The need for a long-term strategy for data collection on organic markets

Summary

In times when public expenditures are being decreased in nearly all European countries it is hard to argue that there is a need for additional sta-tistics about a small and so-called niche market. However, additional statistical information can also help to save public expenditures. Through an im-provement of statistical market data policy makers and market actors receive a better grounded basis for their decisions affecting organic markets so that mis-investments of public and private money can be avoided. Results of such misinvestments are e.g. reconversions of organic farms to conventional agriculture in many European countries. Nearly all of these farms have received governmental support for a conversion to organic agriculture beforehand. A long-term strategy to improve coordination and enhance current data availability and quality is envisaged.