An up-to-date scenario of the organic system is offered by Bioreport 2020, the report published on 12/21/21 as part of the National Rural Network Program. (1)
Bioreport 2020, the biological system
The more than 300-page document-addressed to institutions, researchers, and stakeholders-provides a comprehensive view of the biological system.
Bioreport 2020 is organized into three sections:
– organic data, from productions to markets. At the Italian, European and global levels,
– policies, European and national legislation, organic support measures and the control system,
– insights into various topical issues, such as the use of biostimulants, with input from FederBio. An analysis of the organic olive sector and the defense of olive trees against the Xylella fastidiosa bacteria. The overall organic scenario in Sardinia and France. And a study of the trend away from the certification system.
Following are some data on organic farming in Italy.
Organic in Italy, integration rewards
Organic farming in Italy continues to settle, in terms of the number of certified farms and the UAA (utilized agricultural area) dedicated to organic, now close to 2 million hectares (only about +2 percent compared to 2018). However, the dynamics vary across territories and supply chains.
81 thousand operators were surveyed in 2019 (+2% over 2018). Farms are stable (70,540), processing farms increase by 9.2 percent (about 2,000) to 21,000. The most positive figure (+14%) is the development of farms that integrate primary production with processing.
South and islands, slight decline in agriculture and more processing
In the South and islands, where more than half of Italy’s organic operators are located, a slight reduction in organic farmers emerges (-2 percent). With peaks in Sardinia (-6%) and Calabria (-5%), as well as in sole-production farms (-10%).
The problems appear to be related to the fragility of Sardinia’s organic production system (to which Bioreport 2021 devotes a focus), which is not very market-oriented, and delays related to the start of the new aid program in Calabria.
At the same time, however, the South registers the greatest growth in overall processors (+11 percent, between exclusive organic and nonorganic processors), with al Calabria leading the way (+30 percent).
Central Italy, organic farming on a roll
On the other hand, Central Italy-contrary to the national trend-records a significant increase in organic farms (+10% those with organic only, +11% those with mixed production).
The Marche region leads the growth with a significant increase in production units (+37 percent), thanks in part to the increase in funds allocated to organic support (Measure 11 of the 2014-2020 RDP).
Northern Italy, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige on the rise
North-central regions are home to more than 800,000 hectares under organic farming. Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige-where organic occupies only 6 percent of the UAA, compared to 16 percent nationally and peaks in Calabria (36 percent) and Sicily (26 percent)-are moving up the ladder, with increases in processing producers (+25 percent and +11 percent, respectively).
The Veneto of vineyards is the land of great contradictions. Consumption per hectare of pesticides up to 1sq m per inhabitant, as recently noted by UN Special Rapporteur Marcos A. Orellana. Moreover, the decade 2009-2019 saw a doubling of organic producers from 1,553 operators to 3,971 (+157 percent).
Imports from third countries
Imports of organic products from non-EU countries in 2020 decreased by 1.9 percent. (2) The largest importers (70 percent of the total) are the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France. This was followed by Italy, which bucked the trend and recorded an increase in imports from third countries for all categories except industrial crops.
‘Among the increases recorded in 2020, the +41 percent related to the import of vegetable oils and fats, monopolized by Tunisia, stands out, followed by the +25 percent in cereals, which is significant in absolute terms, given that this category accounts for more than a third of the total organic product imported in 2020 (34 percent).’
The profitability of organic
Italian organic farms show better performance than conventional farms, according to a Crea study based RICA (Farm Accountancy Information Network) that confirms the findings of similar research conducted in France and Sweden.
Despite higher labor costs and lower livestock numbers in animal husbandry, organic enterprises report higher revenues on average (+13%). And supplementary activities (processing and sale of products, agrotourism activities, etc.) affect revenues twice as much as non-organic farms (8% vs. 4%).
Organic hazelnut groves
The area devoted to organic hazelnut cultivation has more than doubled in a decade, from 6,000 to nearly 14,000 hectares. Crops are concentrated in four regions-Lazio, Campania, Sicily and Piedmont-which accommodate 90 percent of the hazelnut groves (organic and otherwise).
Conventional crops have caused severe soil damage, with eutrophication of water determined by the presence of phosphorus and nitrogen, constituents of fertilizers and pesticides.
Therefore, the organic cultivation of hazelnut groves is a necessity. But it is much less profitable, at least in comparison with yields ‘forced’ by chemistry.
The organic market in Italy
The most recent values for the Italian organic market show a substantial halt in demand, stabilized at the values of the 2020 pandemic surge. In the first quarter of 2021, the growth is 0.9 percent, while in total agribusiness it is 5.4 percent.
In this area, the value of online shopping increases by 79 percent and that of discount stores by 10.5 percent, a favored destination in the context of economic crisis and unemployment.
Marta Strinati
Notes
(1) National Rural Network is the program through which Italy participates in the larger European project (European Rural Network – RRE) that accompanies and integrates all activities related to the development of rural areas for the period 2014-2020.
Bioreport 2020 is available for free download at this link
(2) European Commission. EU imports of organic agri-food products Key developments in 2020. June 2021 https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/food-farming-fisheries/farming/documents/agri-market-brief-18-organic-imports_en.pdf
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".
