Germany aims to boost land switch for organic farming
German Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt said that organic farmers are not reaping their share of benefits created by the recent booming organic market in Germany, warning that he intends to change the dynamic by increasing awareness and education around organic.
“We want a timetable for growth that allows domestic producers to benefit more from the boom,” he said – adding that organic cultivation must be strengthened with the help of the Future Strategy Organic Farming plan.
If growth in the organic sector remains at the same level, it will take until 2077 for Germany to reach its goal of having 20% of cropland used by organic farmers, he noted.
Organic boom
Between 2010 and 2013, Germany’s market for organic foods increased by around 25% - to almost €8 billion. Yet switching to organic cultivation remains a difficult process for farmers.
While revenue from organic products has enjoyed an annual increase of between 5% and 9% year on year since 2011, the parallel increase in surface area of land used for organic cultivation over the past four years has been between 1% and 3%.
