Development of organic farming in Wallonia

Summary

Belgium is a highly densely populated country where agricultural methods usually consume large quantities of inputs, including pesticides and chemical fertilizers. However, organic farming is practiced since many years and has registered a significant development during the last years, reaching 7% of the number of farmers in Wallonia (South of Belgium) and 7% of the Walloon agricultural area. Presently, the Walloon Minister for Agriculture strongly supports this sector and has proposed a strategic development plan of organic farming, the target being to reach 14% of the Walloon agricultural area in 2020. This paper presents and discusses the situation of organic farming in Wallonia and the main features and challenges of the new strategic development plan.