A preview of the ‘Organic in Figures 2022’ report provides updated data and reflections on organic trends in Italy. The numbers of SINAB (National Information System on Organic Agriculture) were disclosed at the conference organized by ISMEA, ‘Appointment with Organic:Organic Agriculture of the Future,’ on 6.7.22 in Rome.
Organic in Italy, increasing soils
Italy’s organic land area has increased by 4.4 percent, reaching close to 2.2 million hectares by the end of 2021. The proportion of organic areas in the national UAA reached 17.4 percent, confirming the highest in the EU.
At this rate of growth, 2.7 mln hectares could be reached by 2027, the last year of the 2023-2027 CAP, and touch 3 mln by 2030, close to the Farm to Fork target of 25 percent organic acreage.
The stimuli from the regions
The expansion of organic crops is strongly influenced by the policies of the regions under the agri-environmental measures in the 2014-2020 RDP. With particular regard to the new Measure 11 (conversion support) calls.
Campania (+55 percent), Tuscany (+25 percent) and Friuli-Venezia Giulia (+23 percent) are the areas where UAA (utilized agricultural area) devoted to organic farming is growing at an unprecedented rate. Sicily, on the other hand, while maintaining the top spot, lost more area to organic farming in one year than Abruzzo.
Growing crops
Among the different organic crops, permanent crops are growing the most (+3.5 percent overall), with varied trends among varieties. Hazelnut orchards (+12.5 percent) and vineyards (+9.2 percent) increased, organic apple orchards (-0.4 percent) and olive groves (+0.5 percent) remained stable, and citrus orchards (oranges -17.2 percent, lemons -0.8 percent) declined.
Areas devoted to organic grains are finally growing (+2.8 percent), thanks mainly to the pull of higher investments in durum and soft wheat, oo fodder crops (-0.7 percent) and meadows and pastures (-0.8 percent).
Animal husbandry, poultry flying.
Organic animal husbandry shows some significant critical issues for the development of the sector, with the proportion of the number of livestock raised remaining less than 10 percent overall. The stocks of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats show almost stable levels over the three-year period, while the poultry sector-especially broilers (broilers) and laying hens-shows marked positive dynamics, with annual growth of about half a million heads.
Slowing the conversion of farms are the technical difficulties required for organic management. There is still little understanding of the value of algae, microalgae and tannins (e.g., Algatan) to strengthen the microbiota of animals without the need for antibiotics. After all, the conversion of livestock facilities to more extensive models has burdens that do not seem easy to amortize in the face of still low demand.
More certified operators
Certified organic operators are growing by more than 5 percent over 2020, thanks to 4,413 new entrants into the certification system, bringing the total number of organic producers, preparers and importers to 86,144. A 78.5 percent increase over the past 10 years.
Organic aquaculture continues its evolution in 2021, although absolute values still remain modest: there are in fact 69 certified farms (+12.8 percent compared to 2020), concentrated mainly in Veneto and Emilia-Romagna.
Organic consumption in Italy
Inflation weighs on organic consumption. In Italy, the loss of purchasing power inhibits consumer preferences, and the return to the office after lockdowns forces them to eat out, where organic is a rare gem.
After consumption growth of +9.5 percent in 2020, 2021 yields -4.6 percent. Data for the first 5 months of 2022 report a decrease of -1.9%.
The reliability of the data, however, is undermined by surveying only purchases from mass retailers, given that organic travels often and well on short or very short supply chains.
The primacy of organic fruit and vegetables
Organic fruits and vegetables, fresh and processed, experience an estimated 8.7 percent decline in sales for fruits and 7 percent for vegetables.
The sector is worth 46.1 percent of the total organic market, while the non-organic market is just 19.2 percent. Consumers of organic food, grown without pesticides, after all, are conceptually more concerned about diet quality. They consume more fruits and vegetables and avoid ultra-processed foods (which make up a large portion of ‘non-organic’ food instead).
Milk and cheese
The milk and cheese food group has a major share of the total organic market: 20.4 percent, compared with 13.2 for non-organic foods.
In 2021, sales drop -2.2 percent (compared to -4.1 percent for non-organic).
Meat and wine
Wines (+5.7 percent) and organic meats (+13 percent) are growing well. In particular, in red meat the organic share stops at 0.4 percent, a consequence of insufficient supply of certified product. While in wines (1.6 percent) we discount the priority destination of the organic, higher value-added product toward the restaurant industry and foreign markets.
Full ahead!
‘Ismea data confirm Italy as a country with a strong vocation for organic. At this stage of agroecological transition, where organic plays a key role, further steps need to be taken to establish the organic method as a strategic opportunity to counter the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, as well as to increase the resilience of production systems to geopolitical crises.
We are at a decisive moment. The organic law has finally been passed, which includes key initiatives for the development of the sector such as the establishment of organic districts, organic Made in Italy supply chains at the right price for citizens and farmers, the Italian organic brand as well as investment in research, training and innovation. We finally have significant allocations to support organic, more than 3 billion euros, but it is essential that these funds are spent in the best possible way, to encourage the agroecological transition and to revive the entire sector, starting with domestic consumption. We need to hold the bar high and roll up our sleeves to use this phase to grow all of Italian agriculture‘, comments Maria Grazia Mammuccini, FederBio president.
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
