Eu Rural Review

EU Rural
N°18
EN
Spring 2014
Review
A publication from the European Network for Rural Development
Organic Farming
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© European Union, 1995-2013
Managing Editor: Markus Holzer, Head of Unit - European network and monitoring of rural development policy,
Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission.
ENRD Editor: Derek McGlynn
Authors and contributors: Sandro Angiolini, Pedro Barbosa, Varvara Bektasiadou, Stephen Gardner, Tim Hudson, Clunie
Keenleyside, Christiane Kirketerp De Viron, Rene L’her, Luis Martin Plaza, Linda Mauperon, Derek McGlynn, Maria Giulia Medico,
Eamon O’Hara, João Onofre, Manuel Rossi Prieto, Cristina Rueda Catry, Andre Smal, Christopher Stopes, Krzysztof Sulima, Dieter
Wagner, Antonella Zona.
Copyright for photographs: ENRD Contact Point, European Commission, European Union, 1995-2013, Jaco de Groot,
online
Tim Hudson, Juuso Joona, Tom MacMillan, Cristina Micheloni, Christos Panagiotidis.
Cover pictures: main image - European Union, 1995-2013; inset - European Union, 1995-2013.
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Family Farming
Funded by the
Table of contents
K3-AJ-13-017-EN-C
EU Rural
K3-AJ-13-016-EN-N
K3-AJ-12-013-EN-C
EU Rural EU Rural EU Rural
K3-AJ-13-015-EN-N
K3-AJ-12-014-EN-N
N°16 N°15 N°14 N°13
EN EN
EN EN
online
Summer 2013 Autumn 2012
online
Review
Spring 2013 Winter 2012
Review Review Review

online
A Publication from the European Network for Rural Development A Publication from the European Network for Rural Development
Foreword............................................................................... 1
Organic farming in Europe: moving into the mainstream.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
An action plan for organic production in Europe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2

Rural development
The European Network for Rural Development Knowledge Transfer Delivering financial instruments:
Networks andhttp://enrd.ec.europa.eu
Networking
The European Network for Rural Development ONLINE The European Network for Rural Development ONLINE
The European Network for Rural Development ONLINE
http://enrd.ec.europa.eu
and Innovation
Environmental Services
Policy farming .. . . .New opportunities to
in Rural Development Policy A long history of rural development in Rural Development
support for organic
using Rural Development Policy tackle. .the
. 1economic
5 crisis
Smart innovation set to boost organic sector competitiveness. . . . . . . . . . . 1 9

Funded by the
Funded by the
Funded by the Funded by the
K3-AJ-12-016-EN-C K3-AJ-12-015-EN-C K3-AJ-12-014-EN-C K3-AJ-12-013-EN-C

Europe’s organic sector: a natural fit for social inclusion.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3
EU Rural EU Rural added value of EU Ruralsector. . . . . . . . . . . EU
. . . . . . .Rural
K3-AJ-12-012-EN-N
N°12 N°11 n°10

EN EN
n°9
EN EN
Review
Spring 2012
online
Review
The environmental the organic
winter 2011
... 28
Summer 2012
online
Review
autumn 2011
Review
A Publication from the European Network for Rural Development A Publication from the European Network for Rural Development The Magazine from the European Network for Rural Development The Magazine from the European Network for Rural Development
Safeguarding consumer confidence................................................ 33
Global trade in organic products: new frontiers and challenges........... 37
uropean Network for Rural Development ONLINE Local Food and LEADER and
The European Network for Rural Development ONLINE Rural
The European Network for Rural Development ONLINE Forestry and
Short Supply Chains Cooperation
entrepreneurship
rural development
Funded by the European Commission

Agriculture and Rural Development
European Commission
Foreword EU Rural
K3-AJ-10-005-EN-C

K3-AJ-11-008-EN-C
K3-AJ-10-007-EN-C
K3-AJ-10-006-EN-C
N°5
N°8 N°7 N°6 EN
EN EN EN
Review
online
Autumn 2010
Review
online
online
Review Review
Summer 2011 Spring 2011 Winter 2010
The Magazine from the European Network for Rural Development

The Magazine from the European Network for Rural Development The Magazine from the European Network for Rural Development The Magazine from the European Network for Rural Development
At its core, the organic sector is based on a humble idea: and sales from the farm gate. The EU effort in terms of
the production of fresh, tasty and authentic food that policy implementation, standards, and monitoring has
respects natural life-cycle systems. How such a simple likewise matched growth in the sector.
idea has taken root and grown… Cultivating competitiveness
Agricultural product
Network forquality:
Organic farming relies on principles that are designed to

he European Network for Rural Development ONLINE The European Network for Rural Development ONLINE
The European Rural Development ONLINE The European Network for Rural Development ONLINE
of the EU farm, agri-food
http://enrd.ec.europa.eu a success factor for EU rural areas
http://enrd.ec.europa.eu Public Goods andhttp://enrd.ec.europa.eu
Rural Development Employment and Social Inclusion
http://enrd.ec.europa.eu and forest sectors
The European Union’s organic market has quadrupled

ISSN 1831-5267 ISSN 1831-5267
minimise the human impact on the environment, while
ISSN 1831-5267
over the last 10 years, over 500 000 hectares of land con-
771831 526007
European Commission
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European Commission
ensuring the agricultural system operates as naturally as
771831 526007
European Commission
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European Commission
eriodical n° 8 - cover.indd 1
verts to K3-AJ-11-008-EN-C
organic cultivation per annumK3-AJ-11-007-EN-C
and the potential EUAGR08A-1012 - RD periodical 7 - cover.indd 1 11/7/2011 1:48:33 PM EUAGR08A-1012 - RD periodical 6 - cover.indd 1 5/5/2011 2:20:34 PM
possible. Typical organic farming practices

K3-AJ-10-006-EN-C include: multi-
K3-AJ-10-005-EN-C
1/26/2011 1:24:17 PM
for further growth in the sector - from organic farmers to annual crop rotation; efficient use of on-site resources;
processors to retailers - remains strong. strict limits on the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilis-
EU Rural EU Rural EU Rural EU Rural
K3-AJ-10-004-EN-C
ers, livestock antibiotics, food additives and processing

N°3 N°2 N°1
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Review
October 2009
May 2010 January 2010 December 2009
As demand has increased, the consumer offering has aids and other inputs; use of plant and animal species
been substantially enlarged and distribution channels The Magazine from the European Network for Rural Development The Magazine from the European Network for Rural Development
that are resistant to disease and adapted to local condi- The Magazine from the European Network for Rural Development The Magazine from the European Network for Rural Development
are today as likely to include major supermarket chains tions; and an absolute prohibition of the use of genetically
and online vendors as smaller specialised organic shops modified organisms.
Creativity and The European

Innovation Agricultural
Rural Diversity
Climate Action
e European Network for Rural Development ONLINE
http://enrd.ec.europa.eu in EU Rural Fund for Rural

Development Development
ISSN 1831-5267
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European Commission
European Commission European Commission
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In spite of such limitations, or perhaps because of them, organic production in Europe is then profiled, as are the
organic production is thriving. With an average annual steps being taken to safeguard consumer confidence as
growth in turnover of 8% since 2008, the organic sector supply expands. The long history of rural development
is successfully realising its potential despite the economic support for organic farming is analysed with a special
crisis1. However, such progress also creates its own chal- focus on the implications of the greening of the CAP for
lenges. Specifically, production, control, supervision and organic agriculture. Key characteristics of organic farming
trade rules need to be adapted to meet the new reality are also looked at in-depth - including initiatives to boost
of a maturing sector. The competitiveness of European innovation, the sector’s role in supporting social inclusion
organic farmers should also be further considered in rela- and the environmental added value of the organic sector.
tion to the EU and international markets. Finally, competitiveness and in particular the future pros-
pects for global trade in organic products is considered.
Further to the recent public consultation on the future
shape of the European organic policy framework, the With the organic market and production base continuing
EU is now in the process of agreeing an ambitious new to expand, the EU rules help to ensure that ‘organic’ means
regulation on organic production and the labelling of the same for consumers and producers everywhere. It is
organic products. The new rules will support the long- worth noting that Europe’s 186 000 organic farms still
term stability and competitiveness of the organic sector. only represent 5.4% of the total utilised agricultural area,
In addition to the EU regulation, the recent CAP Reform so the potential for further growth in this sector remains
provides an enhanced emphasis on organic farming with very strong.
a dedicated measure now included in the rural develop-
ment regulation.
To help the organic sector adjust to the

proposed policy changes and meet
future challenges, in March 2014 the
Commission approved an Action Plan
on the future of Organic Production in
Europe2. The plan sets out a series of ini-
tiatives to develop the organic market
by increasing efficacy, transparency and
consumer confidence.
Hence, what better time for the EU

Rural Review to provide an overview
of organic farming as it is practised in
Europe today? In addition to highlight-
ing the value of the organic approach
to agriculture, the rural economy and
its wider societal and environmental
benefits, this edition also provides
insight into the evolving European
policy landscape and the course it is
setting for the future of the sector.
Beginning with an introduction explain-

ing how organic farming is moving into
the mainstream, the new action plan for
1 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/documents/organic_farming_review_en.pdf
2 2 Action Plan for the future of Organic Production in the European Union,
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/eu-policy/european-action-plan/index_en.htm
Organic farming in Europe: moving into the
mainstream
Organic farming no longer serves a niche market in the European Union (EU). In spite
of the global economic crisis, the mainstreaming of organic products has maintained
its impressive trajectory: since 2008 there has been an average annual growth rate of
8%; annual turnover has risen to €20 billion; and more than 500 000 hectares have been
converted to organic cultivation each year for the past decade. Added to that, the potential
for further growth remains strong. Land converted to organic cultivation by Europe’s 186
000 organic farms represents just 5.4% of the EU’s total utilised agricultural area.
W
ith about 4.5 million hec- established in countries that were EU
tares, permanent grassland Member States prior to 2004. The
accounts for the largest EU-15 thus accounts for 78% of all
share of organic land use, followed organic land and 83% of all organic
by 3.6 million hectares dedicated to farms. However, additional EU fund-
arable crops, such as cereals, pulses, ing is helping the organic sector in
and open field vegetables, which Member States that joined since then
represent the EU’s main organic crop to catch up. Between 2002 and 2011,
group in economic terms3. growth in this second group of coun-
tries reached 13% per annum and the
Benefiting from longer-term support number of holdings increased ten-
via national and European legislative fold within this period4.
initiatives, the organic sector is more
3 Source: Discussion paper of the EIP-AGRI Focus Group on Organic Farming. 3

4 Source: Eurostat data cited in “Facts and figures on organic agriculture in the European Union”, European Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development.
What is organic production?
Organic production is an overall system of

farm management and food production that
combines best environmental practices, a
high level of biodiversity, the preservation of
natural resources and the application of high
animal welfare standards.
A common policy of which have become obsolete in protection are also seen as elements
framework the context of changed market con- crucial to building public confidence
ditions, will be removed to promote and to protecting the interests of
In launching the continent’s first the integrity of organic farming. At consumers.
organic farming scheme in 1987, the same time, organic farmers shall
Denmark was a pioneer among be rewarded for their respect of the Organic production is based on four
European countries. The 1992 re- environment, and access to the or- overall principles, which are laid
form of the Common Agricultural ganic scheme for small operators is down in article 4 of the abovemen-
Policy (CAP) subsequently provided being facilitated. tioned regulation: i) the appropriate
EU Member States with the first com- design and management of biologi-
mon basis to support farmers con- To safeguard the reputation of the cal processes based on ecological
verting to or maintaining organic organic sector and ensure compli- systems using natural resources; ii)
production with EU funding. ance with the principles of organic the restriction of the use of exter-
production, the general production nal inputs – the use of the internal
As rising consumer demand for or- rules and the organic certification resources and inputs is strongly
ganic produce triggered a boom on system are being revised to tackle preferred over open cycles using ex-
the supply side it became necessary the risk of fraudulent behaviour or ternal resources; iii) a strict limitation
to put a targeted policy framework other intentional violations. Likewise, of the use of chemically-synthesised
in place, one that ensures competi- import rules shall promote the de- inputs to exceptional cases; and iv)
tiveness and which meets the chal- velopment of trade without allow- the adaptation, where necessary,
lenges associated with the growth ing organic principles to be watered of the rules of organic production
and success of the sector. European down or for the control system to be taking account of sanitary status,
consumers have come to expect high weakened. The Commission has put regional differences in climate and
standards for their organic produce. in place a dedicated Action Plan to local conditions, stages of develop-
Consequently, the EU has set about support the implementation of the ment and specific husbandry prac-
establishing a new framework for new framework up to the year 2020. tices. In addition, articles 5, 6 and 7
policy implementation, standards stipulate specific principles for farm-
and monitoring. The rationale behind ing, processing of organic food and
this framework is to safeguard the in- Objectives and principles of processing of organic feed.
tegrity of organic production, while organic farming
fostering greater competitiveness5.
As a matter of fact, Council regula-
The new framework focuses on tion (EC) 834/20076 defines EU-wide
clear and transparent production objectives, principles and general
rules to ensure that the response to rules for organic production. Organic
increasing demand does not com- farming thus generates high quality
promise consumers’ confidence in products using sustainable cultiva-
the principles of organic farming tion systems. A greater emphasis on
and in the quality of organic prod- environmental protection, biodiver-
ucts. Exceptions to the rules, some sity and high standards for animal
5 Legislative proposal for a reviewed legislation on organic farming - http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/eu-policy/policy-development/index_en.htm

