The amount of UK farmland in organic production increased last year, according to Defra.
Figures from the UK Government department with responsibility for farming reveal 1.198 million acres of land was farmed organically in the UK last year – up 2.4% on 2018 – and the amount of organic land used to grow cereals was up 7.2%.
The increase was praised by organic body Soil Association Certification, which said it had witnessed a 14% increase in farmers with land in conversion to organic last year.
“More and more people are looking for organic products when they shop, leading to the eighth consecutive year of sales growth in the UK’s organic market in 2019 – now worth a record £2.45 billion,” said Soil Association Certification’s business development director, Clare McDermott.
“It’s also great to see a significant increase in the land being used to grow organic cereals, as demand for these on farms for animal feed is growing faster than UK producers can supply.”
She said converting a farming enterprise into organic production can take time, but there is confidence in the market due to high demand for UK organic produce.
“What we need now is for the UK Government to provide confidence that farming policy will also support them to grow more healthy, sustainable food,” added Ms McDermott.
She said future agricultural policy must support farmers to deliver environmental public goods across the whole farm by transitioning to agroecological practices, such as organic, that look after air, water and soil quality.