 hectares in the European Union, covering 3.6
percent and 7.2 percent of the vegetable area, respectively. The largest areas werein Italy (60'732 hectares), France (26'363 hectares), and Spain (22'131 hectares).
High organic shares of all vegetables are found in Luxembourg (54 percent),
Denmark (34.6 percent), Iceland (30.5 percent) and Austria (25.4 percent).
− With 500’000 hectares in Europe and 440´000 hectares in the European Union,
organic dry pulses accounted for a large share of all dry pulses (8.2 percent inEurope; 18.5 percent in the European Union). One reason is that the conventional
crop area has been decreasing for many years due to the availability of cheap
protein like soybeans on the world market for both animal feed and humanconsumption. The strong growth of dry pulses and their high organic shares also
reflects the efforts of European organic farmers to improve soil fertility and to
become less dependent on imports of protein crops. The countries with the largest
areas of dry pulses were France (115’599 hectares), Italy (50’477 hectares),
Germany (49’000) and Poland (42'328 hectares). The highest organic shares were
found in Greece (63 percent), Austria (59 percent), and Denmark (58 percent).

Permanent crops
A large part of the permanent cropland (1.7 million hectares in Europe and 1.46
million hectares in the European Union) is used for olives, grapes, and nuts. Olives
cover one-third of the permanent crop area, and grapes one fifth. Over the decade
2009-2018, the largest growth was noted for grapes, which more than tripled. In
Europe, olives (0.52 million hectares) and grapes (0.35 million hectares) cover half ofthe permanent cropland (Table 58). Both reach an organic share of more than ten
percent of their respective totals.

1

It should be noted that for some countries, potatoes are included in the vegetable category.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

239

Europe › Statistics › Land Use & Crops
The organic shares for most permanent crops were higher than those for the arable
crops. However, it should be noted that the FAO data, with which the organic data
are compared, do not include all berries or nut types grown in organic agriculture.
Thus, a direct comparison is not possible in all cases. For more information about cropgroups by country, see crop chapters in this book (page 92) and our online database atstatistics.fibl.org.
− Spain and Italy had an organic grape area of more than 100’000 hectares each, and,
together with France (12.6 percent) and Austria (12.2 percent), they had the highest
organic shares of grapes (except some minor organic grape producers that reacheven higher shares, such as the UK, Netherlands or Belgium). In Italy, 15.9 percentof the grape area is organic and 12.1 percent in Spain.
− For olives, Italy and Spain also have the lead (239'096 hectares and 200'129
hectares, respectively). France (30 percent) and Malta (26.5 percent) have thehighest organic shares. The largest growth occurred in Spain, where the organic
olive area increased by more than 5’000 hectares in 2018.
− Temperate fruits are grown on 138'442 hectares (European Union 111'006
hectares), and they cover 5.2 percent of the total temperate fruit area (8.5 percent in
the European Union). Several countries in the European Union have aconsiderable amount of land dedicated to temperate fruit (e.g., apples in Poland
and berries in the Baltic countries, both for processing rather than for the freshmarket). The most important fruits were apples (57’298 hectares), plums (16’099
hectares), apricots (15’938 hectares) and cherries (15’870 hectares). The largest
temperate fruit producers are Italy (27'326 hectares), France (21'388 hectares) andTurkey (20'609 hectares); the highest organic area shares are found in Latvia (33percent).

3.3 Further organic areas
In addition to the agricultural land, there are further organic areas. Large parts ofthese are wild collection areas constituting 17.0 million hectares (European Union:
13.9 million hectares). The largest wild collection area in Europe (and in the world) isin Finland with 11.3 million hectares (mainly berries). For country details on wildcollection areas, see Table 66.

240

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Livestock
4 Organic livestock
Statistics on the number of organic animals are incomplete and do not currently allow
for a complete picture of the sector. However, taking into account all currently
available information, the organic animal sector is developing at a fast pace inEuropean countries. Table 59 provides an overview of European organic livestock in
2018. In many countries, organic animal husbandry began with beef, lamb, and milk
production. In Europe, 4.85 million bovine animals, 5.9 million sheep, almost 1.4
million pigs, and 56.5 million poultry were kept (For European Union data, see Table
59).
Table 59: Europe and the European Union: Organic livestock 2018
EuropeBovine animals
Sheep
Pigs*
Poultry**

European Union

Animals[head]

Organic
share oftotal [%]

Change2017-2018[%]

Change2009-2018[%]

Animals[head]

Organic
share oftotal [%]

4'853'724
5'941'470
1'362'618
56'524'703

3.8%
3.8%
0.8%
2.3%

10.3%
14.5%
36.4%
12.7%

88.1%
67.8%
105.2%
127.9%

4'603'380
5'685'771
1'321'170
53'615'279

5.2%
5.0%
0.7%
3.3%

Source: FiBL survey 2020 based on Eurostat and national data sources.
Notes: Data for the calculation of organic shares are based on Eurostat and FAOSTAT. The numbers for the organic
shares of all livestock are based on FAOSTAT data. FAOSTAT only provides totals for bovine animals, sheep, pigs, andpoultry, without further specifications. Please note that growth rates from 2008-2018 were similar for Europe and theEuropean Union and are hence not included in the table.
* Please note there is no consistent reporting in the official statistics, no clear distinction is made between the number ofanimals slaughtered, the places or average numbers of stock. Therefore, the data should be treated with caution.1
According to the Agricultural Market Information Company AMI, the average stock of fattening pigs was 565’300 in
Europe, and 528’700 in the European Union.
** Also for poultry, there is no consistent reporting. According to the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI),
the average stock of broilers was 11.8 million Europe, and 10.8 million in the European Union. The average stock oflaying hens was 24.3 million in Europe and 22.4 million in the European Union.

The organic share of all livestock remains small compared to some of the crop groups,
depending on the animal species (between 0.7 percent and 5.2 percent (Table 59).
Monogastric animals (pigs and poultry) account for the lowest shares, partly because
of insufficient local supply of organic feed, the difficulties in the provision of traceable
certified feed imports, the high investment in pig and poultry barns and pens, and thehigh price premiums consumers have to pay. The highest organic shares were forIn the case of pigs and poultry, in the official statistics, no clear distinction is made between the number ofanimals 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 overall countries, therefore, is not completely reliable and country data are not necessarily comparable. The datathat are presented here should, therefore, be treated with caution and are only an approximation of theoverall picture.

1

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241

Europe › Statistics › Livestock
sheep and cattle as the conversion of these rather extensive production schemes iseasier. At the same time, not all of this organic production is sold on the organic
market at a premium price.
Between 2009 and 2018, the greatest increase was in poultry (128 percent), which canbe partly attributed to the high demand for eggs (see the section on the organic
market in Europe; Table 62). However, beef and dairy cattle also grew substantially inthat decade (+88 percent), as did sheep (+69 percent) and pigs (+105 percent) (Table
59).
For bovine animals (4.85 million head in Europe), the largest numbers are found inGermany, France, and Austria (Table 67). The highest organic shares are in Latvia,
Liechtenstein, Sweden, and Austria (all more than 20 percent). For sheep (5.9 million
head in total), the largest numbers are in Greece, France and the United Kingdom. The
highest organic shares are in the three Baltic countries1 and the Czech Republic (allwith more than 40 percent). Looking at the available data for pig stocks Denmark,Germany, Denmark and France have the highest numbers. For poultry, we assume
that – like for pigs – country-level data is not comparable, due to different definitions(Table 67).

Organic cow’s milk
Organic cow’s milk production is one of the production-related indicators with goodcoverage across all European countries. Organic cow’s milk has almost doubled since2007 to meet rising demand for milk and dairy products. Production now stands at
5.4 million metric tons (European Union: 5.3 million), constituting 3.4 percent of theEuropean Union’s milk production from dairy cows in 2018 (Figure 81).
Europe and European Union: Development of organic
cow’s milk production, 2007-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI surveys 2009-2020

6.0

5.4

Million metric tons

5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0

2.5
2.4

2.7
2.5

2.9
2.7

3.1
2.8

3.3
3.1

3.7
3.5

4.0

4.1

4.1

3.7

3.8

3.8

4.4
4.1

4.7

5.3

4.4

1.0
0.0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Figure 81: Europe and the European Union: Development of organic cow’s milk
production 2007-2018
Source: FiBL survey 2009-2020

242

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Operators
5 Producers, processors, importers, and exporters
While data on organic producers are available for almost all countries, this is not thecase for processors and importers and even less for exporters. Although data
availability is improving, it is still not possible to draw a clear picture for the lattergroups over the years. Hence, in the table below, a ten-year development is not shownfor the number of exporters.
Table 60: Europe: Organic operators by country group 2018
EuropeEuropean Union
No.

Growth 1
year

Growth 10
years

No.

Growth 1
year

Growth 10
years

Producers

418'610

5.4%

64.3%

327'222

7.1%

56.1%

Processors

75'569

5.9%

99.3%

71'960

5.5%

94.3%
84.5%

Importers

5'790

8.9%

105.2%

5'034

9.8%

Exporters

3'334

14.4%

N/A

3'107

16.5%

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat. For a breakdown by country, see Table 68.
For detailed data sources see annex.

5.1 Organic producers
In 2018, there were almost 419’000 organic producers in Europe and slightly morethan 327’000 in the European Union (Table 60 and Table 68). In the European Union,
the country with the largest number of producers was Italy (more than 69’000); in
Europe, it was Turkey (more than 79’500) (Figure 84). Growth in the European Union(+7.1 percent), was stronger than in Europe as a whole (+5.4 percent), mainly due to amajor increase in France and Greece. Over the decade 2009-2018, the number of
producers in Europe increased by 64 percent (EU: +56 percent). Almost one-sixth of
the world’s organic farmers are in Europe (Figure 82).

5.2 Organic processors and importers
There were more than 75’500 organic processors in Europe (+5.9 percent compared to2017) and almost 72’000 in the European Union (+5.5 percent). The country with thelargest number of processors was Italy (20'087). Almost 5’800 importers (+ 8.9 percent
growth) were counted in Europe and more than 5’000 in the European Union (+9.8
percent). Germany was the country, which had the most importers (1'723) (Table 60,
Table 68, Figure 83).

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn243

Europe › Statistics › Operators
Europe and European Union: Development of organic
producers 2000-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI surveys 2006-2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat

450

In thousands of producers

400
337
320 331

350
300

255

250
200

171 167 166 165
157

150
100

136148 147 143 143

188
164

204 212223

180 186197

273

210 220

349

373

398

290

236

253 256 256269

295 305

419

327

50
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
European Union
EuropeFigure 82: Europe and the European Union: Development of the number of organic
producers in 2000-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI surveys 2006-2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat

Figure 83: Europe: Distribution of organic producers and processors by country 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020, based on national data sources and Eurostat.

244

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Operators

Europe: Organic producers by country 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020
TurkeyItaly
FranceSpain
Germany
GreeceAustria
PolandRomania
Switzerland
Bulgaria
SwedenPortugal
FinlandCzech Republic
Croatia
LatviaHungary
Slovenia
Denmark
United Kingdom
Lithuania
Belgium
NorwayEstonia
IrelandNetherlands
CyprusNorth Macedonia
UkraineSlovakia
SerbiaMontenegro
Bosnia and Herzegovina
KosovoMoldova
Luxembourg
Albania
Liechtenstein
Russian Federation
IcelandBelarus
Malta

7'908
7'032
6'471
5'801
5'213
5'129
4'601
4'374
4'178
3'929
3'738
3'637
3'544
2'476
2'264
2'057
1'948
1'725
1'696
1'249
775
501
439
373
328
251
150
135
103
82
46
40
29
24
19
0

41'63239'50531'71329'59425'79519'22420'00040'00060'000
Number of producers

79'56369'31780'000100'000

Figure 84: Europe: Number of organic producers by country 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources and Eurostat. For detailed data sources see annex.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

245

Europe › Statistics › Retail Sales
6 Organic retail sales
In 2018, the organic market in Europe grew to 40.7 billion euros (European Union:
37.4 billion euros). Unfortunately, not all countries provide data on their domestic
markets on a regular basis (Table 69), and it may be assumed that the market is larger
than indicated by the figures in Table 61 and Table 69.
Table 61: Europe and the European Union: Organic retail sales 2018: Key data

European Union
EuropeRetail sales[Million €]Per capita
consumption [€]Growth2017-2018 [%]Growth
2009-2018 [%]37'41240'729

76.2
50.5

7.7%
7.8%

121%
125%

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources. For country details, see Table 69.

6.1 Size of the organic market
Germany continues to be the largest market in Europe (10.9 billion euros) (Figure 86),
and, after the United States, it is the second biggest organic market in the world.
France holds second place in Europe with 9.1 billion euros. Comparing organic
markets worldwide by single market, the United States has the lead: 42 percent of
global retail sales of organic products are in the United States (40.6 billion euros),followed by the European Union (37.4 billion euros; 39 percent of organic global retailsales, Figure 85). Comparing retail sales by continent, North America is the largest
market (43.7 billion euros).

Figure 85: Europe: Distribution of retail sales by country and by single market
worldwide 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources

246

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Retail Sales

Europe: Organic retail sales value by country 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020
Germany
France
Italy
Switzerland
United Kingdom
SwedenSpain
Austria
Denmark
Netherlands
Belgium
NorwayFinland
PolandIreland
Luxembourg
Czech Republic
Russian Federation
Croatia
GreeceLatviaLithuania
Slovenia
TurkeyEstonia
Romania
UkraineHungary
Bulgaria
Portugal
Slovakia
Cyprus

10'910
9'139
3'483
2'655
2'537
2'301
1'903
1'810
1'807
1'287
698
423
336
250
206
135
127
120
99
66
51
51
49
46
42
41
33
30
29
21
4
2
0.0

2'000.0

4'000.0

6'000.0 8'000.0 10'000.0 12'000.0
Million euros

Figure 86: Europe: Retail sales by country 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources (only countries with a turnover of more than one million
euros). Please note that 2018 data were not available for all countries. For detailed data sources see annex.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

247

Europe › Statistics › Retail Sales
6.2 Growth of the organic market
The organic market grew in Europe by 7.8 percent (+7.7 percent in the European
Union). In the decade 2009 to 2018, the organic market more than doubled in size
(Figure 87).
All countries for which new data was available showed growth, some in the doubledigits (Figure 88). With 15 percent, France showed the highest increase followed by
Switzerland and Denmark (both 13 percent)(Figure 88, Table 69).
In the United Kingdom, where retail sales had been decreasing for several years,
growth was noted for the seventh consecutive year (5.3 percent increase in 2018). It
should be noted that UK sales in euros show a drop for the years 2015-2017, due to theexchange rate loss of the British pound after the Brexit vote.
In its agricultural outlook 2019 to 2030, the European Commission (2019b) expects
increasing demand for organic food to boost EU supply in the short term. Over the
medium term, challenges for conversion to organic farming, as well as further market
shifts towards other environmentally-friendly alternatives, could, however, slow
down the growth of organic production.

Europe and European Union: Development of retail sales
2000-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI Surveys 2006-2020, OrganicDataNetwork Surveys 2013-2015

45

40.7
37.3

40
33.8
30.1

30

10.111.0

11.8

10.2
8.6 9.4

11.0

10

9.3
7.0 8.25

6.5 7.6

13.9
13.1

16.117.4
15.216.3

18.119.5
16.918.0

24.2

19.620.9

22.1

2013

15

2005

20

21.322.7

2011

25

2002

Billion euros

35
26.3

34.3

37.4

30.9
27.4

24.0

Europe

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2012

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2004

2003

2001

2000

0
European Union

Figure 87: Europe: Growth of organic retail sales in Europe and the European Union,
2000-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI surveys 2004-2020, and OrganicDataNetwork Surveys 2013-2015

248

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Retail Sales

Europe: The countries with the highest growth of theorganic market 2017-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020

France15%

Switzerland

13%

Denmark

13%

Luxembourg

11%

Ireland11%

Finland9%

Netherlands

7%

Austria7%

Bulgaria

7%

Germany

6%
0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Market growth in %Figure 88: Europe: The countries with the highest organic market growth 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI surveys 2020. For detailed data sources see annex.

6.3 Per capita consumption of organic foodLike in the previous years, the highest per capita consumption of organic food was in
Switzerland (312 euros) and Denmark (312 euros). Seven countries had a per capita
consumption of more than 100 euros in 2017 (Figure 89, Table 69).
The continual growth in consumer interest is well documented by the growth of percapita consumption, with specific notable growth in 2018 (Figure 90). The per capita
consumption in Europe rose to 51 euros and to 76 euros in the European Union.
In the Central Eastern European countries, consumer spending is still low (Table 69).
There are indications that markets are currently developing fast, especially in theBaltic countries,1 however, retail sales data are scarce for some countries and not
regularly updated. Whereas the availability and accessibility of area and operator datais good, the Czech Republic is the only country with a permanent collection system
for retail sales data.

1

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

249

Europe › Statistics › Retail Sales
Europe: The countries with the highest per capita
consumption of organic food 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020

Denmark

312

Switzerland

312

Sweden231

Luxembourg

221

Austria

205

France136

Germany132

Norway79

Netherlands

75

Belgium

61
0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Per capita consumption in euros
Figure 89: Europe: The countries with the highest per capita consumption 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources. For detailed data sources see annex.

Europe and European Union: Growth of the per capita
consumption 2000-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI surveys 2006-2020, OrganicDataNetwork Surveys 2013-2015

90
76.2

80
67.2

70

60.5

50.5

2018

47.0

2017

40.8

2016

28.5

36.7

2014

2007

24.1 26.3

29.6 32.3

2013

2006

48.0

2012

2004

Europe

2009

17.3

2008

13.7 14.8
2005

11.7 12.7
8.8 10.3
2002

0

17.6

22.4
19.2 21.0

2001

10

13.4 15.6

26.4

2000

20

22.4
19.1 20.7

36.1

2011

30

33.8
29.2 31.9

42.7 44.1

2010

40

39.4

54.2

2015

50

2003

Euros

60

EU-28

Figure 90: Europe: Growth of the per capita consumption 2000-2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources. Calculation based on Eurostat population data. For
detailed data sources see annex.

250

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Retail Sales
6.4 Organic market shares
The organic share of overall retail sales shows the importance that the organic market
has in a given country. As in the past, the highest market shares were reached in
Denmark (11.5 percent, highest organic market share in the world), Switzerland (9.9
percent) and Sweden (9.1 percent) (Figure 91, Table 69). The fact that, in many
countries, the total food market is not growing and that, in many cases, food prices
are decreasing makes organic shares grow even faster. Market shares of individual
products and product groups can be far higher; these data are provided in Table 62.
As there are no retail sales data for Europe or the European Union as a whole, it is notpossible to calculate the overall organic market shares.

Figure 91: Europe: The countries with the highest shares of the total retail sales 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources. For detailed data sources see annex.
Notes: For Denmark, the 2017 figure was revised and is lower than what was communicated previously.

6.5 Comparison of organic products and product groups with the total
marketWhile the organic share of the total market is an important indicator, it is also
important to look at the organic market shares that individual products can have.
In many countries, organic eggs are one of the success stories within the total retailmarket, and they reach impressive proportions of the total egg market. Table 62shows that, in Denmark and France, eggs reach organic market shares ofapproximately 30 percent (in value).

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

251

4.7%

21.9%

- Milk- Yoghurt

8.5%

3.3%

1.4%

Denmark(2017)
5.0%

16.6%

18.8%

1.3%

32.6%

Finland
2.0%

4.0%

2.0%

4.0%

18.0%

6.3%

20.0%

France(2017)
6.9%

12.7%

1.6%

5.6%

4.4%

2.4%

6.9%

7.7%

6.3%

2.5%

29.6%

3.4%

5.0%

12.7%

8.1%

12.1%

4.7%

4.5%

2.5%

7.8%

9.7%

21.0%

8.6%

Netherlands
5.6%

4.7%

5.8%

1.3%

15.9%

2.6%

Norway
0.7%

4.0%

0.7%

3.1%

2.0%

0.5%

2.3%

4.5%

0.8%

8.7%

1.9%

0.6%

33.1%

Spain (2017)
1.1%

1.2%

1.7%

3.3%

0.6%

2.9%

5.6%

Sweden(2017)
10.4%

2.9%

18.4%

12.2%

12.9%

3.5%

6.1%

18.9%

16.2%

25.4%

27.6%

3.7%

Switzerland

8.2%

5.9%

1.1%

3.8%

1.4%

2.7%

4.3%

0.8%

6.9%

0.3%

252

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Sources: FiBL-AMI survey 2020, based on data from Austria: RollAMA based on GfK, Belgium: LV based on GFK; Czech Republic: UZEI; Denmark: GfK ConsumerScan, provided by LF, Finland: Pro
Luomu; France: Agence Bio (only supermarkets/general retailers). For baby food: Data from 2017, supermarket sales only; Germany: Agricultural Market Information Company AMI based on GfK;
Netherlands: Bionext; Norway: Nielsen Norway; Sweden: Statistics Sweden (excludes alcoholic beverages); Switzerland: Bio Suisse based on Nielsen; UK: Soil Association. 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 themarket shares of organic products. Please note that the products shown in the table above are a selection.

10.2%
23.2%

- Cheese

10.8%- Butter

Milk and dairy products

1.3%
0.2%

4.4%

Meat and meat products

Fruit

Vegetables and fruit

16.0%
10.7%

Fresh vegetables

0.4%

14.5%

Eggs

Fish and fish products

0.4%

2.4%
22.3%

Austria

Bread & bakery products

Belgium

0.4%

Czech
Republic(2016)

Beverages

Baby food

Germany

Table 62: Organic shares for retail sales values (euros) for selected products 2018

Europe › Statistics › Retail Sales

UKEurope › Statistics › Retail Sales
Organic fruit and vegetables continue to be highly popular purchases among
European organic consumers. Organic vegetables have the highest market shares after
eggs, representing 10 percent or more of the sales value of all vegetables sold incountries such as Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, and Sweden. For example, freshcarrots or fresh pumpkins alone have a nearly 30 percent market share in Germany. In
Sweden and Switzerland, organic dairy products are reaching organic market sharesof 10 percent or higher. In Denmark, organic milk has an organic market share of 30
percent. Individual products can reach even higher market shares. Organic oatmeal(over 52 percent in Denmark) or organic savoury bread spreads (59 percent inGermany) are good examples. On the other hand, products like organic beverages(except wine) and meat (especially poultry), have low market shares in many
countries. These products are often highly processed and very cheap on theconventional market. Another factor is that many organic consumers tend to eat little
or no meat.