4 6 Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products, and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91.
Organic farming practices adapted to local conditions; the rais- Processing, distribution,
ing of livestock in free-range, open- and retail
The principles are based on estab- air systems and providing them with
lished organic farming practices that organic feed; and the use of animal The success of the organic farming
minimise the human impact on the husbandry practices appropriate to sector coupled with the expectations
environment by ensuring that the different livestock species. of consumers, have led to the evo-
agricultural system operates as natu- lution of a highly-specialised food
rally as possible. In step with the EU’s strategic growth supply chain, involving processing,
objectives and attuned to wide- distribution and retail. The strict rules
Thus the EU approach specifically spread societal concerns regarding applicable to organic farming apply
seeks to reinforce organic farming the responsible exploitation of nat- equally to the processing part of the
and production practices such as ural resources, organic farmers are supply chain: these include restric-
the efficient use of on-site resources characterised by a shared respect for tions concerning additives, process-
through multi-annual crop rotation; local flora and fauna. Consequently, ing aids and synthetic inputs - as well
strictly limited use of synthetic pesti- organic producers not only make re- as the exclusion of the use of GMOs.
cides and fertilisers, livestock antibi- sponsible use of energy and natural The upshot is that customers can be
otics, food additives and processing resources, but seek to maintain both certain that they are consuming the
aids and other inputs; and it imposes biodiversity and regional ecological fresh and authentic (that is organi-
a total ban on the use of genetically balance. Organic farmers target soil cally processed) food products they
modified organisms. fertility enhancement and the main- want. Only food products compris-
tenance of water quality. In addition, ing a minimum of 95% organic in-
Other good practices promoted by animal health and welfare concerns gredients may be labelled as organic.
the European approach include: the are addressed, for example through Other food products may indicate
maximising of on-site resources, such stockbreeding practices that meet which contents were produced in
as livestock manure for fertiliser or the specific behavioural needs of accordance with the organic legisla-
feed produced on the farm; the se- animals7. tion in their list of ingredients.
lection of plant and animal species
that are resistant to disease and
Organic production
objectives:
1. To establish a sustainable manage

ment system for agriculture.
2. To produce high quality products.
3. To meet consumer demand for

goods produced using processes that
do not harm the environment, human
health, plant health or animal health
and welfare.
5
7 Source: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/organic-farming/what-is-organic-farming/index_en.htm
With farmers discovering crop and Consumer awareness and As Figure 1 indicates a large major-
animal species with greater resist- confidence ity of Member States (19) have opt-
ance to pests and disease and bet- ed to delegate the control tasks to
ter adapted to local and seasonal Consumers know that products car- private bodies, while mixed control
conditions, organic plant and live- rying the EU organic logo or national systems have been established in
stock varieties are on the increase. equivalents are produced in compli- five Member States. In four Member
The journey from ‘farm to fork’ is ance with EU rules. States checks are conducted by pub-
often linked to the type of agricul- lic authorities10.
tural produce. Many customers visit The set up and functioning of con-
local and specialised organic mar- trol systems in the EU Member States, Farmers, processors or traders can-
kets, as well as organic shops in rural providing for checks on organic farm- not label their products as organic
or metropolitan areas. Others shop ers and other organic operators (such prior to being checked by a control
at rural roadside stalls, or from the as processors or traders), are based authority or control body. Following
farm where the food was produced, on the general provisions of regula- notification by the applicant, the
thus making use of the opportunity tion (EC) No 882/2004 on official food control authority or control body in-
to purchase directly. The sector’s in- and feed controls8, and the specific spects compliance with the EU’s legal
novative use of distribution channels control provisions provided for by requirements. If there is a positive as-
includes popular web-based box regulation (EC) No 834/2007 on or- sessment, a certificate of compliance
schemes combined with optional ganic production and labelling of or- is issued11.
home delivery services or collection ganic products and its implementing
point arrangements. rules (regulation (EC) No 889/20089). To ensure that the Member States
fulfil their responsibilities, the checks
In the Member States the govern- made on organic operators and the
ment designates the authorities with measures taken in case of non-com-
overall responsibility for controls. pliance are the subject of annual
Member States’ authorities may dele- reports submitted to the European
gate operational tasks partly or in full Commission, which also conducts its
to private or public control bodies. own audits.
Figure 1: Set-up of the organic control system per Member State
Private control bodies Public control authorities Mixed systems
8 Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of
compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules.
9 Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 of 5 September 2008 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 (and
subsequent amendments) on organic production and labelling of organic products with regard to organic production, labelling and control.
6 10 Source: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/consumer-trust/certification-and-confidence/controls-and-inspections/control-system/index_en.htm
11 See article 28-29 of regulation EC No 834/2007.
Case Study: A young organic farmer’s success story12
Arnoldas Bagdonaviiai from Lithuania grew up in a town but was job satisfaction. He
interested in a farming career as he was convinced that there would remains committed to
© ENRD Contact Point

always be a market for healthy food products, even in austere building his business
times. His idea was to set up an organic business in Vilnius county in a profitable and
to produce arable crops for local suppliers. An appreciation for the environmentally
natural environment inspired him to develop his business as an sustainable way, by
ecological enterprise in 2010. EAFRD funding under RDP measure 112 exploring new ideas
(setting up of young farmers) helped him to offset 75% of the more and options for his own
than €36 000 investment needed to acquire essential equipment personal approach to crop production. Organic principles lie at
such as a tractor, seed-machine and harrow. Today he runs a viable the heart of his farm operation and he grows niche crops such
business that provides him with both gainful employment and as ecological cumin that is used in traditional Lithuanian bread.
Labelling and the EU logo of the control body must also to be Third countries whose rules on or-
displayed13. ganic production and control are rec-
ognised as equivalent to the EU’s can
International trade aspects export organic products to the EU on
the basis of their own rules15. Organic
For climatic, geographic and seasonal food and drink produced in any other
reasons, organic products may need third country must undergo certifica-
to be imported from third countries tion by control authorities or control
into the European Union. Typical bodies recognised by the European
examples of such organic products Commission.
include bananas, cocoa, coffee, pine-
apples and rice. However, import and As far as the export of organic prod-
Clear visual identification helps con- distribution within the EU requires ucts from the EU is concerned, not
sumers to find their preferred foods that the production is subject to the all of the EU’s trade partners with
more easily, and it also supports fair same or equivalent conditions as ap- equivalent conditions for production
competition and consumer protec- plicable to organic producers based and control have currently formally
tion. Organic compliance checks cov- in the EU14. recognised the EU’s organic rules16.
er the entire process from production
to supply to ensure full transparency.
Farmers, food processors, as well as
those involved in import, export or
trade must undergo controls at least
once a year.
Use of the EU organic logo as part of

a product’s labelling implies compli-
ance with organic production rules.
In addition consumers must be pro-
vided with the name of the producer,

processor or distributor who last han-
dled the item and a standardised list
of ingredients and nutritional value
figures is used. The code number
12 Source: ENRD, RDP Projects Database,

http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/policy-in-action/rdp_view/en/view_projects_en.cfm?action=detail&backfuse=jsview&postcard_id=11001
13 See article 24 of regulation EC No 834/2007. In accordance with article 25, Commission regulation (EU) No 271/2010 of 24 March 2010 (amending regulation
(EC) No 889/2008) lays down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007. For more information see also the questions and
answers on the use of the EU’s organic logo: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/documents/logo/organic_logo-faq_en.pdf
14 In accordance with Commission regulation (EC) No 1235/2008 of 8 December 2008 laying down detailed rules for implementation of Council regulation (EC)
No 834/2007 as regards the arrangements for imports of organic products from third countries.
15 The EU recognises equivalent production rules and control measures in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India, Israel, Japan, Tunisia, Switzerland, the
USA, New Zealand and the EEA countries (Norway and Iceland).
16 For further information about the export to specific third countries see
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/eu-policy/eu-rules-on-trade/import-export/index_en.htm
7
Organic trade boost
At the BioFach World Organic Fair in Nuremberg (Germany) in February 2012 the EU
and the USA, the world’s most important organic producers, exchanged formal letters
permitting the sale of their certified organic products in either of their territories.
Welcoming the, ‘double added value,’ of the deal, European Commissioner for Agriculture
and Rural Development, Dacian Cioloş noted that, ‘on the one hand, organic farmers
and food producers will benefit from easier access, with less bureaucracy and less costs,
to both the US and EU markets, strengthening the competitiveness of this sector. In
addition, it improves transparency on organic standards, and enhances consumer
confidence and recognition of our organic food and products17.’
Innovation in organic of ideas and knowledge about how

farming to optimise arable yields. The specific
objective of the group is to collect
With the European Innovation Partner and share knowledge and experience
ship on Agricultural Productivity and about how the yield gap between
Sustainability (EIP-AGRI) the EU is different organic farmers can be re-
taking a new approach to boosting duced and to identify best practices

innovation in farming and forestry. in improving the performance of less
The EIP is all about linking farmers, productive organic farms. The recom-
advisors, researchers, businesses, mendations of the Focus Group could
NGOs and other actors in innova- thereby give ideas and inspiration for
tion projects, focus groups and other concrete innovation projects on the
activities in order to share informa- ground, the so-called Operational
tion and develop ideas and solutions Groups, which could receive sup-
together. The EIP-AGRI focus group port under the Rural Development
on organic farming18 was launched Programmes.
in September 2013 to generate new
insights and facilitate swifter transfer
Case Study: Innovative Organic Dairy - Transparency from Farmer to Fridge19
In early 2010 an innovative dairy opened its doors to the public appreciation of locally produced organic food and thus aims to
in Münchehofe in the German federal state of Brandenburg. strengthen the regional identity of local products with younger
Known as the Glass Dairy, the facility gives visitors real insight generations.
into the manufacturing and production process and uses milk
from neighbouring organic farmers. The innovative project greatly contributes to sustainable and
regional food production and consumption. Created with an
A walk made of glass leads visitors through the facility and enables investment of almost €11 million, the EAFRD (under RDP measure
them to observe the different stages of production. A range of 123 - adding value to agricultural and forestry products) contributed
regional dairy products are made from the raw milk supplied 18.75% of the funding. The site has increased production capacity
by organic farmers to the dairy, which can be purchased in the and almost doubled its staff to employ 45 people.
facility’s shop. The dairy’s educational programme promotes the
17 Source: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/ciolos/headlines/news/2012/02/20120215_en.htm
18 For more information see http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eip/focus-groups/organic-farming/index_en.htm
8 19 Source: ENRD, RDP Project Database,
Public consultation and and biodiversity in rural areas, thus together with agri-environmental
changes to the EU policy promoting sustainability and com- measures, and projects associated
framework bating climate change. with environmentally-friendly invest-
ment or innovation measures, each
In May 2012 the European Commi Under the first pillar of the CAP, or- Member State’s Rural Development
ssion launched an impact assess- ganic holdings will therefore obtain Programme (RDP) will have to reserve
ment exercise as part of its review of direct payments, without fulfilling a minimum of 30% of its budget.
the political and legislative frame- any further obligations. In other
work for organic farming. The exer- words, organic farmers will be re- The increased focus on organic pro-
cise included a public consultation warded for their environmentally duction acknowledges the important
process, which involved the input of friendly practices, which constitute contribution the sector makes to the
several organic sector stakeholders an important overall contribution objectives underpinning the new
(representing experts, researchers, to the CAP’s environmental objec- policy: organic farming adds value
consumers, producers, retailers, pro- tives. In addition, under the second by helping to improve the competi-
cessors and traders) through expert pillar, there is a new dedicated or- tiveness of agriculture and, as a farm
hearings, contributions from public ganic farming measure under the management system, it safeguards
authorities and individual citizens, as European Agricultural Fund for Rural the rural environment.
well as an online survey. The latter, Development (EAFRD)21, for which,
which took place between January
and April 2013, received an unprec-
edented response from the general
public.
Some 45 000 replies - 96% of which

were received from ordinary EU citi-
zens - were received to the online
consultation. According to the re-
sults, the vast majority - some 83%
of respondents - preferred organic
over conventional farming products
because of their concern for the en-
vironment. Some 81% valued the
integrity of organic products with
regard to GMOs and non-authorised
substances’ residues. In terms of com-
petitiveness, the majority (78%) in-
dicated that they were prepared to
pay more for organic goods, as long
as the price premium remains within
a range of 10%-to-25%20.
Zooming out, the CAP Reform which

defines the agricultural and rural
development policy landscape for
2014-2020 reflects the general public
expectation that European farming
practices should aspire to be more
environmentally friendly.
The so-called greening of the CAP

takes the review of the political and
legislative framework for organic
farming fully into account. During
the 2014-2020 period EU support is
intended to help farmers meet the
challenges of soil and water quality
20 Source: Report on the results of the public consultation on the review of the EU policy on organic agriculture, conducted by the Directorate General for
Agriculture and Rural Development (15 January - 10 April 2013).
21 Article 29 of regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund
for Rural Development (new EAFRD regulation) grants support per hectare of agricultural area, to farmers or groups of farmers who convert to or maintain
organic farming practices and methods.
9
“We must encourage production without…

compromising the value of the sector. Demand is high
because the standards are high.”
Dacian Cioloş, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural
Development (April 2013)22
Alignment with Europe 2020 holdings (through innovation, mod- rural areas and the aim of social and
ernisation, resource efficiency, ad- territorial cohesion within and also
The new CAP framework is clearly dressing production difficulties in between Member States, the new
aligned with Europe’s overarching areas with natural constraints and policy framework can contribute to
growth strategy known as Europe so on) and thus help farmers to deal balanced territorial development and
202023, which aims to transform the with income volatility and increase thriving rural areas throughout the
EU into a smart, sustainable and in- the productivity of the sector. EU, by responding to the structural
clusive economy. For this purpose diversity in farming systems and as-
the Member States have set national As far as the sustainable growth ob- suring positive spill-over effects be-
targets in the areas of employment, jective is concerned, which targets tween agriculture and other sectors
innovation, education, social inclu- the creation of a low-carbon econ- of the rural economy, thus improving
sion and climate/energy. The CAP omy, an expanding bio-economy their attractiveness and economic
also directly addresses the Europe and protection of the environment, diversification. This approach can
2020 strategy’s three mutually rein- support for organic farming can help build on experience gained during
forcing priorities of smart, sustain- to improve the management of natu- the 2007-2013 period. Examples of
able and inclusive growth24. ral resources, such as water and soil, good practice include the pioneering
and the provision of environmental efforts of young farmers, who with
In relation to the smart growth ob- public goods such as preservation of the support of the EAFRD, introduced
jective, the new CAP, and more spe- biodiversity. It can also foster green viable organic businesses that also
cifically the promotion of organic growth through innovation and re- include social farming services.25
farming, can improve the capacity of duce environmental damage by the
farmers to add value to their produc- agricultural sector. The EAFRD’s promotion of organic
tion, improve the competitiveness farming over the next seven years
of the food supply chain, promote In terms of the inclusive growth will be reflected through the prism of
sustainable consumption, enhance objective, which addresses the rela- the six rural development priorities
the competitiveness of agricultural tively lower level of development of identified in the new regulation26.
22 Source: speech held in Brussels on first conclusions drawn from the public consultation, when meeting the members of the advisory group
on organic farming in Brussels.
23 For more information on the Europe 2020 strategy, see http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm
24 Source: Commission staff working paper SEC(2011) 1153 final/2, Common Agricultural Policy towards 2020, impact assessment.
25 The ENRD’s RDP project database offers practical examples, e.g. from Cyprus and Italy: http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/policy-in-action/rdp_view/en/view_projects_
en.cfm?action=detail&backfuse=jsview&postcard_id=8020 and http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/policy-in-action/rdp_view/en/view_projects_en.cfm?action=det
ail&backfuse=jsview&postcard_id=2701
10 26 For the full description of the six rural development priorities see article 5 of regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on
support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (new EAFRD regulation).
1. ‘Fostering knowledge trans- 3. ‘Promoting food chain organi- 5. ‘Promoting resource efficiency
fer and innovation in agricul- sation, including processing and supporting the shift to-
ture, forestry, and rural areas’: and marketing of agricultural wards a low carbon and climate
the development and expan- products, animal welfare and resilient economy in agricul-
sion of organic farming will be risk management in agriculture, food and forestry sec-
stimulated via, for example, the ture’: in line with the objectives tors’: the support granted for the
EIP-AGRI27 (article 53) and the and principles of organic farm- conversion to or maintenance of
provision of dedicated organic farming, relevant EAFRD measures organic farming practices simi-
ing advisory services (article 15). could include those promot- larly addresses this rural devel-
ing the setting up of producer opment priority.
2. ‘Enhancing farm viability and groups, for example, to support
competitiveness of all types of the development of business 6. ‘Promoting social inclusion,
agriculture in all regions and and marketing skills and the poverty reduction and econom-
promoting innovative farm organisation and facilitation of ic development in rural areas’:
technologies and the sustaina- innovation processes, (article 27) conversion to organic farming
ble management of forests’: the and those ensuring animal wel- can generate employment and
EAFRD encourages the participa- fare (article 33). promote local economic growth.
tion of farmers in quality schemes Examples delivered during the
(article 16); in addition the EIP- 4. ‘Restoring, preserving and en- 2007-2013 period have dem-
AGRI’s interactive innovation hancing ecosystems related to onstrated the important role
model, which connects farmers, agriculture and forestry’: the that organic farming can play29.
advisors, researchers, business- EAFRD grants support, per hectare Actions could include basic ser-
es, NGOs and other actors in of agricultural area, to farmers or vices, for example tourism, natu-
so-called operational groups groups of farmers who voluntar- ral and cultural heritage (article
(article 56), continues to work ily convert to or maintain organic 20), agri-environment measures
towards improved productivity farming practices and methods (article 28), or the development
of organic farms. (article 29). Support will be grant- of new products, practices, pro-
ed for a period of five to seven cesses and technologies under
years, for commitments going the cooperation (article 35) or the
beyond the relevant mandatory LEADER measures (article 42-44).
standards only28.
27 For more about the EIP-AGRI:- http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eip/service-point/index_en.htm

