The Commission today presented an Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production.

Its general objective is to encourage the production and consumption of organic products in order to achieve the target of 25% of agricultural land intended for organic farming by 2030 and to significantly increase organic production in aquaculture.
Organic production has a number of important advantages: areas under organic crops are characterized by 30% more biodiversity, organically raised animals enjoy a higher level of well-being and receive fewer antibiotics, organic farmers have higher incomes and are more resilient, and consumers know exactly what to buy Union. The action plan is in line with the European Green Plan, the field-by-table strategy and the biodiversity strategy.

The action plan is designed to provide the fast-growing environmental sector with the appropriate tools to achieve the 25% target. It proposes 23 measures focused on three aspects: stimulating consumption, increasing production and further improving the sustainability of the sector, all to ensure balanced growth of the sector.

The Commission encourages Member States to develop national environmental action plans to increase their national share in organic farming. There are significant differences between Member States in terms of the share of agricultural land currently devoted to organic farming, ranging from 0.5% to more than 25%. The National Environmental Action Plans will complement the National Strategic Plans under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by identifying measures that go beyond the agricultural sector and what is offered under the CAP.

Promoting consumption

Increasing consumption of organic products will be key to encouraging farmers to switch to organic farming, and thus increase their profitability and resilience. To this end, the Action Plan proposes a number of concrete measures aimed at stimulating demand, maintaining consumer confidence and promoting organic food among the population. These are the following measures: informing and communicating about organic production, promoting the consumption of organic products, encouraging greater consumption of organic agricultural products in canteens through public procurement and increasing the distribution of organic products under EU programs in schools. Measures are also aimed at, for example, preventing fraud, increasing consumer confidence and improving the traceability of organic products. The private sector can also play an important role, for example, by rewarding employees with “eco-vouchers” that can be used to buy organic food.

Increasing production

Currently, around 8.5% of agricultural land in the Union is dedicated to organic farming, and trends show that with the current growth rate, this share in the Union will be 15-18% by 2030. This Action Plan provides a set of tools to further stimulate and achieve the 25% target. Although the Action Plan is largely focused on the effect of attracting demand, the common agricultural policy will continue to be a key tool to support the transition to organic farming. Currently, approximately 1.8% (€ 7.5 billion) of the CAP budget is used to support organic farming. The future common agricultural policy will include "environmental programs" to be financed from a budget of 38-58 billion euros for the period 2023-2027, depending on the outcome of the CAP negotiations. Ecology programs will be able to be used to encourage organic farming.

In addition to the CAP, key tools include organizing information events and networking to share examples of good practice, certification for groups of farmers instead of individuals, research and innovation, application of blockchains and other technologies to improve traceability, increase market transparency, strengthen local and small processing plant, support the organization of the food chain and improve animal nutrition.

In order to raise awareness of organic production, the Commission will organize a day of the year dedicated to EU organic products and the awarding of prizes to operators in the organic food chain that recognize excellence at all stages of the chain. The Commission will also encourage the development of eco-tourism networks within "bioregions". Bioregions are areas where farmers, citizens, tourism operators, associations and public bodies work together on the sustainable management of local resources, guided by environmental principles and environmental practices.

The Action Plan also states that organic production in aquaculture is still a relatively new sector, but that it has significant potential for growth. The forthcoming new EU guidelines on the sustainable development of Union aquaculture will encourage Member States and stakeholders to support increasing organic production in the sector.