6.6 Marketing channels in organic agriculture
Some countries are in a position to break down their retail sales data by marketing
channel. Wherever possible, the figure for catering sales was deducted from the figure
for the total organic market (Table 69). Figure 92 shows that the importance of thevarious retail marketing channels (excluding food service/catering) differs fromcountry to country. In the past, countries with strong involvement by general retailers
showed steady organic market growth (e.g., Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland,
and the United Kingdom). France and Italy are good examples of countries
with strong market growth, where specialized retailers play a very important role,even though their importance is decreasing as shown in Figure 93.
In Germany, supermarkets have become the driving force in the market, whereas
specialised retailers are facing more and more competition. While in 2014, 33 percent
of all organic products were sold in organic food shops, this number decreased to 27
percent in 2018.
Austria and Switzerland have once again developed very dynamically. In bothcountries, food retail chains have been heavily involved in organic market
development from the very beginning - both countries have shares of approximately
80 percent. There is close cooperation between the retail chains and the respective
organic associations, Bio Austria and Bio Suisse. The trade has helped to develop thetrademarks. Coop and Migros in Switzerland have been promoting and developing
projects for years, for example on biodiversity, seasonality and horn-bearing cows. In
Austria, the Hofer discount store has developed its “Back to the Origin” (“Zurück
zum Ursprung”) brand into the second most well-known organic brand in Austria
within a few years, with 450 products to date. The Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture (FiBL) evaluates the sustainability of the “Back to Origin” farmers on thebasis of 58 criteria in four dimensions according to the international guidelines of the
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

253

Europe › Statistics › Retail Sales
Retail sales by channel in selected European countries 2018, based on retailsales value (million euros)
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020
Austria

320

1’490

Belgium

41

48

1’136

430

215

394

Denmark

81

1’726

France

3’096

4’478

Germany

2’930

6’430

Greece45

Ireland144

Italy
Netherlands

842

Switzerland

20%

123
125
248

431

1’737

0%

3

322
41
2’193

United Kingdom

Other channels

704
36

293

40%

60%

Direct sales

23

845
90

Norway

2 1

23

17

1’934

Luxembourg

Specilized retailers

1’550
18

General retailers

80%

139 75368

100%

Share of sales channel based organic retail sales by channel in million euros

Figure 92: Europe: Marketing channels for organic products in selected countries 2018
Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on national data sources
For detailed data sources see annex.

Figure 93: Europe: Growth of marketing channels for organic products 2016-2018 inselected countries
Source: Austria: AMA Marketing, Denmark: Organic Denmark/LV, France: Agence Bio, Germany: Arbeitskreis Biomarkt,
Italy: AssoBio/Nomisma, Switzerland: Bio Suisse.

254

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Outlook and conclusion
6.7 Organic imports
The European Union, which is the second-biggest organic market, provided data on
its organic imports, showing, for the first time, the key import products and key
importing countries (based on volume in metric tons). In 2018, the EU imported a totalof 3.3 million tonnes of organic agri-food products. Imports of tropical fruit (fresh ordried), nuts and spices represented the single biggest category, totalling 793’597
tonnes or 24.4 percent of total imports, followed by oilcakes, cereals other than wheat,
as well as rice, and wheat. China is the biggest supplier of organic agri-food products
to the EU, with 415’243 tonnes of produce; that is 12.7 percent of the total organic
import volume. For more information, see contribution by Panichi on page 142.

7 Outlook 2019-2030 from the European Commission
In a new publication on the agricultural outlook 2019-2030 (European Commission,2019), further growth in organic demand is expected to boost supply, and demand fororganic products is expected to continue to grow at a sustained rate until 2030.
However, the Commission states that addressing the demand for organic produce has
proved to be challenging, as farmers need to implement very different production
techniques characterized by a higher reliance on labour and stricter rules on animal
welfare and medication. Higher production prices for organic products do not
systematically offset production and conversion costs, which has resulted in
production lagging behind demand in the EU. Despite these challenges, organic
production has strongly increased over the past 10 years and high growth rates
indicate that the organic market has not yet reached maturity.
The annual growth of production is expected to remain strong but will likely be lower
over the second part of the outlook period (2019-2030), due to challenges forconversion. Market differentiation, such as zero pesticide labelling, could also weighon the growth of the organic market. According to the Commission, the EU organicarea could reach 18 million hectares by 2030, or 10 percent of the total agriculturalland, representing a growth in land use of 3 percent per year. Slower development is
expected for permanent pastures and permanent crops, where organic products has
already reached significant shares. These areas are easier to convert to organic
systems and were therefore able to mature at a quicker pace.
Production of organic arable crops is projected to keep increasing at a faster pacecompared to pastures and permanent crops, given that production is strongly lagging
behind demand, particularly for feed. This mainly includes cereals and oilseeds, butalso sugar beet or pulses. For these crops, insufficient domestic supply is compensatedby imports as demonstrated by the new organic EU import statistics (see article from
Panichi, page 142). Despite significant production growth, reliance on imports could
remain high as demand also increases, says the European Commission. Imports oforganic products that are either not produced or produced in small quantities in the
EU (e.g. coffee, tea, tropical fruits and nuts) are also expected to increase.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn255

Europe › Statistics › Outlook and conclusion
Facilitated by the increasing availability of organic feed, organic livestock is projected
to grow significantly for pigs and poultry. Organic pig production, however, remains
very challenging to implement (e.g. outdoor access) and is projected to remain limited
to two percent of the total pig production by 2030. The share of organic poultry
livestock (including laying hens) could double from the current 2.5 to 5 percent (Table
59). In comparison, the share of organic cattle, sheep and goats is already high but
their growth is projected to slow down. The number of organic dairy cows is however
expected to continue growing at a sustained pace, which could translate into a 7
percent share of organic dairy milk production, up from 3 percent in 2017. Growth inorganic dairy is mainly driven by increasing organic cheese production, while lower
growth is expected in the already well-established organic milk production (European
Commission 2019).

8 Conclusion
Currently available data on organic farming in the global and European market show
that, in an international context, the European organic sector is well developed.
Relatively high shares of agricultural land, continual growth in the area and numberof operators, as well as a fast-growing market, show the exceptional dynamics that theEuropean organic market and sector has.
In the past years, in many countries, the organic market was growing faster than
production, and domestic supply can still not meet demand. Therefore, many organicorganisations or market actors are calling for more farmers to convert to organic – anthe effects of these efforts are now visible with production growing at the same paceas the market. Now more processing facilities are needed in order to process larger
amounts of raw products.
The European Commission’s outlook 2019-2030 (2019) expects organic demand toboost supply, and demand for organic products is expected to continue to grow at asustained rate until 2030. Despite challenges, organic production has strongly
increased over the past ten years and high growth rates indicate that the organic
market has not yet reached maturity.
Data availability and quality remains an issue. For instance, imports and exports playa very important role, but almost no relevant data exists. Denmark is the only
European country that consistently supplies international trade data with abreakdown by country of origin/destination and product. A major development istherefore the new European import statistics showing which countries and products
are the major exporting countries targeting the European Union. This is an important
step towards making it possible to compare production data on organic agriculture
worldwide with international trade data, which could give important hints on
potential fraud cases.
Furthermore, while the availability of domestic market data is improving, it iscollected with a wide range of methods and, strictly speaking, is not accurately
comparable. Diverging methods and availability remain as challenges. For many
256

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Outlook and conclusion
countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, retail sales data are notcollected on a continual basis, and thus, little is known about the importance oforganic product sales. Therefore, we recommend that data availability andaccessibility are increased, that classifications, nomenclature, and definitions, inparticular for organic market data, are harmonized, and that data quality is improved.

9 Acknowledgements
The data compiled for this article builds on the collection activities of theOrganicDataNetwork project, which was funded by the European Union (EU) under
its seventh framework programme for research, demonstration, and technologicaldevelopment, which ended in 2014.1 The authors would like to thank all of those whohave provided data and information for this report, in particular, the partners of theOrganicDataNetwork project.

References and further reading
European Commission (2019), EU agricultural outlook for markets and income, 2019-2030. European
Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, Brussels. https://ec.europa.eu/info/foodfarming-fisheries/farming/facts-and-figures/markets/outlook/medium-term_en
European Commission (2019): Organic Imports in the EU. A first analysis-Year 2018. EU AgriculturalMarkets Briefs. No 14, March 2019. Available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/foodfarming-fisheries/farming/documents/market-brief-organic-imports-mar2019_en.pdf
Eurostat (2018): Data tables organic agriculture. The Eurostat website eurostat.ec.europa.eu Eurostat,
Luxembourg. Available at http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database
Eurostat (2016): Organic crop area on the rise in the EU. Eurostat News release of October 25, 2016. Available
at http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/7709498/5-25102016-BP-EN.pdf
Meredith, S. and Willer, H. (Eds.) (2016): Organic in Europe 2016. IFOAM EU, Brussels
Willer, H. and Schaack, D. (2014) Final report on compilation of key organic market data. Research Instituteof Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland.

Note on data collection and countries covered
Data collection in Europe, like in the rest of the world, is carried out using multiple information sources. We
would, however, like to point out that Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, is constantly
expanding its data collection effort in the field of organic agriculture, and most of the data on organic areas,
livestock, and operators was taken from Eurostat.
This articles focusses on organic farming and market statistics in Europe and includes:› the 28 Member States of the European Union, which consist of the EU-13 countries, which became
members of the European Union in or after May 2004, and the EU-15 countries, who were member
countries of the European Union before the accession of ten candidate countries on May 1, 2004.
› The EU Candidate and Potential Candidate countries (CPC): Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North
Macedonia ; Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey),› the members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA): Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein,
Switzerland,› as well as other European countries: Andorra, Belarus, Moldova, Russian Federation, San Marino andUkraine.

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.

1

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257

Europe › Statistics › Tables
Organic Agriculture in Europe: Tables
Table 63: Europe: Organic agricultural land by country 2018
Organic
area [ha]Organic
share [%]

Change2017-18 [%]Change2009-18 [%]Change2017-18[ha]Albania
AndorraAustria
BelarusBelgium
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Channel Islands
Croatia
CyprusCzech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Faroe Islands
FinlandFranceGermany
GreeceHungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
KosovoLatviaLiechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
NorwayPolandPortugal
Romania
Russian Federation
SerbiaSlovakia
Slovenia
Spain
SwedenSwitzerland
TurkeyUkraineUnited Kingdom

747
2
637'805
1'656
89'025896
162'332180
103'166
6'022
538'894
256'711
206'590251297'4422'035'024
1'521'314
492'627
209'382
24'855
118'699
1'958'045
160
280'383
1'413
239'691
5'782
47
17'151
4'455
57'9044'409
46'377484'676
213'118
326'260
606'975
19'255188'986
47'8482'246'475
608'758
160'992646'247
309'100
457'377

0.1%
0.0%
24.7%
0.0%
6.8%
0.0%
3.5%
1.9%
6.6%
5.4%
12.8%
9.8%
21.6%
8.4%
13.0%
7.3%
9.1%
6.0%
4.5%
1.3%
2.4%
15.8%
15.4%
38.5%
8.3%
4.4%
0.5%
0.7%
1.9%
3.1%
0.3%
4.7%
3.4%
5.9%
2.5%
0.3%
0.5%
10.0%
9.9%
9.6%
19.9%
15.4%
1.7%
0.7%
2.7%

36.0%
0.0%
2.7%
23.7%
6.6%
-29.6%
18.8%
0.0%
6.8%
7.2%
3.6%
13.4%
5.2%
-0.8%
14.6%
16.7%
10.8%
20.1%
4.9%
23.2%
59.7%
2.6%
4.3%
1.7%
2.4%
6.2%
8.9%
-43.1%
64.1%
3.0%
52.0%
-1.4%
-2.1%
-16.0%
26.2%
26.5%
43.4%
-0.1%
3.5%
7.9%
5.5%
6.3%
24.1%
7.0%
-8.1%

175.5%
0.0%
16.7%

75.0%
40.6%
85.7%
60.0%
81.6%
-46.6%-3.2%
11.5%
220.9%-18.3%
32.0%
40.7%
93.9%
673.7%
122.3%
29.9%
62.8%
68.8%
55.5%
43.6%
98.3%
14.4%
-36.6%

198
0
17'041
317
5'515
-376
25'7030
6'548
407
18'86130'404
10'149-2
37'991
290'604
148'157
82'487
9'698
4'679
44'36349'3920
11'513
24
5'557
338
4
-12'990
1'739
1'701
1'509
-665
-10'303-40'668
67'789127'146
5'831
-162
1'626
164'302
31'913
9'588
125'361
20'100-40'365

EuropeEuropean Union

15'635'505
13'790'384

3.1%
7.7%

8.7%
7.6%

69.4%
65.5%

1'253'025
970'566

Country

114.7%
54.6%
1217.6%-51.4%
626.8%
68.5%
35.3%
64.1%
117.1%
1992.9%79.0%
200.4%
60.6%
51.0%
49.2%
273.1%
148.0%
76.9%

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on Eurostat and national data sources. For data sources see annex. For
information on data year, see page 310.

258

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Tables
Table 64: Europe: Conversion status of organic agricultural land 2018
Country

Area [ha]Albania
AndorraAustria
BelarusBelgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Channel Islands
Croatia
CyprusCzech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Faroe Islands
FinlandFranceGermany
GreeceHungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
KosovoLatviaLiechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
NorwayPolandPortugal
Romania
Russian Federation
SerbiaSlovakia
Slovenia
Spain
SwedenSwitzerland
TurkeyUkraineUnited Kingdom
EuropeEuropean Union

747
2
637'805
1'656
89'025896
162'332180
103'166
6'022
538'894
256'711
206'590251297'4422'035'024
1'521'314
492'627
209'382
24'855
118'699
1'958'045
160
280'383
1'413
239'691
5'782
47
17'151
4'455
57'9044'409
46'377484'676
213'118
326'260
606'975
19'255188'986
47'8482'246'475
608'758
160'992646'247
309'100
457'377
15'635'505
13'790'384

Fully converted [ha]Conversion area [ha]2

76'531
547
106'433
180
57'252

12'494350
55'899472'798
187'504
214'067

47'23569'20725'624

235'597
1'502'572

61'845532'452316'753
171'112175'874
38'27171'327
1'490'852
160
249'91047'372467'192

214'067
5'127
37
10'176
3'528
53'519994
41'686363'565
195'297
171'594490'560
12'655175'099
41'6691'929'729
495'488

25'624
654
10
7'472
926
4'385
1'168
4'691
121'11217'820
154'666
57'307
6'600
13'887
6'179
316'745
81'357475'864
233'500
425'721
10'493'471
9'223'619

170'386
75'60031'657
2'708'447
2'383'948

45'91430'473

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on Eurostat and national data sources. For data sources see annex.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

259

Europe › Statistics › Tables
Table 65: Europe: Land use in organic agriculture by country 2018
Country
Albania
AndorraAustria
BelarusBelgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Channel Islands
Croatia
CyprusCzech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Faroe Islands
FinlandFranceGermany
GreeceHungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
KosovoLatviaLiechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
NorwayPolandPortugal
Romania
Russian Federation
SerbiaSlovakia
Slovenia
Spain
SwedenSwitzerland
TurkeyUkraineUnited Kingdom
EuropeEuropean Union

Arable land
crops [ha]Permanent
crops [ha]

692

55
2
10'78755
1'078
150
29'478Permanent
grassland [ha]Total [ha]50'281
2'955
76'206
209'915
109'3351
295'190
1'166'243
596'656
156'927
74'086650
4'433
946'691160
141'428
248
148'677
2'648
29
14'377302
25'280
3'804
37'296354'793
42'888240'800
570'562
7'748
63'662
6'270
487'363472'926
36'039420'705
235'290

12'614
2'964
5'230
1'810
2'449
0
548
140'394
49'65560'50810'937
15'191
65
471'342

39'575103437'745
44'98694'806250
1'707
728'487780'000
275'203
116'389
6'092
114'201
540'012

2'877
7
5'989
190
17
2'509
457
728
605
330
30'22046'07518'569
41
5'975
1'704
2'878
572'207622
2'170
209'478
5'000

136'078
1'078
85'024
2'944

3'696
31'8960
8'751
99'663124'176
66'890
5'197
5'531
123'62238'7001'186'905
135'210120'265
16'07134'680747
2637'805
1'655
89'025896
162'332180
103'166
6'022
538'894
256'711
206'590251297'4422'035'024
1'521'314
492'627
209'382
24'855
118'699
1'958'045
160
280'383
1'413
239'691
5'782
47
17'151
4'455
57'9044'409
46'377484'676
213'118
326'260
606'975
19'254
188'986
47'8482'246'474
608'758
160'992646'247
309'100

119'093
7'461'013
6'131'596

4'158
1'728'119
1'486'093

330'252
6'212'185
6'010'573

457'377
15'635'505
13'790'382

239'874
1'277
31'300266
65'648385'639
56'64733'713

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on Eurostat and national data sources. For data sources see annex. Total includes
other agricultural areas for which no land use details were available.

260

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Tables
Table 66: Europe: Organic agricultural land and wild collection areas by country 2018
Country
Albania
AndorraAustria
BelarusBelgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Channel Islands
Croatia
CyprusCzech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Faroe Islands
FinlandFranceGermany
GreeceHungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
KosovoLatviaLiechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
NorwayPolandPortugal
Romania
Russian Federation
SerbiaSlovakia
Slovenia
Spain
SwedenSwitzerland
TurkeyUkraineUnited Kingdom

EuropeEuropean Union

Agricultural land[ha]

Wild collection
[ha]

Total
[ha]

747
2
637'805
1'655
89'025896
162'332180
103'166
6'022
538'894
256'711
206'590251297'4422'035'024
1'521'314
492'627
209'382
24'855
118'699
1'958'045
160
280'383
1'413
239'691
5'782
47
17'151
4'455
57'9044'409
46'377484'676
213'118
326'260
606'975
19'254
188'986
47'8482'246'474
608'758
160'992646'247
309'100
457'377

613'893614'6402
639'250
578'674
89'028166'430
469'352
180
103'166
6'022
538'894259'359
380'624251
11'561'025
2'035'024
1'521'314
809'680
209'382
224'887
118'699
1'958'045
179'740280'383
1'413
239'691
5'782
47
17'528147'864
57'904561'009
46'377484'676272'651
2'113'808
740'813
19'254
188'986
61'0862'284'659
608'758
160'992
809'471879'100
457'377

15'635'505
13'790'382

1
577'0193
165'534
307'020

2'648
174'034
11'263'583

317'053
200'032

179'580377
143'410556'600

40'0001'787'548
133'838

13'23838'184163'224570'000

17'246'818
13'943'312

32'903'297
27'754'671

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on Eurostat and national data sources. For data sources see annex.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

261

Europe › Statistics › Tables
Table 67: Europe: Organic livestock by country 2018
Bovineanimals

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
CyprusCzech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Faroe Islands
FinlandFranceGermany
GreeceHungary
Iceland
IrelandItaly
LatviaLiechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
N. Macedonia
NorwayPolandPortugal
Romania
Russian Fed.
SerbiaSlovakia
Slovenia
Spain
SwedenSwitzerland
TurkeyUnited Kingdom
EuropeEuropean
Union

Pigs

No

Share
(%)

421'324
106'049
6'950
19'613469
262'061
220'754
41'499

21.3%
4.3%
1.2%
4.3%
0.8%
19.4%
13.7%
16.9%

72'082751'382771'320138'015
18'964236
61'819375'414
96'423
1'525
57'884
4'956
320
420
71'7156'390
30'30726'95393'191
16'890
1'874
3'594
63'34035'751212'066
332'294
200'450
5'113
324'202
4'852'199

7.9%
4.0%
15.8%
20.1%
2.7%
0.3%
0.9%
6.0%
25.3%
24.3%%
7.7%
2.6%
0.2%
0.5%
1.8%
2.5%
3.5%
0.5%
6.2%
0.8%
0.0%
0.4%
13.7%
7.7%
3.6%
22.1%
6.5%
0.0%
3.3%
3.8%

4'603'380

5.7%

PoultryNo
41'912
17'399
126
1'887

Share

(%)

Sheep
No

2'594'068
3'305'154
6'950
1'870
24'33050'3343'506'802
36'212
11
312'202
20'181'495***
9'826'000
252'280
83'538
12'413161'816
3'482'435
37'417
1'787
16'71932'528

284
547
3'203
20'19633'57938'169037'4401'362'547

1.4%
0.3%
0.0%
0.2%
0.0%
0.2%
4.0%
0.1%
0.4%
2.3%
0.9%
0.4%
0.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.6%
0.5%
4.1%
0.0%
1.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.8%
0.0%
0.3%
0.0%
0.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.1%
0.9%
0.1%
2.5%
1.3%
0.0%
0.8%
0.8%

1'321'170

0.9%

2'867
488'886*458
4'857
317'925**
178'200
4'746
4'459
642
59'623
1'845
71
142
895

93'210
2'924
3'221
2'896
9

Share

(%)

No

Share

(%)

6'735
9'386
93'1451'030'745
1'411'540
1'053'871
1'242'170
3'383'126
56'522'916

15.3%
9.2%
0.0%
0.0%
0.8%
0.2%
23.9%
1.7%
4.9%
9.4%
7.5%
0.7%
0.2%
3.9%
1.0%
2.1%
0.8%
0.2%
28.8%
0.0%
0.0%
3.4%
0.0%
12.7%
0.3%
0.1%
0.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0.1%
4.1%
0.7%
16.8%
4.6%
0.5%
2.2%
2.3%

123'495
24'670
23'63662'315879
94'08911'29232'901
169
31'9851'132'809
158'000
1'299'677
5'538
1'226
83'302680'369
39'407
1'252
24'158
539
1'115
1'545
12'815101'31746'823
16'24396'62032'579
1'332
5'138
84'91235'071622'958
128'91484'765
10'475826'598
5'940'218

34.2%
20.7%
1.6%
9.2%
0.3%
42.6%
7.3%
42.8%
0.2%
24.6%
15.2%
12.1%
13.6%
0.5%
0.3%
1.6%
8.6%
49.3%
33.0%
40.0%
6.6%
0.2%
0.7%
1.2%
13.8%
2.1%
6.1%
4.6%
0.4%
0.0%
0.3%
21.6%
29.2%
3.8%
21.1%
12.4%
0.0%
2.6%
3.8%

53'615'279

3.8%

5'685'771

5.8%

170
3'306'422
592'267
349'697
57'54861'520Source: FiBL survey 2020 based on Eurostat and national data sources. For data sources see annex.
*Pigs Denmark: The number in the table includes animals slaugthered; the average stock is 212‘000 according to AMI**Pigs France: The number in the table includes animals slaugthered; the average stock is 145‘000 according to AMI***Poultry France: Numbers based on animals slaughtered. AMI estimated the average stock to be around 10.5 million
heads.
Note: In the case of pigs and poultry, in the official statistics, no clear distinction is made between thenumber of animals slaughtered and the places or average numbers of stock over the years, and it is notalways clear which of these is given when “livestock numbers” are quoted. Adding up the data for pigs
and poultry over all countries, therefore, is not completely reliable and country data are notnecessarily comparable. The data that are presented here should, therefore, be treated with caution
and are only an approximation of the overall picture.

