50.9 million hectares of organic agricultural land – organic market grows to more than 80 billion US Dollars.

The latest global data on organic farming worldwide will be presented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and IFOAM – Organics International at the BIOFACH world organic trade fair 2017 in Nuremberg. The statistical yearbook “The World of Organic Agriculture” will be launched on Wednesday, February 15, 2017, from 4.00 to 4.45 pm in Hall Shanghai, NCC East.

(Frick/Nürnberg February 9, 2017) The positive trend seen in the past years continues: Consumer demand is increasing, reflected in the significant market growth of 11 percent in the United States, the world’s largest organic market. More farmers cultivate organically, more land is certified organic, and 179 countries report organic farming activities (up from 172), as shown in the 2017 edition of the study “The World of Organic Agriculture” (data per end of 2015) published by FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International. The survey is supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), and NürnbergMesse, the organizers of the BIOFACH fair.

The global organic market continues to grow worldwide

The market research company Organic Monitor estimates the global market for organic food to have reached 81.6 billion US dollars in 2015 (approximately 75 billion euros). The United States is the leading market with 35.9 billion euros, followed by Germany (8.6 billion euros), France (5.5 billion euros), and China (4.7 billion euros). In 2015, most of the major markets showed double-digit growth rates The highest per capita spending was in Switzerland (262 Euros), and Denmark has the highest organic market share (8.4 percent of the total food market).

More than two million producers

In 2015, 2.4 million organic producers were reported. India continues to be the country with the highest number of producers (585’200), followed by Ethiopia (203’602), and Mexico (200’039).

More than 50 million hectares of organic farmland

A total of 50.9 million hectares were organically managed at the end of 2015, representing a growth of 6.5 million hectares over 2014, the largest growth ever recorded. Australia is the country with the largest organic agricultural area (22.7 million hectares), followed by Argentina (3.1 million hectares), and the United States of America (2 million hectares).

Forty-five percent of the global organic agricultural land is in Oceania (22.8 million hectares), followed by Europe (25 percent; 12.7 million hectares), and Latin America (13 percent; 6.7 million hectares). 

csm growth organic area worldwide abe9966af6

Ten percent or more of the farmland is organic in eleven countries

The countries with the largest share of organic agricultural land of their total farmland are the Liechtenstein (30.2 percent), Austria (21.3 percent), and Sweden (16.9 percent). In eleven countries 10 percent or more of all agricultural land is organic.

Programme of the session “The World of Organic Agriculture – Statistics and Emerging Trends”

Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 4.00 to 4.45 pm, Hall Shanghai (NCC East), NürnbergMesse, Nürnberg

  • Markus Arbenz, IFOAM – Organics International, Moderator
  • Eduart Rumani, SECO, Swiss Cooperation Office, Albania: The role of sustainability standards in economic development cooperation in Switzerland
  • Dr. Helga Willer, FiBL: Latest data on organic agriculture worldwide
  • Julia Lernoud, FiBL: Latest data on Voluntary Sustainability Standards worldwide
  • Beate Huber, FiBL: Standards and regulations
  • Amarjit Sahota, Organic Monitor, UK: The global market for organic food

More info

Source: FiBL – www.fibl.org