In-conversion land area on the rise
Posted on 23rd May 2017
by organicresearchcentre
Land area farmed organically: United Kingdom 
Land in-conversion as a % of the total area farmed organically
The key findings of Defra’s release of organic farming statistics for 2016 are:
- Organic land use and crops. In 2016, the United Kingdom had a total area of 508 thousand hectares of land farmed organically, down from 521 thousand hectares in 2015. The area in-conversion expressed as a percentage of the total organic area rose for the second consecutive year.
- Organic livestock. Poultry and sheep remain the most popular livestock types farmed organically in the United Kingdom.
- Organic producers and processors. The total number of organic producers and processors rose by 5.1% in 2016 to 6,363. The number of producers only and producer/processors continue to decline. The number of processors only rose for the third year running and now stands at 2,804, the highest number since 2008. Aside from the manufacture of ‘other food products’, most processors in the United Kingdom were engaging in the processing and preserving of meat and production of meat products and the processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables. Full details can be found in the time series data, which is available to download at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/organic-farming-statistics-2016
