The latest global data on organic farming worldwide indicates that the global organic area continues to grow and as at 2018, over 71.5 million hectares of farmlands worldwide are organic. The research conducted by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and IFOAM – Organics International at BIOFACH, the world’s leading trade fair for organic food, in Nuremberg, Germany.
According to the latest FiBL survey on organic agriculture worldwide, 2018 was another record year for global organic agriculture. Organic farmland increased by 2.0 million hectares, and organic retail sales also continued to grow, reaching another all-time high, as shown by the data from 186 countries. The 21st edition of the study “The World of Organic Agriculture” published by FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International shows a continuation of the positive trend seen in the past years. The 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 Nürnberg Messe, the organizers of the BIOFACH fair.
The research also shows that still in 2018, 2.8 million organic producers were reported and India continues to be the country with the highest number of producers (1’149’000), followed by Uganda (210’000), and Ethiopia (204’000).
The 71.5 million hectares of organic farmland reported at the end of 2018, represents a growth of 2.9 percent or 2 million hectares compared to 2017. Australia has the largest organic agricultural area (35.7 million hectares), followed by Argentina (3.6 million hectares), and China (3.1 million hectares). Due to the large area of organic farmland in Australia, half of the global organic agricultural land is in Oceania (36.0 million hectares). Europe has the second largest area (15.6 million hectares), followed by Latin America (8 million hectares). The organic area increased in all continents compared to 2017.
— www.ifoam.bio
