
Organic food: per capita spending in selected countries in Europe 2021
What qualifies as organic food?
Food products must adhere to certain national standards to be considered organic. Most commonly, this means the food is grown and processed without being subjected to synthetic compounds such as fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics and food additives. This extends to the land which the produce is grown on, which needs to be free of prohibited chemicals for multiple years in a row. Livestock also must adhere to specific feeding, housing and breeding requirements. Further restrictions may apply. Worldwide these vary strongly form nation to nation.In the European Union products need to be certified and specific labels for products exist to inform the consumer that the product adheres to EU standards.