Global situation for organic tree fruits

Summary

Consumer demand for organic tree fruit products in Europe and North America, the dominant organic food markets, has spurred increases in organic area and production globally. From 2008–2013, the area of production grew 109%, 42%, and 53% for organic temperate tree fruits, citrus, and tropical/subtropical fruits, respectively, with much lower growth for total area (non-organic plus organic) in these categories. Most organic tree fruits represent approximately 1–2% of total production area for a specific fruit; avocado is the exception, with 8% of avocado area worldwide under organic management. Mexico, Italy, and China are the top three countries in terms of organic tree fruit area, but not all countries segregate tree fruit crops in the organic statistics they report. Organic standards are not identical among countries, although over 90% of organic sales are in the USA and EU where standards are harmonized. Published data on the relative yield of organic to conventional tree fruits are scarce and range from 42% to 126% of conventional yields. Reported production costs for organic tree fruits were generally higher than conventional, with higher cost for fertilizers a frequent reason. Higher selling prices for organic tree fruits were able to compensate for lower yields and higher costs in most cases, leading to a higher net return under certified organic management. Key technological advances, such as pheromone mating disruption, have been critical to the expansion of organic tree fruit production, and more innovation will be needed in the future to address new challenges involving invasive pests and climate change, as well as disease-resistance cultivars and new pest control tools to enable production in areas not currently involved in the organic market.