The targets set by the European Union provide that by 2030 countries should have 25% of their utilised agricultural area (UAA) under organic production. This leads to the implementation of urgent and exceptional measures to support farmers and producers in the transition to organic farming. In just a few years we will see a change in agriculture and farming that has never been seen before.
The question is, are we on the right track? Are we doing everything that is necessary for this transition?
According to data from the most recent agricultural census conducted in Portugal, in 2019, certified organic farms tripled in 10 years, and there are now 3,900 certified farms, which represents an increase of 214% compared to 2009 data.
A third of these farms are in the region of Trás-os-Montes. As for the production area, this represents 209,900 hectares, 69.1% are permanent crops (olive groves stand out with nearly 21,000 ha, nuts with 10,500 ha, vines with 4,000 has) and 9.2% are temporary crops (vegetables with 1,800 hectares) and forage pastures intended for organic livestock production.
However, we are still talking about an UAA of about 5.3%, which means that in the next 9 years, in Portugal, it will be necessary to work hard and in a concerted manner to reach 25% of the area under organic production.
You can learn more about the 2019 agricultural census in the article in the magazine Vida Rural or read the full pdf document at Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE).
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatística - Recenseamento Agrícola. Análise dos principais resultados: 2019. Lisboa: INE, 2021.