Auditors find EU support for organic farming ineffective

Some €12bn of EU money channeled to support organic farming since 2014 hasn’t helped increase production, a European Court of Auditors’ (ECA) audit revealed today (September 23).

Lack of conditionality requiring farmers to produce organic products in return for EU funds, and an inability to measure supposed environmental benefits of organic farming, were key causes for the relatively very small rate of organic production, which accounts for only for 4% of the total EU food market, the auditors found.

The EU has set a non-binding target for the sector to increase agricultural land farmed organically by 25% by 2030, but this target will likely be missed because there remain significant differences to definitions between EU countries, the report found, recommending that the EU executive design “quantifiable targets”, “milestones and timelines” and “indicators to monitor progress”.

Uptake of agricultural land for organic farming varies greatly across EU countries, representing less than 5% land in Bulgaria, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, and Poland, but more than 25% in Austria.

“To get back on track, uptake of organic farming practices in Europe would need to double,” EU auditors warned, noting that an additional €15bn are planned for the sector until 2027, under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Today’s audit also found that EU money allocated to organic farmers was “not applied consistently” as the funds kept flowing regardless of whether growers apply crop rotation or animal-welfare standards — basic principles of organic farming. Another red flag raised by the EU’s watchdog was the “common legal practice” by organic farmers to get authorisations for using non-organic seeds when planting organic crops.

Organic farming was touted as an EU goal under the 2020 EU’s Farm-to-Fork strategy, a plan to reduce the environmental and climate impact of primary production while ensuring decent economic returns for farmers. However, no specific policy or legislative measure has been proposed since, EU auditors regretted.

The Luxembourg-based agency urged the European Commission to come up with a “comprehensive EU policy” for the organic sector, and member states to dedicate national policies to support the sector.

Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, the ECA member responsible for the audit noted that increasing areas of land farmed organically was “not enough for lasting success”, warning of the dangers of the development of a system entirely dependent on EU funds, rather than a thriving industry spurred by informed consumers.

“We’re asking the Commission to reconsider if and how we could promote not just the territory or land, but also the market and production so that farmers can have their way to reach the market to boost production,” Pentus-Rosimannus told reporters today.

German Professor Peter Strohschneider stressed the need to step up “organic production as well as agroecological farming practices” to unlock the full potential of biological food production in the Strategic Dialogue on Agriculture submitted to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on September 4.

“The European organic movement looks forward to seeing how the EU institutions will realise the recommendations of the Strategic Dialogue, namely in the EU’s ‘Vision for Agriculture and Food’ which will be unveiled in the first 100 days of the Commission,” the Brussels-based umbrella organisation for organic food & farming IFOAM Organics Europe stated.