The results, gathered by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the Foundation for Ecology and Farming (SÖL), underline the growing importance of this sector.
The global market for organic products reached a value of €25.5 billion in 2005, with the vast majority of products being consumed in North America and Europe, according to the market research experts of Organic Monitor.
For 2006, the value of global markets is estimated to be at more than €30 billion. Healthy growth rates are expected to continue in the coming years.
At BioFach, Dr. Helga Willer and Minou Yussefi, who headed up The World of Organic Agriculture study, will highlight the growth exhibited in the US (more than 400,000 hectares) and in certain European countries (more than 110,000 hectares in Italy and 85,000 hectares in Poland).
Australia continues to account for the largest certified organic surface area, with 11.8 million hectares, followed by Argentina (3.1 million hectares), China (2.3 million hectares) and the USA (1.6 million hectares). Germany is in the seventh position worldwide.
The most significant portion of global organic surface area is in Oceania
(39 per cent), followed by Europe (23 per cent) and Latin America (19 per cent). In terms of the certified organic agriculture as a proportion of all arable agricultural surface area, the Alpine countries, such as Austria with more than 14 per cent, top the statistics.
In addition to the certified organic arable land, nearly 62 million hectares are currently certified to organic standards for the collection of wild product, according to research by the International Trade Center (ITC).
There is little doubt that organic agriculture is a globally growing phenomenon. But while soaring organic food and drink sales are driving demand, a recent Organic Monitor report warned that an undersupply of organic ingredients could undermine the long-term stability of the sector.
"Over-concentration of demand could put the global organic food industry in a fragile condition," said Amarjit Sahota, director of Organic Monitor.
The shortages are most evident in North America, and, according to Organic Monitor, many US-based companies are currently scouring the globe for organic ingredients . Several European countries are also experiencing supply shortages, as consumer demand for organic foods escalates.
The results of this year's study, The World of Organic Agriculture:
Statistics and Emerging Trends 2007, which was supported by the
NürnbergMesse, will be presented at BioFach, the world's largest trade fair for organic products, on Friday 16 February.
This is the eighth consecutive year that The World of Organic Agriculture has been presented at BioFach. In addition to chapters reviewing organic agriculture worldwide, the study includes a comprehensive annex with the entire data set and expanded coverage of commodity specific data.
