Organic Farming in Germany

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Organic Agriculture in Germany

Germany: Growth of organic land and of the market continued in 2007

(August 22, 2008; information provided through the BioFach Newsletter; Source www.oekolandbau.de ) Organic food sales in Germany grew again at a two-digit rate in 2007 and increased by 700 million to reach 5.3 billion EUR. Almost 79 % of sales growth was accounted for by the conventional retail food trade.
As in previous years, the shares of the organic market have shifted again and strengthened the previous trend: conventional retail food trade 53 % (+4 %), organic food trade 22 % (-1 %), producers 10 % (-1 %), craft trades 5 % (+/- 0), health food stores 4 % (-1 %), and others 6 % (-1 %). In absolute figures, the conventional retail food trade has increased from 2.25 to 2.8 billion EUR and the organic food trade from 1.08 billion Euros to 1.18 billion Euros.

Figure: Development of the organic land area in Germany 1994-2007. Source: SöL, AGöL; BLE, ZMP

According to information from ZMP, 18,703 organic farms managed 865'000 ha in Germany at the end of 2007. Compared with the previous year, the number of organic farms increased by 6.5 % or 1,146 ha and the organic area grew by 4.8 % or 39,800 ha. Overall at the end of last year, 5 % of the farmers farmed 5.1 % of the total agricultural land in Germany to organic standards. The total number of companies working in the organic sector – including producers as well as processors, importers and traders – grew by 11.9 % to 26,820 companies in 2007.

Information about organic farming in Germany in English

Organic Farming in Germany
An overview of organic farming in Germany in English is available at the internet site of the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection.
FAO: Germany Country Profiles for Organic Agriculture
The organic market in Germany - Overview and information on market access
At a Glance: Information About the Bio-Siegel
The Federal Organic Farming Scheme
Organic Farming Research in Germany

Information about organic farming in Germany in German

Öko-Lebensmittelumsatz in Deutschland 2007 (August 2008)
Information about the German organic market in 2007 at www.oekolandbau.de/haendler (in German)
Ökolandbau in Deutschland
Overview of organic farming in Germany at the SOEL homepage
Zahlen, Daten, Fakten: Darstellung der Ökologischen Lebensmittelwirtschaft in Deutschland
Detailed information, facts and figures about organic farming in Germany at the BOELW homepage

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
Ackerstrasse, CH-5070 Frick
Tel: +41-62-865 72 72 Fax:+41-62-865 72 73
Internet http://www.fibl.org

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