262

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnEurope › Statistics › Tables
Table 68: Europe: Organic producers, processors, and importers by country 2018
For information on data year, see page 310.
Country
Albania
AndorraAustria
BelarusBelgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
CyprusCzech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Faroe Islands
FinlandFranceGermany
GreeceHungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
KosovoLatviaLiechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
NorwayPolandPortugal
Romania
Russian Federation
San Marino
SerbiaSlovakia
Slovenia
Spain
SwedenSwitzerland
TurkeyUkraineUnited Kingdom
EuropeEuropean Union

Producers82
1
25'795
24
2'264
251
6'471
4'374
1'249
4'601
3'637
1'948
1
5'129
41'63231'71329'594
3'929
29
1'725
69'317
150
4'178
46
2'476
103
19
135
328
1'696
775
2'057
19'224
5'213
7'908
40
373
439
3'738
39'505
5'801
7'032
79'563501
3'544
418'610327'222

Processors
58
4
1'651
24
1'403
23
181
368
57
822
1'018
171
1
301
16'651
15'441
1'542
515
26
26
20'08735
51

Importers
4

Exporters
30

62

4
7
107
20
6
3
1
165
80
16

10

2
962
8
0

81
94
5
14
5
995
20
457
533
788
161
26
2
123
85
409
4'627
1'328
1'289
1'501

11
8
14
2

31

2'569
75'56971'960

279
29
14
19
303
78
33
63
545
1'723
33
42
3
24
472

385
4
93
208
33
9

20
1'208
47

87
5
249
23
6
8

51
22
24
320
89
548
51

3
1
109
10
18
97

182
5'790
5'034

1
3'334
3'107

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020 based on Eurostat and national data sources. For data sources see annex.
*Total number includes data for countries with less than three operators.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

263

Europe › Statistics › Tables
Table 69: Europe: The organic food market 2018
Data
year

Country
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia andHerzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
CyprusCzech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
FinlandFranceGermany
GreeceHungary
Ireland
Italy
KosovoLatviaLithuania
Luxembourg
Netherlands
NorwayPolandPortugal
Romania
Russian Federation
SerbiaSlovakia
Slovenia
Spain
SwedenSwitzerland
TurkeyUkraineUnited Kingdom
EuropeEuropean Union

2011
2018
2017
2018
2017
2018
2017
2011
2018
2006
2016
2017
2018
2017
2018
2017
2018
2009
2018
2017
2009
2015
2011
2017
2017
2018
2015
2017
2017
2018
2016
2018
2016
2018
2018
2011
2011
2016
2009
2018
2016
2010
2009
2013
2016
2017
2018
2018
2014
2017
2018
2016
2018

Organic
share [%]

Retail sales[Million €]€/person
[€]

1'810

205

8.9

698
0.4

61
0.1

3.0

29

4

99
2

24
2

2.2

127
1'807
42
336

12
312
32

1.2
11.5
2.7
2.4

One year
growth [%]Foodservice[Million €]Exports[Million €]
80

6.7
5.0

120

6
6.5
3
61
12.9

4
316
10

8.7

9'139

136

4.8

15.4

10'910
66

132
6

5.3

5.5

30

3

206

43

390
27
28
707

555
300
20

0.7
10.5
3.2
3'483

58

51
51
135

6
18
221

1.5
1.0
8.0

1'287

75

4.7
1.7

423
250
21

79
7
2

41

2

160

1

4

1

0.2

49

27

1.8

1'903
2'301
2'655
46

42
231
312
1

2.8
9.6
9.9

33

1

2'537
40'72937'412

38
50
76

5.3

606

10.7

5
6

6.8

351

3.9

27

2'266
6
51
45
1'200

0.2
200
4
19
0

0
891

4.0
13.3

59
507

117
182
104
194

5.3

103

Source: FiBL-AMI survey 2020. For details on data sources see annex.
Note on table: Where no published data exists, best estimates from experts have been used, but new data were notavailable for all countries. Therefore, in some cases earlier estimates are shown. Values published in national currencies
were converted to euros using the 2018 average annual 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 nothave the Euro as their currency.

264

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Latin America and the
Caribbean49
183'225
6'181

14'0001'1679

374

220

4'403

169'026

26 164240

29'274398

34'787

272

84

8'964
5'929

59

4'249

94

22'314

3'103

41'793

1'188'255
311'461

114'306

42'81816'3052'147'083
3'629'968

Share of organic agricultural land
<1%
1-5%

31'9375 - 10 %> 10%

Map 5: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean2018 (in hectares)
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315.

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Latin America and the Caribbean › Overview

Latin America
PATRICIA FLORES1
Latin America is a vast region of more than 22 million square kilometres and 626
million people. The region is characterised by a high biological and cultural diversity,with indigenous people and ancient cultures that keep their knowledge, wisdom andtraditions alive. Most of the organic production in the region is generated bysmallholders, peasants, and indigenous people.
This year, the chapter focusses on Mexico and its “fourth transformation” as well as
on recent developments in Brazil, Chile and Peru.

Mexico and the “fourth transformation” based on agroecology
In December 2018, Andres Manuel López Obrador took office as President of theUnited Mexican States. The Mexican President’s keen sense of his country's history
has found expression in his promise to inaugurate the country's “fourthtransformation”. The phrase is a reference to the march of Mexican politics towards
social democracy. The three other transformations were: independence in 1810, theliberal reforms of the 1850s, and the Mexican revolution in the early 1900s.
For the Mexican government, one pillar of the so-called “fourth transformation” isagroecology. The process is led by SEMARNAT, the Secretariat of Environment andNatural Resources (Mexico’s environment ministry).2 The objective of the National
Agroecology Plan is “to establish agroecology as a guiding principle in environmental
policies for the design of means and management instruments that will improveliving conditions of people, conservation of agroecosystems, sustainable use of
biodiversity, and sustainable management of the territory moving towards foodsecurity.” The plan encompasses production (agriculture, livestock and fishing),
distribution, processing and consumption (SEMARNAT 2019).
It is inspired by and based on five components (SEMARNAT 2019):

Patricia Flores, IFOAM Latin America Office Coordinator, Lima, Peru
The driving force of the environmental policy in Mexico is the defence of the human right for a healthy anddignified environment, based on two pillars: a) quality scientific and technical information; and b)
environmental policy addressing citizens.
To this end, the following strategic lines are proposed:›
Agro-ecological transition: Healthy production of healthy food›
Energy transition to renewable energies›
Recovery of rivers and water bodies›
Water for all (general water law), democratisation of water use›
Conservation efforts taking into account social and cultural aspects: 70 million hectares are underconservation management, but 80 percent of the communities that inhabit these areas live in very
marginal conditions as the conservation policy has forgotten social and cultural aspects.
›
Environmental education and culture.

1
2

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Latin America and the Caribbean › Overview− Research, science and technology centres with a total of twelve academic
institutions;− Farmer field schools - “Escuelas Campesinas” -, which are acknowledged as amovement;− Tianguis1 and organic markets, of which around 80 exist, connecting agroecology
with social and solidarity-based economy;− Responsible consumers;− Community and regional social and economic organisations based on thecommunity experiences of, for example:− Milperos, which promotes maize and organises fairs, of which about 120 exist
across the country;− Coffee growers as the backbone of agroecology, organised into cooperatives;− Honey producers, especially with meliponiculture2 in the Yucatan peninsula, who
are active against GM soybeans;
In Mexico, agroecology in the 4th transformation process focuses on food. The Alliancefor Food Health3, which is comprised of 32 organisations, advocates for the right tofood based on agroecological and sustainability principles. This alliance plays a role inconsulting processes to build public policies and national communication strategies
for a better food system to combat all forms of malnutrition (SDG 2).
SEMARNAT, the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources, leads a multisectoral group on health, food and environment. The group works towards
agroecology, with the theme ”food” at the core of its work. It is developing a “Special
Program for a Fair, Healthy and Sustainable Agricultural and Food System 20202024”.
Participants in the programme include SADER, the Secretariat of Agriculture andRural Development (Mexico’s agriculture ministry), to create a “Program for the
Agroecological Transition” which focuses on food self-sufficiency. Agreements areforeseen with research and education centres specialising in agroecology so that they
can participate in the different processes.

Chile and Brazil: Memorandum of Understanding on Organic Products
In April 2019, the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Organic
Products between Chile and Brazil was announced. This memorandum will promotetrade in organic products in both countries through the mutual recognition of theircertification and control systems. The initiative was long awaited by exporters andimporters of organic products. The negotiations were carried out between the Chilean

A tianguis is an open-air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or cityneighbourhood in Mexico and Central America. More information is available at Wikipedia on
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianguis
2 Meliponines are stingless bees, sometimes called stingless honeybees, and are a large group of bees (about
500 species). More information is available on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingless_bee.
3 More information is available at www.alianzasalud.org.mx
1

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267

Latin America and the Caribbean › Overview
Ministry of Agriculture through the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAGI) andthe Coordination of Agroecology and Organic Production of the Ministry ofAgriculture, Livestock and Supply of Brazil (COAGRE-MAPA).

Brazil is a big organic market in the region. Brazilian consumers are interested inagroecological production, and this memorandum is an excellent business
opportunity for both countries as they can now complement the food supply of highquality organic products for local consumers.

This agreement is the first in the world to recognise, without restrictions, themodalities of organic certification for both countries: third party certification, where acompany certifies the organic operation according to current standards, andParticipatory Guarantee Systems, which are considered first-party certification in
Chile as they are carried out by producers’ organisations complying with theregulatory requirements of organic certification.
Accordingly, fresh and processed vegetable products, which are certified under thescope of this agreement, may be exported and marketed in both Chile and Brazil. The
products must carry the Chilean or the Brazilian organic seal specifying if a productwas certified by a certifying company or a participatory guarantee system.

Figure 94: Brazilian organic seals for products certified under participatory guarantee
systems (left) or by a certification company/third party certification (right)

Chile and Switzerland
The Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture (FOAG) and the Chilean Agricultural andLivestock Service (SAG) have agreed on the mutual recognition of the standards they
apply to organic products. The equivalence agreement that seals this mutual
recognition came into force in August 2019 and will facilitate trade in organic
products between the two countries.
The agreement negotiated between Switzerland and Chile implies the mutual
recognition of equivalence of organic production requirements and control systems
used in this area. This agreement means that organic food produced in Switzerland
can be sold in Chile without having to undergo new controls. The same will apply to
Chilean organic products in Switzerland.
The equivalence agreement applies to organic products produced or manufactured,
processed or packaged in Switzerland or Chile. Organic products of animal origin
from Chile, except those from beekeeping (e.g. honey), are excluded from theagreement. The equivalence agreement between Chile and Switzerland will facilitate

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Latin America and the Caribbean › Overview
trade in organic products, thus contributing to the development of the organic sector
in Switzerland and Chile.

Peru: International Food Education Forum
For some years now, the issue of food and food systems has been at the centre ofpolicy and strategy discussions at the national, regional and local levels. Peru is
recognised for its varied and nutritious gastronomy, based on indigenous foods
prepared with traditional recipes with a great deal of innovation. On the other hand,
the Peruvian population suffers the consequences of malnutrition, due to lack ofaccess and consumption of food in sufficient quantity and quality. Obesity,
undernutrition and anaemia impede the development of human potential, especiallythe most vulnerable. In Peru, half of the adult population is overweight, one in threechildren between the ages of five and nine is obese, and almost half of the children
under five suffer from anaemia.
Against this backdrop, the first edition of the International Food Education Forum
was held in November 2019 to promote healthy eating and nutritional education. It
shared the best and most successful experiences in the world. More than 1,600
participants and several guest countries (Japan, Argentina, USA, Brazil, Ecuador,
Colombia) attended the event. Key stakeholders of international and governmentorganisations included representatives of the Partnership for Healthy Cities, FAO’s
regional coordinator of the School Meal Programs and acknowledged chefs like
Gastón Acurio.
Peru’s enforcement of Law No. 30021 (Law for Promotion of Healthy Eating)establishes this forum as a platform to promote healthy eating in schools across thecountry. It aims to promote education policies on healthy food and a national
nutrition education program in schools. Organic and agroecologically-produced foodis highlighted this way and put forward in the first priorities to launch such public
policies.
The Agroecological Consortium, including its organic stakeholders, is part of thisnational effort that brings fresh air and new input to build healthier, just andecologically-sound food systems.
A new edition of the forum is expected to be launched in the following year. Moreinformation is available at www.educaalimentaria.com.

Reference
SEMARNAT - Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (2019) Presenta Toledo Manzur loslineamientos de la política ambiental del Gobierno de México. Comunicado de Prensa Núm.
85/19 Ciudad de México, a 05 de junio de 2019-. Available at the website of Gobierno de
México/Government of Mexico. Available at https://www.gob.mx/semarnat/prensa/presenta-toledomanzur-los-lineamientos-de-la-politica-ambiental-del-gobierno-de-mexico-203226

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Latin America and the Caribbean › Statistics

Latin America and the Caribbean: Current statistics
JAN TRÁVNÍþEK1, BERNHARD SCHLATTER2, JULIA LERNOUD3 AND HELGAWILLER4
Overview
In 2018, 8 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. Morethan sixteen percent of the world’s organic agricultural land is in Latin America andthe Caribbean. More than 13’000 hectares more were reported than in 2017. The
organic area has doubled since 2000 (over 4 million hectares). The country with thelargest organic agricultural area was Argentina with 3.6 million hectares (Figure 95),
and the country with the largest number of producers is Peru with more than 103’000(Table 70). The highest proportion of the total agricultural area being organic wasreached in Uruguay with 14.9 percent, followed by French Guiana with 10.1 percent.

Land use
Land use details were available for 87 percent of the organic agricultural land. In 2018,
only 4 percent of all organic farmland was utilized for arable crops (almost 336’000
hectares); while almost 74 percent was grassland/grazing areas (5.9 million hectares).
Permanent crops were grown in more than 740’000 hectares (9 percent of the organicarea in the region), and for 13 percent of the reported area, no details were available.
Argentina (nearly 3.4 million hectares), Uruguay (over 2.1 million hectares), andBrazil (over 318’000 hectares) had the largest permanent grassland/grazing areas.
The key organic arable crops are cereals, with more than 165’000 hectares,
representing 49 percent of the organic arable area of Latin America and Caribbean,
and 0.3 percent of the total cereal area in the region. The key organic cereal in theregion was quinoa (over 92’000 hectares) representing more than 53 percent of all thequinoa grown in the region. Organic sugarcane was grown on more than 78’000
hectares in 2018, 0.6 percent of the total sugarcane in the region, with the key
producing countries being Paraguay (almost 34’000 hectares) and Argentina (almost
19’000 hectares).
The main organic permanent crops were coffee (almost 248’000 hectares), cocoa(almost 148’000 hectares), and tropical and subtropical fruits (almost 131’000
hectares). Organic coffee represented 5 percent of the total coffee area in the region
and 48 percent of the world’s organic coffee. The countries with the largest organic
coffee areas were Peru (over 121’000 hectares), Mexico (over 44’000 hectares), andNicaragua (nearly 24’000 hectares). Furthermore, 8.7 percent of the cocoa area in Latin

Jan Trávní²ek, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
Bernhard Schlatter, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
3 Julia Lernoud, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
4 Dr. Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
1
2

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Latin America and the Caribbean › Statistics
America is organic. More than 46 percent of the world’s organic cocoa area and someof the countries with the largest organic cocoa areas are in Latin America. Nicaraguais the country with the largest area, with more than 81´000 hectares, followed by Peru
(almost 37´000 hectares), and Ecuador (more than 15’000 hectares). Organic bananas
are the key tropical fruit grown in the region (over 73’000 hectares), 3.3 percent of theregional banana area is organic. The countries with the largest organic banana area are
the Dominican Republic (over 41’000 hectares) and Ecuador (over 14’000 hectares);these two countries represent almost three-quarters of the regional organic banana
area.

Producers
Almost 228’000 organic producers were recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean,
in 2018. The countries with the most organic producers are Peru (103’500), Mexico(over 27’000), and Brazil (over 17’500). It can be assumed that the number of
producers is higher because some countries only report the number of farm
enterprises/companies. The reported drop of producers compared to previous years isdue to the change of the data source in the case of Mexico.

Wild collection
In Latin America and the Caribbean, organic wild collection plays an important role.
There are over 3.4 million hectares of organic wild collection areas. They are mainly
used for the collection of wild nuts (1.1 million hectares), palmito (more than 66´000
hectares) and mushrooms (over 380 hectares). The countries with the largest organic
wild collection areas are Brazil (over 1.2 million hectares, 2011 data), Mexico (0.9
million hectares), Bolivia (0.9 million hectares, data 2014), and Peru (over 0.2 million
hectares, mainly wild chestnuts). Information on wild collection is not available formany countries, so it can be assumed that the total organic wild collection area ishigher than that presented here.
For more information about the Latin American and the Caribbean figures, see datatables for the region, page 274.

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Latin America and Caribbean › Statistics › Graphs

Organic Agriculture in Latin America and Caribbean:
GraphsLatin America and Caribbean: The ten countries withthe largest organic area 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

Argentina

3'629'968

Uruguay

2'147'083

Brazil1'188'255

Peru

311'461

Mexico183'225

Dominican Republic (2016)

169'026

Bolivia (2014)

114'306

Paraguay

42'818Ecuador

41'793

Nicaragua34'7870

1'000'000

2'000'000
Hectares3'000'000

4'000'000

Figure 95: Latin America and Caribbean: The ten countries with the largest areas oforganic agricultural land 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Latin America and Caribbean: The countries with thehighest organic share of total agricultural land 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

Uruguay

14.9%

French Guiana (France)

10.1%

Dominican Republic (2016)

7.2%

Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

2.9%

Argentina

2.4%

Peru

1.3%

Martinique (France)

1.3%

Dominica (2011)

1.0%

Honduras (2017)

0.9%

Ecuador

0.7%
0%

5%
10%
15%
Share of total agricultural land

20%

Figure 96: Latin America and Caribbean: The ten countries with the highest organic
share of total agricultural land 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

272

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Latin America and Caribbean › Statistics › Graphs
Latin America and Caribbean: Development oforganic agricultural land 1999 to 2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL-Surveys 2002-2020

10.0

7.24

5.0

4.54

7.66 7.54

6.97 6.95 6.71 6.83 6.94

7.49

8.00 8.01

5.59

5.22 5.06

4.95

2006

5.75 5.96

2004

Million hectares

7.5

3.91

2.5
1.25

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2005

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

0.0

Figure 97: Latin America and Caribbean: Development of organic agricultural land
1999-2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL surveys 2001-2020

Figure 98: Latin America and Caribbean: Use of agricultural organic land 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

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Latin America and Caribbean › Statistics › Tables

Organic Agriculture in Latin America and Caribbean:
TablesTable 70: Latin America: Organic agricultural land, organic share of total agriculturalland, and number of producers 2018

For information on data year, see page 309.
Country

Area [ha]Organic share [%]Producers [no.]Argentina
Bahamas
BelizeBolivia
BrazilChile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
EcuadorEl Salvador
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
French Guiana (France)
GrenadaGuadeloupe (France)
GuatemalaHaiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Martinique (France)
MexicoNicaragua
PanamaParaguay
Peru
Puerto Rico
Suriname
US Virgin Islands
Uruguay

3'629'968
49
220
114'306
1'188'255
16'30522'314
8'964
6'181
240
169'026
41'793
1'679
31'9373'103
84
272
14'000
4'403
29'274374
398
183'225
34'787
5'929
42'818311'461
14
94
26
2'147'083
8'008'581

2.4%
0.3%
0.1%
0.3%
0.4%
0.1%
0.05%
0.5%
0.1%
1.0%
7.2%
0.7%
0.1%
2.9%
10.1%
1.1%
0.5%
0.4%
0.2%
0.9%
0.1%
1.3%
0.2%
0.7%
0.3%
0.2%
1.3%
0.01%
0.1%
0.7%
14.9%
1.1%

1'366
1
150
12'11417'508
1'609
3'496
50
510

Total*

16'11912'912
380
4
75
23
63
6'346
4'661
6'023
127
64
27'000
8'193
18
5'187
103'5545
39
12
227'609

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315*Total number includes data for countries with less than three operators.

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Latin America and Caribbean › Statistics › Tables
Table 71: Latin America: All organic areas 2018
Country
Argentina
Bahamas
BelizeBolivia
BrazilChile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican
Republic
EcuadorEl Salvador
Falkland Islands(Malvinas)
French Guiana(France)
GrenadaGuadeloupe(France)
Guatemala
GuyanaHaiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Martinique(France)
MexicoNicaragua
PanamaParaguay
Peru
Puerto Rico
Suriname
US Virgin Islands
Uruguay
Total

Agriculture[ha]

Aquaculture[ha]

Forest[ha]

3'629'968
49
220
114'306
1'188'255
16'30522'314
8'964
6'181
240

Other nonagri. land
[ha]

Wild
collection
[ha]
1'001

23'090922'991
1'229'445
51'5487'320

169'026
41'793
1'679

Total
[ha]
3'630'969
49
220
1'037'297
2'417'700
67'85352'724
8'964
6'181
240
169'02679

40'007330

82'2091'679

31'93731'937

3'103

3'103

84

84

272

272

14'000560'000

4'403
29'274374

36

398
183'225
34'787
5'929
42'818311'461
14
94
26
2'147'083
8'008'581

14'00560'000
4'403
29'274410
398

958'3804

83

213'393

40'00723'0903'444'450

1'141'605
34'787
5'929
42'818524'858
14
94
26
2'147'083
11'516'211

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

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Latin America and Caribbean › Statistics › Tables
Table 72: Latin America: Land use in organic agriculture 2018Land use
Agricultural land and crops, no details
Arable crops

Crop group

Area [ha]873'184
165'361
3'666
426
31'801
0.3
7'012
0.06
45'26162

Cereals
Dry pulses
Fallow land, crop rotation
Fresh vegetables and melons
Industrial crops
Medicinal and aromatic plants
Mushrooms and truffles
Oilseeds
Plants harvested green
Root crops
Seeds and seedlings
Strawberries
Sugarcane
Textile crops
TobaccoArable crops, otherArable crops total
Cropland, no details
Other agricultural land
Permanent crops

532
113
9
78'425
1'876
45
1'151
335'740
133'847
1'647
9'534
11'550148'5102'173
247'7892870
15'378130'998
8'101
974
83'571
5'154
1'833
73'839740'278
5'923'885
8'008'581

Berries
Citrus fruit
Cocoa
Coconut
CoffeeFlowers and ornamental plants, permanent
Fruit
Fruit, temperate
Fruit, tropical and subtropical
GrapesMedicinal and aromatic plants, permanent
Nuts
OlivesTea
Permanent crops, other

Permanent crops total
Permanent grassland
Total

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Table 73: Latin America: Use of wild collection areas 2018Land use

Area [ha]Apiculture
Mushrooms, wild
Palmito, wild
Nuts, wild
Wild collection, no details
Total

5
330
66'8001'136'385
2'240'930
3'444'450

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

276

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North America

1'311'572

2'023'430

Share of organic agricultural land
<1%
1-5%
5 - 10 %> 10%

Map 6: Organic agricultural land in Canada and the United States 2018
Source: Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). For detailed
data sources see annex, page 315.

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277

North America › United States

US Organic Sales Break Through 50 Billion Dollar
Mark
BARBARA FITCH HAUMANN1
The US organic market in 2018 broke through the 50 billion US dollar mark for the
first time, with sales hitting a record 52.5 billion US dollars, up more than 6 percent
from the previous year, according to the 2019 Organic Industry Survey released by theOrganic Trade Association.
New records were made in both the organic food market and organic non-foodmarket. Organic food sales reached 47.9 billion US dollars, for an increase of 5.9
percent compared to 2017. Sales of organic non-food products jumped by 10.6 percent
to 4.6 billion US dollars. The growth rate for organic continued to easily outpace thegeneral market, with total US food sales in 2018 edging up just 2.3 percent and total
non-food sales rose only 3.7 percent.
Almost six percent of the food sold in the United States is now organic. Today’s
consumers can find organic products in every aisle of their grocery stores, at big box
stores, club warehouse stores, neighborhood convenience stores, and increasingly on
the internet.
Millennials are a major factor, pushing for transparency and integrity in the foodsupply chain, and are savvy to misleading marketing. The USDA Organic seal isgaining new appeal as consumers realize that organic is a certification that is not only
monitored and supported by official standards, but is the only seal encompassing thespectrum of Non-GMO, no toxic pesticides or chemicals, dyes or preservatives.

