Area under organic farming

Organic farming is well established in Austria, and the EU target of 25% of agricultural land under organic farming by 2030 has already been achieved. In 2023, around 27% of the total utilised agricultural area was under organic production. To strive for further growth, the national target was set to 35% organically farmed land by 2030. The first organic associations started in the 1960s and have been making significant contributions to the development of the organic sector ever since. This development took place over decades, mainly in western grassland areas. Since Austria’s accession to the EU, especially in the 2000s, organic crop and fruit farming have increased considerably. In 2023, almost one third of the permanent grassland, 40% of orchards, 23% of vineyards and 22% of arable land were managed organically. The share of organic farms increased by 32% between 1995 and 2023 and currently stands at around 23%, supported by the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) agri-environmental programme, with the organic farming measure as the centrepiece. The demand for and sale of organic products in the food retail sector has been rising steadily, with the sector selling around 80% of all organic food and thus reaching a vast population. In 2023, the organic share in food retail was 11%. Motives to buy organic products are animal welfare, health considerations, sustainability and climate protection.