Eloïse Trenda
Research Expert covering global food topics with a focus on the French and Spanish markets.
Get in touch with us nowSpanish organic agri-food systems and future perspectives
Overall, the Spanish organic production sector has a strong structure of operators, both agricultural and industrial. The surface area dedicated to organic crops has multiplied by almost seven between 2000 and 2021, with pastures and permanent meadows holding a significant share of organic farmlands. Nonetheless, the locations of organic production structures tend to remain fairly concentrated. Andalusia, for instance, often tops many of the national organic rankings.With the “Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production” approved in April 2021, the European Commission is aiming for 25 percent of the European Union’s agricultural land to be farmed organically by 2030. In Spain, this figure is currently close to eleven percent. Reaching the 25 percent target would not only impact the organic production sector itself but would also trickle down to the rest of the agri-food chain.
Health, wellness, and organic retail
Despite a leadership position in terms of organic production, Spain still has room to grow regarding organic food retail and consumption on the European level. Nevertheless, the Spanish organic food market has been steadily increasing over the last decade and was even one of the few segments of the national food sector experiencing growth throughout the pandemic. Indeed, while the revenue of food manufacturing decreased between 2019 and 2020, the organic food retail market increased by seven percent over the same period.Not only was the organic market not negatively affected by the global health crisis, but the latter may even have contributed to its continued growth. Indeed, as of 2021, environmental awareness was no longer the main motivator for organic consumption but was replaced by health, followed by the desire to avoid synthetic chemicals. Additionally, this renewed interest in wellness has also affected other segments of the food industry. Products associated with dietetics and naturalness, such as fair trade, vegetarian, and plant-based foods and beverages, are experiencing similar growth and are expected to follow the same upward trajectory as the organic food market.
