The expansion of organic farming in Germany is still far from the federal government's 2030 targets. Of the total agricultural area, 6.1% is currently devoted to organic farming. Compared to 2020, it increased only moderately. A total of 1.85 million hectares of agricultural land was used ecologically last year (plus 16 percent).
High inflation in 2022 had caused many German consumers to lose their desire for organic food, which was typically more expensive. But the Federation of Organic Food Industry now sees a trend reversal.
According to a representative survey regularly conducted by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), 36 percent of people in Germany often used organic products in 2022. 89 percent of respondents also said they wanted to buy organic food in the future.
The most organic areas are in Bavaria with 423,000 hectares, followed by Brandenburg with 228,400 hectares and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern with 199,700 hectares. The number of organic companies also grew by more than 10 percent to around 28,700. This means that more than one in ten agricultural companies (11 percent) is now dependent on organic agriculture.
In terms of average area per farm, the results of the 2023 Agricultural Structure Survey show an almost identical picture between the organic sector and agriculture in general. With an average of 66.7 hectares per farm, organic farms have an almost identical surface area as the average German farm with 65.0 hectares.
A regional analysis shows that in 2023, at 423,000 hectares, almost a quarter (23%) of all German organic land was cultivated in Bavaria. The next largest organic areas are in Brandenburg with 228,400 hectares and 199,700 hectares in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Over the past ten years, the rural area where organic agriculture is practiced has grown from approximately 1.05 million hectares to 1.85 million hectares. As a result, eleven percent of all agricultural land in Germany would be farmed organically by 2023.
In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, bordering the Netherlands, more than 91,000 hectares of agricultural land was cultivated organically by 2,020 companies – more than ever before. Compared to 2010, this area has grown by 71.4%. Just like in Lower Saxony, the transition to organic is also happening slowly but steadily.