Farmers are choosing organic
The latest organic production data available from the US Department of Agriculture’s(USDA’s) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) come from its 2017 Census
of Agriculture on characteristics of all US farms and farms with organic sales.
According to the report, NASS recorded 11’650 certified organic farms with 50 percent
or more of their total sales from organic production, with another 4’301 certified farms
reporting their organic operations generated less than 50 percent of their total sales.
Meanwhile, 2’215 farms with organic sales registered as exempt from certification
because their annual gross organic sales are below 5’000 US dollars. The average ageof producers was 57.5 years for all farms, while that of certified organic farmers wasaround 50.5 years.
Meanwhile UDA’s Organic Integrity Database as of December 2019 included 27’777
records of certified organic operations (farms and handlers) across all 50 states.

1 Barbara Fitch Haumann is Senior Writer/Editor for the Organic Trade Association headquartered in
Washington, D.C., USA.

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North America › United States
Stepping up global trade2019 was a successful year for US international organic programs overseen by theOrganic Trade Association and funded through USDA, with 17 international activities
in seven countries. Overall, 45 US companies participated in international trade shows
and trade missions. In 2019 alone, projected US organic export sales frominternational activities with the trade association were over 34 million US dollars.
These activities are crucial to opening and maintaining market access for US organic
products across the globe. Activities took place in Asia, Europe, Latin America, theMiddle East, and North America, with an increase in demand for organic baby food,snacks, nuts, and pre-packed meals in particular.
During the year, the trade association unveiled its new organic business directory,
Find.Organic. This is an intuitive online tool designed to become the go-to source for
information on US organic products. There are over 950 companies listed on thisonline directory created to help facilitate industry connections domestically andabroad. Users can search the directory to source ingredients for organic products, getconnected to an organic certifier or distributor, create business connections to export
US-produced organic products, and so much more.

Organic fraud prevention
In a major step by the organic industry to fight against fraud globally, the Organic
Trade Association officially launched its ground-breaking Organic Fraud Prevention
Solutions program. Organic businesses may now voluntarily enroll in this program tohelp minimize or eliminate organic fraud both inside and outside of the United States.
The new program is based on the trade association’s tested Organic Fraud Prevention
Guide that provides businesses engaged in organic trade with a risk-based process fordeveloping and implementing organic fraud mitigation measures. The program is aquality assurance program, not a certification or verification program.

Integrity of organic standards
Animal welfare: The Organic Trade Association continued its court fight to advanceorganic animal welfare standards with a clear and concise rule. Originally prompting
this legal battle was USDA’s repeated refusal to act on--and subsequent withdrawalof--a thoroughly vetted Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices final rule to improve
livestock living conditions and care, including requiring poultry access to the
outdoors. In doing so, USDA failed to follow the public/private rulemaking processestablished by the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 that Congress created, theindustry worked within, and consumers trust. This case has importance to all organic
stakeholders because USDA’s refusal to follow the process by which organic
regulations are set could reverberate adversely for years if not corrected by the federal
judiciary. At the end of the year, the issue was still before the courts.
Organic Flavors: As of December 27, 2019, USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP)
now requires the use of organic flavors when they are commercially available in theappropriate quality, quantity or form in place of natural flavors. This is a forward step
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for expanding further development and production of organic flavors, and is
the result of a petition submitted by the Organic Trade Association to the National
Organic Standards Board (NOSB) in 2014.
Vegetarian “Made with Organic” supplements: At its April 2019 meeting, NOSB
approved a proposal to add pullulan to the National List to allow the availability ofcertified vegetarian encapsulated dietary supplements that could be labeled “madewith organic.” Without this action, the production of NOP certified encapsulated
vegetarian supplements would not be possible.
Origin of Livestock: During 2019, efforts focused on securing a final rule on thestandard for Origin of Organic Livestock. Both the organic sector and Congress madeit clear that USDA needed to act to address the inconsistency in enforcement oforganic standards that now puts organic livestock farmers at a devastating economic
disadvantage. They are seeking a final rule clarifying that: a) organic dairy animals
must be raised organically from the last third of gestation or be raised organically forone year if transitioning a conventional herd to organic; b) once a distinct herd istransitioned to organic, all animals must be raised organically from the last third ofgestation; and c) cycling of dairy animals in and out of organic production isprohibited. Action on this issue is expected in early 2020.

Voluntary research and promotion
During 2019, the US organic sector moved ahead with an innovative check-off likevoluntary program operating as GRO Organic (Generate Results and Opportunity for
Organic). For this endeavor, the Organic Trade Association has partnered with The
Organic Center and numerous organic brands, businesses and leaders across theindustry to implement projects as prototypes that can be expanded into even more
ambitious future initiatives. In less than a year, organic stakeholders invested 1.5
million US dollars to advance projects that focus on four key actions:− Launching a national campaign to reduce consumer confusion about organic-Since its launch, the campaign has served more than 15 million impressions andreached close to 4 million unique consumers using the message Skip the chemicals.
The campaign will continue in 2020.
− Learning what customers are hearing, and how it affects their behavior--This
entails a 25-minute online survey with at least 3’020 respondents from the general
population (balanced on age, gender, ethnicity, geography, education andincome). Twenty messaging concepts were developed, with each respondent
seeing and responding to five concepts on a randomized basis.
− Connecting technical specialists with transitioning and existing organic farmers
as well as programs to train the trainers--The Organic Agronomy Training Service(OATS) is a “train-the-trainer” program for agricultural professionals working
with organic and transitioning farmers. It held three trainings in 2019 focused on
domestic grain producers. They plan to hold at least five regional trainings in 2020.

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North America › United States− Researching how organic is part of the solution to soil health and climatechange--The Organic Center is directing the GRO Organic research portfolio,
combining soil and climate issues with farmer benefits to move the needle toward
a more sustainable climate. Projects and collaborators are: Science-based best
management practices for healthy soil on organic farms (University of
Maryland); Investigating the impacts of organic Management on carbon
sequestration (University of Maryland); and Impacts of organic soil-building
strategies on yield (University of California, Berkeley).

Strengthening NOP
A bold theme for the organic sector in 2019 and beyond centers on improvement andaccountability. During 2019, the trade association declared it was time to repair the
public-private partnership that encompasses the USDA organic program so thatindustry can continue to advance and meet consumer expectations.
As 2019 came to a close, NOP was expected to release a proposed rule early in 2020 onStrengthening Organic Enforcement and Oversight to strengthen the organic
regulations in multiple areas where increased oversight and enforcement areneeded. This may be the largest piece of single rulemaking in the history of NOP. The
outcome of the revised rule will undoubtedly affect organic trade.
The 2018 Farm Bill authorized spending for this work, including money for NOP toinvest in technology systems to modernize and improve international organic trade
tracking and prevent fraud, and to require electronic organic import certificates toensure full traceability without hindering trade and establishing a USDA tracking
system. It also would establish an interagency working group between USDA andCustoms and Border Protection to verify the authenticity of organic imports.
Moreover, the sector will continue its advocacy for a final rule on Origin of Livestock,and monitor progress for animal welfare standards through the trade association’s
court battle with USDA.

New opportunity: domestic organic hemp
Meanwhile, domestic hemp production will offer a new opportunity for organic
producers. In late October, USDA published an Interim Final Rule establishing the US
Domestic Hemp Production Program for monitoring hemp cultivation andproduction. This rule stems from the 2018 Farm Bill’s legalization of hemp.
Previously, the 2014 Farm Bill had only allowed institutions of higher education andstate agriculture departments to grow hemp under a research pilot program wherestate laws permitted it. Now, NOP has issued its updated instructions for USDA
organic certification of industrial hemp. Only hemp produced in accordance with the
US Domestic Hemp Production Program may be certified organic if produced inaccordance with USDA’s organic regulations. This action is predicted to open up
organic hemp acres in the United States. For imported hemp, existing regulations andguidelines continue to govern whether products may be certified as organic.

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References› 2017 Census of Agriculture: Characteristics of all U.S. farms and farms with organic sales,
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Online_Resources/Organics_Tabulation/organict
ab.pdf), USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Issued October 2019.
› 2019 Organic Industry Survey, Organic Trade Association, 2019.
› GRO Organic hits the ground running with major programs underway, Organic Trade Association, March
4, 2019, https://ota.com/news/press-releases/20507› Organic Fraud Prevention Solutions, Organic Trade Association, 2019https://ota.com/OrganicFraudPrevention› Origin of Livestock Federal Register Notice, Oct. 1, 2019https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/10/01/2019-20869/national-organic-program-origin-oflivestock› U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service Newsroom
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2019/11-19-2019.php, November 19, 2019.
› U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Organic Integrity Database, December 2019,https://organic.ams.usda.gov/integrity/› U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program, https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp

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North America › Canada

CanadaTIA LOFTSGARD1
Canada’s national consumer campaigning efforts
Canada’s 10th annual organic week took place from September 8th-16th, 2019. Thisnationwide celebration of organic food, farming, and products brings together theentire supply chain – farmers, retailers, industry, and consumers – to celebrate thebenefits of organic farming on human health and the environment. The campaign’s
success relied on the unwavering support of 18 organic sponsors, ensuring that
Organic Week continues to flourish every year. In its 10th year, the Organic Week
campaign boasted over 3 million social media impressions of #OrganicWeek, over halfa million advertising impressions, more than 20 earned media impressions, andnearly 1’400 consumer contest entries. 1’000 retailers participated in the campaign,
displaying promotional tools in their stores nationwide and offering discountedorganic products. Participants were also encouraged to download and use Organic
Week’s free digital assets, including campaign logos, imagery, social media graphics,
email signatures, and more.

New regulatory framework for organics
The Safe Food for Canadians Act was passed in 2012 and brought into force January
15, 2019 in Canada. Organic is covered under Chapter 14 of the Safe Food for
Canadian Regulations. The previously voluntary aquaculture standard, CGSB 32.312,
is now regulated under the scope of the Canadian Organic Regime. The Aquaculture
standard will not be enforceable until January 15, 2021, allowing a one-year window
for operators to comply. Canada is very interested in exploring equivalency
arrangement expansions with other jurisdictions that have aquaculture included intheir regulated standards.

Updated organic standards in Canada coming 2020
The Canadian Organic Standards are in their review process to be updated as part ofits regular 5-year review process. The new standards will be published in November
2020 and will be mandatory November 2021. Canada will be reviewing equivalency
arrangements in light of these changes as well as the new regulatory framework.

Massive growth in new farms adopting organic
The Canadian organic sector continues to record significant growth despite the overall
agricultural land base remaining stable and non-organic farm operations are in
decline. There are now 7266 certified organic operations, up from 6357 certified

1

Tia Loftsgard, Executive Director, Canada Organic Trade Association, Ottawa, Canada

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North America › Canada
operations in 2017. This 14% increase can be attributed to continued consumer
demand that continues to place organic as the fastest growing sector of agriculture in
Canada. The operator growth was primarily due to more farmers converting toorganic. In 2018, the total of certified organic producers was 5791 (4’800 the year prior)and resulted in 3.3 million acres of certified acreage. Organic acreage is 2.1% of thetotal agricultural land of Canada, well above the global average. While the number of
total farms has declined across Canada, organic producers are flourishing. There are
more organic farms operating on more acres than ever before in Canada.

Organic processing
COTA launched is first ever Organic Food Service Report, outlining the barriers togrowth as well as the opportunity and innovation occurring within the organic foodprocessing sector. According to the research report, there are 1719 organic foodprocessors/handlers and manufacturing companies in Canada. The estimated sales
value of organic processed foods and beverages is $2.95 billion in sales for 2019.
According to interviews with the leading organic food processors in Canada, mostbusinesses are experiencing year-over-year growth in excess of 10%.

Market updates
Canada’s total organic market (including food and non-food items) has reached 6.38
billion Canadian dollars, up from 3.5 billion Canadian dollars in 2012, with acompound annual growth rate of 8.7%. The 2017 statistics indicate the market share oforganic food and beverages sold through mainstream retailers has grown from 1.7%
to 2.6%.
In late 2019, the Canada Organic Trade Association released the first ever Canadian
Organic Foodservice Report. This in-depth publication provides the most up-to-date
overview of the Canadian organic foodservice market to provide valuable insights
into the market size, growth trends and foodservice operator perceptions of why theircustomer base demands organic.

COTA’s State of Organic Performance Report
The Canada Organic Trade Association released its 2018 report evaluating the federal
and provincial government performance on supporting the growth of the organic
sector. Key recommendations outlining regulatory and programmatic gaps that need
to be addressed brought significant attention to the issues the industry face and somepositive changes occurred as a result of the report.
Canada’s national organic standards apply to products that are sold across provincial,territorial or national borders or bear the Canada Organic logo. However, a significant
regulatory gap exists for products that are grown and sold only within provincial
borders and do not bear the Canada Organic logo as there is no federal oversight ofproducts that claim to be organic in these scenarios. Provincial Organic regulations
are necessary to ensure a level playing field for organic farmers in order to haveprovincial oversight and enforcement over organic claims for products sold within
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their provinces. Alberta’s Provincial regulation came into force in 2019, now bringing
the number of provinces that have a regulation up to six (out of the ten provinces).
Ontario is currently in the law-making process in order to adopt a regulation in 2020.

Links/further reading− Canada Organic Trade Association – www.canada-organic.ca and www.canadaorganic.myshopify.com (publications)− Canadian Organic Growers – www.cog.ca− Organic Federation of Canada – www.ofc.ca− Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada at Dalhousie University https://www.dal.ca/faculty/agriculture/oacc/en-home.html

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North America › Statistics

North America: Current statistics
JAN TRÁVNÍþEK1, BERNHARD SCHLATTER2, JULIA LERNOUD3 AND HELGAWILLER4
Overview
North America’s organic agricultural land was 3.3 million hectares in 2018, which is
0.8 percent of the total agricultural area. The area under organic cultivation has
trebled from the million hectares in 2000, and now represents five percent of the
global organic agricultural land. Between 2017 and 2018, the area increased by almost
112’000 hectares or 3.5 percent. Over 2.0 percent of the farmland in Canada is organic,
and the proportion in the United States is 0.6 percent. There is a total of 23’957
producers in North America; most of them are in the United States (over 75 percent).

Land use
Land use details were available for almost the whole of the organic agricultural land.
In 2018, only five percent of all organic farmland was utilized for permanent crops(almost 152’000 hectares) while more than 44 percent was used to grow arable crops(nearly 1.5 million hectares), and 41 percent (nearly 1.4 million hectares) was
grassland/grazing. The United States has the largest grassland/grazing area, almost
933’000 hectares, and Canada reported more than 439’000 hectares.
The key organic arable crop group is cereals, with more than 600’000 hectares,
representing almost 41 percent of the region organic arable area, and 0.9 percent of thetotal cereal area in the region. In the United States, over 281’000 hectares of organic
cereals were grown, and Canada reported more than 319´000 hectares. The key
organic cereal in the region was wheat (more than 286´000 hectares), this represented
1.2 percent of the total wheat grown in the region. Organic vegetables were grown on
73’000 hectares in 2018, 8.1 percent of the total vegetables in the region, withleafy/stalked vegetables (nearly 25’000 hectares) and fruit vegetables (over 16’500
hectares) being the key produced vegetables.
The main organic permanent crops were temperate fruits (almost 12’500 hectares),grapes (almost 12’000 hectares), and berries (almost 11´000 hectares). Organic
temperate fruits represented 4.2 percent of the total temperate fruit area in the region.
The key temperate fruits are apples, cherries, and peaches. The key organic berries areblueberries (over 6’400 hectares, 10.4 percent of the total blueberries grown in theregion), and cranberries (800 hectares, 3.3 percent of the region’s cranberries).

Jan Trávní²ek, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
Bernhard Schlatter, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
3 Julia Lernoud, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
4 Dr. Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
1
2

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North America › Statistics
Producers
In 2018, 23'957 organic producers were reported in North America. The United Statesis the country with the most organic producers, over 18'000, and Canada reported
over 5´700 organic producers. Since 2004, when there were 11’000 organic producers,
the number increased over 109 percent.

Wild collection
Unfortunately, for the United States data on organic wild collection is not available
with the exception of over 4´200 ha of wild cereals and over 300 of wild blueberries, so
it can be assumed that the wild collection area is much bigger in the region than thecurrent 28'468 hectares reported mainly by Canada.

MarketIn 2018, the organic market continued to grow in North America, reaching almost 43.7
billion euros. In Canada, the organic market grew by over 3.9 percent in 2018, and in
the United States, the organic market grew by 1.4 percent. The United States is thelargest single organic market in the world, and North America continues to be theregion with the largest organic market. In the United States, people spent 125 euros
per capita on organic products in 2018, while in Canada the per capita consumption
was 84 euros. For 2018, Canada reported an organic share of the total retail sales of
2.6 percent, and in the United States, an organic share 5.7 percent was noted.
For more information about the North American figures, see data tables, page 286.

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North America › Statistics › Graphs

Organic Agriculture in North America: Graphs
North America: Organic agriculture area 2018
Source: COTA and USDA, 2020

United States ofAmerica

2'023'430

Canada1'311'5720

500'000

1'000'000 1'500'000
Hectares

2'000'000

2'500'000

Figure 99: North America: Organic agricultural land in Canada and the United States
2018
Source: Canada Organic Trade Association and United States Department of Agriculture.

North America: Organic share of total agriculturalland 2018
Source: COTA and USDA, 2020

United States of America

0.6%

Canada

0.0%

2.0%

0.5%

1.0%
1.5%
Share of total agricultural land

2.0%

2.5%

Figure 100: North America: Organic share of total agricultural land in Canada and theUnited States 2018
Source: Canada Organic Trade Association and United States Department of Agriculture.

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North America › Statistics › Graphs
North America: Development of organic agricultural land
2000-2018
Source: COG-COTA and USDA, 2000-2018

4.0

Million hectares

3.5
3.02 3.01 3.05

3.0

2.58 2.65

2.5

2.22

2.0
1.06

1.28 1.26

2.47

3.13 3.22

3.34

2.46

1.79

1.72

1.5
1.0

2.29

2.97

1.41

0.73

0.5

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

0.0

Figure 101: North America: Development of organic agricultural land 1999-2018
Source: Canada Organic Trade Association and United States Department of Agriculture1

Figure 102: North America: Land use in organic agriculture 2018
Source: Canada Organic Trade Association and United States Department of Agriculture

1 Due to methodological differences, the United States shows a drop of its area in 2014. A reason could bethat the wild collection might have been included in the past.

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North America › Statistics › Tables

Organic Agriculture in North America: Tables
Table 74: North America: Organic agricultural land, organic share of total agriculturalland, and number of producers 2018
Country

Area [ha]Share of total agr. land [%]BermudaProducer [no.]Processing

CanadaUnited States of America
Total

1'311'572
2'023'430
3'335'002

2.0%
0.6%
0.8%

5'791
18'16623'957

Source: Canada Organic Trade Association and United States Department of Agriculture; FiBL survey 2020

Table 75: North America: All organic areas 2018
Agriculture[ha]Country
BermudaCanadaUnited States ofAmerica
Total

Forest [ha]Other nonagri. land
[ha]

Wild
collection[ha]

Processing
21'487

1'311'572
2'023'430

205'196

3'335'002

205'196

21'487

Total [ha]6'643

1'339'701

338

2'228'964

6'981

3'568'665

Source: Canada Organic Trade Association and United States Department of Agriculture; FiBL survey 2020

Table 76: North America: Land use in organic agriculture 2018Land use
Agricultural land and crops, no details
Arable land crops

Crop group

Area [ha]Arable crops, no details
Cereals
Dry pulses and protein crops for the production of grain
Fallow land, crop rotation
Flowers and ornamental plants
Hops
Medicinal and aromatic plants
Mushrooms and truffles
Oilseeds
Plants harvested green
Root crops
Strawberries
Textile crops
TobaccoVegetables
Arable crops, otherArable land crops total
Other agricultural land total
Permanent crops

Berries
Citrus fruit
CoffeeFruit, temperate
Fruit, tropical and subtropical
GrapesNurseries
Nuts
OlivesPermanent crops, other

Permanent crops total
Permanent grassland
Total

Source: Canada Organic Trade Association and United States Department of Agriculture; FiBL survey 2020

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307'809
5'863
600'363
95'590127'440
380
297
943
11'375115'063408'743
12'026
2'590
11'631
4'045
73'238
7'095
1'476'682
26'651
10'726
4'919
87
12'465
3'519
11'83691
8'575
719
96'810
151'966
1'371'893
3'335'002

Oceania
1'600

49'573
4'714

97'656

1'512
24

25'6482'164
35'687'799

685

43

Share of organic agricultural land
<1%
88'871

1-5%
5 - 10 %> 10%

Map 7: Organic agricultural land in the countries of Oceania 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers and governments.

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Oceania › Australia

Australia – Findings from the Australian Organic
Market Report 20191
HARRIET KENDRICK2
Introduction
Now estimated to be worth 2.6 billion Australian dollars, the Australian organic
industry (exports and retail sales) continued to grow in 2018 despite harshenvironmental conditions - with many regions still experiencing significant drought.
In the 2012 to 2018 period, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 percent wasachieved, as the industry continues to react to significant international trends
including consumer demands for convenience-based products. The growing interestin Australian products from export markets is continuing to forge ahead with theamount of total export volume for 2018 growing by 13 percent since 2017. Over 2018,30’155 tonnes of organic products were exported to 61 different countries.
The number of certified organic operations has grown by 19 percent since 2017 withcertified organic farmland in Australia now representing over 35.7 million hectares –about half of the global organic farmland. Consumers continue to recognise thebenefits of organic produce and the importance of certification marks on productlabels, as 55 percent of organic buyers now look for certification logos on theirproducts.

