Tendencies and Perspectives of Organic Farming Development in the EU – the Significance of European Green Deal Strategy

Abstract

Organic system of agricultural production is particularly important in the context of agriculture sustainability. Taking into consideration sustainability premises, agricultural sector should deliver environmental, social and economic profits. One of the most important form of agriculture in this context is organic production. In 2019, the European strategy of Green Deal underlined the need of further and faster development of organic farms in the EU. The purpose of the paper is establishing current tendencies, as well as perspectives of organic farming development, including its market environment in the EU. The accent was focused on Poland`s situation and experiences. The period of the analysis covered the years 2012-2020. The data used in the research came from national institution Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection, Statistics Poland reports and papers, as well as database of Eurostat. Indicator analysis methods were used and trends were established.

The results of the study revealed, that during the analyzed period, organic farming developed in the EU. The main statistics, such as the number of organic farms and organic agricultural land improved significantly. The current trends in individual European countries in the field of development of the organic management system indicate, that this segment of the agricultural market has different significance in individual countries, which may also result from local economic and market conditions. Based on the research results, it was stated, that organic farming development in the EU – in the nearest further – will be challenging, especially in the context of the european strategic purposes, presented in Green Deal documents. 

Keywords: organic farming, organic farms, agricultural land in organic system of production, organic processors,  European Green Deal strategy, EU, Poland