The acreage devoted to organic production in Spain stood at 2,355,000 hectares in 2019; 4.8% more than in the previous year, according to provisional data from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. With this, the organic acreage already accounts for 9.3% of the country's total Useful Agricultural Area (SAU) (ESYRCE 2019).
Statistics confirm the trend of sustained growth and the consolidation of the Spanish organic production, with an average annual increase in the total organic acreage of 7.5% over the last five years. Spain remains the leading producer in the European Union in terms of acreage and the fourth largest in the world.
"These are great statistics that show how committed our agricultural producers and ranchers are to organic farming," said the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas.
"We are on the right track to meet the objectives set by the European Union (EU)", in line with the strategies "From farm to table" and "Biodiversity" of the European Commission. These coincide with the national and strategic objectives of the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), but without losing sight of the necessary balance between sustainability and profitability.
In fruit and vegetable production, the most noteworthy increases in the acreage are those of tubers (+13%), legumes (+4.2%), fruit trees (+9%), banana trees (+25%), citrus fruits (+19%) and berries (+10%). The acreage devoted to vineyards has also expanded (+7%), and that dedicated to vegetables and nuts remains stable.
The number of bio-registered establishments has risen by 8.5% to 9,635. Of these, 8,275 are related to plant production, with the most numerous being those working in the handling and storage of fruits and vegetables, as well as in the processing of drinks.
All these provisional data are already available on the website of the Ministry, which can be accessed through the following link.