28 For conversion to organic farming Member States may determine a shorter initial period. Payments shall be granted annually and shall compensate beneficiaries
for all or part of the additional costs and income foregone resulting from the commitments made.
29 For more information on the positive effects of organic farming achieved over the past, see EU Rural Review No. 6, Employment and Social Inclusion,
http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/app_templates/filedownload.cfm?id=09AED062-D99D-0744-062C-2B6F6E4785FB
11
An action plan for organic production in Europe
Driven by steadily increasing demand, the number of organic producers has grown rapidly
over the past decade. The new challenge for organic producers, suppliers, manufacturers
and distributors is to maintain growth without compromising consumer confidence in the
sector. A new European Union Action Plan on the future of Organic Production in Europe30
identifies 18 action points that will be key to mobilising support and delivering medium and
long-term solutions to the pressures of supply and demand.
F
ollowing a review of the EU’s The ambition of this plan, which is competitiveness of the organic sector;
organic farming legislation, on the second of its kind33, is to support ii) consolidate and increase consumer
24 March 2014 the European continued growth of the organic confidence; and iii) reinforce organic
Commission adopted the legislative sector. It also intends to contribute sector trade beyond the EU. The plan
proposals for a new Regulation on to the smooth shift to the new legal identifies 18 specific action points un-
organic production and labelling of framework and to further engage der these three priorities that focus on
organic products31. Supporting this those involved in its implementation possible synergies between EU poli-
process, the Action Plan on the fu- in the Member States. cies and instruments, innovative ideas
ture of Organic Production in Europe arising from consultations, links with
addresses problems identified dur- Action plan priorities research initiatives and the need to
ing the impact assessment analysis improve consumer confidence, aware-
conducted for the review of the EU The Action Plan establishes three main ness and trade with third countries.
organic policy32. priorities, which aim to: i) increase the
30 Action Plan for the future of Organic Production in the European Union (COM (2014) 179 final)
31 The proposal is published here: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/eu-policy/policy-development/index_en.htm
12 32 The impact assessment report is available from: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/eu-policy/policy-development/index_en.htm
33 The Commission adopted its first European Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming to promote and strengthen the organic sector in 2004 (COM (2004) 415 final).
Competitiveness: consumer awareness and trust in or- database at European level regarding
synergising support ganic products both inside and out- the availability of organic seeds.
side the EU, and targeted promotion
The plan prioritises rapidly inform- among public sector procurers in the The EC also identified other sector-
ing organic operators about the Member States is envisaged, in par- specific areas where technical con-
full range of newly introduced or ticular via organic production criteria straints are a concern. Boosting
improved support measures for or- in procurement rules. research can drive further improve-
ganic producers under the new CAP, ment to overcome these kinds of
such as the entitlement of organic difficulties.
farmers to so-called green direct Action 3: The EC is to increase awareness
payments, and the introduction of a of the regulation’s support for information Consequently, to encourage well-
dedicated organic farming measure and promotion activities - in the EU internal targeted identification of research
under the new rural development market and in third countries - by engaging needs, the EC plans to stimulate in-
regulation34, which supports both with the public, Member States and teraction. Participation of the organic
the conversion to and maintenance stakeholders, such as at specialised events farming sector in the EIP-AGRI37 is es-
of organic farming practices. The aim like BioFach36. sential to boosting innovation and
is to achieve the most efficient use improving cooperation between sci-
of support measures available under Action 4: The EC will conduct regular surveys ence and practice at regional, nation-
Member States’ Rural Development on consumer awareness of the EU organic al and European levels. Likewise, the
Programmes (RDPs). In that sense, logo and a specific survey on consumer plan will promote the coordinated
the European Commission (EC) calls awareness, understanding and confidence use of the EU research funding op-
on Member States to use the oppor- in the EU organic scheme. tions at Member States disposal, such
tunities and tools to support organic as via Horizon 202038 (for networks of
farming under rural development. Action 5: The EC will revise its Green Public national funding bodies interested in
Procurement criteria for food and catering launching joint calls39).
services by the end of 2015 and to develop
Action 1: The EC will publish a guide for information material that exemplifies the
organic farmers, processors and retailers use of organic farming requirements in
that present the rules applicable to organic public procurement. Action 6: The EC will organise a conference
production, processing and trade, including in 2015 to identify research and innovation
the rules applying to organic conversion, priorities for producers in relation to the
as well as the support measures available challenges that may result from the future
under the CAP. Competitiveness: research organic production rules.
and innovation
Action 2: The EC will include organic farming Action 7: The EC will, in the relevant Horizon
as a specific theme in the forthcoming call Organic farming has become a high- 2020 actions, strengthen exchange and
for proposals for support for information ly specialised agricultural system, uptake of research results through specific
measures intended for farmers and which requires specific professional measures, such as research and innovation
producers relating to the CAP35. education, knowledge and technolo- actions, thematic networks and other
gies. There are a number of challeng- actions that encourage synergies between
es with regard to production of plant research outputs of other production
and animal products within organi- sectors and between conventional and
Competitiveness: increasing cally managed systems, for instance organic research. The EC will support
awareness because of the limited availability of ERA-Net or other types of instruments to
some inputs in their organic form. improve coordination of research among
The Action Plan supports organic sec- research funding bodies in the EU, in view
tor promotion. The aim is to increase These include, for example protein of presenting joint research calls.
market opportunities for organic and micronutrients supply for animal
operators - including funding for feed and organic seeds. In relation to
campaigns that aim to increase con- organic seeds, the EC Action Plan rec-
sumer awareness. It will also monitor ommends that stakeholders set up a
34 Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural
Development (new EAFRD regulation).
35 This includes a support programme for seminars and other awareness raising events about the CAP. Organics will be flagged as a specific theme in the calls for 2015.
36 BioFach is an annual organic world trade fair, which in 2014 will be held in Nuremberg (Germany), Baltimore (USA), Bangalore (India), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Shanghai
(China), and Tokyo (Japan). For more information see http://www.biofach.de/en/
37 For more about the EIP-AGRI: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eip/service-point/index_en.htm
38 Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020) – in addition to
the private investment that this money will attract. For more information see http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/what-horizon-2020.
39 Joint programming supports national programmes in difficulty of tackling research challenges alone. For more info see http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/joint-
programming_en.html. The ERA-NET instrument under Horizon 2020 is designed to support public-public partnerships in their preparation, establishment of
networking structures, design, implementation and coordination of joint activities as well as topping up of single joint calls and of actions of a transnational
13
nature. For more information see http://ec.europa.eu/research/era/era-net-in-horizon-2020_en.html.
Competitiveness: imports from third countries, the producers realise their full potential
monitoring and evaluation EC will liaise more closely with the added value. Together with increased
relevant accreditation bodies as trade, the Action Plan is focused on
The organic data network40 is an appropriate. ensuring that imported products
EC-funded research project aiming comply with the strict EU definition
to increase transparency through Other targeted actions for this pri- of organic food and farming. Where
better availability of market intel- ority area include increasing trace- possible, regulatory and standards
ligence about the organic sector. ability of organic goods through an convergence will also be encour-
In evaluating the efficiency and ef- electronic certification system and li- aged. Steps will be taken to reassure
fectiveness of the implementation aising with Member States to prevent consumers about the integrity of
of the EU legislation, the EC will also fraudulent practices that can harm the EU organic logo and to avoid its
seek to improve knowledge of how consumer confidence. potential misuse in third countries.
the added value is distributed along Developing countries are an impor-
the organic food supply chain and tant source of the EU’s imported
the extent to which it benefits agri- Action 10: The EC is to encourage organic products. Special attention
cultural producers. Member States to explore synergies shall be given to the implementation
and simplifications between activities of new control and production rules
by Accreditation Bodies and Competent to ensure smooth continuity of trade
Action 8: The EC will publish regular reports Authorities. with developing countries.
on organic production in the EU, containing
in particular information on holdings Action 11: The EC will propose that the TARIC
involved in organic production, as well as Committee integrates the organic farming Action 14: The EC will continue support
main production sectors. legislation requirements in the TARIC41 and cooperation with trade partners in
database. developing countries in the framework of
Action 9: The Commission will analyse the EU development policy.
the distribution of added value along the Action 12: The EC will develop a system of
food chain and obstacles to joining the electronic certification for imports and an Action 15: The EC will consider increased
organic sector through a survey on the approach for electronic certification within convergence of standards among leading
attractiveness of the organic scheme, in the EU’s internal market. organic partners and explore the possibility
particular for small farms, and small and of a plurilateral agreement.
medium sized enterprises in the food Action 13: The EC will assist Member States
manufacturing sector. in developing and implementing an organic Action 16: The EC will analyse trade
fraud prevention policy, through targeted with third countries, in order to improve
workshops to share lessons learned and knowledge of potential new markets for
good practices, and the development of a the EU organic sector. Particular attention
Consumer confidence compendia/casebook of cases. shall be given to developing countries as
suppliers to the EU markets.
Consumer confidence in the applica-
tion of EU rules for organic produce Action 17: Regarding the Codex
forms the bedrock of trust in the sec- Reinforce EU organic trade Alimentarius42 the EC will develop common
tor. The related Action Plan initiatives EU positions in relation to the new or
thus seek to reduce any possible risks Europe is world’s foremost trader modified rules on organic production. The
to consumer confidence. in agricultural products. With a net EC will support development of rules on
trade balance of €6.7 billion, the EU’s aquaculture, and will explore starting work
Noting the need to enhance col- export strength lies in final prod- inter alia on organic wine rules.
laboration between the competent ucts that are ready for consumers.
authorities for organic production Products such as wines, cheeses and Action 18: The EC will increase protection
and national accreditation bodies, processed meats produce significant of the EU organic logo in third countries by
the plan focuses on delivering more added value. registration as a collective trade mark and/
effective and efficient supervision of or through bilateral agreements.
control bodies. The EC will establish The European Commission is keen
further guidance in 2016. Regarding to ensure that the Europe’s organic
Action Plan for the future of Organic Production in the European Union
40 For more information about the Organic Data Network see http://www.organicdatanetwork.net
14 41 http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/taric/taric_consultation.jsp?Lang=en
42 The Codex Alimentarius (established by FAO and WHO) is the international/multilateral reference body for trade in organic products.
Noting the development of worldwide trade it seems necessary to continue work on the existing Codex standard.

