Europe Edition
From 2000 to 2014 the number of organic potato farms reduced by 30% (-249 farms), while the total acreage for organic potatoes increased with 22% (from 464 to 564 ha).
During this period the degree of specialization has increased too. The degree of specialization is defined as a ratio of the potato acreage to total agricultural area.
The farms that use more than 10% of their acreage for potatoes have increased by 175%. Furthermore the surface of less specialized farms (acreage used between 0% and 4%) has decreased. A specialized farm (>10%) farmed an average of 4 ha last year. That is an increase of 1.3 ha compared to 14 years ago. The acreage of less specialized farms (0% = 1%) remained constant over the same period at just under 1 ha. These developments show that the increased degree specialization mainly happened at already specialized farms and total acreage of those farms has grown the most (In the graph category "> 10%").
The scaling-up of the production means on the one hand a higher efficiency (improved machine use, discounts for seedlings, etc.) can be achieved, resulting in a positive impact on the operation. But on the other hand the producers can become more dependent on the next steps of production and trade. With a high level of specialization, attention should be given to crop rotation, because it has a positive effect on the prevention of disease and pest infestations.
