One in five hectares cultivated organically in Italy: a record in Europe
In 2023, organic areas increased by 4.5 per cent: the EU target of 25 per cent by 2030 is now within reach
3' min read
3' min read
For every five hectares of arable land in Italy, one is organic. This is the highest figure in Europe. This is certified by Ismea, and the trend is constantly growing: in 2023, the first year of application of the new CAP, the areas invested in organic farming will increase by a further 4.5%, while the number of operators involved - producers, processors, importers - will rise by 1.8%.
The new data come from the Bio in figures report, which was presented on 17 July in Bracciano on the occasion of the Appuntamento con il bio. With the transition to the new programming of the Common Agricultural Policy and the change of some rules, however, some criticalities have emerged: both on the side of the regional administrations, which have had to overhaul a tried and tested organisational machine in order to get to grips with the programming of first-pillar measures; and on the side of the beneficiary farms, which have had to learn their way around the dense network of constraints, commitments and non-cumulability of aid. And yet, despite the criticalities, the 2023 balance sheet paints a positive picture for Italian organic agriculture, which with 2.5 million hectares, equal to almost 20% of the national arable agricultural surface (Sau), further reduces the distance from the 25% target set for organic by 2030 by the Farm to Fork strategy.
The growth recorded last year has therefore strengthened Italy's leadership among EU countries, which has now lasted for several years. 'Italy's organic sector continues to grow,' said Luigi D'Eramo, Undersecretary for Agriculture, who spoke in Bracciano. 'This positive trend can be further improved thanks to the many measures put in place in recent months, from the approval of the National Action Plan for organic production to the measures to support organic districts and supply chains. We are now aiming to create the Italian organic brand as soon as possible: combined with correct information and communication, it will be able to support a relaunch of domestic consumption and growth in foreign markets, so as to continue to be a leader in the sector in the future'.
Of the 2.5 million hectares under organic cultivation, 42% are arable crops, followed by meadows and pastures (29.7%), permanent crops (22.8%) and vegetables (2.5%). The increase in areas mainly concerned meadows and pastures and industrial and fodder crops, while protein and cereal crops lost hectares. Vegetable crops increased, albeit at a slower pace, in a year that confirmed the overall organic area of permanent crops, despite reductions in vines, citrus and fresh fruit, offset by increases in olives and nuts.
Geographically, the increase in Sau has mainly affected the central and northern regions. The South still maintains the highest incidence, with 58%, but we are witnessing a gradual rebalancing of the geographical distribution of surfaces, with the distribution of the Centre-North having almost doubled investments in organic farming in 10 years. Then there are the counter-trend cases: such as the Autonomous Province of Trento, which has lost more than 40% of its organic Sau in 2023 due to the Management Authority's decision to grant payments reserved for forage and pasture areas only to farms with livestock, as part of a strategy to strengthen local organic livestock farming. A decrease, albeit small, was also seen in Emilia-Romagna, despite the large budget for organic measures, most likely due to the devastating floods of May 2023.