A long history of rural development support
for organic farming
Rural Development Programmes have long-supported organic

farming and production. This article examines the diverse ways
Member States have used CAP funds to support organic farming
to date, considers the effect of the recent CAP Reform and
highlights the new opportunities for Member States to support
organic production in the 2014-2020 period.
S
ince 1992 EU Member States farming as making a specific contri- 2007-2013 period. Whereas most of
have had the option of allocat- bution to Community priorities for them have done so, their choices
ing funds to specifically support water management and biodiversity. reflect considerable differences in
organic farming. During this time the approach across the EU, both in the
CAP policy towards organic farming The latest advance is that in the 2014- relative priority that has been given
has shifted slightly and broadened 2020 programming period organic to organic production and the stage
in scope. Initially the EU level ration- farming has its own specific measure of development of their respective
ale for supporting farmers to adopt within Pillar 2, and from 2015 organic organic sectors. Member States have
or continue organic production was farmers will be able to claim the new thus supported organic farming in
that a less-intensive system of farm- Pillar 1 greening payment automati- many different ways, using CAP fund-
ing would help reduce the surpluses cally, in contrast to many other farming from all three axes of Pillar 2, tar-
of some agricultural products and ers who will have to comply with geted Pillar 1 support and national
the risks of pollution by fertilisers specific greening requirements. and regional funding. There are 17
and pesticides. The 1999 legislation Member States that have national
introducing rural development pro- organic action plans providing stra-
gramming across the EU noted both How have Member States tegic guidance and coherence for
the rising consumer demand for or- used CAP funds to support their efforts to support the organic
ganic produce and the wider role of organic farming? production sector.
organic farming in sustainable agri-
culture. Ten years later the so-called Member States have been free to The most common Rural Develop
CAP Health Check identified agri- choose whether or not to offer sup- ment Programme (RDP) organic
environment support for organic port for organic farming during the support is agri-environment annual
15
payments per hectare for conver- Figure 2: EAFRD payments to organic farming within measure 214
sion to and maintenance of organic (Agri-environmental payments), 2007-2011, per Member State43
farming practices. From 2007-2011
this accounted for at least €1 414
250,000
million of EAFRD expenditure under
the agri-environment measure in 22
Member States, as shown in Figure 2. 200,000
Other RDP measures have been used
1000 EURO
to address the needs of organic sec-
150,000
tor in some Member States, including
providing support for the setting up
young farmers, modernisation of ag- 100,000
ricultural holdings, adding value to

agricultural products, participation in
50,000
food quality schemes, the setting-up
of producer groups and information
and promotion activities. 0
DE AT IT ES CZ SE PL LT FR FI PT LV DK SK SI EE BE HU BG UK IE CY LU
Many different types of organic farm- extra points in the selection pro- support co-operation in the agricul-
ing are supported including arable cess, while in parts of Italy and Spain tural and food sectors to fund a sup-
crops, grassland and livestock, veg- young organic farmers qualify for ply chain project which will help the
etables and herbs, perennial crops higher payments under this measure. organic sector to develop.
and orchard, vineyards, and olive Many countries support investment
trees. Scheme requirements vary in organic production, processing Although agri-environment and oth-
considerably, as do payment rates. and marketing, under the meas- er RDP payments are the main source
For example, organic maintenance ure for adding value to agricultural of CAP support for organic farming
payments for grassland range from products. In Bavaria (Germany) and in most Member States, several use
€39-to-€450 per hectare, per year. It Slovenia this is done by giving organ- Pillar 1 payments too. Denmark,
is a clear indicator of the diversity of ic projects higher support rates, and France and Romania have fully or
approach taken to supporting such in Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Latvia partially transferred their organic
organic farming systems, as well as and Slovakia by giving higher priority support from the RDP to the Pillar 1
differences in income and cost which to organic investments. Organic certi- Article 68 payments44, while another
constitute the basis for calculating fication costs are supported through four Member States use this type of
the support. In England (United the measure for participation in food funding for both organic farmers and
Kingdom) there is no specific organic quality schemes in 15 Member States farmers participating in food qual-
scheme but the entry-level agri-envi- and may be combined with support ity schemes (Greece, Italy, Spain and
ronment scheme has an ‘organic top- for information and promotion ac- Sweden). Romania has used Article
up’ element in which there are higher tivities. Many Member States also use 68 to finance organic conversion
payment rates for organic farmland Axis 1 funding to provide specific or- while supporting organic mainte-
in the lengthy menu of options avail- ganic farming training and informa- nance through agri-environment
able to all farmers. Catalonia (Spain) tion advisory services. Wales (United payments.
supports organic livestock farmers Kingdom) has used the measure to
through both agri-environment
payments and RDP area payments
for animal welfare.
Some Member States have used

the inherent flexibility of rural
development programming to
support organic farming using

other RDP measures, notably from
Axis 1. The Czech Republic RDP
scheme for young farmers prioritises
organic farmers by awarding them
43 Source: EC (2013) Facts and figures on organic agriculture in the EU (page 43).
16 44 Payments for specific production systems undergoing difficulties, where these are particularly important for economic, social or environmental reasons
(Article 68 of Regulation 73/2009).
Case Study: RDP agri-environment payments support

well-established organic orchards in Italy45
In the Basilicata region of southern Italy the Pitrelli family started

converting 55 hectares of their family farm to organic production
some twenty years ago, with the aim of adding value to the farm’s
produce and improving access to markets for quality food.
© ENRD Contact Point

Organic conversion was completed in 2004 and today RDP agri-
environment payments of around €330 per hectare per year help
them to maintain organic production from 45 hectares of orchards
(with plum, apricot, pear, cherry and peach trees), 6 hectares of
cereals, 2.5 hectares of olive groves and 2 hectares of vegetable
plots. consumers. Now they plan to expand their direct-selling activities
through a farmers’ market. Well-established short supply chains like
The high quality of their organic extra virgin olive oil encouraged the this help the farm to maintain close contact with the consumers of
family to start bottling and selling their own label olive oil, and they their high quality products, and the Pitrelli farm has also branched
sold their organic produce in a farm shop and directly to groups of out into educational activities for the next generation of consumers.
CAP Reform and support support farmers who adopt envi- perennial crops and €450 for other
for organic farming ronmentally friendly management land uses (although in special cases
practices, but the 2013 CAP Reform payments can be higher if the need
The latest CAP reform heralds a new does mark a significant shift in pur- is justified in the RDP).
phase for organic farming policy pose. The fact that certified organic
support. For the first time the envi- farmers now qualify automatically It has long been a principle of the
ronmental contribution of organic for the new green payment, clearly CAP to avoid double funding, which
farming has been recognised across illustrates how the concept of a new means that farmers should not be
both pillars of the CAP, not just un- structural architecture has been es- paid twice for complying with the
der rural development. From 2015 tablished. Noting the momentum same management conditions on
all Member States will have to use behind the greening initiative, any a specific area of land. From 2015,
30 per cent of their Pillar 1 direct subsequent future reform may well when Member States calculate pay-
payments to finance new payments be informed by this policy trend. ment rates for RDP a gri-environment
to farmers for agricultural practices climate or organic schemes they
that are beneficial for the climate and New opportunities to must check if the land management
the environment. Certified organic support organic production requirements overlap with those of
farmers are entitled ipso facto to this the new greening direct payment in
green payment, but other farmers The new EAFRD Regulation46 intro- Pillar 1. Where there is overlap, the
(with a few exceptions defined in duces a separate measure for conver- RDP scheme payment calculation
the legal framework) may have to sion to and maintenance of organic will not take into account the costs of
make changes or demonstrate how farming in the 2014-2020 RDPs. This complying with the relevant green-
they are already complying with re- will make organic support more vis- ing requirements. The effect on or-
quirements for crop diversification, ible than it was as part of the agri- ganic payment rates is expected to
permanent grassland and ecological environment measure and will also be quite limited, in most cases apply-
focus areas. simplify monitoring and analysis of ing only to the costs of crop diversifi-
EAFRD expenditure on organic farm- cation or in some cases of permanent
Over the lifetime of the CAP progress ing. The payments rates per hectare grassland maintenance as specified
has been slow in recognising the po- remain at a maximum of €600 for in the greening requirements.
tential for using Pillar 1 funding to annual crops, €900 for specialised
45 Source: ENRD, RDP Project Database,

46 CAP Reform basic regulations: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/newsroom/155_en.htm
17
Case Study: RDP investment supports the expansion of

an organic horticultural business in Spain47
In Andalucia in south-eastern Spain, a group of organic horticultural The company established a sophisticated system for loading
producers formed the Bio Sol Portocarrero company, which is and unloading field boxes of organic produce, created two new
committed to marketing healthy and high quality organic fruit processing lines for field tomatoes and watermelons, installed a
and vegetables, underpinned by a rigorous quality control system. product transfer belt and a label dispenser, and bought equipment
to automate the handling of produce during transport and storage.
To expand the company’s production capacity they needed to Using these more efficient and environmentally friendly processes
invest in better processing and packing facilities, to automate has led to improvements in both product quality and working
some processes and to make loading and shipping easier. They conditions, and the company has been able to create new rural
also wanted to extend their range of products to include organic jobs near the coastal Natural Park of Cabo de Gata-Nijar.
tomatoes and watermelon. This required a substantial investment of
almost €349 000 and the company sought help from the Andalucia
RDP, which provided half of the funding, under the measure for
adding value to agricultural and forestry products.
A higher profile for organic farming support, which in the past could of organic production and organic
is just one of the new features in only be done through the LEADER markets. The authors concluded
the revised EAFRD Regulation. The approach. Targeted packages of that different organic support meas-
structure of the RDPs will change RDP support for organic farming ures are interdependent, and that
too, because the familiar four-axis could be particularly useful for policy packages seem to be more ef-
EAFRD structure has been replaced low-intensity farming systems that fective if they are embedded in the
by six EU priorities. All six priorities would benefit economically from wider policy context, have strategic
are relevant to achieving wider use organic conversion without the goals and address the specific needs
of organic production methods, for need to make major changes to of the sector.
example through EAFRD support their farm management. For exam-
for: improving knowledge transfer ple, in parts of southern and eastern
and innovation, farm viability and Europe there are rural areas where
competitiveness, food chain or- many small, traditionally managed
ganisation and animal welfare; and family farms are clustered together,
enhancing agricultural ecosystems managing their land in a way that
and promoting resource efficient is similar to organic farming. RDP
agriculture which is also climate funds could be used to assist these
resilient. Member States or regions farmers to submit group applica-
can now choose to create, within tions for the new organic payment
their RDPs, separate thematic sub- (as a group they would qualify for
programmes (with higher rates of the higher 30% top-up rate to cover
support depending on the theme their transaction costs). They could
they cover) to address specific also benefit from targeted advisory
needs, for example those of young services, support for co-operation
farmers, small farms, mountain ar- between producers and in the sup-
eas, short supply chains, climate ply chain, and support for the devel-
change mitigation and adaptation, opment of local processing facilities,
and biodiversity. all from the RDP.
This new, more flexible RDP struc- A recent study of Member States’
ture makes it easier for Member support for organic farming48 not-
States to ‘mix and match’ different ed that area-based payments and
types of rural development meas- organic action plans made a strong
ures in integrated packages of RDP contribution to the development
47 Source: ENRD, RDP Project Database,

18 48 Sanders J, Stolze M, Padel S (Eds.) (2011): Use and efficiency of public support measures addressing organicfarming, Braunschweig: Thünen-Institute of Farm
Economics.
© European Commission
Smart innovation set to boost
organic sector competitiveness
Nature is a great innovator and so too are farmers at the cutting-edge of organic production.
However, the future success of the European organic sector requires that certain challenges
linked to the delivery of plant and animal products within organically managed systems are
tackled promptly. In response, numerous European and national level innovation initiatives
are targeting the limited availability of some organic inputs.
I
nnovation in organic agriculture According to European Commission Unfortunately, says Tom MacMillan,
is about finding the right balance. figures, 5.4% of total utilised agri- Director of Innovation with the Soil
Although organic farmers want to cultural area in Europe is organic. Association50 – a UK body campaign-
boost their output - yields from or- Despite continued growth over the ing for organic food and farming - or-
ganic farms are typically 75%-80% of past ten years, the sector still suffers ganic farmers have typically not been
that from conventional modern farm- from the perception that organic good at organising their innovation
ing49 - they do not want to do it at produce is more expensive than activities. There has been, ‘historic
any cost. The challenge is to produce non-organic, even though this is underinvestment, indeed even a
more without compromising on the not always the case. If organic farm- market failure, in organic research
practices that define organic farmers can boost their productivity and and development.’ One example is
ing, such as actively supporting local become more cost efficient, they crop varieties. Compared to non-or-
biodiversity, limited use of pesticides could dispel the high-price percep- ganic farming, there has been much
and avoidance of artificial chemical tion, thereby boosting demand and less investment in developing crop
fertilisers. encouraging more farmers to go or- varieties that will work in organic
ganic. Innovation is seen as one way systems.
Innovation is not limited to yield to speed up the spread of organic
improvement. Product quality and agriculture and it is one of the six This comparative innovation lag
process improvements can also priorities that define European rural means that Europe is not reaping the
strengthen the organic sector, such development policy in the 2014- full benefits of resource-efficient or-
as through the development of new 2020 period. ganic farming. Central among these
methods to improve nutritional and are greater environmental sustain-
environmental quality. ability and more resilience to wildly
varying input prices in the face of
climate change risk.
49 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eip/focus-groups/organic-farming/201309_en.pdf
50 For more on the Soil Association and innovation: http://www.soilassociation.org/innovativefarming
19
Focus on cost efficiency of organic wheat in

the UK51
• Organic yields are currently around 4.5 tonnes per hectare.

• Non-organic yields are 7.6 tonnes per hectare.

• However, input costs to non-organic farming are rising rapidly:
• Fertiliser costs increased 39% in 2012.
• Fungicide costs increased 40% in 2012 and 26% per year average
increase since 2007.
It is estimated that a 70% increase in the price of synthetic nitrogen

fertilisers would mean that at current yields, it could cost as much to
produce one tonne of non-organic wheat as one tonne of organic wheat.
© Tom MacMillan
In a scenario of UK, which is funded by the Prince of The role of EIP-AGRI

high price volatil- Wales’s Charitable Foundation and
ity for key inputs delivered by the Soil Association. The innovation network approach is
such as nitrogen, now being boosted at European level
more effective The Future Farming Programme’s through the European Innovation
coordination of goal is to involve as many farmers as Partnership on Agricultural Product
organic agricul- possible in so-called field labs, which ivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI52).
Tom MacMillan, Soil Association ture research and are led by farmers and seek to sow This is one of a number of European
innovation that the seeds of innovative organic tech- Innovation Partnerships set up to
fosters greater organic productivity niques that improve yields and nutri- help the EU meet the Europe 202053
and potentially makes organic farm- tional performance. The programme growth strategy, the objective of
ing even more cost efficient, could started in April 2012 and in its first 18 which is to become a smart, sustain-
convince even more farmers to take months involved more than 1500 or- able and inclusive economy. The EIP
up organic practices. ‘Innovation in ganic and non-organic farmers. The aims to build bridges between the
the organic sector benefits all agri- field labs cover a wealth of subjects research and farming communities
culture,’ notes Tom MacMillan, adding from soil microbes to improve yield, and to ensure a more rapid roll-out
that, ‘it is a test bed for approaches to reducing antibiotic use in dairy of research results in practice.
that are increasingly relevant as re- farming, to foam weeding – the use
sources get scarcer.’ of high-temperature biodegradable But the EIP-AGRI goes beyond speed-
starch foam to kill weeds without dis- ing up the transfer from laboratory
A helping hand turbing the soil. to practice and focuses on forming
partnerships - using bottom-up ap-
Fortunately, help is at hand for organ- Other similar bottom-up networks in- proaches and linking farmers, advi-
ic agriculture innovators. Schemes clude the Réseau Semences Paysannes sors, researchers, businesses, and
and projects are being established in France and the Rete Semi Rurali in other actors in practical innovation
that will enable farmers to exchange Italy. Such initiatives are about em- projects. The main way of supporting
good practices and benefit more powering the farmers as innovators. this is through the Member States’
from the experience and knowledge More than half of Future Farming Rural Development Programmes
of their peers. Programme attendees said they where Member States can support
want to be involved in more research, innovation projects on the ground,
A number of initiatives are already which indicates that there are huge which are set up by the so-called EIP
under way involving farming net- areas where existing best practice Operational Groups.
works in European Union Member needs to be taken up more widely.
States, such as the Duchy Originals Operational Groups can also build
Future Farming Programme in the on the work of initiatives such as TP
51 Sources: Tom MacMillan, Soil Association; Sentry Farms; Farmers Weekly.

