7 % of the Belgian agricultural surface area is organic

In 2019, the success of organic farming was once again undeniable. All indicators, with the exception of the pig livestock, confirm that the growth of the sector has been sustained over time.
Between 2018 and 2019, the number of organic farms has increased by 5.4 %, which means a 4.6 % increase of surface areas converted or in the process of conversion. Organic farming now accounts for 6.9 % of the utilised agricultural area.
90.7 % of the surface area dedicated to this kind of agriculture is in Wallonia. It is therefore in the North of the country that there is the greatest room for improvement. In Flanders, for example, the number of organic pigs has increased by 24.9 % in one year. It decreased by 12.9 % in Wallonia over the same period, which explains the slight drop of 0.3 % at national level. 41.7 % of the Belgian organic pig livestock is now in Flanders.
Finally, both in the North and in the South of the country, organic poultry farming is still gaining in importance: +13.2 % in Flanders and + 12.0 % in Wallonia.
Number of organic producers in Flanders and Wallonia (1997-2019)
Organic farming in Belgium, 1987, 2005-2019
1987 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flanders | ||||||||
Number of producers | 72 | 236 | 256 | 370 | 430 | 468 | 514 | 562 |
Area (ha) | 417 | 3,153 | 3,822 | 5,343 | 6,960 | 7,367 | 7,913 | 8,677 |
Wallonia | ||||||||
Number of producers | 37 | 497 | 884 | 1,347 | 1,493 | 1,625 | 1,742 | 1,816 |
Area (ha) | 583 | 21,225 | 44,878 | 63,437 | 71,289 | 76,072 | 81,087 | 84,422 |
Belgium | ||||||||
Number of producers | 109 | 733 | 1,140 | 1,717 | 1,923 | 2,093 | 2,256 | 2,378 |
Area (ha) | 1,000 | 24,378 | 48,700 | 68,780 | 78,249 | 83,439 | 89,000 | 93,099 |
Source : Vlaamse overheid, Departement Landbouw en Visserij Service public de Wallonie, Direction générale opérationnelle de l'Agriculture, des Ressources naturelles et de l'Environnement |
Organic farming in Belgium, 1987, 2005-2019
2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flanders | |||||||
Cattle | 2,043 | 2,676 | 2,565 | 3,161 | 5,299 | 5,224 | 5,706 |
Pigs | 1,576 | 1,672 | 3,452 | 4,578 | 6,428 | 5,518 | 6,893 |
Poultry* | 175,854 | 264,376 | 409,097 | 458,036 | 517,775 | 601,709 | 681,365 |
Wallonia | |||||||
Cattle | 31,144 | 61,333 | 77,704 | 85,521 | 102,717 | 100,825 | 101,984 |
Pigs | 6,939 | 13,618 | 6,822 | 6,907 | 8,588 | 11,052 | 9,622 |
Poultry* | 670,606 | 1,150,986 | 1,956,918 | 2,243,053 | 2,787,702 | 3,491,046 | 3,908,546 |
Belgium | |||||||
Cattle | 33,187 | 64,009 | 80,269 | 88,682 | 108,016 | 106,049 | 107,690 |
Pigs | 8,515 | 15,290 | 10,274 | 11,485 | 15,016 | 16,570 | 16,515 |
Poultry* | 846,460 | 1,415,362 | 2,366,015 | 2,701,089 | 3,305,477 | 4,092,755 | 4,589,911 |
Source : Vlaamse overheid, Departement Landbouw en Visserij Service public de Wallonie, Direction générale opérationnelle de l'Agriculture, des Ressources naturelles et de l'Environnement * * Broiler chickens + laying hens |