CIHEAM Press Review

Technology brings a new dimension to the economic viability argument of organic farming in virgin uncontaminated desert dunes, expediting the certification process and enabling entrepreneurs to derive ROI sooner than later.

Organic farmers are less dependent on agricultural inputs than their conventional counterparts because they don’t rely on synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. That can make their production more resilient in times like the coronavirus pandemic, since global agrochemicals supply chains face disruptions, but it doesn’t mean the sector has escaped the outbreak unscathed.

In 2018, the surface area of organic olive groves increased by three percent in Spain. A country-wide push toward sustainability and better profit margins on organic oils are among the contributing factors.

Lands devoted to organ­i­cally cul­ti­vated olive groves in Spain increased by nearly five per­cent in 2019, accord­ing to the lat­est analy­sis from the country’s Min­istry of Agri­cul­ture, Fish­eries and Food.
Over­all, organic agri­cul­tural sur­face area in the coun­try increased by 4.8 per­cent, allow­ing Spain to main­tain its posi­tion as the largest organic farm­ing nation in Europe and the fourth largest in the world.

Organic products have seen a rise in popularity over recent years as consumers become more conscious about the products they buy, the ingredients they contain and where they came from.
In Europe, the organic food market increased by almost 11% in 2017 and reached €37.3bn according to the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL).​

Buying organic food is among the actions people can take to curb the global decline in insects, according to leading scientists. Urging political action to slash pesticide use on conventional farms is another, say environmentalists.