Organic Farming and Market Development in Europe and the European Union

In this chapter, the 2017 data on the organic sector in Europe and the European Union are summarized. In 2017, the development of the organic sector in Europe was characterized by two trends. On the one hand, the market showed a double-digit growth rate again (10.5 percent in Europe; 10.9 percent in the European Union). On the other hand, organic farmland growth continued to be slower than that of the market, but it was considerably faster than in the first years of the previous decade, increasing by 7.9 percent in Europe and 6.4 percent in the European Union. The trend of the market growing at a faster rate than the area has been occurring for several years, showing that production is still not keeping pace with consumer demand. However, the total organic area is only one factor. When comparing the development of the organic area with that of the retail sales, it is more important to look at land use and crop patterns, the types of livestock husbandry, and, most of all, the production value. It is also important to note in this context that growth rates of more intensive production like fruit and vegetables, or milk production have increased significantly over the past years.