52 For more about the EIP-AGRI organic farming focus group: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eip/focus-groups/organic-farming/index_en.htm
20 53 Europe 2020: http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm
© Cristina Micheloni, AIAB

Organics54, the European Technology Crop varieties to fluctuating
Platform for organic food and farm- environmental
ing research. This is a business-led One of the issues highlighted by the conditions, and
initiative, set up in 2007 with EU-level EIP-AGRI focus group on organic for increasing
backing, to coordinate and encour- farming - and widely recognised as yields and yield
age collaboration on organic agricul- an innovation challenge for organic stability in or-
ture R&D. Its secretariat is provided producers everywhere - is the need ganic and low-
by IFOAM EU, the EU branch of the to boost the availability of organic input systems.’
Cristina Micheloni, AIAB
International Federation of Organic seeds. The lack of wide availability re-
Agriculture Movements. flects the small size of the market and SOLIBAM, which runs until August
can be addressed in the long-term 2014, has a big budget - a total in-
The EIP-AGRI work on organic farm- by building an organic seed market. vestment of over €7.8 million with
ing is being aided by a focus group55 €5.9 million provided by EU funds
The temporary group of selected Stakeholders like Tom MacMillan - and a large roster of 23 partners,
experts explores practical innovative would like to see a situation devel- including seed companies such
solutions to optimising arable yields, op whereby organic farmers will be as Saatzucht Donau (Austria) and
and draws on experience derived able to buy a greater variety of seeds Gautier Semences (France). Further
from related useful projects. and will be able to test which work such projects could potentially be
best for their farms. This would mark funded under the Horizon 2020 re-
The focus group has been mapping a shift away from the current situ- search programme, which, as part
the innovation challenges facing or- ation in which seed companies re- of its remit, will tackle a series of so-
ganic arable farmers. In drafting its search new varieties to sell to farmers cietal challenges. Promoters of pro-
recommendations to the EIP-AGRI, without taking local circumstances jects involving organic production
it found five major areas in which into account. On-farm trial and error could potentially find opportunities
there are barriers to productivity could turn organic farmers into inno- under two of the related headings:
for organic arable producers: inad- vators in this area, enabling them to food security, sustainable agriculture,
equate supply of nutrients; poor identify the most productive mixes of marine and maritime research, and
management of soil fertility; insuffi- seed, and thus improve their yields. the bio-economy; and climate action,
cient weed management; insufficient Because seed varieties identified in resource efficiency and raw materials.
management of pests and diseases; this way will be more suitable for lo-
and choice of seed varieties. cal circumstances, farmers will also Animal nutrition
benefit from greater crop resilience.
Cristina Micheloni, a member of Another prime innovation challenge
the scientific board of the Italian Cristina Micheloni says that such in- for organic agriculture is finding suf-
Association for Organic Agriculture novation could ultimately persuade ficient sources of protein for animal
(Associazione Italiana Agricoltura seed companies to modify their busi- nutrition. The difficulties regarding
Biologica, AIAB), and a member of ness models should market demand the availability of organic animal feed
the EIP-AGRI focus group, says that for more localised varieties and mix- needed to raise organic livestock are
the basic aim of the focus group has tures of varieties grow, ‘if they are also linked to the underlying issue
been to understand, ‘how we can ready to react I think it could be a of crop varieties. Cristina Micheloni
make the less productive organic good future for them.’ She also notes explains that, ‘the choice of the ap-
farmers as productive as the good that seed companies, ‘can be part of propriate seeds is the key solving at
ones.’ Differences in productivity lev- the Operational Groups too.’ least partially, the other problems,’
els, ‘depend very much on the skills that organic farmers face.
the farmers have and how much in- Some such initiatives are already
novation has been able to get to the under way. For example, an FP7 pro- Organic animal nutrition is some-
farm,’ she notes, adding that, in this ject, SOLIBAM (Strategies for Organic thing that EIP-AGRI Operational
context, the EIP-AGRI objective is to, and Low-input Integrated Breeding Groups could work on. In doing so,
‘make all the knowledge available to and Management56) is working on they could build on some creative
everybody, to allow everyone to de- crop diversity as a basis for more approaches already being trialled.
cide how they want to use it.’ productive organic agriculture. In its The Soil Association’s Tom MacMillan
statement of objectives, the project says that affordable protein for ani-
notes that, ‘developing diversity at all mal diets, ‘comes up as a priority all
levels is the best strategy for improv- the time.’ An innovative idea being
ing the capacity for crops to adapt tested in poultry farming is the use
54 TP Organics: http://www.tporganics.eu/
55 EIP-AGRI focus group on organic farming (optimising arable yields) - http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eip/focus-groups/organic-farming/index_en.htm
56 SOLIBAM: http://www.solibam.eu
21
of certain crops to attract insects – The Danube Soya Association’s mem- As initiatives such as the push for
which can then be eaten by the live- bership includes feed and food com- Danube soya, and existing research
stock to increase protein intake57. panies, farming organisations and projects and networks demonstrate,
food retailers. Its aim is to promote the organic sector is a highly spe-
Consideration of animal feed also Austrian self-sufficiency in soya, cialised agricultural system, which
raises the issue of the source of feed which would guarantee GMO-free thrives on specific education, knowl-
and the use of genetically modified feed. The association has established edge and technology. The progress
organisms (GMOs). According to the a Danube Soya label that provides made so far will no doubt provide
Danube Soya Association58, based in certification of local production and fertile ground for further innovation
Vienna, Austria is the EU’s third big- the absence of GMOs. The associa- in organic agriculture as the EIP-AGRI
gest soya producer, but only 13% tion notes that not only is Europe Operational Groups start their work.
of the soya used in Austria for feed dependent on soya imports but And the groups provide a welcome
is grown in the country. Most is im- that such imports are not resource impetus for farmers to articulate their
ported from Argentina, Brazil and efficient. It calculates that if Austrian research needs, which will then feed
the United States, and 74% of that is pigs were fed on local soya, the car- into the EU research agenda via the
genetically modified, thus placing a bon dioxide emissions of the Austrian EIP-AGRI.
severe limitation on organic farmers, pork industry could be halved, which
for whom use of GMOs is prohibited. is food for thought in terms of the
Europe 2020 objectives.
Case Study: Using industrial by-products to increase organic matter in soil
Arable soils often become exhausted as a result of agri-

cultural monocultures (use of single crops) and chemical
fertilizers. As concentrations of soil organic matter (SOM)
decrease crop failures and emissions tend to increase.
Four years ago, Juuso Joona, a farmer and agronomist

from Joutseno, Finland - whose Tyynelä Farm is located
in the middle of forestry industry - was finding that low
SOM concentrations were behind his low yields. Knowing
the potential of soil improving fibres to improve yields –
© Juuso Joona
they have been used in Finland for a few decades - he saw

how his challenge could be turned into an opportunity:
Juuso Joona’s idea was to use wood fibres to counteract
low levels of SOM.
industrial processes and the wood types used and re-
By using the soil improving fibres present in paper mill search into optimal use is on-going. Today, Juuso Joona’s
sludge, SOM concentration can be raised considerably business benefits both the local forestry industry by ex-
faster than with green manure leys or farmyard manure. ploiting its by-products and the local farming community
The forestry by-product contains a great amount of slowly by delivering added-value and environmentally-sound
decomposable organic matter. The advantages of this products.
innovative product for the soil include added water and
nutrient-holding capacity and enhanced microbiologi- For more information: www.tyynelanmaanparannus.fi
cal activity. The soil improving fibres vary depending on / juuso.joona@tyynelantila.fi
57 See report of the Duchy Originals Future Farming Programme, an initiative that focuses on low-input and low-cost solutions to improving productivity:
22 https://www.soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=4HY9wr9M39g%3d&tabid=2142
58 Danube Soya Association: http://www.donausoja.org

Europe’s organic sector:
a natural fit for social inclusion
As organic production grows in Europe, the sector’s focus is on competitiveness and

sustainability. Another compelling characteristic of organic farming is its natural tendency
towards social inclusion. This facet is to be supported and enhanced by the renewed
European Union policy mix and social inclusion has been made one of the six rural
development priorities for the 2014-2020 programming period.
O
rganic farming in Europe review of the EU policy framework agricultural industry, to promoting
continues to be a real suc- for the organic production sector, new roles for women working in
cess story. More and more held between January and April agriculture or by giving a chance to
citizens recognise the EU organic leaf 2013, which received a massive 45 disadvantaged local people, organic
logo on organic products and the un- 000 replies, 96% of which were from farming supports and overarching
derlying values associated with this ordinary citizens59. priority of rural development policy
kind of resource efficient agriculture, in the 2014-2020 programming pe-
such as safeguarding environmental Below the radar of popular opinion, riod, namely the need to promote
resources and biodiversity, local and the organic sector delivers less visible social inclusion, poverty reduction
healthy food, more attention to ani- benefits of a social nature. The sec- and economic development in rural
mal welfare. This popular interest in tor has potential to be a significant areas.
organic farming was confirmed by driver of rural vitality. From encour-
a recent public consultation on the aging a new generation to enter the
59 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/organic-farming/news/2013/20131218_en.htm 23

Encouraging the next Organic farming is also more likely At its cutting edge, the organic sector
generation to encourage more people to remain has become a highly specialised agri-
in rural areas. Detailed comparisons cultural system. Young entrepreneurs
The abandonment of rural areas by of organic and conventional farms are often more qualified than older
young people is a serious and wor- operating in the same sector and ones and benefit from specific edu-
rying phenomenon in many regions of similar size in the European Farm cation, knowledge and technology.
of the EU, especially in the most Accountancy Data Network (FADN)
remote60. Thanks to a growing in- indicate that organic farming is more When considering that organic farm-
terest in organic farming methods, labour intensive for certain types ing often acts as a catalyst for the
however, a new generation of en- of production, due to limitations development of activities that add
trepreneurs that respect the values on input use for most agricultural value to raw materials at source, to
inherent to the management of ru- practices63. the development of short supply
ral assets and resources, are creating chains, or to improved branding
opportunities for employment and Indeed, other relevant data signals and marketing and development
income and bringing new life to the that, from 2003 to 2010, the sector of new products, one can imagine
rural economy61. has demonstrated a rather different how the organic approach can help
trend compared to conventional tackle overall economic problems in
The percentage of farm managers farming: while the latter has seen the farming sector. Good examples
under 55 years old is significantly a decrease both in the number of of this can be found in the EU Rural
higher for organic farms than for con- holdings and of working units, the Review #6 on Agriculture and Social
ventional farming: younger farmers organic sector has grown consist- Inclusion65 and in the ENRD’s RDP
account for around 61% of the total ently, although it still accounts for a Project Database66.
compared to 44% for conventional small percentage of overall holdings/
farming62. operators in the EU64.
60 EU Rural Review #6 on Agriculture and Social Inclusion, http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/publications-and-media/eu-rural-review/en/page-03_en.cfm

61 An analysis of the EU organic sector, European Commission, DG AGRI, June 2010,
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets-and-prices/more-reports/pdf/organic_2010_en.pdf.
62 Facts and Figures on organic agriculture, European Commission, 2013,
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets-and-prices/more-reports/pdf/organic-2013_en.pdf
63 Ibidem (page 22)
64 Ibidem (page17/19).
65 See examples from Poland (page 19), Italy (page 27) and Romania (page56),
24 http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/publications-and-media/eu-rural-review/en/page-03_en.cfm
66 http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/policy-in-action/rdp_view/en/view_projects_en.cfm
Case Study: New generation organic farming in Greece
Christos Panagiotidis, who lives near Thessaloniki, in Greece, first got plants. The farm’s high quality organic
involved in farming at the age of 15. With the support of his family, dairy products (including mizithra
he complemented his agricultural studies and he fully replaced cheese and yogurt) are sold directly to
his father in the farm management role in 2008. market without any intermediary, and
have won awards for their great taste
At that time the family business was a ranching operation. In 2010 and quality.
© Christos Panagiotidis
he received EAFRD funding under Measure 112 (setting up of
young farmers) of €17 500. In May 2013, the farm received
funding under Measure 121 (for the
Today the farm’s livestock modernisation of agricultural holdings)
includes indigenous of €183 150. The organic farm also now
breeds of pigs and water offers excellent multifunctional features,
buffalos raised with including training and seminar facilities
organically produced and it provides a positive contribution to the local community.
© Christos Panagiotidis
fodder that is grown on

the farm. In addition, Christos Panagiotidis was the winner of the Best Young Farmer
there is a flock of dairy competition organised by the National Union of Young Farmers in
sheep and goats, also December 2013 and nominated as the Greek entrant to the 2014
exclusively fed with Best Young Farmer of Europe competition67.
organically-farmed
Targeting the potential of As Figure 3 indicates, a list of 135 IOs compiled. Of these, 80 obligations
small farms (Information Obligations) imposed were identified for operators. That
by the EU organic legislation on na- is why reducing barriers to entry for
The vast majority of holdings in the EU tional administrations, operators and small farmers to the organic produc-
are very small: 69% of all farms have control bodies that could potentially tion sector represents a clear policy
less than five hectares of utilised ag- involve administrative costs was priority at European level.
ricultural area and on average there is
less than one full-time job per farm68.
An important issue to be considered
is the percentage of small farms in-
volved in the organic sector, which is Figure 3: Number of administrative information obligations
lower than in conventional farms. For
example, in the EU about 48% of total
holdings have a size lower than 2 ha,
while only 6.2% of organic farms fall
within this category69.
135 information obligations in total
This can be mostly explained by two 80 IOs for operators