Primary producers and area of farmland
Australia continues to hold the world’s largest area of agricultural land undercertified organic management. Celebrating their 20th-anniversary publication, theWorld of Organic Agriculture Report 2019 reports there were 69.8 million hectares oforganic farmland in 2017 with a record growth of 20 percent (11.7 million hectares)
since 2016 (Willer/Lernoud 2019). Also in 2018, Australia continued to hold about halfof the total global area, with at least 35.7 million hectares of certified organic farmland(approximately 9.6 percent of all of Australia’s agricultural land). The vast majority ofAustralia’s organic farmland is pastoral operations focused particularly on beef cattle.
While most of the Australian producers are active in the production of livestock
fodder, fruit, vegetables and lamb/sheep meat, the Australian processing andmanufacturing sectors are dominated by fruit, vegetables and dairy products.
The number of certified operators (producers, processors, handlers, importers andexporters) in Australia grew by 19 percent in 2018, an increase from 4’028 in 2017 to
4’802 in 2018. Australia also saw an increase in the number of processors and handlers

1 Australian Organic Ltd (2019): Australian Organic Market Report 2019. Australian Organic Ltd, Nundah,
QLD, Australia, www.austorganic.com
2 Harriet Kendrick, Communications & Digital Coordinator, Australian Organic Ltd, Nundah, Australia,
www.austorganic.com

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Oceania › Australia
at 2’077 and 896 respectively (in line with historical trends), whereas the number oforganic producers continues to fall. Down from 2’075 in 2016, there were 1’829
organic producers in Australia in 2018 – a decrease perhaps due to the consolidationof smaller farmers into larger operations.
Certified organic producers and processors are found in all Australian states andterritories, each with their particular niches. There is a shift compared to 2017 data of
the proportion of overall certified organic producers within both plant-based andanimal-based categories, which reflects the climatic challenges of the past year and theability of the organic sector to diversify in response to climate variability. Due to thedrought and shortages of available feed for many livestock producers (particularly in
New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland), the year has seen the largest demand forhay and grain for at least a decade with livestock fodder transported from Western
Australia, South Australia and Victoria, north to NSW and Queensland.
Table 77: Estimated certified organic primary producer operations and area inAustralia 2002-2018
Year

Primary producers/operations

Area under certified organic
management (ha)

2002
2003

1’650
1’730

6’150’171
11’198’188
12’077’362

2004

1’859

2005

1’871

11’715’744

2006
2007

1’691
1’776

12’294’290
11’988’044
12’001’724

2009

2’129

*2011

2’117

11’199’578

2014

1’707

22’690’000**2015

1’999

22’108’495**2016

2’075

27’145’021**2017

1’998

35’645’038**2018

1’829

35’687’799*Estimated using Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data. Organic industry sources put this as high as almost 17
million hectares.
** Based on data from the two largest certifiers only – ACO Certification Ltd and NASAA Certified Organic (NCO) – andtherefore an underestimate.
Sources: 2002-2019 Australian Organic Market Reports

Production value
Organics now represents three percent of the total production value of all agriculturalcommodities, a significant increase from 1 percent in 2014.
Fruit, vegetables, nuts, meat, grains, eggs and poultry meat together constitute 82
percent of the production value with continued significant growth of fruit, vegetable
and nuts by around 17 percent since 2017.
Across all the sectors, there has been substantial growth, with an estimated CAGR of
15 percent since 2014. However, there has been a slowing in meat, dairy, grains, eggs

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Oceania › Australia
and poultry meat, wine, honey and animal feedstuffs, which is indicative of the
impacts of drought on commodities.
Given the impacts of the drought, overall farm-gate production, processing andexport continue to be strong, reflected by the substantial gains since 2012 even though
the growth rate has fallen slightly since 2017 across the sectors.

Exports
Organic products grown and manufactured in Australia are exported to 61 countries,
with modest new markets opening up in South America, Oceania, Africa, the Middle
East and Europe. Key export markets for Australian organic food are the UnitedStates, Europe, China (including Hong Kong) and the Republic of Korea. Despite
challenging dry seasonal conditions in eastern Australia in 2017 and 2018, the export
scene for organic agriculture remains strong, with a growth of 13 percent in volume
since 2017 and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 percent from 2012 to2018. In volume, the total exports amounted to 30'155 metric tonnes and 685 million
Australian dollars (or 433 million euros) in 2018.
The top 5 export destinations from Australia by tonnes were the USA, China, New
Zealand, South Korea and Singapore (Figure 103). Combined, these countries
accounted for 70 percent of the total volume exported in 2018. Beef comprises almost athird of the export volume, followed by 18 percent for processed products, 12 percent
for wine, and the remaining 38 percent (mainly in single digits) for all other organic
export commodities. Singapore emerged as a growing importer of Australian organic
products, representing 32 percent of dairy and 10 percent of baby food exports, which
may account for the decrease of overall exports to Mainland China. Singapore is also
now the largest importer of Australian produced organic fruit and vegetables. The
strongest importer of Australian-produced organic soya products is South Korea,
followed by Thailand with organic bakery items. Mainland China is strong in organic
dairy and baby foods/formula, and Hong Kong is the dominant export destination fororganic eggs. The Swedes continue their love for Australian organic wines and theJapanese for organic nuts.
One of the biggest export impediments for Australia is the country’s lack ofequivalency with chief markets. A significant obstacle to achieving equivalency is theabsence of organic domestic legislation. Other challenges for Australia’s organic
exports continue to include multiple non-harmonised organic standards around theworld, eco-label proliferation and ‘buying local’ trends.

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Oceania › Australia

Figure 103: Australia: Distribution of organic export (metric tons) from Australia byregion 2018
Source: Australian Organic Market Report 2019

Retail sales and the Australian organic consumer
The total value of Australian organic retail sales was 1.9 billion Australian dollars(approx. 1.2 billion euros) in 2018.
The most important product group is fruit, vegetables and nuts – more than half ofthe total retail sales value is spent on these products.
Industry insights conducted by the University of New England along with consumer
insights from 1’025 Australians compiled by the market research group Mobium in
February 2019 show that over 90 percent of purchasers say that they buy organic
products in the supermarkets occasionally, with 51 percent of organic buyers saying
they increased household food spending on organic products over the past year. Fiftyfive percent of organic buyers say they look for a certification logo to check if a
product is organic, up from 50 percent in 2018, and 3 in 4 organic shoppers say they
regularly reference product labels and/or shelf information to make purchasedecisions.
Fruit and vegetables remain the highest-ranked and the key entry category for organic
purchasers, with over 6 in 10 shoppers saying they purchased organic fruit andvegetables at least once in the past 12 months.
Most current organic shoppers say that they began buying organic because of positive
personal health impacts; just under half of the shoppers said that “becoming moreaware of the impact food, fibre or cosmetics had on personal health” was the key
prompt to start buying organic. While “free-from” aspects remain the key perceived
benefits of organic food in the Australian community (8 in 10 shoppers see ‘chemicalFiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn295

Oceania › Australia
free’ as a recognised benefit), price and “value for money” remains the number one
barrier for non-purchasers.

Regulatory framework
By law, Australian-produced products that are labelled as organic and exported from
Australia must be certified as organic by one of the six government-accredited
certifying organizations; AUSQUAL, ACO Certification Limited (ACOCL) (formerly
known as Australian Certified Organic), BioDynamic Research Institute (BDRI),NASAA Certified Organic (NCO), Organic Food Chain (OFC) and Southern Cross
Certified Australia (SCCA). Safe Food Production Queensland (SFPQ) renounced its
accreditation early in 2018 and SCCA became the sixth accredited certifier body fromMarch 2019.
The certifiers must certify to the National Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic
Produce (National Standard) or another standard deemed equivalent to the National
Standard. ACOCL, BDRI and NCO certify operators to their own standards (which
incorporate the minimum requirements of the National Standard) for additional
market access or branding purposes. OFC, AUSQUAL and SCCA certify directly with
the National Standard. The National Standard was last updated in 2016 (Edition 3.7)
and is maintained by the industry-owned and funded Organic Industry Standards
and Certification Council (OISCC) on behalf of the Australian Government’s
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR).

Research
The Centre for Organics Research at Southern Cross University continues to support
the organic industry in Australia. Through a joint initiative between Southern Cross
University and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, the Centre
conducts research in partnership with industry stakeholders and the organic
community, focusing on clarifying complex issues regarding supply chains andproduction systems. Professor Carlo Leifert continues to lead the initiative, bringing a
wealth of knowledge and research experience surrounding organic and sustainable
farming, food production systems and security.

References
ABS (2018) 7121.0 - Agricultural Commodities, Australia, 2016-17
https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/allprimarymainfeatures/97B95C93A7FD9B75CA2573F
E-00162CAF?opendocument
Australian Organic Ltd (2019): Australian Organic Market Report 2019. Australian Organic Ltd, Nundah,
QLD, Australia www.austorganic.com
Willer, Helga and Julia Lernoud (Eds.), The World of Organic Agriculture - Statistics and Emerging Trends
2019. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL and IFOAM - Organics International, 2019.
https://www.organic-world.net/yearbook/yearbook-2019.html

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Oceania › Pacific Islands

The Pacific Islands
KAREN MAPUSUA1Recent developments
While certification continues to expand across the Pacific and governments are
becoming increasingly interested in taking action to create a supportive policy
environment, a significant development is that regional and national agencies anddevelopment partners are increasingly recognising the value of organic agriculture asa development tool for the Pacific islands context.
An example of this is the project “Building Prosperity for Women Producers throughOrganic Value Chains” (BWBP), which was launched in 2018. It is a four-year project
implemented in partnership with the Pacific Community (SPC), Pacific Organic &Ethical Trade Community (POETCom) and the Australian Department of ForeignAěairs and Trade (DFAT) through the programme “Pacific Women Shaping Pacific
Development” (Pacific Women). Pacific Women recognised the potential for organic
value chains and mechanisms such as Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) toeconomically and socially empower women. They worked with POETCom to design
the project that will work with organic producers, processors, vendors and organic
associations with a focus on niche organic products that women can develop. Suchniche products promise the best income returns because they sell for premium prices
and as such, producers will be able to absorb high trade costs like transportation.
Through BWBP, these women will learn business and financial skills, organic
agriculture and certification, thereby empowering them by increasing their financial
independence within the household.

Market, trade and certification
Most of the organically certified products from the Pacific are for export; however,there are indications of growing local markets through basket (box) schemes,
unverified organic claims on labels, PGS development, organic stalls at farmers
markets, and increased awareness. Table 78 lists the main products that are currently
organically certified in the Pacific.
Table 78: Pacific: Main products that are currently organically certified
Products
Vanilla, ginger & other spices
Cocoa
Virgin Coconut Oil
Coconut meal

Countries
Fiji, Vanuatu, Niue, Samoa
Vanuatu, Samoa, PNG
Samoa, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu
Vanuatu

1 Karen Mapusua, Operations Manager Land Resources Division, Pacific Community (SPC), Private Mail
Bag, Suva, Fiji, www.spc.int/

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297

Oceania › Pacific Islands
Products
Nonu /noni (Morinda Citrifolia)
Honey
Bananas (including processed)
CoffeeLivestock( Beef, Goats and Sheep)
Fruit & Vegetables ( including processed)
Rum
Forest nuts

Countries
Cook Islands, Samoa, Fiji, Niue, French Polynesia
Niue, Fiji
PNG, Samoa
PNG, Samoa, Vanuatu
Vanuatu, Fiji
Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Republicof the Marshall Islands
French Polynesia
Solomon Islands

As yet, there are no mechanisms for collecting local organic market data. However,growth can be inferred from the growth in PGS certified farms and the number oforganic value chains and market opportunities.
PGS models in the Pacific include wild harvest, “whole island”, as well as more
traditional grower groups. Respect for traditional authorities (chiefs) is strong in the
Pacific Islands, and in some cases, traditional governance systems have been
embraced to provide support to the guarantee system. Processing and value-adding
operations are also certified through the PGS process, and this has created a need toprovide considerable upskilling to the PGS members who include processing tomanage the more complex inspection requirements.
There are currently 11 PGS approved to use the Organic Pasifika Mark. The number
and variety of PGS certified products on local markets and for export is expanding.
For example, 2018-19 saw the range grow to include organic manioc flour, peanuts
and coffee from Vanuatu, with over 1000 farmers involved in the PGS. The growth of
PGS and improved recognition of the value of organics has also contributed to a risein farmers markets and supply agreements. Samoa, Niue, Cook Islands and Fiji now
have certified produce sold through farmers markets, and the Republic of the
Marshall Islands has a small amount of certified fresh produce available in selectedsupermarkets. Fiji also has 135 PGS-certified farmers supplying vegetables to thecountry’s only organic restaurant, Tukuni, established by the Foundation for Rural
Enterprises and Development (FRIEND).
Third-party organic certification continues to grow slowly. Each year shows somewithdrawals from certification and some new licensees. For some growers of longterm crops such as coconuts, devastation by tropical cyclones makes maintaining
certification through the recovery period uneconomical. These issues are likely to be
exacerbated under climate change scenarios with more frequent and stronger climate
events.
It remains challenging to obtain export data, but in a few instances, central banks
publish export data from which - when combined with other market intelligence - wecan provide insights. For example, the Central Bank of Samoa published data in 2019that showed a 3600 percent increase in exports of coconut oil in 12 months and a 400
percent increase in the farm gate price of coconuts. If cross-referenced with other
298

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Oceania › Pacific Islands
intelligence, growth can be attributed to the rapid growth in exports from new players
in the coconut industry that started to export organic and fair trade copra oil in theprevious 12 months. Such a rapid expansion of organic exports cannot be claimed to
be widespread across the region, but it does show the potential for some organic
value chains.

Legislation
New Caledonia and French Polynesia remain the only territories to have regulatedorganics. Independent countries in the region have not yet passed organic regulations.
The Government of Vanuatu has endorsed its first national organic policy, and theGovernment of Fiji is now consulting on a draft policy developed by the organic
sector in the country and presented to the government – a unique bottom-up
approach to policy development.

Government and international support
The Pacific Community as a regional intergovernmental organisation continues toprovide support for organics development and houses the POETCom secretariat.
POETCom remains predominantly funded through development projects. POETComnational affiliates continue to receive assistance from international NGOs and throughbilateral development assistance. In a few cases, national governments provide
financial support for organic certification costs as in the case of Samoa and Niue,
where the national governments cover certification fees for national grower groups.

Outlook
Development partner support has been secured to review POETCom’s structure anddesign a sustainable funding mechanism to support the organic movement and thePacific Organic Guarantee Scheme. Opportunities for scaling organics as a response to
climate change are growing with development partners more interested in funding
programmes of this nature. There is also an expectation that the local market fororganic products will continue to expand as tourism and hospitality industries looktowards organic and sustainability as part of the Pacific Islands brand.

Links/Further reading› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community www.organicpasifika.com› Pacific Organic Standard, http://www.organicpasifika.com/poetcom/wpcontent/uploads/sites/2/2014/08/POS.pdf› Growing Our Future POETCom Strategic Plan 2013 – 2017 http://www.organicpasifika.com/poetcom/wpcontent/uploads/sites/2/2014/08/POETCom-Strategic-Plan.pdf› POETCom Annual Reports http://www.organicpasifika.com/poetcom/who-are-we/annual-reports/› Pacific Organic Policy Toolkit http://www.organicpasifika.com/pasifikapolicytoolkit//.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn299

Oceania › Statistics

Oceania: Current statistics
JAN TRÁVNÍþEK1, BERNHARD SCHLATTER2, JULIA LERNOUD3 AND HELGAWILLER4
In 2018, the organic agricultural land in Oceania was 36.0 million hectares, whichconstituted 8.6 percent of the total agricultural area in the region. Half of the world’sorganic agricultural land is in Oceania. The area under organic production has
increased almost seven fold since 2000 (5.3 million hectares). Between 2017 and 2018,the area in Oceania grew by over 105´000 hectares – 0.3 percent more - due to a
growth of the organic agricultural area in Australia (almost 43´000 hectares, 0.1
percent growth), Papua New Guinea (nearly 36’000 hectares more, over 262 percent)and Fiji (over 24´500 hectares more, 148 percent growth) showed an important
growth. The country with the biggest organic agricultural area is Australia with 35.7
million hectares, and the highest organic share of total agricultural land is in Samoa,
with 34.5 percent of all farmland under organic cultivation, followed by Australia
with 8.8 percent.

Land use
It is estimated that in 2018, more than 96 percent of all organic farmland in Oceania
was grassland/grazing areas (34.7 million hectares, mainly in Australia). Detailed dataon crop was not available for Australia, the country with the largest area. However, it
was available for all other countries. From the available data, we can assume thatpermanent crops play an important role in the Pacific region. Coconut is the largest
grown commodity (over 127’000 hectares, 24 percent of the total region’s coconutarea) in the Pacific Islands, mainly for oil production. Furthermore, coffee (over 24’000
hectares) is also largely grown.

Producers
There were almost 21’000 organic producers in the region, with the largest number of
producers in Papua New Guinea (almost 12’800 producers), Samoa (over 2´000
producers), and Australia (over 1´800 producers). Since 2006, when data for most of
the countries became available, their number has almost trebled.

MarketFor 2018, the total organic market was almost 1.4 billion euros for the region.
Australia reported an organic market of 1.2 billion euros and New Zealand retail sales
value 155 million euros. For the other countries in the region, no data is available. The
annual organic consumption was 49 euros per person in Australia and 33 euros perperson in New Zealand. For more information, see the data tables on page 292.

Jan Trávní²ek, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
Bernhard Schlatter, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
3 Julia Lernoud, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
4 Dr. Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org
1
2

300

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Oceania › Statistics › Graphs

Organic Agriculture in Oceania: Graphs
Oceania: Organic agricultural land by country 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

Australia
Samoa
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Fiji
VanuatuSolomon Islands
Kiribati
French Polynesia
Tonga
New Caledonia
Niue
Cook Islands

35'687'799
97'656
88'87149'57341'15425'648
4'714
1'600
1'550
685
94
43
24
0

10'000'000

20'000'000
Hectares

30'000'000

40'000'000

Figure 104: Oceania: Organic agricultural land by country 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Oceania: Organic share of total agricultural land bycountry 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020

Samoa
VanuatuFijiAustralia
Kiribati
Solomon Islands
Papua New Guinea
French Polynesia
Tonga
Cook Islands
Niue
New Zealand
New Caledonia

34.5%
13.7%
9.7%
8.8%
4.7%
4.4%
4.2%
3.3%
2.1%
1.6%
0.9%
0.8%
0.1%
0%

10%

20%
30%
Share of total agricultural land

40%

Figure 105: Oceania: Organic share of total agricultural land by country 2018
Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

301

Oceania › Statistics › Graphs
Oceania: Development of organic agricultural land
1999-2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL-Surveys 2001-2020

36.00
2018

27.35
2016

22.88

22.26

2012

17.32
11.38

11.36

2011

2013

12.15

12.15
2010

12.11
2008

2009

12.43

12.07

11.81
2005

2007

12.18

2006

11.30

6.25
2002

2001 5.34

02000 5.31

51999 5.31

10

2004

15

2015

20

2014

25

2003

Million hectares

30

35.89

35

2017

40

Figure 106: Oceania: Development of organic agricultural land 1999-2018
Source: FiBL-IFOAM-SOEL 2001-2020; based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For
detailed data sources see annex, page 315

302

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Oceania › Statistics › Tables

Organic Agriculture in Oceania: Tables
Table 79: Oceania: Organic agricultural land, organic share of total agricultural land,and number of producers 2018
Country

Area [ha]Share of total agr. land [%]Producer [no.]Australia
Cook Islands
Fiji
French Polynesia
Kiribati
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Niue
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Vanuatu
Total

35'687'799
24
41'154
1'512
1'600
94
88'87143
49'57397'656
4'714
685
25'64835'999'373

8.8%
1.6%
9.7%
3.3%
4.7%
0.1%
0.8%
0.9%
4.2%
34.5%
4.4%
2.1%
13.7%
8.6%

1'829
58
67
13
900
131
876
1
12'742
2'038
1'098
1'060
47
20'860Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

Table 80: Oceania: All organic areas 2018
Country
Australia
Cook Islands
Fiji
French Polynesia
Kiribati
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Niue
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Vanuatu
Total

Agriculture [ha]35'687'799
24
41'154
1'512
1'600
94
88'87143
49'57397'656
4'714
685
25'64835'999'373

Wild collection [ha]

653

112

765

Total [ha]35'687'799
24
41'807
1'512
1'600
94
88'871
155
49'57397'656
4'714
685
25'64836'000'138

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

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303

Oceania › Statistics › Tables
Table 81: Oceania: Land use in organic agriculture 2018Land use

Crop group

Area [ha]Arable crops

Arable crops, other
Cereals
Fresh vegetables and melons
Medicinal and aromatic plants
Sugarcane94
41'293
3'927
11'713
7
57'03441'827
999'692
1'935
127'451
24'182
4'567
20'412
7'503
10'650487
20'063217'250
34'683'571
35'999'373

Arable crops total
Cropland, no details
Other agricultural land
Permanent crops

Permanent crops total
Permanent grassland
Total

Cocoa
Coconut
CoffeeFruit
Fruit, tropical and subtropical
GrapesMedicinal and aromatic plants, permanent
Tea/mate, etc.
Permanent crops, other

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on information from the private sector, certifiers, and governments. For detailed data
sources see annex, page 315

304

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Achievements andOutlook

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn305IFOAM - Organics International: Worldwide Organic Outlook

Worldwide Organic Outlook - Improving Data,
Engaging Citizens, and Implementing Smart Policies
LOUISE LUTTIKHOLT1
Good data is one foundation for the development of organic agriculture. That is why
the yearly “The World of Organic Agriculture” statistics book is so important.
Acreages, sales numbers, and turnover are important, yet only tell part of the story.
Equally important is the context in which we look at the data. And the context andnarrative are changing.

Growing societal awarenessThe “We Are Fed Up” demonstration held at the International Green Week inGermany, the ‘Fridays for Future’ demonstrations, and the protests against the fires in
the Amazon show that citizens do not want to be reduced to consumers sitting on theside-lines. They care about the environment and want to safeguard it for future
generations.
Given the state of our Earth, we can no longer afford to discuss questions like “canorganic feed the world?” when we should be asking, if anything, why the industrial
model of agriculture is not feeding the world. Instead, we should be highlighting
what works, namely food systems that provide sufficient and nutritious food for all,minimise environmental impacts, and enable producers to earn a decent living. Foodsystems should benefit the public good, i.e. positively contribute to the Sustainable
Development Goals, and help us live within our planetary boundaries. Here, organic
agriculture has proven to be a valuable tool in policy-making as it balances andoptimises several ‘goods’ without adding to the “public bads”.

Challenges to overcome
It is discouraging to see research money spent on the hypothetical question of what
happens to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions if country XY transitions to 100%organic. Such studies assume that all conditions like meat consumption and foodwaste remain constant and draw the conclusion that organic yields less harvest,
therefore requiring the need to import products, which increases GHG emissions. The
effects on biodiversity or water are not taken into account. Research money could
instead be used to see how organic practices can be improved – indeed there is still
improvement needed – for the benefit of all farmers and of all consumers.

1 Louise Luttikholt, Executive Director, IFOAM - Organics International, 53113 Bonn, Germany,
www.ifoam.bio

306

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and BonnWorldwide Organic Outlook
Smart policies: Crucial and viable
Given the influence agriculture and food-related policies can have on farming andbusiness practices, costs, prices, and consumer choice, they can either perpetuate thestatus quo or pave the way to more sustainability. The publication ‘Sustainability in
Global Agriculture Driven by Organic Farming’ shows how smart policies can trigger
the required transition to true sustainability in agriculture.
Fortunately, the shift from competing narratives to a collaborative strategy has
already begun. UN institutions are increasingly recognising the role of agroecology asa science, a practice, and a social movement that contributes to making agriculture
and food systems more sustainable. At the Committee of World Food Security’s FAO
meeting last October, represented countries expressed overwhelming support for the‘Scaling up Agroecology’ initiative. Except for a few countries, such as the USA, world
leaders understand the multi-dimensional benefits that organic delivers.
This shift is pushed by honest conversations from citizens in their roles as voters.
They understand how current chemical-based agriculture is causing moreenvironmental harm than good. And many are puzzled by the fact that it is financiallymore advantageous to harm the environment, exploit people, and negatively affecthealth than it is to protect and enhance natural resources and strive for the well-beingof our society.

