Valencia: A Leader in Organic Farming

Article by: Hari Yellina (Orchard Tech)

Organic farming in Valencia has grown 81.2% in the past five years, more than anywhere else in Spain. It now also exceeds Spain’s average, which stands at 20.7% at this time.  The region has seen a huge increase in organic cultivation due to the launch of a €78.76 million Ecological Production Plan to promote organic farming, provide certification and help transition producers. The Ecological Production Report by the Ministry of Agriculture shows the number of organic farming operators has also grown by 46.1%, whilst the rest of the country has only grown by 25.9%.  Valencia turned over €626 million, which is 19.6% of the total €3.1 billion for the whole country.

There is a total of 146,757 hectares of land being farmed organically in Valencia, making it the fourth biggest in Spain after Catalunya, Castilla-La Mancha and Andalucia. Organic farming in Valencia Community has grown faster than the national average in the last five years, with an increase of 81.2 per cent between 2016 and 2020, compared to 20.7 per cent in Spain. During this time, the number of organic farming operators at the regional level has increased by 46.1 per cent, while the national figure is 25.9 per cent.

According to the data, the total organic turnover in the Community in 2020 was €626 million euros, representing 19.6 per cent of the national total of €3,185 billion. Although it does not make headlines, this figure indicates organic farming as the area with the highest year-on-year growth, not just in the last year, but over the last five years. Valencian Community is still far from the top of the list, ranking fourth in terms of certified area, trailing Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha, and especially Andalusia, with more than one million hectares. Organic farming in Valencia currently occupies 146,757 hectares, but this figure is steadily increasing year after year.

With 3,861 producers, the province is also the fourth most populous in Valencia in terms of organic farming operators. Andalusia tops the list with 17,721 producers, accounting for 33.2 per cent of the national total of 53,325 producers. The most rapid growth was seen in the olive and vegetable farming industries. Organic olive production increased 12.3 per cent in 2020, while organic vegetable production increased 10.2 per cent. Organic citrus farming is also increasing, as is organic wine production (8 per cent of total) and organic nut production (13 per cent of the total).