reasons. On the one hand many or- 41 IOs for national
ganic farms, such as livestock farms, administrations in MS
require a larger size in order to respect 11 IOs for control bodies
specific organic requirements, such as and control authorities
the maximum amount of animals per
hectare. On the other hand, manda-
3 IOs for Third countries
tory information requirements and
Source: European Commission
their related costs tend to be quite
demanding for organic operators.
67 See http://eu.greekreporter.com/2014/01/28/greek-from-thessaloniki-candidate-for-european-farmer-of-the-year/
68 Eurostat Farm Structure Survey 2010 & the Agricultural Economics Brief No. 9 ‘Structure and dynamics of EU farms: changes, trends and policy relevance’.
69 Facts and Figures on organic agriculture, European Commission, 2013, http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets-and-prices/more-reports/pdf/organic-2013_en.pdf
25
The European Commission intends This opinion was also widely shared As a matter of fact, most recent data
to allow European organic producers in the online public consultation by indicate that in 2010 there was no sig-
to be certified according to a group the European Commission: 70% of nificant difference between organic
certification system. This approach the respondents favoured the idea and non-organic farms regarding
would rely on an internal control of permitting group certification for the share of male and female farm
system and of external spot checks organic producers in the EU. managers in the EU73. However, the
of individual group members, in a same data source found that women
manner similar to that practiced for Encouraging a better working in organic farming tended
small-scale farmers in developing gender balance to acquire more vocational training
countries. than those working in conventional
The gender balance in organic farm- farms; this indirectly confirms that
Andrea Ferrante, member of the ing compared to conventional farm- the organic approach is associated
European Coordination Committee ing has not been analysed to a large with education for women farmers,
of Via Campesina70, welcomes this extent so far. However, the evidence also noting that the sector requires
new certification option as proposed from the few studies carried out on diverse working skills and specific
in the new EU regulation on organic this issue72 supports the hypothesis knowledge.
farming71 emphasising that, ‘aver- that organic farming has the poten-
age costs for achieving the certifica- tial to alter the traditional gender bal-
tion could drop by 70%-to-80%, and ance in agriculture, both by creating
farmers would be greatly encour- a working context in which women
aged to share and channel their local can more readily participate in farm
knowledge and expertise towards a production and management, and
common, quality goal. Moreover, this by promoting ways of thinking that
would facilitate other economies of are more consistent with gender
scale, especially in countries where equality.
land ownership is typically very
scattered.’
Recognising innovative women farmers
Several women managing organic farms have been

recognised by COPA who have selected and awarded
inspiring examples of innovative practices around Europe
in 201174.
These included: Ann Moore, an Irish farmer that helped

introduce the ‘once-a-day’ milking system in her area; Ann-
Britt Edberg, a Finnish woman who produces and dries
organic cereals on her farm; Samanta Rovera, an Italian farmer
working in Piedmont using biodynamic agriculture; and
Dolores Diaz Gomez, a Spanish woman from the region of
Murcia who carries out organic production of almonds and

wine grapes
(COPA, Innovation prize for women farmers, 2011).
70 The European Coordination Via Campesina gathers farmers’ and agricultural workers’ organisations of Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain,
Greece, and Turkey. http://www.eurovia.org/
71 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/eu-policy/policy-development/index_en.htm
72 Organic Farming, Gender, and the Labor Process, By Hall & Mogyorody, 2007,
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/975520/organic_farming_gender_and_the_labor_process/
73 Facts and Figures on organic agriculture, European Commission, 2013,
26 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets-and-prices/more-reports/pdf/organic-2013_en.pdf
74 COPA, Innovation prize for women farmers, 2011, http://www.copa-cogeca.be/img/user/file/Prixfemin/prix_2011_2009_E.pdf
Social inclusion the consortium Libera Terra (or Free benefits and improved quality of life
in rural setting Land) is probably the best known for those living in the countryside
example of this approach. In many and for those who visit it. Demand
Social farming can benefit disad- other areas of the country organic for organic produce expected to
vantaged people of all ages. Social farming is used to rehabilitate peo- outstrip supply, unlike many other
farming or green care represents a ple who have been jailed, again with agricultural sectors79.
relatively new type of on-farm di- very positive and productive social
versification and it is one that allows outcomes. The provision of education and voca-
farmers to broaden both the scope of tional training is often linked to the
their activities and the perception of Another example from Italy that development of organic agriculture.
their role in society. received a prize77 from a national The value of education in this area
farmers’ organisation in 2009 for should not be under-estimated as
Although there is no detailed analy- its innovation achievements is the higher education levels tend to be
sis of this type of farming in the EU, Baugiano farm near Quarrata in correlated with higher employment
the interface between agricultural Tuscany. This fully multifunctional rates.
and social functions clearly provides and social farm converted to organic
farmers with new sources of income. farming in 2007 while also becoming At the European level, the updating
By way of example, Italy hosts more an agri-tourism business and an edu- of the organic policy framework,
than 1 000 such farms75, providing a cational farm. What makes it special coupled with the recent CAP Reform
wide array of services: from animal is the way it managed to involve kids highlight the importance of the or-
therapy to vocational training, from and teenagers (from 8-to-16 years ganic sector to the agricultural policy
recreational activities to social ser- old): each month its Young People’s mix. And the European Commission’s
vices for elderly and disabled peo- Dairy provides fresh yogurts to near- action plan on organic produc-
ple and from farm tourism to cultural by schools and at the week-ends, the tion80 provides a clear roadmap to
courses. The majority have chosen to farm’s dairy products are available for strengthen the sector in a number
adopt organic farming methods, be- sale to locals and tourists. of areas.
cause they perfectly match with the
expectations held by the people that Planning for an organic Organic methods offer a low-risk and
visit and use such farms. future resource efficient option for food
chains with the additional benefit of
‘The added value of social farming According to the International delivering high-value public goods.
is the possibility for disadvantaged Federation of Organic Agriculture In the 2014-2020 programming pe-
people to integrate in a living con- Movements – the European umbrel- riod the status of organic farming will
text, where their personal capabili- la organisation for organic farming be enhanced - under the new CAP
ties are valued and enhanced,’ states – the sector has the potential to dou- the sector automatically qualifies for
Professor Francesco Di Iacovo, of Pisa ble, in terms of land use, number of greening payments, it has been iden-
University and manager of the SOFAR operators and market share by 2020. tified as a priority activity for various
- Social services in multifunctional The higher levels of employment and market measures, and it is the subject
farms - project that ran between May income generation that the sector of a specific rural development meas-
2006 and May 200976. can support may have a knock-on ure. As the market for organic pro-
effect on rural social inclusion, cre- duce grows, so more farmers should
Italy has followed some interesting ating a wealthier society with a better be encouraged to convert to organic
paths when developing social farm- quality of rural infrastructure and a farming. The future is bright for the
ing centred on organic methods. In better quality of life for its citizens78. organic sector. Ably supported by the
some southern regions (for example CAP and the Member States, it can
in Sicily and Apulia) they have repre- Organic farming offers market di- be a real force for long-term inclusive
sented the preferred option to re-use versification potential, attractive development in rural areas.
properties seized from mafia bosses: new jobs for youth, wider societal
75 B.Croce-S.Angiolini, ‘La Terra che vogliamo-Il futuro delle Campagne Italiane’, Edizioni Ambiente, Milano, 2013.
76 Supporting policies for Social Farming in Europe, http://ec.europa.eu/research/agriculture/pdf/sofar_book.pdf
77 http://www.coldiretti.it/News/Pagine/939---12-Dicembre-2012.aspx
78 See EU Rural Review #6, http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/publications-and-media/eu-rural-review/en/page-03_en.cfm
79 IFOAM input on the consultation document on the ‘EU Action Plan on Organic Food and Farming’, presented at the Advisory Group on Organic Farming of
21/11/2013 & European Commission analysis of the EU organic sector, June 2010,
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/markets-and-prices/more-reports/pdf/organic_2010_en.pdf.
80 Action Plan for the future of Organic Production in the European Union,
27
The environmental added value

of the organic sector
Organic farming systems are increasingly recognised for their environmental practices
that help to conserve biodiversity, protect natural resources and make wise use of energy,
whilst also respecting animal welfare. Understanding of the environmental value of the
sector is likely to grow as European and national research projects shed more light on the
environmental services the sector provides.
E
nvironmental pressures con- ‘Organically-managed soils have a high potential to counter
tinue to prevent EU Member soil degradation as they are more resilient both to water
States from achieving strategic stress and to nutrient loss.’
goals for sustainable growth and de-
velopment. Biodiversity loss, for ex- Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations 82
ample, remains an on-going concern
with only 17% of EU habitats and
11% of ecosystems estimated to be Many different types of environ- organic farming in order to protect
in a favourable state81. Furthermore, mental benefits can be gained the environment.’ His statement is
nutrient surpluses persist in some from organic agriculture and these backed up by EU data confirming
water bodies (despite progress in linkages are now well established. that the main reason why consum-
others) and around 45% of EU soils Consumer demand for organic ers choose to buy organic prod-
suffer from problems of quality. products has been a major driver ucts is their concern about the
These challenges need to be rem- in the growth of the sector and, as environment83.
edied and organic farming can be the European Commissioner for
part of the solution by providing a Agriculture and Rural Development,
positive environmental contribution. Dacian Cioloş notes, ‘citizens support
81 Commission Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions
“Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020”. COM(2011) 244 final.
28 82 http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4137e/y4137e02b.htm
83 Figure 9: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/documents/eu-policy/of-public-consultation-final-report_en.pdf
Organic environmental We believe that organic farming offers a real alternative to

services intensive farming. It reduces soil exhaustion and enhances
biodiversity. The flowers, wild herbs, wildlife and insects around
Organic agriculture’s green creden- here all benefit from our healthy management approach and
tials reflect the ability of organic pro- our dedication to using appropriate products.
duction systems to deliver a broad
spectrum of environmental services. Guido Barigelli and Raymonde Buysschaert – Organic vineyard and orchard farmers
Soil, water and air quality, as well as (Marche, Italy)84
biodiversity and landscape conserva-
tion benefits are all recognised and
promoted by a host of high-level Soil For example: EU funds are being
EU policies. These include the 7th used in Spain by the ‘crops for soil im-
Environment Action Programme the Soil is sometimes referred to as the provement’ LIFE project86 to convert
2020 Biodiversity Strategy, the Green factory of life due to its essential 400 hectares of semi-arid land in four
Infrastructure Communication, and ecological functions85. Sustainable different Spanish regions (Castilla la
the Soil Thematic Strategy, as well soil management practices form a Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Aragon, and
as environmental legislation such key component of organic produc- Catalonia) into productive farmland.
as the Birds and Habitats Directives, tion systems. Techniques such as Organic techniques feature promi-
the Nitrates Directive, the Water crop rotation, cover crops and re- nently in the project which expects
Framework Directive, and the duced tillage, alongside the use of to achieve a 20% increase in the or-
National Emission Ceiling Directive. organic fertilisers are all widely ap- ganic content of topsoil and yields
plied by Europe’s organic farmers to through organic farming methods.
Strategic EU support has helped foster high levels of soil productivity.
to improve the delivery of envi- Results can support the long-term Water
ronmental services from organic health of soil flora and fauna, coun-
approaches and the following sec- ter erosion problems, promote soil Organic agriculture’s focus on using
tions summarise some of these vital structure and formation, while also more natural production methods,
services. assisting the soils’ overall capacity to recycling waste, rejecting artificial
retain and cycle nutrients. agri-chemicals and limiting the
© Tim Hudson
84 http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/web_voices_farm.pdf
85 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/factory_life.htm
86 http://traditional-crops.com
29
amount of organic nitrogen that can Air quality and climate action organic systems often use traditional
be applied helps to reduce potential or adapted seeds and breeds with
causes of water pollution. Wise wa- Organic systems tend to involve greater resistance to diseases and
ter use is another guiding principle lower emission levels, which benefit more resilience to climatic stress.
of organic production systems. For air quality and help to tackle climate This creates a healthier gene pool
these reasons, territorial approaches challenges. For instance, life cycle as- and protects the long-term integrity
to organic agriculture are often en- sessments of Danish dairy products88 of EU biodiversity.
couraged in areas that suffer from have shown that organic systems
degraded ground and/or surface are associated with around 10% less At the species level, organic farm-
water quality. greenhouse gas emissions per kilo of ing has been shown to boost spe-
milk than conventional production. cies richness by an average of 30%
A good example of this is a German Similar findings occur for field crops compared to non-organic land use
initiative to protect drinking water like cereals and oilseed rape. systems89. At the ecosystem level,
quality in Munich, where public the availability of natural areas in or
authorities have been encourag- In fact, organic farming methods can around organic fields combines with
ing farms around the Mangfall river help to both mitigate and adapt to the use of crop rotation and absence
catchment area to convert to organic changing climate patterns. Carbon of chemical inputs to support well-
systems87. Operational since 1992, sequestration, renewable energy use, functioning wildlife habitats.
the scheme has helped farmers to and less dependence on fossil fuels
make 18-year commitments to or- are all integral to the organic farming In Spain, for example, the coastal
ganic production. Public funding ethos, and reduce the amount of air wetlands in the Delta del Ebro are
for advisory services, participation pollutants associated with climate an important biodiversity habitat
in organic producer associations, change. for rare birds, fish, and amphibians.
annual certification and investment Scientific monitoring studies have
in infrastructure have all been used Biodiversity confirmed that organic rice produc-
by farmers within the scheme to im- tion methods in the surrounding
prove water quality. Organic farming characteristics fa- areas have a positive impact on con-
vour biodiversity for numerous rea- serving the habitats for these endan-
sons. From a genetic perspective, gered species90.
'For me, organic farming means high quality food and

avoiding the use of chemicals. This choice has many
consequences on the running of the farm. For example, I only
use compost, effective microorganisms (EM) and earthworms
for farm manure aeration and processing.'
Lidia Ordysińska – Organic goat milk dairy (Wolezkowo, Poland)91
© Tim Hudson
87 http://www.farmpath.eu/Groundwaterprotection
88 http://www.icrofs.org/Pages/Publications/synthesis_08.pdf
89 Land-use intensity and the effects of organic farming on biodiversity: a hierarchical meta-analysis (2014),
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.12219/abstract
30 90 http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5558e/y5558e05.htm
Supporting environmental automatically considers certified or- measure for organic farms has been
services ganic farms as eligible for so-called introduced that adds value to other
green direct payments. Organic RDP measures fostering environmen-
Support for environmental services farms can also make valuable envi- tal services from organic farms, such
from organic agriculture continues ronmental contributions to the EU’s as the agri-environment climate pay-
to strengthen throughout the EU. As new rural development policy aims ment schemes.
noted above, this trend is being driv- associated with ‘restoring, preserving
en by consumer demand for o rganic and enhancing ecosystems depend- Agri-environment support has a
products. In addition, on-going de- ent on agriculture and forestry.’ strong track record in expanding the
velopments in national and EU ag- range of environmental benefits from
ricultural policies are also helping This is a common priority for the organic farms. Organic approaches
to facilitate the growth of Europe’s Member States’ Rural Development to grassland management, livestock
organic sector - and its associated Programmes (RDPs) in the 2014-2020 husbandry, and fruit production have
environmental benefits. period, which will provide organic all been widely supported through
farms with a wider range of environ- agri-environment schemes that tar-
Pillar 1 of the Common Agricultural mental support opportunities than get sustainable conservation of land-
Policy (CAP) for instance now before. A new and dedicated RDP scape, genetic and natural resources.
Case Study: Collective approach boosts environmental services provision92
Organic dairy farmer Jaco de Groot from