Reaching new audiences
We are honoured to support these conversations through our global campaigns, like
‘Honest Food’ (www.honestfood.bio). This campaign highlights that Honest Food isfood with nothing to hide and is our way to reach those individuals who may not yet
speak our language. By communicating clearly on the positive contributions oforganic agriculture, we can build new partnerships and together create greaterawareness of how organic agriculture is part of the solution.
.

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn307

Annex

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn309

Annex › Statistics › Key indicators

Key Indicators by Country and Region
Table 82: Key indicators by region 2018
Organic
area [ha]RegionShares of
the globalorganic
farmlandarea [%]

Organic
share oftotal
farmlandarea [%]

Growth2017-2018[%]

Organic
producers[no.]Organic
retail sales[Million €]Africa*2'003'976

3%

0.2%

+0.2%

788'858

17

Asia

6'537'226

9%

0.4%

+8.9%

1'317'023

10'07140'729Europe15'635'505

22%

3.1%

+8.7%

418'610Latin America

8'008'581

11%

1.0%

+0.2%

227'609810

North America

3'335'002

5%

0.8%

+3.5%

23'95743'677

Oceania

35'999'373

50%

8.6%

+0.3%

20'859

1'378

World**

71'514'583

100%

1.5%

2.9%

2'796'916

96'683

Source: FiBL survey 2020. Note: Agricultural land includes in-conversion areas and excludes wild collection, aquaculture,
forest, and non-agricultural grazing areas.
*Data from Ethiopia and Kenya. **Includes correction value for French overseas departments.

Table 83: Key indicators by country 2018
Organic
area [ha]Organic
share [%]

Organic
producer [no.]*Afghanistan

786

0.002%

10

Albania

747

0.1%

82

Algeria772 (2017)

0.002%

64 (2016)

Andorra

2

0.01%

1

Argentina

3'629'968

2.4%

1'366

Armenia

694

0.04%

35

Australia

35'687'799

8.8%

1'829

1'224

Austria

637'805

24.7%

25'795

1'810

Azerbaijan (2015)

37'630

0.8%

305

3

49

0.3%

1
9'335 (2011)

Country

Bahamas (2016)

Organic retailsales [Million €]Bangladesh

504

0.01%

Belarus

1'656

0.02%

24

Belgium

89'025

6.8%

2'264

698

Belize

220

0.1%

150

0.1 (2015)

Benin

16'4540.4%

4'030 (2017)

6'632

1.3%

4'354

114'306

0.3%

12'114

896

0.04%

251

BermudaProcessing

BhutanBolivia (2014)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana

0.4 (2017)

2

Brazil1'188'255

0.4%

17'508Brunei Darussalam

778 (2017)
Aquaculture

Bulgaria

162'332

3.5%

6'471 (2017)

Burkina Faso (2017)56'663

0.5%

26'627

Burundi

164

0.01%

16

Cambodia

27'550

0.5%

5'788

310

0.03

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

29 (2017)

Annex › Statistics › Key indicators
Country
Cameroon

Organic
area [ha]Organic
share [%]

Organic
producer [no.]*Organic retailsales [Million €]

1'089

0.01%

499

1'311'572

2.0%

5'791

495

0.6%

1

180

1.9%

Chile

16'305

0.1%

1'609

2 (2009)

China

3'135'000

0.6%

6'308 (2016)

8'087

Colombia

22'314

0.0%

3'496

Comoros

2'142

1.6%

680

Cook Islands

24

1.6%

58

8'964 (2010)0.5%

50 (2017)

Côte d'Ivoire

50'5740.2%

2'776 (2017)

Croatia103'166

6.6%

4'374

Cuba

6'181

0.1%

510 (2016)

CanadaCape Verde
Chad
Channel Islands (2016)

Costa Rica

CyprusCzech Republic
Congo, D.R.
Denmark
Dominica (2011)
Dominican Republic

1

99

6'022

5.4%

1'249

2 (2006)

12.8%

4'601

127 (2017)60'624 (2017)0.2%

30'170256'711

9.8%

3'637 (2017)

240

1.0%

169'026 (2016)

7.2%

16'11941'793

0.7%

12'912Egypt

116'000

3.1%

970

1'679

0.1%

380

Estonia

206'590

21.6%

1'948

Eswatini

186

0.02%

2

Ethiopia

186'155

0.5%

203'602

Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

31'937

2.9%

4

Faroe Islands

1 (2008)538'894

EcuadorEl Salvador

3'119

1'807

42 (2017)
13

251

8.4%

1

41'154

9.7%

67

Finland297'442

13.0%

5'129

336

France2'035'024

7.3%

41'632

9'139

French Guiana (France)

3'103

10.1%

75

French Polynesia

1'512

3.3%

12
1 (2017)

Fiji

Gambia20

0.003%

1'452

0.1%

1'075

Germany

1'521'314

9.1%

31'713Ghana

29'6630.2%

3'228 (2017)

Greece492'627

6.0%

29'594Grenada

84

1.1%

23

Georgia (2015)

Guadeloupe (France)

272

0.5%

63

Guatemala (2014)

14'000

0.4%

6'346

Guinea (2017)10

0.0001%

1

Guinea-Bissau

835

0.1%

1

4'403

0.2%

4'661

29'274

0.9%

6'023

GuyanaHaiti

66 (2017)

Wild collection

Hong Kong
Honduras (2017)10'910

Processing

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

311

Annex › Statistics › Key indicators
Country

Organic
area [ha]Hungary
IcelandIndia

1'938'221

1.1%

1'149'371

Indonesia

251'6310.4%

18'162 (2017)11'916 (2017)

0.03%

20

63

0.001%

Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Iraq

Organic
share [%]

Organic
producer [no.]*Organic retailsales [Million €]209'382

4.5%

3'929

30 (2017)

24'855

1.3%

29

Ireland118'699

2.4%

1'725 (2017)

Israel

6'666

1.2%

349

Italy

186 (2017)

206 (2017)

1'958'045

15.8%

69'317

Jamaica

374

0.1%

127

1

Japan

10'792

0.2%

3'678

1'419

Jordan (2017)

1'446

0.1%

23

Kazakhstan

192'134

0.1%

63

Kenya

154'488

0.6%

37'295

1'600

4.7%

900

Kosovo160 (2015)

0.04%

150

Kuwait

22

0.01%

1

Kyrgyzstan

22'1180.2%

1'107 (2017)

Lao P.D.R.

Kiribati (2017)

7'668 (2016)

0.3%

1'342 (2011)

Latvia280'383

15.4%

4'178 (2017)

Lebanon

1'241

0.2%

111

Lesotho

10.00004%3

Liberia20.0001%

Liechtenstein

3'483

4

51 (2017)

1'413

38.5%

46

239'691

8.3%

2'476

51 (2017)

Luxembourg

5'782

4.4%

103

135

Madagascar

48'7570.1%

32'367

Malawi12'3990.2%

295

Malaysia

9'576

0.1%

29

Lithuania

Maldives
Mali (2017)12'6550.03%

12'272

Malta

47

0.5%

19

Martinique (France)

398

1.3%

64

3

0.003%

22

Mayotte

35

0.3%

3

Mexico183'2250.2%

27'000

Moldova

17'151

0.7%

135

636

0.001%

13

Mauritania
Mauritius

Wild collection

MonacoProcessing

Mongolia
Montenegro

4'455

1.9%

328

Morocco

9'917

0.03%

277

Mozambique

14'9330.03%

269

Myanmar12'3050.1%

48

Namibia66

0.0002%8

Nepal

11'851

0.3%

1'622

Netherlands

57'904

3.1%

1'696 (2017)

312

14

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

0

1'287

Annex › Statistics › Key indicators
Country

Organic
area [ha]New Caledonia

94 (2017)

0.1%

131

New Zealand

88'8710.8%

876

Nicaragua34'787

0.7%

8'193

254

0.001%

2

57'117

0.1%

1'091

Niger (2017)
Nigeria
Niue
North Macedonia

Organic
share [%]

Organic
producer [no.]*

43

0.9%

1

4'409

0.3%

775

Norway46'377

4.7%

2'057

Oman

43 (2015)

0.003%

5 (2013)

Pakistan

64'8850.2%

415

Palestine

4'870

1.6%

1'440 (2017)

Panama

5'929

0.3%

18

Papua New Guinea

49'573

4.2%

12'742

Organic retailsales [Million €]
155

423

Paraguay

42'818

0.2%

5'187

Peru

311'461

1.3%

103'554

Philippines

218'570

1.8%

12'366

Poland484'676

3.4%

19'224250

Portugal213'118

5.9%

5'213

21

Puerto Rico (2016)

14

0.01%

5

Republic of Korea

24'700

1.4%

15'500Réunion (France)

1'272

2.6%

306

14

330 (2017)

Romania

326'260

2.5%

7'908 (2017)41 (2016)

Russian Federation

606'975

0.3%

40

160

Rwanda

2'130

0.1%

3'870

Samoa

97'656

34.5%

2'038

Sao Tome and Principe

10'934

22.5%

3'564

Saudi Arabia

18'6310.01%

6Senegal (2013)

7'989

0.1%

18'369Serbia19'2550.5%

373

99'2382.5%

304

San Marino

Processing

Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore

1
3

0.4%

Slovakia

188'98610.0%

439 (2017)16 (2017)
4 (2010)

Slovenia

47'848

9.9%

3'738

49

Solomon Islands

4'714

4.4%

1'098

82'8180.1%

237

SomaliaSouth Africa
Spain

Wild collection
2'246'475

9.6%

39'505

Sri Lanka

77'169

2.8%

1'416

Sudan

76'941

0.1%

3Suriname

94

0.1%

39

1'903 (2017)

Sweden608'758

19.9%

5'801 (2017)

2'301

Switzerland

160'992

15.4%

7'032

2'655

Syrian Arab Republic (2010)

19'987

0.1%

2'458

Taiwan

8'759

1.1%

3'556

Tajikistan

8'806

0.2%

953

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn313

Annex › Statistics › Key indicators
Country

Organic
area [ha]Organic
share [%]

Organic
producer [no.]*Tanzania
Thailand278'467 (2017)0.7%

148'610 (2013)

95'066

0.4%

58'490

Timor-Leste

63'882

16.8%

4

Togo (2017)

38'41441'323

1.1%

Tonga

685

2.1%

1'060

Tunisia306'467 (2017)

3.0%

7'456

Turkey646'247

1.7%

79'563

Uganda (2016)262'282

1.8%

210'352

Ukraine309'100

0.7%

501

4'687

1.2%

95

United Arab Emirates (2017)

Organic retailsales [Million €]
12

46
33

United Kingdom457'377

2.7%

3'544

2'537

United States of America

2'023'430

0.6%

18'166 (2017)40'559US Virgin Islands (2016)

26

0.7%

2'147'083

14.9%

Uzbekistan

943

0.004%

1

Vanuatu

25'648

13.7%

47

Viet Nam

237'693

2.2%

17'169Zambia

1'228

0.01%

286

415

0.003%

511

71'514'583

1.5%

2'796'916

Uruguay

12

Venezuela

Zimbabwe
World*

Processing
18

96'683

Source: FiBL survey 2020, based on data from governments, the private sector, and certifiers. For retail sales data: FiBLAMI- survey 2020, based on data from government bodies, the private sector, and market research companies. For
detailed data sources see annex, page 315*Total number includes data for countries with less than three operators.

314

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Annex › Sources

Data Providers and Data
Sources
COMPILED BY HELGA WILLER1
Afghanistan
Certifier data.

Albania
Source› Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network(MOAN), MOAN Secretariat, Istituto
Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari (CHEAM
Bari), Bari, Italy

Armenia
Source› Survey of Ecoglobe - Organic control andcertification body, Yerevan, Republic of
Armenia, www.ecoglobe.am
Contact› Nune Darbinyan and Eliza Petrosyan,
Ecoglobe - Organic control and certification
body, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia,
www.ecoglobe.am.

Australia
SourceSource› Australian Organic (2019): Market Report2019. Australian Organic, Nundah› Land use and crop data from 2017. Source:
Australian Bureau of Statistics ABS, provided
by Els Wynen.2
Contact› Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network(MOAN), MOAN Secretariat, Istituto
Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari (CIHEAM
Bari), Bari, Italy. The data is from 2017.

› Niki Ford, Australian Organic, Nundah,
Australia› Harriet Kendrick, Australian Organic,
Nundah, Australia

AndorraAustria

SourceSources› Ecocert Iberica, Sevilla, Spain
Contact› Area, land use and farms: Bundesministerium
für Nachhaltigkeit und Tourismus , Vienna,
Austria› Operators: Eurostat database, Eurostat,
Luxembourg› Retail sales: RollAMA based on GfK, AMAMarketing, Agrarmarkt Austria Marketing
GesmbH, Vienna, Austria› Export data are from 2011 and were compiledby the Organic Retailers Association (ORA).
Contact

Algeria› Celia Carave Blanco, Ecocert Iberica, Sevilla,
Spain

Argentina
Source› Land use/operator/production/export volume
data: SENASA, 2019 “Situación de la
Producción Orgánica en la Argentina durante
el año 2018". Buenos Aires. In addition,
further data was provided by SENASA,www.senasa.gov.ar› Export value data is from 2009.
Contact› Juan Carlos Ramirez and Diego Pinasco,
SENASA, Buenos Aires, Argentina,
www.senasa.gob.ar› Facundo Soria, Ministerio de Agricultura
Ganadería y Pesca (MAGYP), Buenos Aires,
Argentina,
http://www.alimentosargentinos.gob.ar/Home
Alimentos/Organicos/

1 Dr. Helga Willer, Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland, www.fibl.org› Otto Hofer, Federal Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry, Environment and Water
Management (AT), Vienna, Austria› Barbara Köcher-Schulz, AMA-Marketing
GesmbH AMA, Vienna, Austria› Pia Reindl, AMA-Marketing GesmbH AMA,
Vienna, Austria

2 See Wynen, Els (2019): Organic Australia in
2010/11 and 2015/16. In: Willer, Helga and Julia
Lernoud (Eds.) (2019): The World of Organic
Agriculture. Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture FiBL, Frick, and IFOAM – Organics
International, Bonn. Available athttps://www.organic-world.net/yearbook/yearbook2019.html

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

315

Annex › Sources
Azerbaijan

Belgium

SourceSources› Experimental and Resource Center affiliatedto the Azerbaijan Botanic Center, Ganja,
Azerbaijan, www.etkt.az. The data is from2015.
Contact› Area and operator data: Landbouw en
Visserij, Brussels, Belgium› Livestock data: Eurostat database, Eurostat,
Luxembourg and Landbouw en Visserij,
Brussels, Belgium› Retail sales: Landbouw en Visserij, Brussels,
Belgium
Contact› Dr. Vugar Babayev, Ganja Agribusiness
Association (GABA), Ganja, Azerbaijan,
www.etkt.az.

Bahamas› Certifier data.

Bangladesh
Source› Data were provided by the Asian Productivity
Organization (APO) and Bangladesh
Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), allcertifiers active in the country were covered.
The certified organic area is 6284.9 hectares.
Aquaculture (shrimp) accounts for the major
share (5781 hectares) of the certified area
while the rest (503.9 hectares) is covered byorganic tea.According to these two
institutions, there are an additional 152’240
hectares under non-certified organic
production› Previous data from the Horticulture Export
Development Foundation, Dhaka,Bangladesh, www.hortex.org (from 2012)were removed from the database for the years
after 2016.
› Please note that due to the changing data
sources a direct year-to-year comparison is notpossible for Bangladesh.
Contact› Dr. Tanveeer, Hossein Shaik, Asian
Productivity Organization (APO), Tokyo,
Japan› Dr. Alam Khurshid, Bangladesh Agricultural
Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh

Belarus
Source› Center for Environmental Solutions (CES),
220029 Minsk, Belarus
Contact› Lyubomyr Klepach, Center for Environmental
Solutions (CES), 220029 Minsk, Belarus
Note
The data7 is based on a survey among theinternational certifiers active in the country. The
Center for Environmental Solutions provided
both 2017 and 2018 data.

316› Ilse Timmermans, Landbouw en Visserij,
Brussels, Belgium

BelizeSource› Certifier data.
Note› Please note that the data source has changed
and that therefore a direct year-to-yearcomparison is not possible.

Benin
Source› Survey among certifiers; not all certifiers
provided updated data.
Contact› Laurent C. Glin, Sikasso, République du Mali

Bermuda› Certifier data. (Processing)

BhutanSource› Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), National
Organic Programme DOA, Thimphu, Bhutan,
www.moa.gov.bt
Contact› Kesang Tshomo and Kinga Iham, Ministry ofAgriculture MOA, National Organic
Programme DOA, Thimphu, Bhutan,
www.moa.gov.bt.

Bolivia
Source› Survey of the Bolivian Association of Organic
Producers Organisations – AOPEB. The data
is from 2014.

Bosnia Herzegovina
Source› Organska Kontrola, Sarajevo, Bosnia &Herzegovina
Contact› Dino Beširevi°, Organska Kontrola, Sarajevo,
Bosnia & Herzegovina

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Annex › Sources
BrazilContact

Sources› Emmeline Foubert, CERTISYS, 1150 Bruxelles,
Belgium, www.certisys.eu.
› Ditta Fetekene, Control Union, Zwolle, The
Netherlands, www.controlunion.org

Area and operator data: Ministério da
Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento/Ministryof Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAPA). To
this data the area and operator data of two
international certifiers were added by FiBL. The
data of these certifiers are currently notregistered under the system of the MAPA. For
MAPA data see Table 84.
› Please note that landuse and crop details wereavailable only from the international certifiers
and not for the total organic farmland.
› Retail sales data: Organic Brasil (2017 data)
Contact› Virgínia Mendes Cipriano Lira, Ministério da
Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento(DTEC/SDA/MAPA), Coordenadora deProdução Orgânica – CPO, Brasilia, Brazil

Brunei Darussalam› For Brunei Darussalam, aquaculture data from2016 are available.
Source› Ecocert China, Beijing, China
Contact› Lisha Zheng, Ecocert China, Beijing, China

Bulgaria
Sources› Land area, operators: Eurostat and data fromthe Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture
provided by FOA Bioselena, Karlovo,
Bulgaria. www.bioselena.com› Domestic market data (from 2017):
Boshnakova, Mila (2018): Bulgaria: Organic
Market Update. GAIN Report Number
BU1811. USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service,
Washington
Contact› Dr. Stoilko Apostolov, FOA Bioselena,
Karlovo, Bulgaria. www.bioselena.com

Burkina Faso
Sources
The data were compiled by FiBL based on thedata of the following international certifiers.
› CERTISYS, B-1150 Bruxelles, Belgium,www.certisys.eu.
› Control Union, Zwolle, The Netherlands,
www.controlunion.org› Ecocert West Africa, Ougadougou, Burkina
Faso› LACON GmbH, Moltkestraße 4, Offenburg,
Germany
All data are from 2017.

Burundi› Ecocert East Africa, Antananarivo,
Madagascar
Contact› Brayene Ramanantsoa, Ecocert East Africa,
Antananarivo, Madagascar

Cambodia
Source› Certifier data.

Cameroon
Source› Ecocert West Africa, Ougadougou, Burkina
Faso, www.ecocert.com Ecocert, L’Isle
Jourdain, France, www.ecocert.com. The data
is from 2017.

CanadaSource› Land area, producers and other operator
types, market data: Survey of the Canada
Organic Trade Association (COTA), Ottawa,
Canada, based on information of the certifiers.
Contact› Diana Zeidan, Special Projects Coordinator,
Canada Organic Trade Association, Ottawa,
Canada, http://ota.com/otacanada.html
Note› See also article about organic farming in
Canada in this and in previous editions of“The World of Organic Agriculture.”

Cape Verde
Certifier data. The data is from 2017.

Chad
Certifier data. Not all certifiers provided
updated data.

Channel Islands
Source› FAOSTAT (2016) Organic area data Channel
Islands. The FAOSTAT website, FAOSTAT,
Rome, Italy, FAOSTAT > Agri-Environmental
Indicators> Inputs. The data is from 2016.

Chile
Source› Area data, producers/ smallholders, livestockand export data: Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero(SAG) Santiago, Chile, www.sag.gob.cl,provided via Comisión Interamericana de

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317

Annex › Sources
Agricultura Orgánica (CIAO), Buenos Aires,
Argentina› Domestic market data (2009) according to
USDA: Organic Products Report Chile. GAIN
Report Number CI0031. November 30, 2010
Contact› Pilar M. Eguillor Recabarren, Oficina deEstudios y Políticas Agrarias (ODEPA),
Ministerio de Agricultura, Teatinos 40,
Santiago, Chile, www.odepa.gob.cl.
› Claudio Cárdenas Catalán, Servicio Agrícola yGandero (SAG), Ministerio de Agricultura,
Santiago, Chile, http://www.sag.cl

China
SourcesComoros
Source› Ecocert East Africa, Antananarivo,
Madagascar
Contact› Brayene Ramanantsoa, Ecocert East Africa,
Antananarivo, Madagascar

Congo, Democratic Republic ofCertifier data.

Cook Islands
Source› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int.
Contact› Land area, operators, market and export data;
Chinese Agricultural University, Beijing,
China
Contact› Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity (SPC), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int› Yuhui Qiao, Chinese Agricultural University,
Beijing, China› Zejiang Zhou, President, Board of IFOAM
Asia, China› Land area, operators and export volume data:
Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado (2018):
Programas Especiales/ Agricultura Orgánica.
Estadísticas 2018. M.A.G Costa Rica, San José.
› Export value (2009 data) PROMOCER (2011):
Costa Rica: exportaciones de productos
orgánicos según destino.
› Domestic market data (2008) were provided
by the organic sector organization MAOCO.

Colombia
Source› Total area and operator data: Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development(Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo
Rural), Bogotá, Columbia. Please note thatbased not he data from the ministry, the 2017
data (published in “The World of Organic
Agriculture 2019) were revised.
› Land use and crop data were provided
ECONEXOS, Conexion Ecologica, Cali,
Colombia, www.econexos.com, based on asurvey among the certifiers. The land use andcrop data is from 2014.
Contact› Carlos Escobar, ECONEXOS - Desarrollo en
Movimiento, Cali, República de Colombia,
www.econexos.com.
Note
The data collection official system from the
Ministry of Agriculture only shows information
about the area, products, etc certified according
to the to national standard. This means that if an
operator has e.g. only EU certification, this data
is not included into this system. If tan operator
has EU certification + national certification, thedata is included. It might therefore be that theorganic area in Colombia is higher.

