Fostering organic farming: Key factors for the development of the organic sector

The organic sector has grown steadily in EU countries in recent years. In 2022, 10.4% of the total utilised agricultural area and 4.5% of the market share was organic. The EU Farm to Fork Strategy sets the ambitious target of reaching 25% organic area by 2030. In the Horizon Europe project OrganicTargets4EU which we coordinate we want to identify scenarios and initiate a multi-stakeholder policy dialog in support of this target.

To better understand what drives organic sector development, an EU literature review and empirical findings from selected EU countries found that:

A variety of factors are decisive for the development of the organic sector, among others:

• Commitment by and continuity in support for organic by policymakers;
• Combined supply-push and demand-pull measures;
• Effective communication, collaboration and trust-building;
• Capacity building for organic farmers though knowledge and innovation system in agriculture (AKIS);

A food system approach is much needed, specifically:

• A well-established supporting system across all domains (e.g. policy, farming community, market);
• Political commitment and determination to translate political vision into action;
• A more active role for national states in providing public goods.

In the article we wrote for BioEcoActual you can read more about the findings – in English, Spanish & Catalan.

About OrganicTargets4EU

The Horizon Europe project OrganicTargets4EU (2022-2026) aims to contribute to the organic Farm-to-Fork targets of 25% of agricultural land under organic farming and a significant increase in organic aquaculture by 2030. Led by IFOAM Organics Europe, the project will drive the growth and development of the organic sector by supporting the implementation of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), the EU organic regulation and the EU organic Action Plan, focusing on evidence-based decision making, increased and coordinated Research & Innovation in organic farming and increased knowledge sharing. The project results will be discussed in a multi-actor policy dialogue and it will make recommendations for the CAP strategic plans and EU/national organic action plans from 2025-2027 and from 2028 onwards.

Visit the project website for more information and follow its hashtag #OrganicTargets4EU on LinkedIn and X or contact [email protected].