Kamerik is a typical beneficiary of the Dutch
RDP’s agri-environment scheme. Describing
his farmland he notes that, ‘this area is rich in
grassland birds and the many ditches offer
good opportunities for interesting plants and
animals. The agri-environment funds make it
possible for me to use part of my land less
intensively, which is good for nature and
for the public image of the farm. The agri-
environment actions are designed by the
regional farmers’ cooperative on farmland
© Jaco de Groot
conservation, which I am an active member of.’
The Dutch approach to supporting organic

farms involved in collective agri-environment
action is set to expand because the Collective organic approaches create incentives to make sure that
government sees the positive environmental synergies that result actions on one farm complement the work on other farms in the
from what can be termed as producer groups of environmental group. Environmental benefits are particularly useful for species
services. Many members of the regional farmers’ cooperative apply that rely on habitats covering more than one farm. Such territorial
organic practices and all members share a common interest in approaches to supporting organic land use are also very useful
working together as a coordinated group. The overall environmental for managing areas suffering from environmental stress (such as
results are better than that which would result from uncoordinated nitrate sensitive zones) or those with high nature value (such as
individual actions. Natura 2000 sites).
92 Source: ENRD, RDP Projects Database,

http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/policy-in-action/rdp_view/en/view_projects_en.cfm?action=detail&backfuse=jsview&postcard_id=10660 31
Other organic support We now actively protect soil organisms, water, air, bees (with
the help of white clover) and other insects by tolerating positive
In addition to CAP support for organ- weeds and through crop rotation. Looking ahead, we want
ic farming, other forms of EU funding to do less ploughing on the farm and to improve our manure
promote the delivery of environmen- processing so that it is more effective for the soil. We also want
tal services through organic meth- 100% of the fodder to come from our holding.
ods. Environmental synergies can
therefore be gained by program- Kai Bischoff – Organic livestock farmer (Angeln, Germany)95
ming coordinated approaches to us-
ing support from the CAP with other
European Structural and Investment European Regional emissions. Some 120 different farms
(ESI) Funds. Policy areas such as fish- Development Fund (ERDF) from France, Spain, Germany, and
eries, regional development, and em- Italy were involved in validating
ployment all provide opportunities ERDF support has been used to in- the toolkit and organic farms were
for such synergies. crease the range of environmental shown to be more effective at tack-
services from organic agriculture by, ling climate change challenges than
European Social Fund (ESF) among other things, encouraging their conventional counterparts.
knowledge transfers on this topic
A Slovenian example illustrating how through transnational cooperation. Organic farms were also more effi-
ESF support can be used to help im- An interesting case study here can be cient in their use of energy and had
prove organic production and asso- found in the Mediterranean region lower energy consumption98. The re-
ciated environmental services, has where ERDF co-finance was used by sults were significant: organic farms’
been implemented by the Pan-nutri the Biolmed94 project to boost the average total of gross emissions was
Agricultural and Food Technology activity and environmental effective- less than half that of conventional
Centre93. The project centres on de- ness of organic olive oil producers. farms. Similar observations concern
veloping social entrepreneurship via The project paid special attention to carbon sequestration, with systemat-
organic farming and food processing networking knowhow about envi- ic use of cover crops helping organic
training. Outcomes are linked to the ronmental protection between dif- farms achieve carbon storage levels
growth of short supply-chains of lo- ferent organic olive growing regions. per hectare that were twice as high
cal food, which are expected to lead Water pollution, greenhouse gas as conventional farms.
to further environmental benefits reduction and soil erosion were all
from reduced transport impacts. covered by the project, which aimed More applied research work like that
to further help tackle environmental carried out by AgriClimateChange
European Maritime and degradation problems resulting from can help further improve Member
Fisheries Fund (EMFF) land abandonment pressures. States’ understanding of the extent
to which organic production systems
The EMFF promotes sustainable can deliver environmental services.
fisheries practices. It provides dedi- Future research capacity
cated support to help aquaculture Opportunities exist within the EU’s
businesses convert to eco-manage- In addition, EU funds have also been Horizon 2020 programme for new
ment and audit schemes, as well as used to support applied research research in this area, such as those
through organic aquaculture. A great work involved in a variety of areas identified by the TP Organics’ Action
deal of scope exists for synergies be- linked to the environmental services Plan99. The European Commission’s
tween the EMFF and other ESI funds that organic agriculture provides. new action plan for organic pro-
in the area of improving environmen- duction100 also identifies a set of
tal services through organic meth- LIFE96 programme support has also related research priorities covering
ods, such as through coordinated been used, for instance, via the soil fertility, ecological pest control
approaches between LEADER Local AgriClimateChange97 project, which methods (including alternatives to
Action Groups, Community-Led developed a new toolkit for quanti- copper-based products), and energy
Local Development partnerships, fying an individual farm’s ability to efficiency.
and Fisheries Local Action Groups. improve carbon storage and reduce
93 http://www.pan-nutri.si/en/news
94 http://www.biolmednet.eu/
96 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/
97 http://www.agriclimatechange.eu
98 1.31 tCO2e/ha for organic farms compared to 3.7 tCO2e/ha for conventional farms.
32 99 http://www.tporganics.eu/upload/TPOrganics_ImplementationActionPlan.pdf
100 Action Plan for the future of Organic Production in the European Union, http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/eu-policy/european-action-plan/index_en.htm

Safeguarding consumer confidence
European organic products have enjoyed a significant upsurge

in popularity over recent decades. A pro-active approach to
safeguarding consumer trust is essential to maintaining long-term
growth and prosperity in the sector.
A
golden rule for any success-
ful business is to protect ones
investment and this tenet re- European public opinion on organic farming102
mains highly relevant for all stake-
holders in the EU organic sector. Consumer confidence
That is why a core objective of the • 71% trust organic products
European Commission’s Action Plan • 78% are prepared to pay more for organic goods
for the Future of Organic Production
in the European Union101 is to con- Consumer motivation
solidate and increase consumer con- • 83% buy organic due to concerns about the environment
fidence in organic food and farming. • 81% buy organic because they are free from GMOs and pesticide residues
Consumer expectation
• 74% wish to see European organic standards strengthened
• 60% favour an improvement of the control system
101 Action Plan for the future of Organic Production in the European Union, http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/eu-policy/european-action-plan/index_en.htm
102 Public consultation on the future of organic farming, http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/organic-farming/latest-news/archives/20131218_en.htm
33
A variety of opportunities exist to Co-finance from the Member States’ EU organic logo
help protect the positive image of Rural Development Programmes,
organic businesses, opportunities and other funding sources, can be The use of the EU organic logo105
that can also promote on-going used to help individual businesses and the related labelling rules is ob-
demand for their organic products. and/or producer groups to cover ligatory for all organic pre-packaged
These include harmonising and sim- some of the costs of a communica- food produced within the European
plifying regulatory frameworks and tions campaign. Union. This has helped the logo to
enhancing the control system for EU enjoy a relatively rapid rise in con-
products as well as for imported or- At EU level, a series of tactical meas- sumer awareness, and by November
ganic goods. Considerable benefits ures are also aimed at increasing 2013 (three years after its launch), on
can also be gained through an ex- consumer awareness about organ- average some 25% of respondents
pansion of communications activity. ic products. A case in point is the in the 28 Member States signalled
European Commission’s recently awareness of the EU organic logo in
Spreading the message revamped and very accessible on- a special Euro Barometer poll106.
line information resource – www.
Actions involved in promoting or- organic-farming.eu – all about or- The main objective of this success-
ganic products play vital roles in both ganic products. A comprehensive ful branding initiative is to provide
protecting and developing market library of information and public- a quick and simple way for consum-
share. Most organic businesses de- ity tools is available through these ers to recognise organic produce. It
velop their own branding to help at- pages. is the visible part of the process that
tract new customers and safeguard ensures that organic produce is al-
consumer loyalty. The effectiveness A key target group for the Commis ways of the same high standard. By
of this approach is highlighted by sion’s organic webpages are younger giving a strong visual identity to the
a consumer market study103 from people, since they represent the fu- organic farming sector the logo sup-
January 2014 on the functioning of ture generation of organic consum- ports overall coherence and a proper
voluntary food labelling schemes for ers. Adopting long-term horizons is functioning of the internal market.
consumers in the EU, which found therefore another important success
that 69% of EU consumers were factor in protecting the EU organic Other forms of tactical EU support for
aware of organic logos or statements sector, and schools are a particular organic product promotion includes
indicating the organic nature of spe- focus of the website’s multi-lingual the European Commission’s policy on
cific products. material which promotes education information and promotion activities
about organic food to school pupils. of agricultural products on the inter-
Getting the message right is a funda- nal market and in third countries107.
mental success factor for information Public procurement tenders, such Funding is available through this ini-
and advertising campaigns promot- as those intended for catering ser- tiative in acknowledgement of the fact
ing organic products. Messages vice contracts, are also considered that the EU food sector must build on
range from raising awareness about as a target area and the aforemen- its reputation for high quality in order
the many environmental benefits tioned new Action Plan intends to remain competitive and profitable.
associated with organic methods, to result in a revised set of ‘Green
to sound bites explaining the eco- Public Procurement criteria for Food The Action Plan aims to increase mar-
nomic relevance of organic farms. For and Catering Services’ by the end ket opportunities for organic opera-
instance, the World Wildlife Fund’s of 2015. In addition, the European tors - including funding for consumer
(WWF) European office communicat- Commission will develop specific in- awareness campaigns – whilst seek-
ed findings from a study they com- formation material that exemplifies ing to reduce any possible risks to con-
missioned which indicated that, ‘€1 the use of organic products in public sumer confidence. It will also carefully
billion invested annually in organic procurement. monitor the effectiveness of such pro-
farming creates 7800 jobs (net) – 73% motion and trust in organic products
more than conventional farming104.’ both inside and outside the EU.
103 Consumer market study on the functioning of voluntary food labelling schemes for consumers in the European Union EAHC/FWC/2012 86 04,
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumer_research/market_studies/food_labelling/docs/201312_report_food-labelling-scheme_summary_en.pdf
104 WWF, Agri-Myths: Facts behind Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy, page 21, http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_agri_myths.pdf
105 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/downloads/logo/index_en.htm
34 106 Special Eurobarometer 410 – Wave EB80.2 - TNS Opinion & Social.
107 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/promotion/index_en.htm
Engaging organic communications campaigns
The CAP Communications Awards108 are a good source of best practices in organic product promotion. Recent
example include the following:
• Poland’s ‘ORGANIC FOOD guarantee of good taste’ campaign was launched to increase awareness of the EU organic
logo and to inform Polish consumers about the advantages of organic food. Celebrities including chefs, actresses, and
sports stars appeared in dedicated television shows and a portfolio of other media tools was also used (newspapers,
magazines, websites, blogs, social media, reports, press releases, presentations and events). Notable best practice
elements of this campaign included the very strong engagement of producers and processors who played key roles
in supporting the promotional activities which was appreciated by the main target groups (consumers, journalists
and school teachers). www.gwarancja-dobrego-smaku.blogspot.com/p/o-kampanii.html
• Spain’s Organic Value Association communications campaign is focused on developing the value chain in the
organic livestock sector. Co-financed by the European Social Fund, the campaign contains a coordinated collection
of information, publicity, and networking tools for organic producers, as well an online training course for new
organic businesses establishing themselves. The scheme’s evaluation is based on a number of clear targets:
conversion of 100 farms to organic; creation of new business lines related to organic farming in 50 companies; a
10%-to-40% reduction in the use of fertilisers and pesticides; and the reduction of CO2 emissions (through carbon
sequestration) by up to 1.98t/ha/year. http://pastorea.ecovalia.org/
• From France a series of short ‘organic minute’ television programmes were noted as a best practice approach by
the CAP communication awards. Each film was produced as a pedagogical tool that presents organic farming in
an objective, positive and rational manner. A common theme running through the campaign was the promotion
of the logo and labelling scheme’s rigorous set of control measures that provide guarantees for product quality
and environmental care. Over a three year period, the awareness-raising campaign successfully reached large
numbers of 25-34 year olds and public procurement officers. www.agencebio.org/videos
108 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/cap-communication-network/awards/index_en.htm
35
Control system Organic checks in practice
The consumer insight gained by the Farmers, processors and traders must first notify their activity to the competent authority
European Commission’s consultation responsible for organic production in their Member State. Before they can label as organic
on organic farming confirmed the and put their products on the market, their site must first be checked by a control body or
importance of maintaining robust authority. Once they have been checked and found compliant, they receive a certificate
and credible control systems for the confirming that they meet the EU requirements.
organic sector. They are seen as vital
to underscoring consumer confi-
dence in the authenticity of organic
products and their perceived quality
benefits. Accordingly, the Action Plan confirms in non-EU markets is a key prior-
that the EU needs rules that support ity for future growth, the European
Checks are carried out on organic the development of trade in organic Commission has secured recognition
operators at all stages of the sup- products while preventing the wa- of EU rules in several important or-
ply chain. Every certified organic tering down of organic principles or ganic export markets. These include
operator (farmer, processor and the weakening of the control system. Australia, Japan, Switzerland, Canada
trader) is inspected at least once a and the USA.
year, or more often based on a risk Measures are in place to facilitate the
assessment. transmission of organic import cer- A sustainable future
tificates from outside the EU whilst
The EU regulatory framework has placing safeguards on the quality of Consumer confidence and product
been reformed to address shortcom- non-EU control systems in relation to quality are expected to be strength-
ings identified in implementation the use of organic labelling. ened as the new organic policy
and increase efficiency. framework driven forward by the
All importers of organic products Action Plan is rolled out. These de-
It is designed to help the sector must register with a national con- velopments offer real potential to
expand and respond to demand trol body. Each and every con- strengthen the position of EU organ-
without putting at risk consumers’ signment of organic products ic producers in national and global
confidence in the principles of or- imported from countries outside the market places.
ganic farming. EU, the European Economic Area or
Switzerland must be accompanied By combining economic growth with
Identification and prevention of fraud by a certificate of inspection. This cer- a combination of consumer confi-
remains a priority area. Fraudulent tificate must have been issued by an dence measures, the EU is looking
organic goods can pose a signifi- EU-approved control system in the to reinforce the foundations that
cant threat to consumer confidence, country of origin. protect organic sector assets, whilst
damaging the sector’s reputation. also fostering a more successful, sta-
The European Commission will as- Conversely, and because having ble, and sustainable long-term future
sist Member States in developing EU organic products recognised for the sector.
and implementing an organic fraud
prevention policy.
Trade tools
Imported products form a valuable

component of the overall EU organic
market. They extend the range of or-
ganic products on offer to consumers
and enlarging the market has posi-
tive knock-on benefits for EU suppli-
ers of organic products. At the same
time, imported organic goods also
need to be able to demonstrate their
quality to maintain consumer trust in
© Tim Hudson
the integrity of EU organic standards.
36

Global trade in organic products:
new frontiers and challenges
With the EU organic market and production base continuing to expand, new opportunities
are opening up for export to markets around the world where consumers seem eager to
enjoy the high quality and distinctive organic food and drink products that Europe’s farmers
and food processors can offer.
Import and export – a part between 2010 and 2012 was almost
of Europe’s organic market €7 billion per year. Clearly there is an
opportunity for the organic sector to
The EU is an important trader in the play a part in this export trend and
global food market and is one of the exploit the widely recognised quality
largest food and beverage exporters and provenance of the diverse range
and importers in the world, with an of European organic wines, cheeses,
annual combined value of almost processed meats and other products.
€200 billion109. A key export strength Facilitating the sector’s capacity to
of EU producers is in consumer- export added value organic products
ready, high quality, processed and will benefit producers and processors
unprocessed products for which the whilst offering some of the best of
average net European trade balance Europe’s food to the world.
109 The average for 2010-2012.

