The chemical fertilizers became free for all throughout the world in the last century. This trend resulted in immediate enlargement in the crop yield, thus lead to promotion of the profit for the farmers. Meanwhile, in recent years a serious environmental breakdown is noticed due to chemical fertilizers’ permanent field application and overuse. The practice of the chemical fertilizers is related with water and soil pollution, loss of beneficial microorganisms and insects and in this way - in overall reduction of soil fertility. This motivates the modern day farmers to show interest in more eco-friendly products like bio-fertilizers that hold promising future in reducing soil quality problems with optimum crop yield.
The EU CAP promotes employment of bio-based products along with organic farming. It furnishes up to 30% of the budget as direct green payment to farmers preserving the sustainable agricultural practices. Moreover, awareness regarding the environment and demand for soil fertility and organic foods propel market sales.
Favorable regulations, especially in Europe and North America, are intended to be a key exploiter of the global industry. Also, the claim for high agricultural output to answer to human needs is appraised to achieve industrial revenues. Besides, minor product costs in parallel to affected spear would impulse industry demand from 2016 to 2024.
Meanwhile European quest for good food and good farming is rising. Human population, as well as farmers and citizens, are eager for innovation and need to receive better food and farming policies based on agro-ecological approaches.
Currently, EU policymakers have recognized the dual role of organic farming: from one hand, it is necessary to meet the consumers’ demand for high quality products and from another - to ensure some public goods.
All these involve, for instance, the preservation and retrieve of water and soil quality as a result of organic land management practices.
This perception is coming out in the early 1990s, when organic farming was legally defined under EU Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91. During this time the organic farming support payments for transformation and maintenance were established under the CAP.
For the meantime, the confession of organic farming has also expanded to other EU policy domains, such as research and some areas of market progress.
Nevertheless, it is still important in many policy areas the necessity to support climate for local and organic food chains. The EU citizens are also maintaining the EU organic market opportunities valued at EUR 20.8 billion in 2012. Thus, regardless the consumer demand progress in many EU countries, provision of such organic foods is not enough. The EU citizens prefer organic production of food, and the majority of farmers have to be encouraged for application of such methods in order to produce more organic products. So, researchers and policymakers now also confess the power of agro-ecological practices and innovation .
It is proofed that the favorable climate is crucial for organic farming and for this reason, farmers need public support for use of agro-ecological methods linked with strong demands for organic products production. At the same time, they also need to receive the policymakers’ support for the development of the this sector.
Here the outlines of some opportunities and challenges impacting the new and existing EU policy for organic food and farming, and the agri-food sector, as well as ways that can help to make Europe more organic are given.
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi-ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
