The World of Organic Agriculture 2017. Statistics and Emerging Trends

Summary

Organic agriculture is practiced in 179 countries, and 50.9 million hectares of agricultural land are managed organically by approximately 2.4 million farmers. The global sales of organic food and drink reached 81.6 billion US dollars in 2015, according to Organic Monitor. The 18th edition of The World of Organic Agriculture, published by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and IFOAM – Organics International, provides a comprehensive review of recent developments in global organic agriculture. It includes contributions from representatives of the organic sector around the world and provides comprehensive organic farming statistics that cover the area under organic management, specific information about land use in organic systems, the number of farms and other operator types, and selected market data. The book also contains information about the global market for organic food, information on standards and regulations, organic policy, and insights into current and emerging trends in organic agriculture in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania. In addition, the volume contains reports about the organic sector in Australia, Canada, Kenya, the Pacific Islands, and the United States of America and brief updates for various countries in Asia as well as Latin America and the Caribbean. The book also includes an article about organic cotton from the Textile Exchange and a chapter on the organic and the Fairtrade markets. This book has been produced with the support of the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and NürnbergMesse. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinions of ITC, SECO, or NürnbergMesse.