37
The EU is also a key destination for Within Europe, the €22.7 billion per component in maintaining consumer
organic products from around the year market for organic food is con- trust in the quality of organic pro-
world. Imports of organic products centrated in a few countries, with duce. The EU organic logo, increas-
into Europe that can’t be grown here, four: Germany; France; the UK; and ingly recognised in Europe, is one
such as tropical fruits, tea, coffee, co- Italy accounting for about two-thirds way that organic products exported
coa and spices, as well as many other of total sales112. Consequently, ex- from Europe can be recognised in
crops, ensure a diverse and year- ports and imports of organic food third countries. The Action Plan fore-
round supply of organic products within Europe are of considerable sees, if necessary, the development
and ingredients, allowing consumers importance to many producers. For of communication in third countries
to opt for eating and drinking organic example 90% of the organic fruits, to improve recognition of the logo
in all categories. Trade in these crops vegetables, olives, herbs and ingredi- as a sign of the integrity of European
from developing countries can also ents produced in Greece, Spain and organic products in these markets.
play an important role in supporting Portugal is exported to the principle
livelihoods and enabling economic organic markets in northern Europe, The control system in the organic
development. whilst central and eastern EU coun- sector ensures that all the steps in-
tries supply an important share of volved, from the production of the
Cooperating with trade partners to cereal crops to these countries113. organic food on the farm, its trans-
achieve these benefits fits well within A recent study showed that in 2009- port, processing, packing and label-
the framework of EU policy for inter- 2010, Germany was importing signifi- ling, right through to the shop or
national development and is high- cant percentages of organic products market where the final consumer
lighted in the European Commission’s that could have been produced in buys the food, conform to the or-
Organic Action Plan110. It is also in the country, including half of the ganic rules.
line with the views expressed in the apples and carrots on the market114.
2013 public consultation on organic This means that wherever an or-
food and farming, where 72% of the Integrity and trust in global ganic product comes from, wheth-
almost 45 000 respondents believed organic trade er meat from Europe, a pineapple
that trade arrangements for organic from Ghana, organic coffee from
products with countries outside the Although organic production prac- Guatemala, or organic tea from India,
EU should help develop more sus- tices vary throughout Europe and the consumer knows that they are
tainable agricultural practices, whilst around the world, reflecting the getting an organic product.
52% considered that the objective diverse range of climates, soils and
should be to help organic farmers farming systems, they all work to In practice, all operators - whether they
and other operators in developing the same basic principles and similar are farmers, processors or traders - are
countries expand their production standards. Maintaining the integrity checked by competent control bodies
and export of organic products111. of organic products is clearly a vital
110 Action Plan for the future of Organic Production in the European Union,
111 Report on the results of the public consultation on the review of the EU policy on organic agriculture conducted by DG Agri. 19th September, Brussels,
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/documents/eu-policy/of-public-consultation-final-report_en.pdf
112 IFOAM EU Group (2014) Organic in Europe: Prospects and Developments. Edited by S. Meredity and H. Willer. IFOAM EU Group, Brussels,
http://shop.ifoam.org/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=569
113 IFOAM World of organic 2013, Bonn. Data from www.organicmonitor.com
38 114 Schaak, D, C Rampold, H Willer, M Rippin, H von Koerber (2011) An analysis of imports of organic products with relevance for the German organic market.
Bonn: Agrarmarkt Informations-Gessellschaft (AMI). Available from www.orgprints/19899/

or authorities, to ensure that they are by the EU; control bodies authorised and control systems. The agreements
complying with the organic rules. by a country recognised by the EU; between the EU and Canada in 2011,
or control bodies authorised by the and the EU and USA in 2012 (with
In almost all cases, checks are carried Member State competent authority some specific exceptions relating to
out by private organisations (control (‘import authorisation’). practices that were deemed to be
bodies) and sometimes by govern- non-equivalent in the USA and the
ment agencies (control authorities). In the case of the first and second EU), has opened up organic trade
The technical competence of the pri- conditions, the regulation provides between Europe and North America.
vate control bodies that do this vital lists of both control bodies and coun- Organic producers and processors
job of inspection and verification of tries recognised by the EU as oper- on both sides of the Atlantic are set
operators is confirmed through ac- ating to equivalent standards and to benefit from these agreements.
creditation by an independent or- control procedures. The countries Together, these two regions make
ganisation, based on international recognised by the EU are Argentina, up over 95% of the global demand
standards and EU rules. Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, for organic products115.
India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand,
Import and export rules for Switzerland, Tunisia and the United Exporting organic products from the
European organic products States. EU to third countries requires that the
exporter complies with the countries’
With the EU representing such an In the case of Switzerland, the equiv- import regime – except where recip-
important market for organic food, alence recognition is reciprocal and rocal equivalence arrangements are
EU legislation has been developed to part of the Agreement between the in force as explained above. In the
define the rules and procedures that European Community and the Swiss case of other countries - whether
must be followed when importing Confederation on trade in agricul- they are on the list of third countries
organic products into Europe, and tural products. recognised by the EU or not - this can
these are set out in Implementing involve the complex checks to en-
Regulation (EC) No 1235/2008. With Australia, Canada, Japan, sure that European organic export-
the USA and New Zealand, the ers meet the local requirements. For
The regulation requires that organic EU has signed reciprocal equiva- example, export of organic products
products imported from countries lence arrangements. They provide to China currently requires that an
outside the EU are accompanied by recognition that the EU and the approved certification body in China
a certificate of inspection issued ei- aforementioned third countries op- completes the inspection and verifi-
ther by: a control body recognised erate equivalent organic standards cation of the operator’s compliance
115 The World of Organic Agriculture – Statistics & Emerging Trends 2012, FIBL.
39
with the Chinese organic standard this equates to around one-third of developing countries, also provide
and issues the certificate to accom- the total sales value of organic food better knowledge of the EU market
pany the products exported to China. in these countries. There is a huge potential for these suppliers to the
range in the value of exports as a pro- EU.
In view of this complexity, which is portion of total country sales. Austria,
limiting the scope for global organic for example – a country with a strong Exploiting the EU organic
trade, the Action Plan highlights the domestic market – exports just 7.5% sector's opportunities
opportunity to extend the approach of the total sales value of organic
of reciprocal equivalence recognition products, whilst Romania exports As noted, the EU is one of the key or-
between the EU and other leading organic products worth 2.5 times the ganic markets in the world; conse-
organic markets, based on working value of sales on the domestic mar- quently it is an important destination
towards convergence of standards ket and Italy around 60%. A similar market for third country organic pro-
and the potential for plurilateral variation is seen in third countries. ducers and this increases the range
agreements. Canada, for example, is recorded as and availability of organic products
exporting organic products with a to European consumers. This makes
Values and volumes of EU value of 15% of the domestic market, it easy to shop, eat and drink organ-
trade in organic products whilst India exports over 2.5 times ic across a comprehensive range of
the value of sales on the domestic product categories in Europe.
International trade in organic prod- market.
ucts is important in Europe for two The EU is also a major producer of
main reasons. Firstly it means that Where export data is reported for EU distinctive and high quality organic
consumers can enjoy tropical or- Member States, it is not possible to products that are eagerly sought af-
ganic produce that is not produced estimate the proportion that is exter in North America, Japan and else-
in the EU, and produce that is not cul- ported to other EU countries or to where. The opportunity to increase
tivated throughout the year; and sec- third countries. Similarly, the destina- the export value of such products
ondly to enable organic producers tion of exports from third countries and thus contribute to the net posi-
in developing countries to benefit cannot be determined. tive balance of trade in European
from organic production. However, quality food and drink is clear. The
little detailed or reliable information In view of the scarcity of reliable data European Commission is preparing
is collected on the volume and value on global trade in organic products, to introduce some clear initiatives
of trade in organic products. Where the Action Plan proposes that dif- to enhance the control systems, the
data is reported it is collected in different possibilities are explored to ease of access to markets and the col-
ferent ways, meaning that they are gather and analyse data on the vol- lection of data to help the organic
not necessarily directly comparable. ume and value of trade with third sector in Europe capture and exploit
countries. This will help improve these markets and thereby offer or-
The available export data116 reveals the knowledge of potential export ganic products with real integrity
that exports from nine EU Member markets for the EU organic sector and provenance to the world.
States amounts to €1.7 billion, and and will, with a planned focus on
40 116 IFOAM World of Organic 2014 op. cit.

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KF-AJ-14-018-EN-N
THE EU ORGANIC FARMING
The EU organic logo. Look out for it!
ORGANIC PRODUCTION IS ON THE INCREASE

Total area cultivated as organic
2002 5.6 MILLION HECTARES 2011 9.6 MILLION HECTARES
+ 500 000 hectares/year 5.4 %

Expansion of the organic area every Area of organic farmland as a percentage
year over the last decade of utilised agricultural area in Europe
TOP 5 COUNTRIES FOR ORGANIC FARMING

EU countries with the highest
proportions of organically
farmed land: DID YOU KNOW
There were
2.6 million heads
of certified organic
cattle in the EU
AUSTRIA SWEDEN ESTONIA CZECH REPUBLIC LATVIA in 2011.
19 % 15.7 % 14 % 13 % 10 %
TOP 5 COUNTRIES WITH THE LARGEST AREA TOGETHER these countries

FOR ORGANIC FARMING account for 57 % of the total
organic area of the
In absolute terms, in 2011 the largest areas of organic farming land were in: European Union.
SPAIN ITALY GERMANY FRANCE UNITED KINGDOM

1.8 MILLION 1.1 MILLION 1 MILLION 0.97 MILLION 0.63 MILLION
HECTARES HECTARES HECTARES HECTARES HECTARES
TOP ORGANIC CROPS THE SOCIO-ECONOMICS CONSUMER VALUE

Which permanent crops are organic OF ORGANIC FARMING of EU market for organic
food products 19.7 billion
farmers growing? % of EU total area: euro in 2011
More than 225 000 organic producers were
registered in the European Union in 2011. GROWTH RATE
9 % from 2010 to 2011
OLIVES 31 %
OTHER
CITRUS FRUIT 21 % GENDER WOMEN MAKE UP 24 % OF ORGANIC FARM MANAGERS.
FRUIT 2 % In some countries this is higher:
GRAPES 17 % Latvia 41 % Croatia 32 % Italy 30 %
NUTS 13 %
AGE FARMERS UNDER 55
OTHER PERMANENT
CROPS 16 % Working in the organic farming sector 61.3 %
Working in the conventional farming sector 44.2 %
Facts and figures on organic agriculture in the European Union, Organic Monitor, September 2013.
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic

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Manuscript finalised in April 2014. Original version is the English text.

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Review Review Review

Organic farming in Europe: moving into the mainstream.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

An action plan for organic production in Europe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2

Smart innovation set to boost organic sector competitiveness. . . . . . . . . . . 1 9

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N°12 N°11 n°10

Safeguarding consumer confidence................................................ 33

Global trade in organic products: new frontiers and challenges........... 37

Funded by the European Commission

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EU Rural EU Rural EU Rural

The Magazine from the European Network for Rural Development

Organic farming relies on principles that are designed to

The European Union’s organic market has quadrupled

possible. Typical organic farming practices

ers, livestock antibiotics, food additives and processing

Creativity and The European

http://enrd.ec.europa.eu in EU Rural Fund for Rural

To help the organic sector adjust to the

Hence, what better time for the EU

Beginning with an introduction explain-

3 Source: Discussion paper of the EIP-AGRI Focus Group on Organic Farming. 3

What is organic production?

Organic production is an overall system of

© European Union, 1995-2013

5 Legislative proposal for a reviewed legislation on organic farming - http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/eu-policy/policy-development/index_en.htm

1. To establish a sustainable manage­

2. To produce high quality products.

3. To meet consumer demand for

Figure 1: Set-up of the organic control system per Member State

Private control bodies Public control authorities Mixed systems

Case Study: A young organic farmer’s success story12

© ENRD Contact Point

Use of the EU organic logo as part of

vided with the name of the producer,

12 Source: ENRD, RDP Projects Database,

Organic trade boost

Innovation in organic of ideas and knowledge about how

© European Union, 1995-2013

Case Study: Innovative Organic Dairy - Transparency from Farmer to Fridge19

Some 45 000 replies - 96% of which

Zooming out, the CAP Reform which

The so-called greening of the CAP

“We must encourage production without…

© European Union, 1995-2013

27 For more about the EIP-AGRI:- http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eip/service-point/index_en.htm

An action plan for organic production in Europe

© European Union, 1995-2013

Rural Development Programmes have long-supported organic

ricultural holdings, adding value to

Some Member States have used

support organic farming using

Case Study: RDP agri-environment payments support

In the Basilicata region of southern Italy the Pitrelli family started

© ENRD Contact Point

45 Source: ENRD, RDP Project Database,

1. To establish a sustainable manage