Anyone who thinks that the organic game is won once and for all does not know the sector well, nor the new challenges that await it.
Challenges have marked the history of organic farming since its inception, when it was stated that it was impossible to produce with organic farming methods.
But just compare the first structural data on organic farming in Italy collected by Bio Bank in 1993 and those elaborated by Sinab in 2017, to understand that it could, and how.
Over the course of twenty-five years, we have gone from 71 hectares dedicated to bio to over 1,9 million, from a percentage incidence of bio on the national UAA from zero point to over 15%: from just over 4 certified operators to almost 76 thousand. A phenomenon in contrast with the entire agricultural world, which in the space of twenty years has lost 46% of businesses, which went from 3 million in 1990 to 1,6 million in 2010, according to Istat censuses.
Today organic farms are 4,5% of the total. A number destined to grow, because the demand grows. The word Bio is everywhere. It is a real passe-partout to open the doors of the markets.
According to Nomisma, in 2017 exports reached 2 billion euros, confirming the driving role of organic farming for the entire agri-food sector. Sales in Italy reached 3,6 billion. But while specialized organic food stores mark time with a 3% drop in sales compared to 2016, large-scale distribution is advancing by double digits, with an increase of 34%. The risk lies in the trivialization of organic products which consider Euroleaves the point of arrival.
The challenge for the pioneers, on the other hand, is the valorisation of bio and its ideal and innovative strength, which leads to the origin of the raw materials, to the bio-dedicated, ethical and supportive supply chains.
