Developing the collection of statistical data on organic food and farming

Organisations sought to join a new project to develop the collection of statistical data on organic food and farming

European markets for organic products are growing rapidly, with organic production now accounting for 4% of European Union agriculture, but the market information available in most European coun-tries is seriously limited as a basis for investment and policy decisions.

The EU is therefore funding a three-year project to analyse the current situation in 32 countries and to develop proposals for a comprehensive statistical system to support the development of a sector, which offers significant potential for further growth as well as environmental and economic benefits.

The project partners, drawn from the UK, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Poland and the Netherlands, and assisted by international agencies such as Eurostat, the European Commission, FAO, OECD and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), are now actively recruiting all interested organisations to join the initiative.

Dr Nic Lampkin of the Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales Aberystywth, and co-ordinator of the project said: ‘At present, the levels and methods of data collection vary from country to country and much important information is missing entirely.’

‘We will be working closely with regional, national and European statistical offices as well as stake-holders and private sector agencies to stimulate the development of the data collection and processing systems involved.’

‘We are therefore actively seeking the involvement of all interested parties – data owners, collectors and data users – and hope to develop a large membership and active participation in the project.’

‘Members will have access to unpublished reports and working documents, as well as the possibility of participating in European seminars and e-mail discussions to develop proposals for the new system.’

The European Information System for Organic Markets (EISfOM) website at http://www.eisfom.org/ provides full details of the project and how to get involved.