The significance of organic farming in the European Union from the perspective of sustainable development

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the status of organic farming in the member states of the European Union, drawing on its potential and selected elements of the organic agri-food products market. To this end, we used several partial indicators and a synthetic measure, which allowed us to create a ranking of the member states depending on the development level of organic farming. The survey showed a 50% increase in the utilised agricultural area allocated for organic farming in the EU from 2015 to 2021 and a 69% increase from 2012 to 2021. So far, the only member state to meet the target set by the Green Deal, that is, 25% of organic UAA, has been Austria. Considering the synthetic index, Portugal is a leader of organic farming development. In addition, differences exist between EU member states in consumers’ expenditure on organic products.