Australia - the world leader in organic agriculture - Natural Food Group : Natural Food Group

Australia – the world leader in organic agriculture

04/11/2021

Australia is the world leader in organic agriculture based on many factors, the most impressive of which is 5,645,000 certified organic hectares – more than half of the world’s certified organic hectares (54%). Learn more about the advanced organic production industry of Australia in this article of Natural Food Group!

1. Impressive growth figures

Here are some impressive figures to prove the fast growth of Australia’s organic industry:

In consecutive 18 years, from 2000 to 2018, organic agriculture has grown at 16.5% per annum with the certified organic hectares growing from 1,736,000 ha to 27,145,021;
In that period, the percentage of agricultural land of Australia devoted to certified organic growing has grown from 0.38% to 6.7%;
The amount of current certified organic hectares is 5,645,000 ha – more than half of the world’s certified organic hectares (54%).

It is also worthwhile to mention the impressive growth in organic export with value more than doubling in 2 years from 2012 to 2014. The strong export market is vital in encouraging more production and investment activities in the organic industry.

Besides, the growth of the organic industry in Australia is noticed for its indispensable connection with the production of certified organic products, derived from the production process elaborately managed by different organic standards. This indicates the sustainable growth of the industry as the quality of product is highly focused.

2. Growth drivers

The organic farming industry is encouraged thanks to the shift in consumer preferences towards organic consumption. Demand for organic products in Australia and abroad has risen over the period as consumers have increasingly considered the effects of food choice on their health. Another significant concern on choosing organic consumption is environmental effects, regarding the fact that organic production is more environmentally-friendly in nature).

A mature organic industry in Australia which increases the quality of organic products supply while lowering the price, also helps make organic food accessible and popular.

Another motivation for the growth of organic consumption in Australia is the advanced organic industry, with supply chain improvements, improving economies of scale, and industry revenue high growth stimulating production and investment. Availability of organic products in general supermarkets & specialized organic retailers is also responsible for this growth. Moreover, industry competition increases greatly, allowing consumers to enjoyed quality products with lower prices.

3. Future potential

The organic industry of Australia is predicted to continue its trend of fast growth, regarding the universal advocacy for healthy benefits of organic consumption and the rising preference for trustful products with organic certification marks. These factors open up much growth potential, as Australia’s organic industry focuses on sustainable development of certified organic production.

Currently, the fastest-growing organic categories in Australia are from products with high nutrition value & popular in everyday meals: with dairy as the fastest growing and beef as the second fastest growing sector.

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