Achieving the EU’s Organic Goals: Progress, Impacts & Policy Recommendations
The Horizon Europe project OrganicTargets4EU (2022-2026) “Transformation scenarios for boosting organic farming and organic aquaculture towards the Farm-to-Fork targets” aims to support the EU’s targets to reach 25% of agricultural land under organic farming and a significant increase in organic aquaculture by 2030. By 2023, 11% of EU agricultural land was managed organically, with 12% likely to be reached in 2025. Organic aquaculture represented solely 6.7% of total European aquaculture production in 2020, and its growth trajectory is not sufficient to realise its full growth potential and meet the EU’s objectives. The organic targets require an upscaling of production and consumption and a radical transformation of farm structures and value chains, ambitious research and innovation (R&I) for organics, strong advisory services, and knowledge exchange and training opportunities for all organic operators and related professionals.
To support the EU’s organic targets, the project assessed key drivers and lock-ins affecting the development of the organic sector and built four scenarios for organic agriculture and aquaculture each. The project then developed transition pathways to achieve the 25% targets based on the scenarios. Over three years, stakeholder dialogues analysed the socio-economic impacts of the developed scenarios from input supply to farm gate and from consumer demand to supply changes. Participatory research activities have promoted capacity building and increased R&I investments to enhance organic advisory services and support new and existing organic farmers in the conversion process.
Titled Achieving the EU’s organic goals—progress, impacts, and policy recommendations, this interactive final conference, organised jointly with the Organic Innovation Days of TP Organics, will validate findings and policy recommendations to show the path forward to reach the organic targets of the EU in view of the expected scenarios. On 4 November, integrated into the Organic Innovation Days, discussions will focus on funding for organic knowledge and innovation. On 5 November we will discuss scientific results from the OrganicTargets4EU project, distilling policy recommendations that are best suited to reach the EU’s organic targets.