318

Costa Rica
SourceCôte d’Ivoire
Sources
The data were compiled by FiBL based on thedata of the following international certifiers:› CERTISYS, B-1150 Bruxelles, Belgium› Control Union, Zwolle, The Netherlands,
www.controlunion.org› Ecocert West Africa, Ougadougou, Burkina
Faso, www.ecocert.com› ICEA, Bologna, Italy
Not all certifiers provided updated data.
Contact› Emmeline Foubert, CERTISYS, 1150 Bruxelles,
Belgium, www.certisys.eu.
› Ditta Fetekene, Control Union, Zwolle, The
Netherlands, www.controlunion.org› Nohoun Barro, Ecocert SA West Africa Office,Ougadougou, Burkina Faso

Croatia
Sources› Area and operators: Eurostat database organic
farming, Eurostat, Luxembourg andMediterranean Organic Agriculture Network
MOAN, Bari, Italy

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Annex › Sources› Market (from 2014) & export data (from 2011):
Darko Znaor, Independent Consultant, 10000
Zagreb, Croatia
Contact› Darko Znaor, Independent Consultant, 10000
Zagreb, Croatia

Cuba

Dominica
Source› Division of Agriculture provided by Dominica
Organic Agriculture Movement (DOAM) Inc.,
PO Box 1953 - Roseau, Commonwealth ofDominica.
The data is from 2011.

Certifier data.

Dominican Republic

Cyprus

SourceSource› Land area and producer data: Department ofAgriculture, Nicosia, Cyprus› Production data: Eurostat database, Eurostat,
Luxembourg› Market data (from 2006): Organic Retailers
Association, Ecozept and Biovista (eds.)(2008): Specialised Organic Retail Report 2008.
Freising and Vienna 2008
Contact› Andreas Selearis, Department of Agriculture,
Nicosia, Cyprus

Czech Republic
Source› Area, operators, market and international
trade data: Institute of Agricultural Economics
and Information (UZEI), Department of Agrienvironmental Policy, 602 00 Brno, Czech
Republic. The market and international trade
data are from 2017.
Contact› Secretaria de Estado de Agricultura, Oficina
de Control Orgánico, Santa Domingo,
Dominican Republic,
www.agricultura.gob.do. Data were provided
via Comisión Interamericana de Agricultura
Orgánica (CIAO), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Contact› Leandro Duarte Nina Fortuna, Director
Oficina de Control de la Agricultura Orgánica,
ViceMinisterio de Extensión y Capacitación
Agropecuarias. Ministerio de Agricultura,Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic,
www.agricultura.gob.do.

Ecuador
Source› Land area, operators, exports: Agrocalidad,
Quito Ecuador, www.agrocalidad.gob.ec
Contact› Rommel Aníbal Betancourt Herrera,
Agrocalidad, Quito, Ecuador

Egypt› Hana Šejnohová, Institute of Agricultural
Economics and Information (UZEI),
Department of Agri-environmental Policy,
Brno, Czech Republic› Andrea Hrabalová, Brno, Czech Republic

SourceDenmark

El Salvador

Sources› Land area, land use, Operators: Eurostat
database, Eurostat, Luxembourg› Retail sales: Landbrug & Fødevarer. Based ondata from Statistics Denmark (general retailsales) and Organic Denmark (for othermarketing channels)› Food service and exports: Statistics Denmark.
Contact› Martin Lundoe, Statistics Denmark,Copenhagen, www.statbank.dk› Ejvind Pedersen, Danish Agriculture & Food
Council, Agro Food Park 13, 8200 Aarhus N,
Denmark› Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network(MOAN), MOAN Secretariat Istituto
Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari (CIHEAM
Bari), Bari, Italy
Source› Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Final
1a. Avenida Norte, 13 Calle Poniente y
Avenida Manuel, Gallardo, Santa Tecla, El
SalvadorContact› Jose Fernando Maldonado Cestona,
Coordinador Area de Inocuidad de Alimentos
y Agricultura Orgánica Ministerio de
Agricultura y Ganadería Dirección General de
Sanidad Vegetal, El Salvador

Estonia
Sources› Land area, land use, operators: Organic
Farming in Estonia 2018. Compiled by the
Estonian Organic Farming Foundation based

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn319

Annex › Sourceson Ministry of Agriculture, Republic ofEstonia, Tallin and Eurostat database,Eurostat, Luxembourg› Retail sales data (2017): Estonian Institute of
Economic Research, Estonia› Export data: Estonian Ministry of Agriculture› A detailed report about organic farming in
Estonia can be found at
http://www.maheklubi.ee/mison/eestis/Contact› Merit Mikk, Centre of Ecological Engineering,Tartu, Estonia

Eswatini
Certifier data

Ethiopia
Source› Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research,
Akaki, Ethiopia. The data is from 2015.
Contact› Addisu Alemayeh Ferede, Ethiopian Instituteof Agricultural Research, Akaki, Ethiopia

Falkland Islands/Malvinas
Source› Department of Agriculture, Bypass Road,
Stanley, Falkland Islands,
www.agriculture.gov.fk.
Contact› Export data: Pro Luomu, Kauniainen, Finland.
The total exports are estimated at 25 to 30
million euros
Contact› Marja-Riitta Kottila, Pro Luomu, Kauniainen,
FinlandFranceSource› Area and operators: Agence Bio, Montreuilsur-Bois, France. www.agencebio.org, andEurostat database, Eurostat Luxembourg› Retail sales: Agence Bio, Montreuil-sur-Bois,
France› Export and import data (2017): Agence Bio,
Montreuil-sur-Bois, France
Contact› Eva Lacarce, Agence Bio, Montreuil-sous-Bois,
France, www.agencebio.fr

French Guyana
Source› Agence Bio, Montreuil-sur-Bois, France.
www.agencebio.org.
Contact› Eva Lacarce, Agence Bio, Montreuil sous Bois,
France, www.agencebio.fr

French Polynesia
Source› Lucy Ellis, Department of Agriculture, Bypass
Road, Stanley, Falkland Islands,
www.agriculture.gov.fk› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int.
Contact

Faroe Islands› Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity (SPC), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int

Source› Vottunarstofan Tún ehf, Laugavegur 7, 101
Reykjavík, Iceland, www.tun.is.
Contact› Rannveig Guðleifsdóttir, Vottunarstofan Túnehf., Reykjavík, Iceland, www.tun.is

Fiji Islands
Sources› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community(POETCom), Suva, Fiji, www.spc.int
Contact› Karen Mapusua, Pacific Organic and Ethical
Trade Community (POETCom), Suva, Fiji

Finland
Sources› Land area: The Finnish Food Safety Authority
Evira, Finland.
› Operators: Eurostat database, Eurostat
Luxembourg.
› Market data: Pro Luomu, Kauniainen, Finland

320

GambiaCertifier data.

Georgia
Source› Elkana Survey, Elkana, 16 Gazapkhuli street,
0177 Tbilisi, Georgia, www.elkana.org.ge. The
data is from 2015.
Contact› Elene Shatberashvili, Biological Farming
Association Elkana, 16 Gazapkhuli street, 0177
Tbilisi, Georgia, www.elkana.org.ge

Germany
Sources› Area and operator data: Federal Agency for
Agriculture BLE, Bonn, Germany› Crop and livestock details: Agrarmarkt
Informations-Gesellschaft mbH (AMI), Bonn,
Germany, www.ami-informiert.de.
› Retail sales: Arbeitskreis Biomarkt (Working
group organic market), coordinated by AMI

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Annex › Sources
based on data of GfK, Nielsen, bioVista und
Klaus Braun Kommunikationsberatung.
Contact› Diana Schaack, Agrarmarkt InformationsGesellschaft mbH (AMI), Bonn, Germany,
www.ami-informiert.de

Ghana
SourceThe data was compiled by FiBL based on thedata of the following international certifiers. Not
all certifiers provided updated data.
› CERTISYS, Brussels, www.certisys.eu› Control Union, Zwolle, The Netherlands,
www.controlunion.org› Ecocert West Africa, Ougadougou, Burkina
Faso› Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg, Germany, www.bcsoeko.deContact› Tobias Fischer, Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg,
Germany, www.bcs-oeko.de› Emmeline Foubert, CERTISYS, Brussels,
Belgium› Ditta Fetekene, Control Union, Zwolle, The
Netherlands

GreeceSources› Land area and operators: Eurostat database,Eurostat, Luxembourg.
› Market data: Daso Business Performance PC,
Strategy & Management Consultants,
Thessaloniki, Greece› Wild collection data (2015) Mediterranean
Organic Agriculture Network (MOAN),
MOAN Secretariat Istituto Agronomico
Mediterraneo di Bari (CIHEAM Bari), Bari,
Italy
Contact› Nicolette van der Smissen, Feres, Greece

GrenadaCertifier data.

Guadeloupe
Source› Agence Bio, Montreuil-sur-Bois, France.
www.agencebio.org.
Contact› Eva Lacarce, Agence Bio, Montreuil-sous-Bois,
France, www.agencebio.fr

GuatemalaSource› Total area: USDA Source: USDA Foreign
Agricultural Service, Global Agricultural

Information Network (2015): Guatemala.
USDA, Washington D.C.
› Crop data: Department of Organic
Agriculture, Ministerio de Agricultura,
Ganaderia y Alimentación (MAGA), Ciudad
de Guatemala, Guatemala C.A. 01013,
www2.maga.gob.gt. The data is from 2011.
Contact› Álvaro Alfredo Ramos Méndez, Lauro
Antonio Rivera Gramajo, Dirección deFitozoogenética y Recursos Nativos (DFRN),
Viceministerio de Sanidad Agropecuaria yRegulaciones (VISAR), Ministerio Agricultura,
Ganadería y Alimentación (MAGA), Ciudad
de Guatemala, Guatemala,https://visar.maga.gob.gt/

GuineaCertifier data (from 2017).

Guinea Bissau
Certifier data.

GuyanaSource› Ecocert Colombia, Mexico, Peru Bogota D.C.,
Colombia (wild collection).
Contact› Guillaume Granier, Ecocert Colombia, Mexico,
Peru, Bogota D.C, Colombia

Haiti
Source› IMOcert Latinoamerica LTDA, Cochabamba,
Bolivia› Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg, Germany, www.bcsoeko.de› Ecocert France, L'Isle-Jourdain, France
Contact› Eva Berre, Ecocert France, L'Isle-Jourdain,
France› Osvaldo Garcia, IMOcert Latinoamerica
LTDA, Cochabamba, Bolivia› Tobias Fischer, Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg,
Germany, www.bcs-oeko.de

Honduras
Source› Agricultura Orgánica Honduras, Secretaria deAgricultura y Ganadería, Tegucigalpa,
Honduras, SENASA Honduras.
Contact› Carlos Galo, Jefe del Departamento de
Agricultura Orgánica (DAO) Sub Dirección de
Sanidad Vegetal (SAVE). Servicio Nacional de
Sanidad Vegetal (SENASA) Secretaría de
Agricultura y Ganadería (SAG) Edificio

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321

Annex › Sources
Senasa Boulevard Centroamérica, Ave. La
FAO, antes de INJUPEMH, Tegucigalpa.
M.D.C. Honduras.

Hong Kong
Certifier data.

Hungary
Sources› Land area and operator data: National Food
Chain Safety Office, Food and Feed Safety
Office, Food Trade Control Department,
Hungary, www.nebih.gov.hu, and Eurostat
database, Eurostat, Luxembourg› Market and trade data (2015): Survey/Estimate
by Ferenc Frühwald, Budapest, Hungary
Contact› Bence Trugly, ÖMKI, Budapest, Hungary,www.biokutats.hu

Iceland
Source› Vottunarstofan Tún ehf. Laugavegur 7, 101
Reykjavík, Iceland, www.tun.is.
Contact› Rannveig Guðleifsdóttir, Vottunarstofan Túnehf., Reykjavík, Iceland, www.tun.is

India
Source› Land area, operators, exports: Agriculturaland Processed Food Products Export
Development (APEDA) Ministry ofCommerce & Industry, Government of India,
New Delhi, India, www.apeda.com.
› Retail sales data (2017): ICCOA- International
Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture,
Karnataka, India
Note:› In 2018, there were 426’403 hectares PGS
certified and managed by a total of 605’254
farmers organized in 23’061 PGS groups. The
data is available at: http://pgsindiancof.gov.in.
Contact

Iran
Source› Environmental Sciences Research Institute,
Shahid Beheshti University ESRI, Evin,
Tehran, Iran. The information is based on thedata of the certifiers active in the country. The
data is from 2017.
Contact› Hossein Mahmoudi, Environmental Sciences
Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University
ESRI, Tehran, Iran.

Iraq
Source› Zakho Small Villages Projects (ZSVP), Dohuk
City, Dohuk, Iraq
Contact› Dr. Abid Ali Hasan, Zakho Small Villages
Projects (ZSVP), Program Coordinator in Iraq,
Dohuk City, Dohuk, Iraq

Ireland
Source› Area, operators and livestock data: Eurostat,
Luxembourg› Market data (2017): Bord Bia, Dublin, Ireland.
The retail sales presented here are a Bord Bia
extrapolation of the Kantar panel data andhence not comparable to the total organic
retail sales provided in the previous years.
Contact› Lorcan Burke, Bord Bia, Dublin, Ireland

IsraelSource› Standardization and Accreditation
Department Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development Plant Protection and Inspection
Services (PPIS), Israel,
www.ppiseng.moag.gov.il/ppiseng/ISREAL
Contact› Tal Weil Tzameret, Standardization andAccreditation Department, Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development, Plant
Protection and Inspection Services (PPIS),
Israel› Manoj Kumar Menon, International
Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture
ICCOA, Bangalore, India

Italy

Indonesia

Sources

Source› Operator, primary crops, livestock products:
SINAB (2019): Bio in Cifre 2018. SINAB,
Rome, Italy, Eurostat database, Eurostat,
Luxembourg, and Mediterratnen Organic
Networ MOAN, Bari, Italy› Market: Nomisma (2019): Osservatoria Sana
2019. Il posizionamento competitivo del BIO
Made in Italy sui mercati esteri. Nomisma,› Indonesian Organic Alliance, Bangor,
Indonesia (www.organicindonesia.org).
Survey among the certifiers active in the
country.
Contact› Lidya Ariesusanty, lidya.arie@gmail.com

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Annex › Sources
Bologna. Presentation at Sana, September
2019, Bologna, Italy.
http://www.sinab.it/content/bio-statisticheContact› Roberto Pinton, Assobio, 35121 Padova, Italy› Silvia Zucconi, Nomisma, Bologna, Italy

Jamaica› Virginija Luksiene, Ekoagros, Kaunas,
Lithuania› Roberto Maresca , Control and Certification
for Organic Products Office CCPB, Bologna,
Italy, www.ccpb.it› Franziska Staubli, Bioinspecta, Frick,
Switzerland

SourceKenya› Jamaica Organic Movement JOAM, P.O. Box5728, Kingston 6, Jamaica, www.joamltd.org.
The data is from 2016.
Contact

Source› Trevor Brown, Jamaica Organic Movement
JOAM, www.joamltd.org› Samuel Ndungu, Kenya Organic Movement(KOAN), Nairobi, Kenya, www.koan.co.ke

Japan

Kiribati

Source› Area and producer data: Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry and Fisheries(MAFF),Tokyo, Japan,
http://www.maff.go.jp/j/jas/jas_kikaku/yuuki.
html#zisseki› Domestic market data: Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF),
Tokyo, Japan. Data provided by the Italian
Embassy in Tokyo at a presentation at SANA
2019, Bologna
Contact› Saori Hearn, IFOAM JAPAN, Tokyo, Japan› Heinz Kuhlmann, ABC Enterprises, Tokyo,
Japan› Miyoshi Satoko, Global Organic Textile
Standard (GOTS) Japan, Tokyo, Japan

JordanSource› Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network(MOAN), MOAN Secretariat Istituto
Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari (CIHEAM
Bari), Bari, Italy. The data is from 2017.

Kazakhstan
Sources› Bioinspecta, Frick, Switzerland› Control and Certification for Organic Products
Office Ufficio Attività di Controllo e
Certificazione Prodotti Biologici, Bologna,
Italy, www.ccpb.it› Ecocert Balkan, Belgrad, Serbia› Ekoagros, Kaunas, Lithuania› Organic Standard, Kyiv, Ukraine
Contact› Sergiy Galashevskyy, Organic Standard, Kyiv,
Ukraine› Milana Kosanovic, Ecocert Balkan , Belgrad,Serbia› Kenya Organic Movement (KOAN), Nairobi,
Kenya, www.koan.co.ke.
Contact

Sources› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int
Contact› Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity (SPC), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int

Korea, Republic of
Source› Korea Institute of Rural Social Affairs,
Chungnam Province, Republic of Korea,
Republic of Korea
Contact› Jennifer Chang, Korean Federation of Organic
Agriculture Organisations (KFSA), Republicof Korea› Hakkyun Jeong, Korea Institute of Rural
Social Affairs, Chungnam Province, Republicof Korea

KosovoSource› Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network(MOAN), MOAN Secretariat Istituto
Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari (CIHEAM
Bari), Bari, Italy

KuwaitSource› Ecocert India, Aurangabad, Maharashtra,
India, www.ecocert.com
Contact› Amresh Kumar Pandey, Ecocert India,
Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India,
www.ecocert.com

Kyrgyzstan
Source› Agricultural Commodity and Service
Cooperative "Bio Farmer", Kyrgyzstan. To this

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Annex › Sources
data, the data of two international certifiers
was added.
Contact

Organic Market Report 2018/2019. Moreganic
Sourcing, Uppsala, Sweden
Contact› Gulzaada Aleshova, Helvetas, Jalalabad,
Kyrgyzstan› Virginija Luksiene, Ekoagros, Kaunas,
Lithuania› Virgilijus Skulskis, Lithuanian Institute ofAgri Economics, Vilnius, Lithuania

Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Source› Department of Agriculture (DOA), PO BOX
811, Vientiane, Laos. The data is from 2016.
Contact› Thavisith Bounyasouk, Department ofAgriculture (DOA), PO BOX 811, Vientiane,
Laos

LatviaSource› Area and Operators: Eurostat database,Eurostat, Luxembourg› Market data (from 2017): Retail sales andexport data: Moreganic Sourcing AB (2018):
Baltic Organic Market Report 2018/2019.
Moreganic Sourcing, Uppsala, Sweden

LebanonSource› Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network(MOAN), MOAN Secretariat Istituto
Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari (CIHEAM
Bari), Bari, Italy› For some crop details, the data of CCPB
Middle East were used.

Lesotho
Certifier data.

Liechtenstein
Source› Klaus Büchel Anstalt, Institute of Agriculture
and Environment, 9493 Mauren,
Liechtenstein, www.kba.li.
Contact› Florian Bernardi and Klaus Büchel, Institute ofAgriculture and Environment, 9493 Mauren,
Liechtenstein, www.kba.li.
Note
Retail sales data are not available for
Liechtenstein. Data published previously werebased on estimates and removed from thedatabase.

Lithuania
Source› Land area, production volume, operators:
Eurostat database, Eurostat, Luxembourg› Market data: Retail sales and export data
(2017): Moreganic Sourcing AB (2018): Baltic

Luxembourg
Source› Land area and operator data: Administration
des Services Techniques de l'Agriculture,
Service de la protection des végétaux,
Luxembourg, www.asta.etat.lu› Market data: Oekopolis estimate based on
turnover data of the specialized shops andsupermarkets, Oikopolis, Munsbach,Luxembourg
Contact› Claudine Schmit, Ministère de l’Agriculture,de la Viticulture et de la Protection desconsommateurs, Luxembourg,
www.asta.etat.lu› Aender Schanck, Biogros, Munsbach,www.biogros.lu

Madagascar
Certifier data.

Malawi
SourceThe data were compiled by FiBL based on thedata of the following international certifiers.
› Control Union, Zwolle, The Netherlands,
www.controlunion.org› Ecocert Southern Africa, Gardens Cape Town,
www.ecocert.com› Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg, Germany, www.bcsoeko.de›Contact› Ditta Fetekene, Control Union, Zwolle, The
Netherland› Tobias Fischer, Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg,
Germany, www.bcs-oeko.de› Alta Saunders, Ecocert Southern Africa,
Stellenbosch, South Africa› Marianna Smith, , Ecocert Southern Africa,
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Note› The number of producers is higher than in thepast, as for the first time the number ofsmallholders was provided by one certifier.

Malaysia
Source› Control Union, Zwolle, The Netherlands

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Annex › Sources› Ecocert India, Aurangabad, Maharashtra,
India, www.ecocert.com› National Association for Sustainable
Agriculture Australia (NASAA) Certified
Organic (NCO, Stirling, Australia› Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand(ACT), Bangkok, Thailand
Contacts

Contact› Aurora Josefina Lobato García, Responsablede control de productos orgánicos., Servicio
Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad
Agroalimentaria (SENASICA), Secretaría de
Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER),
Ciudad de México, México
Note

Malta

Please note that the data source has changed andthat a direct year-to-year comparison is notpossible. The current data include data from allcertifiers that are registered under the system of
the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture (SADER).
Previously the data were provided by the
Universidad Autónoma Chapingo (Latest datafrom 2016). The differences in the total area
maybe due to the fact that previous data may
have included double-certified operations.
As to the operators, it should be noted that
under the current system only operations arecounted but not the smallholders associated tothem. The current number of all operations
including smallholders is not available.

Source: Eurostat database, Eurostat, Luxemburg

Moldova› Ditta Fetekene, Control Union, Zwolle, The
Netherlands› Weena Krut-ngoen, Organic Agriculture
Certification Thailand (ACT), Bangkok,
Thailand› Carolin Möller, National Association for
Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA)
Certified Organic (NCO, Stirling, Australia› Amresh Kumar Pandey, Ecocert India,
Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India,
www.ecocert.com

Mali
Certifier data. The data is from 2017.

Martinique (France)
Source› Agence Bio, Montreuil-sur-Bois, France.
www.agencebio.org
Contact› Eva Lacarce, Agence Bio, Montreuil sous Bois,
France, www.agencebio.fr

Mauritius
Source› Ecocert, Antananarivo, Madagascar,www.ecocert.com
Contact› Brayène Ramanantsoa, Ecocert, Antananarivo,
Madagascar, www.ecocert.com

SourceInstitutul National de Cercetari Economice, data
provided by: Liliana CalmaƜui; AsociaƜia
EducaƜie pentru Dezvoltar (AED)
Contact› Liliana Calmaôui, Manager proiect InfOrganic,
Asociaôia Educaôie pentru Dezvoltare (AED)
http://aed.ong/, 012 Chiƕin©u, Republica
Moldova
Note
The 2018 data are not diectly comparable withthe previous data as the data source haschanged. Previous data may have included
double-certified operations.

Mayotte (France)

MonacoSourceCertifier data.

› Agence Bio, Montreuil-sur-Bois, France.
www.agencebio.org
Contact

Mongolia› Eva Lacarce, Agence Bio, Montreuil sous Bois,
France, www.agencebio.fr

MexicoSource› Subdirectora de Autorización y Aprobaciónde Organismos de Coadyuvancia, Servicio
Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad
Agroalimentaria (SENASICA), Secretaría de
Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER),
Ciudad de México, México

› Department of Coordination for Food
Production Policy Implementation, Ministryof Food Agriculture and Light industry ofMongolia Contact› TUNGALAG Davaa. Senior officer,
Department of Coordination for Food
Production Policy Implementation, Ministryof Food Agriculture and Light industry ofMongolia

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn325

Annex › Sources
Note
Please note that the data refer to PGS operations
certified under the governments’ accreditation
system.

