Finland: More people than ever switching over to organic

At the moment, more Finish farmers than ever are switching over to organic farming. The food safety agency Evira reports that there is a sharp increase in the number of companies that are choosing to switch over this year. Up to now, 365 farms have submitted a request for an organic certificate. From these companies, 113 are livestock farms which is almost as many as in the last three years put together.

In the meantime, 100 new companies have entered the organic sector this year. Amongst the newcomers are a surprisingly large amount of bakeries. By looking at the numbers from Evira, it appears that many youths who take over existing farms are choosing to switch over to organic crops as well as livestock.

According to the organisation, there are many factors at work when it comes to the growing popularity of organic farming. For example, the strong demand on the market. There is also a positive trend and from 2014, a new six year subsidised period will begin for the 'Rural Development Programme' in the EU. The sharp increase in the price of chemical fertiliser and cattle feed is a catalyst for a more natural way of working.

There are currently around 4,300 organic farms in Finland. Thanks to the new acquisitions in the sector, a portion of the farming grounds that are used for organic production has risen to around nine percent.

The government has set the goal of reaching 20 percent of organic farming by 2020. This goal has already been achieved in Kainuu and in the Åland-islands. It also moving in the right direction in Northern Karelië. The south-west of Finland is still far behind with less than five percent dedicated to farming using organic methods.

Source: Ule Uutiset