The latest global data on organic farming worldwide was presented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and IFOAM – Organics International at BIOFACH last week.
According to the report, 2018 was another record year for global organic agriculture with organic farmland increasing by 2.0 million hectares, and organic retail sales continuing to grow too, reaching record levels.
The survey was based on data from 186 countries (at the end of 2018) and is the 21st edition of the study “The World of Organic Agriculture” which shows a continuation of the positive trend seen in recent years.*
Global Organic Market continues to grow worldwide
Ecovia Intelligence has estimated that the global market for organic food surpassed 100 billion US dollars for the first time in 2018, this is almost 97 billion euros).
The USA is the leading market with 40.6 billion euros, followed by Germany at 10.9 billion euros and France at 9.1 billion euros.
Retail sales in Europe
The European market recorded a growth rate of 7.8 percent with the highest growth in France (15.4 percent) and European countries having the highest sales of organic sales as a percentage of their respective food markets.
European consumers spent 50 euros on organic food per person annually (European Union: 76 euros).
Denmark is the first country to surpass the ten percent mark and has the highest organic share (11.5 percent) worldwide. Individual products and product groups hold even higher shares – organic eggs reach around 30 percent of the value of all eggs sold in some countries.
Danish and Swiss consumers spent the most on organic food – 312 Euros per capita in 2018.
Organic Producers Worldwide
There are now 2.8 million organic producers, with the highest numbers in:
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India – 1,149,000
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Uganda – 210,000
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Ethiopia – 204,000
Increase of organic farmland
At the end of 2018 71.5million hectares were managed organically, representing 2.9 % growth (2million hectares compared to 2017).
The largest organic agricultural areas are in the following countries
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Australia – 35.7 million hectares
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Argentina – 3.6 million hectares
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China – 3.1 million hectares
And the following continents:
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Oceania 36.0 million hectares
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Europe – 15.6 million hectares
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Latin America – 8 million hectares
On a global scale 1.5% of farmland is organic. Many countries have higher shares:
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Liechtensein – 38.5%
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Samoa – 34.5%
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Austria – 24.7%
A total of 16 countries have 10% or more of their agricultural land as organic).
The full press release with more stats and data can be downloaded here and the press release and the report can be downloaded here.
*This annual survey on organic agriculture worldwide is supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Sustainability Fund of Coop Switzerland, and NürnbergMesse, the organizers of the BIOFACH fair.