Montenegro
Source› Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Podgorica, Montenegro› Market data (from 2010): Ecozept - Market
research and marketing consulting agency.
Freising, Germany
Contact› Andrijana Rako²evi°, Advisor for Organic
production, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Podgorica, Montenegro

MoroccoSources› AMABIO, Casa Blanca, Morocco,
www.amabio.org› Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network(MOAN), MOAN Secretariat Istituto
Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari (CIHEAM
Bari), Bari, Italy
Contact› Zaoui Elhousseine, AMABIO/FIMABIO, Casa
Blanca, Morocco, www.amabio.org

Mozambique
Sources› Control Union, Zwolle, The Netherlands› Ecocert, South Africa, Stellenbosch, Namibia› Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg, Germany, www.bcsoeko.de
Updated data was not available from allcertifiers.
Contact› Ditta Fetekene, Control Union, Zwolle, The
Netherlands› Tobias Fischer, Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg,
Germany, www.bcs-oeko.de› Alta Saunders, Ecocert Southern Africa,
Stellenbosch, South Africa› Marianna Smith, , Ecocert Southern Africa,
Stellenbosch, South Africa

MyanmarCertifier data (from 2017)

Namibia
Source› Certifier data.
Note› Please note that previously PGS data were
included. However, these were not confirmed(see also PGS statistics in this book) and326

therefore this data was removed from thedatabase. This explains the drop in organic
farmland in Namibia.

Nepal
Source› Certifier data
Note
› In previous years data were provided by
Maheswar Ghimire, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Netherlands
Sources› Land area and operator data: Eurostat
database, Eurostat, Luxembourg.
› Retail sales and exports data: Bionext, Ede,
The Netherlands; the Bionext website,
https://bionext.nl/. The export data is from
2016.
Contact› Miriam van Bree, Bionext, Ede, The
Netherlands, www.bionext.nl

New Caledonia
Source› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int
Contact› Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity (SPC), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int

New Zealand
Source› 2018 New Zealand Organic Sector Market
Report. Organics Aotearoa New Zealand,
Wellington, New Zealand, www.oanz.org.nz.
Contact› Jon Manhire, the AgriBusiness Group,
Christchurch, New Zealand,
www.agribusinessgroup.com

Nicaragua
Source› Instituto de Protección y Sanidad
Agropecuaria IPSA, Departamento deInspección Certificación Fitosanitaria,
Managua, Nicaragua, www.magfor.gob.ni
Contact› Ing. Ramón Ernesto Noguera García, Institutode Protección y Sanidad Agropecuaria IPSA,
Departamento de Inspección Certificación
Fitosanitaria, Managua, Nicaragua,
www.magfor.gob.ni

Niger
Certifier data.

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Annex › Sources
Nigeria

Panamá

SourceSource› Association of Organic Agriculture
Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), Ibadan,
Nigeria, and University of Ibadan, Nigeria
The data includes PGS area. To this data, thedata of international certifiers was added.
Contact› Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario,
Dirección Nacional de Sanidad Vegetal,
Panama, www.mida.gob.pa.
Contact› Olugbenga O. AdeOluwa, University of
Ibadan, Nigeria

Niue› Fermín Vicente Romero Houlstan, Rita
Villareal, Dirección Nacional de Sanidad
Vegetal, Ministerio de Desarrollo
Agropecuario (MIDA), Panama,
www.mida.gob.pa

SourcePapua New Guinea› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int
Contact

Source› Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity (SPC), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int

North Macedonia› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int
Contact› Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity (SPC), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int

SourceParaguay› Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network(MOAN), MOAN Secretariat Istituto
Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari (CIHEAM
Bari), Bari, Italy› Wild collection: Certifier data

SourceNorwaySources› Land area and operator data: Eurostat
database, Eurostat, Luxembourg› Market data for general retailers: Norwegian
Agriculture Agency (Landbruksdirektoratet),
Oslo, Norway based on Nielsen data. The total
retail sales data were compiled by FiBL basedon data from the Norwegian Agriculture
Agency and experts estimates on further sales
channels.
Contact› Alexandra Forbord, Norwegian Agriculture
Agency (Landbruksdirektoratet), Oslo,
NorwayOman
Source› Data from one international certifier wereadded to the data provided previously.

Pakistan
Certifier data.

Palestine, State ofArea for agricultural land, production, beehives,
total wild collection area: Mediterranean Organic
Agriculture Network (MOAN), MOAN
Secretariat Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo diBari (CIHEAM Bari), Bari, Italy› Servicio Nacional de Calidad y Sanidad
Vegetal y de Semillas, Department of Organic
Agriculture, Asuncion, Paraguay,www.senave.gov.py
Contact› Genaro Coronel, Servicio Nacional de Calidad
y Sanidad Vegetal y de Semillas, Departmentof Organic Agriculture, Asuncion, Paraguay,www.senave.gov.py› Juana Beatriz Caballero Almada,
Coordinadora Ejecutiva de la Dirección deExtensión Agraria (Viceministerio de
Agricultura, Ministerio de Agricultura yGanadería) Coordinadora Alterna - Comité
Técnico de Promoción de la Producción
Orgánica (CTPPO)

Perú
Source› Area and number of producers: SENASA.
Producción Orgánica. Lima, Perú. As notdetailed crop data area available (apart from 5
main crops), old data from 2010 are used forthe crop details.
› Domestic market data (2010) data: Promperu,
Lima, Perú, www.promperu.gob.pe. The total
value of domestic market is an estimate, based
the data from Promperu that the domestic
market is between 13.1 and 23.2 million US
dollars (2010). Updates are not available.
› Export data: Promperu, Lima, Perú,www.promperu.gob.pe

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Annex › Sources
Contact

Contact› Félix Oswaldo Maquera Cuayla, Subdirecciónde Producción Orgánica, Servicio Nacional de
Sanidad Agraria (SENASA), Ministerio de
Agricultura y Riego (MINAGRI)› Marly Cristina López Rengifo, Dirección
General Agrícola (DGA – MINAGRI).
Secretaria Técnica del Consejo Nacional deProductos Orgánicos (CONAPO).

› Bartosz Pytlak, Organic Farming Unit,
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Warsaw, Poland,
www.minrol.gov.pl

Philippines
Sources
The data were compiled by FiBL from a numberof certifiers, but there are more certifiers active
than those listed below. Certifiers who provided
data:› Ceres, Happburg, Germany, www.cerescert.com;› Control Union, Zwolle, The Netherlands,
www.controlunion.org;› Ecocert India, Aurangabad, Maharashtra,
India, www.ecocert.com› Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg, Germany, www.bcsoeko.deContact› Albrecht Benzing, Ceres, Happburg,
Germany, www.ceres-cert.com› Ditta Fetekene, Control Union, Zwolle, The
Netherlands, www.controlunion.org.
› Tobias Fischer, Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg,
Germany, www.bcs-oeko.de;› Amresh Kumar Pandey, Ecocert India,
Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India,
www.ecocert.com
Note
A direct year-to-year comparison over the years
is not possible as not all certifiers provided
updates every year. Please note that weundertook a total revision of the historical areaand producer data due to the fact that one
certifiers provided revised data.

PolandSource› Land area and land use, livestock andproduction: Department of Promotion andFood Quality, Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development, Poland and Eurostat
database, Eurostat, Luxembourg› Market data: Biokurier, quoted by Biofach:“Bio weltweit weiter auf Wachstumskurs”.
Biofach Press release of November 5, 2018.
https://www.biofach.de/de/news/presseinfor
mationen/biofach-2019-marktbericht%204n49w4cfex_pireport

328

Portugal
Source› Organic land and operators: Eurostat
database, Luxembourg› Market data (2011): INTERBIO,
http://www.interbio.pt
Contact› Catarina Crisostomo, Portugal

Puerto Rico
Certifier data (from 2016).

RéunionSource› Agence Bio, Montreuil-sur-Bois, France.
www.agencebio.org
Contact› Eva Lacarce, Agence Bio, Montreuil-sous-Bois,
France, www.agencebio.fr

Romania
Sources› Organic area, land use, livestock andproduction: Eurostat database, Luxemburg.
› Wild collection: Ministry of Agriculture
MADR, Bucharest, Romania, see
http://www.madr.ro/ro/agriculturaecologica/dinamica-operatorilor-si-asuprafetelor-in-agricultura-ecologica.html.
The data is from 2014.
› International trade data (from 2011): BCGGlobal Advisors (2013) Romanian Organic
Sector – Business Insight Booklet. Global
Advisors, Bio-Romania Association,
University of Bucharest. Bucharest 2012
› Retail sales data: Dobrescu, Monica (2017):
Romania: Organic production and market
overview. GAIN Report No. RO 1702. The
USDA FAS website. USDA, Washington. The
data is from 2016.

Russian Federation
Source
The area data was compiled by FiBL based on
the data of the following international certifiers:› Bio.Inspecta, Frick, Switzerland, www.bioinspecta.ch› Control Union, Zwolle, The Netherlands,
www.controlunion.org› Ecocert China, Beijing, China› Ekoagros, Kaunas, Lithuania

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Annex › Sources› Ecoglobe - Organic control and certification
body, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia,
www.ecoglobe.am› Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg, Germany, www.bcsoeko.de› Control and Certification for Organic Products
Office , Roberto Maresca, Ufficio Attività diControllo e Certificazione Prodotti Biologici, ,Bologna, www.ccpb.it› Organic Standard, Kyiv, Ukraine› Organización Internacional Agropecuaria(OIA), Buenos Aires, ArgentinaMarket data (retail sales)› Prusso, Giuseppe (2019): Il Mercato die
Prodotti Bio nella Federazione Russa.
Presentation by Prusso, Giuseppe of the
Italian Trade Agency at Sana, Bologna,
September 6, 2019
Contact› Nune Darbinyan, Ecoglobe - Organic control
and certification body, Yerevan, Republic of
Armenia, www.ecoglobe.am.
› Ditta Fetekene, Control Union, Zwolle, The
Netherlands, www.controlunion.org› Tobias Fischer, Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg,
Germany, www.bcs-oeko.de› Sergiy Galashevskyy, Organic Standard, Kyiv,
Ukraine› Pedro Landa, Organización Internacional
Agropecuaria (OIA), Buenos Aires, Argentina› Virginija Luksiene, Ekoagros, Kaunas,
ithuania› Franziska Staubli, Bio.Inspecta, Frick,
Switzerland, www.bio-inspecta.ch
Note
A direct year-to-year comparison over the years
is not possible as not all certifiers provide
updates every year.

RwandaCertifier data.

Samoa
Source› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int
Contact› Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity (SPC), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int

San Marino
Certifier data.

Sao Tome and Prince
Source› National Directorate of Planning, Ministry of
Finance, Trade and Blue Economy, São Tomeand Principe, www.financas.st. The number of
producers was provided by Ecocert.
Contact› Geisel de Menezes, Director of Planning andProspective, Min. of Finance, Commerce andBlue Economy, São Tome and Principe,
www.financas.st.

Saudi Arabia
Source› Department of Organic Agriculture (DOA),
http://moa.gov.sa/organice/portale
Contact› Eng. Ayman Saad Al-Ghamdi, General
Manager of Organic Agriculture Department(DOA), Saudi Arabia› Raed Saleh Almusaylim; Manager of Control& Legislation Section, Department of Organic
Production, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Senegal› Certifier data and 2013 data from National
Federation for Organic Agriculture, Thiès,
SénégalSerbiaSource› Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water
Management, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
Contact› Jelena Milic, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Water Management, Belgrade, Republicof Serbia

Sierra Leone
Certifier data.

Singapore
Certifier data.

Slovakia
Sources› Area, operators, livestock, and crop
production: Eurostat database, Luxemburg› Market data (2010): Ecozept, market research
and marketing consulting agency. Freising,Germany

Slovenia
Sources› Area, operators, livestock, crop production:
Ministrstvo za kmetijstvo, gozdarstvo inprehrano-Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Food, Ljubljana, Slovenia,
www.mkgp.gov.si› Domestic market data (from 2103): Institutefor Sustainable Development, Ljubljana,
Slovenia

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn329

Annex › Sources› Marketing channels (from 2009): Institute for
Sustainable Development, Ljubljana, Slovenia› Exports and imports (from 2009): Institute for
Sustainable Development, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Contact› Anamarija Slabe, Institute for Sustainable
Development, Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia› Maja Zibert, Ministrstvo za kmetijstvo,
gozdarstvo in prehrano-Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry and Food, Ljubljana,
Slovenia, www.mkgp.gov.si

Solomon Islands
Source› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int.
Contact› Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity (SPC), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int

Somalia
Certifier data.

South Africa
Sources
The data were compiled by FiBL based on thedata of the following international certifiers.
› Control Union, Zwolle, The Netherlands,
www.controlunion.org› Ecocert Southern Africa, Gardens Cape Town,
www.ecocert.com› Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg, Germany, www.bcsoeko.dePlease note that not all certifiers provided
updated data. The total area for 2017 was revised
as some areas had been counted as agriculturalland, when in fact these were wild collection
areas. The revised figure for 2017 is 22’646
hectares.
Contact› Ditta Fetekene, Control Union, Zwolle, The
Netherland› Tobias Fischer, Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg,
Germany, www.bcs-oeko.de› Alta Saunders, Ecocert Southern Africa,
Stellenbosch, South Africa› Marianna Smith, , Ecocert Southern Africa,
Stellenbosch, South Africa

Spain
Sources› Area and land use, operators: Ministerio de
Agricultura y Pesca, Alimentación y Medio
Ambiente (2019): Estrategias de vertebracióndel sector de la producción ecológica deEspaña – Año 2018. MAPAMA, Madrid› Market and international trade data
MAPAMA - Ministerio de Agricultura, Pescay Alimentación (MAPA) (2018)
Caracterizacion y analisis de la viabilidad deuna organizacion interprofesional
agroalimentria en el sector de la produccion
ecologica de Espana. MAPA, Madrid. The
market data is from 2017.
Contact› Pedro López, Pro-Voc-Association, Madrid,
Spain, www.provotec.es› Joan Picazos, Biocop Productos Biológicos,
S.A. (BIOCOP), Lliçà de vall (Barcelona),
Spain, www.biocop.es

Sri Lanka
Source› The data were compiled by FiBL using thedata from several international certifiers.
Contact› Please note that some data revisions took
place and that the 2018 data is not directlycomparable to the 2017 data-

Sudan (former)
SourceCertifier data

Suriname
Source› Ecocert Colombia, Mexico and Peru, Bogota
D.C., Colombia› Guillaume Granier, Ecocert Colombia, Mexico,
Peru, Bogota D.C, Colombia

SwedenSources› Area, livestock and operators: Eurostat
database, Luxembourg› Market data: Ecoweb Sweden. Please note thatthe data source was changed in 2017 from
Statistics Sweden to Ecoweb, also for historical
data. Per capita consumption and growth
rates were recalculated.
Contact›

Cecilia Ryegård, Ecoweb, Sweden.

Switzerland
Sources› Land area and crop data, producers: Federal
Agency for Statistics (BfS), Neuchatel,
Switzerland.
› Operator data: Bio Suisse, Basel, Switzerland› Market data: Bio Suisse, Basel, Switzerland,www.biosuisse.ch/de/bioinzahlen.php.
Contact› Helga Willer, FiBL, Frick, Switzerland

330

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Annex › Sources
Syria

Togo

› Source for all data: Mediterranean Organic
Agriculture Network (MOAN), MOAN
Secretariat Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo
di Bari (CIHEAM Bari), Bari, Italy› No separate figure for the number of
producers was available; the figurecommunicated is that for all operators in the
country.
All data is from 2010.

SourcesTaiwanThe data was compiled by FiBL based on thedata of the following international certifiers. Not
all certifiers provided updated information.
› CERTISYS, Brussels, Belgium,www.certisys.eu› Ecocert, Ecocert West Africa, Ougadougou,
Burkina Faso, www.ecocert.com› LACON GmbH, Moltkestraße 4, Offenburg,
Germany

SourceTonga› Agriculture and Food Agency, Council ofAgriculture, Executive Yuan, R.O.C. Taiwan.
Available athttps://info.organic.org.tw/category/english/st
atistics/
Contact

Source› Ray Tzeng, , Organic Center, National I-lan
University, Taiwan

Tunisia

Tajikistan
Source› Please note that previous data for after 2013
from varoius sources have been removed, as
no updates were received. Instead the datafrom Textile exchange on cotton and cotton
producers were used and for 2018 further crop
data from one international certifier wereadded.

Tanzania
Source› Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement(TOAM), PO Box 70089, Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania, www.kilimohai.net. Survey among
the organic operators in the country.
Contact› Jordan Gama, Tanzania Organic Agriculture
Movement (TOAM), PO Box 70089, Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania, www.kilimohai.net.

ThailandSource› Green Net Survey among the internationaland domestic certifiers; Green Net, 10330
Bangkok, Thailand. Domestic market andinternational trade data is from 2014. For somecrops, details were added from certifiers data.
Contact
Vitoon Panyakul, Green Net, 10330 Bangkok,
Thailand, www.greennet.or.th.

Timor-Leste
Certifier data.

› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int
Contact› Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity (SPC), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int
Source› Direction Générale de L’Agriculture
Biologique (DGAB), Tunis, Tunisia.
Contact› Samia Maamer Belkhiria, Direction Générale
de L’Agriculture Biologique (DGAB), Ministryof Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources,
Tunis, Tunisia
Note
Please note that the data in this volume is from2017 as the 2018 data were received too late. The
data will be included into the FiBL database at alater stage. According to DGAB 286'623 hectares
were managed organically by 7456 producers.

TurkeySource› Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture
and Forestry, Ankara, Turkey› Market data (2014): USDA Foreign
Agricultural Services (2016): Turkish Organic
Market Overview. USDA, Washington, USA.
Available athttps://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20
Publications/Turkish%20Organic%20Market%
20Overview_Ankara_Turkey_1-26-2016.pdf
Contact› Elif Bayraktar Öktem, Republic of Turkey
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ankara,
TurkeyNotes
Some areas contain crops that can be harvested
from the same parcel. Therefore, the total of theland use/crop data exceeds the actual area
surface cultivated for organic farming. A

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

331

Annex › Sources
correction value was used in order to calculate
the correct total.

United States of America

Uganda› Land area and producers: United States
Department of Agriculture, Washington, USA.
Available at
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/
OrganicProduction/OrganicProduction-09-202017_correction.pdf. The data is from 2016.
› Market data: Organic Trade Association,
Washington D.C., USA› Export data: OTA (from 2016)
Contact

Source› National Organic Agricultural Movement of
Uganda (NOGAMU), PO Box 70071, ClockTower, Kampala, Uganda,
www.nogamu.org.ug. The data is from 2016.

UkraineSources› Area and operator data: Ministry for
Development of Economy, Trade andAgriculture of Ukraine of Ukraine, Kyiv,
Ukraine› Crop data: Estimate of FiBL Switzerland andAgricultural Information Company AMI
based on data of the Organic Federation of
Ukraine, Agricultural Information Company
AMI and Ministry of Agrarian Policy andFood of Ukraine› Domestic market, export value and wildcollection data: Organic Federation of Ukraine(OFU), Kyiv, Ukraine, www.organic.com.ua
Contact› Valentyna Zaiets, Ministry for Developmentof Economy, Trade and Agriculture of
Ukraine,,http://www.me.gov.ua› Eugene Milovanov, Organic Federation of
Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, www.organic.com.ua

United Arab Emirates
Source› Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW),
United Arab Emirates.
Contact› Eng. Saif Mohamed Alshara, Ministry ofEnvironment and Water, UAE› Fatima Obaid Saeed, Ministry of Environment
and Water, UAE› Mohammad Al-Oun (PhD), Organic Farming,
Plant Health and Development Department,
Dubai, UAE

United Kingdom
Sources› Land use details/crops/operators: Eurostat
database, Eurostat, Luxembourg› Market data: Soil Association (2019): Organic
Market Report 2019. Soil Association, Bristol.
The export data is from 2016.
Contacts› Finn Cottle, Soil Association, Bristol, UK

332

Source› Barbara Haumann, OTA, Brattleboro VT
05301, www.ota.com› Bridget McElroy, International Specialist
National Organic Program (NOP),
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA)

United States Virgin Islands
Certifier data.

Uruguay
Source› Control Union, Zwolle, The Netherlands,
www.controlunion.org› Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg, Germany, www.bcsoeko.de› Organización Internacional Agropecuaria(OIA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Contact› Ditta Fetekene, Control Union, Zwolle, The
Netherlands, www.controlunion.org› Tobias Fischer, Kiwa BCS, Nürnberg,
Germany, www.bcs-oeko.de› Pedro Landa, Organización Internacional
Agropecuaria (OIA), Buenos Aires, Argentina

Uzbekistan
Certifier data.

Vanuatu
Source› Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community(POETCom), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int
Contact› Karen Mapusua, Secretariat of the PacificCommunity (SPC), Suva Fiji, www.spc.int

Venezuela
United States Department of Agriculture(USDA) Organic Integrity Database. USDA,
Washington

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn

Annex › Sources
Viet Nam

Contact

Source› Alta Saunders, Ecocert Southern Africa,
Stellenbosch, South Africa› Marianna Smith, , Ecocert Southern Africa,
Stellenbosch, South Africa› Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association,
Hanoi, Vietnam. Please note that some PGS
figures were included.
Note:

Zimbabwe› The increase of the organic farmland andretail sales is due to better data availability
and to the fact that the decree on organic
agriculture was issued, which encouraged
many companies and farmers are encouraged
to cultivated organic agriculture.
Contact› Thanh Trinh, , Vietnam Organic Agriculture
Association, Hanoi, Vietnam

ZambiaSource› Ecocert Southern Africa, Stellenbosch, South
AfricaContact› Alta Saunders, Ecocert Southern Africa,
Stellenbosch, South Africa› Marianna Smith, Ecocert Southern Africa,
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Note› Please note that data from other sources were
removed from the database back to 2009 as
they were not confirmed and it was not clear if
there were duplications with the data from thecertifiers.

Source› Ecocert Southern Africa, Stellenbosch, South
AfricaTable 84: Development of the number of producers and the organic area according to the Ministry ofAgriculture, Livestock and Food in Brasil
Production units
Pro-ducers
Area

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

5’406

8’064

11’06310’06413’232

13’482

15’59020’05022’06425’227

5’934

6’719

10’194

11’47814’222

17’451

17’473

19’978

1’553’675*

603’206749’305940’000

1’094’131

653’630719’286822’406

Source: Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento* Includes wild collection areas

FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2020): The World of Organic Agriculture. Frick and Bonn333

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Organic agriculture is practised in 186 countries, and 71.5 million hectares ofagricultural land are managed organically by at least 2.8 million farmers.
The global sales of organic food and drink reached more than 95 billion euros
in 2018.
The 21st edition of The World of Organic Agriculture, published by the ResearchInstitute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and IFOAM – Organics International,
provides a comprehensive review of recent developments in global organic agriculture. It presents detailed organic farming statistics that cover the area underorganic management, specific information about land use and crops in organic
systems, the number of farms and other operator types, and selected market data.
The book includes contributions from representatives of the organic sector
around the world about the global market for organic food, organic imports,
standards and regulations, organic policy developments, and insights into current
and emerging trends in organic agriculture in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America,
North America, and Oceania. In addition, the volume includes reports about
the organic sector in Australia, Canada, the Pacific Islands, and the United Statesof America, and provides updates for various countries in Asia.

The latest data are presented annually at BIOFACH in Nuremberg, Germany
2021: 17–20 February.

In cooperation withISBN Printed version
ISBN PDF version

978-3-03736-158-0
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