Organic Farming in Europe - Growth, Policy Support and Future Potential

Summary

Organic farming is increasingly recognised, by consumers, farmers, environmentalists and policy-makers, as one of a number of possible models for environmental, social and financial sustainability in agriculture. Recent years have seen very rapid growth in the sector. In 1985, certified and policy-supported organic production accounted for just 100,000 ha on 6,300 holdings in the EU, or less than 0.1% of the total utilisable agricultural area (UAA). By the end of 1998, this had increased to more than 2.8 million ha on 113,000 holdings, nearly 2.1% of total UAA, a 30-fold increase in 13 years (Foster and Lampkin, 1999).
This paper discusses factors influencing the growth of organic farming in the EU, including supporting policy measures, and the potential for widespread conversion.