More Organic Farms, Farmland and Food Sales in 2022
Globally, organic farmland and farms increased in 2022, with global organic farmland up 26.6% to 96 million hectares and 2% of the world’s farmland in 2022, according to The World of Organic Agriculture, published by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and IFOAM – Organics International and released at BioFach.
 
Sales of organic food hit €135 billion in 2022, with the United States once again the top market globally (€56.6 billion), followed by Germany (€15.3 billion) and the new number 3: China (€12.4 billion). Retail sales in Canada (+9.7%) and the United States (+4.4% increased, while sales in some European countries declined. The Swiss spent the most on organic food (an average of €437 per person), and Denmark continued to have the highest share of the organic market at 12% of the total food market.
 
In 2022, the number of organic producers increased about 26%, to reach 4.5 million, primarily due to a significant increase in India. India also remained the country with the most organic producers in 2022 (2.5 million producers).
 
Everyone in Denmark Buys Organic
In a presentation on organic fruits and vegetables, Carsten Ahrenfeldt, Marketing Director of Organic Denmark, reported that 99.7% of Danes buy organic products at least once per year, and 75% buy organic products at least weekly. Despite some challenges, including Corona virus pandemic, war in Europe, and increasing prices in recent years, organic food is 13.9% of all food consumed in Denmark, and 38% of households buy 30% or more of their food as organic.
 
Europe Drops Pesticide Reduction Plan
After weeks of farmer protests, the European Commission scrapped plans to cut pesticide use by 50% by 2030. Although the bill had broad public support, farmers argued that food production was at risk. More.
 
Soil Association Salmon Standards Questioned
During an open comment period for proposed updates to the Soil Association’s standards for organic salmon farming, a group of over 30 organizations signed an open letter requesting that salmon and trout farms be removed from organic certification. Their main complaints were that breaches of standards were rarely enforced and that the standards, especially for mortality levels, allopathic treatments, sea lice treats to wild fish, use of wild cleaner fish and wild-caught fish as feed, do not meet consumer expectations. Wildfish, the lead signatory on the letter, focuses on threats to wild fish from open-net salmon farming, pollution and removing too much water from fish habitats (over-abstraction).
 
Canada Drafts Plastics Reporting Proposal
Canada is proposing a Federal plastics registry, including packaging used in agriculture and food manufacturing, through its life cycle on the Canadian market. The proposed Plastic Registry is part of Canada’s Zero Plastic Waste Agenda, aimed at reducing plastic pollution. More.
 
Japan Uses Organic Agriculture To Help Meet Climate Targets
Through its Measures for Achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience law, Japan is aiming for 25% of farmland to be organic by 2050. The Organic Standard reports that 0.6% of Japan’s farmland is managed organically, including certified and non-certified organic farms. The law, enacted in 2021, supports participatory guarantee systems as well as third party certification. Other targets include 50% reduction in risk-weighted use of chemical pesticide s, and 30% reduction in chemical fertilizer use.
 
IFOAM Responds to US Lawsuit on Grower Groups
IFOAM—Organics International expressed concern about litigation against the US Department of Agriculture that questions the ways certification producer groups are handled under the Strengthening Organic Enforcement rules. The suit, brought by hazelnut grower Pratum Farm and backed by OrganicEye, claims that the new regulations ignore the requirement to inspect every operation annually. IFOAM—Organics International provides information about grower groups and their internal control systems, and says, “Grower groups play a key role in supporting organic farming and provide organic market access for millions of honest, hard-working smallholder farmers that care for the land and provide ecological benefits.”