Organic farms achieved a higher balance than conventional farms during the period 2011-2020. The balance is the difference between revenues and costs. In 2020, the balance for organic farms averaged 110 thousand euros, almost a quarter higher than that of conventional farms, where the balance averaged 89 thousand euros. This is according to a CBS study on the financial data of farms in the period from 2011 to 2020.
Organic farms achieved higher average yields than conventional farms in the period 2011-2020. Average costs were also higher. In 2020, the average yield for an organic farm was 819 thousand euros compared to 599 thousand euros for a conventional farm, a difference of 37 percent. For costs in 2020, the difference was 39 percent, 709 thousand euros for organic and 510 thousand euros for conventional.
Source: CBS
Balance of organic dairy farms is 20 percent higher than regular dairy farms
For organic dairy farms, the average balance of 108 thousand euros in 2020 was 20 percent higher than that of conventional dairy farms. However, differences can be seen in the period 2011-2020. In 2015, the average balance of organic dairy farms was 42 percent higher than that of regular dairy farms. In 2017 it was 4 percent lower. This is closely linked to the difference in milk prices applicable to organic and conventional milk. In organic farming, the dairy cattle sector is the largest subsector, with a 28 percent share.
Higher balance organic arable farms
Organic arable farms achieved an average balance of 82 thousand euros in 2020, 13 percent higher than for conventional farms, where the balance was 73 thousand euros. From 2011 to 2015, the balance of organic arable farms was lower than conventional farms, from 2016, the proportion of organic farms is higher, peaking at 45 percent in 2019.
Varying picture among horticultural farms
When comparing organic and conventional horticultural farms, the picture is highly variable over the years. The balance of organic horticulture farms shows a peak of 50 percent in 2014 compared to the conventional sector and a valley of 30 percent in 2020. This varying picture is caused by the large heterogeneity in activities (e.g., ornamental crops, greenhouse horticulture, vegetables open ground) and difference in average farm size.
Source: CBS