According to the latest data provided by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, organic farming in Germany experienced above-average growth in 2016. Organically managed land grew in 2016 by 14.9 % to 1,251,320 hectares compared with 2015 (1,088,828 hectares) and the number of organic farms increased by 9.6 % to  27,132 (2015: 24,736). The number of businesses that process organic products also rose by 2 % to 9,499 (2015: 9,311). The total number of companies operating in the organic sector in 2016 came to 41,200, a plus of 7.7 %. As a proportion of the total agricultural land in Germany in 2016, organic agriculture accounted for 7.5 %.

Minister intends to continue promoting organic farming

With the publication of structural data, Federal Minister of Agriculture Christian Schmidt declared: "Organically managed land in Germany has never been as extensive as last year. And the number of organic farms reached its highest level in 2016 too. The trend in recent years is clear evidence of the direction of travel. Alongside conventional farming, organic farming has become an important pillar in agriculture and the food economy in Germany. Nothing must be allowed to stand in the way of this success story. I intend to carry on supporting the growth potential of organic farming. My target is for 20 % of agricultural land to be managed organically, so that we can cover more of the growing demand for organic food with products grown in our own country."

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