Within the framework of the “Niedersächsischer Weg”, the contractual partners have agreed to expand the ecologically operated areas to 10% by 2025 and to 15% by 2030. According to the evaluation of current figures for applications for the year 2024, the proportion of land in Lower Saxony cultivated ecologically and registered with the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture (LWK) nevertheless amounts to only 6.6%. This certainly represents an increase of around 13,000 hectares compared to the previous year, but almost 90,000 hectares would still be missing to reach the target by next year, reports the Landvolk press service.
The fact that more than two thirds of this recent increase comes mainly from permanent grasslands clearly demonstrates that this objective cannot be achieved. In the field crops sector, the desire for conversion remains moderate. “In order for future goals to remain realistic, it is necessary to quickly stimulate new impulses and, above all, to encourage healthy growth of the organic market,” summarizes Carsten Bauck, chairman of the committee for organic agriculture of the Landvolk Niedersachsen.
Photo from the previous edition
Market growth even without targets
The “organic professional forum for vegetables and potatoes”, organized by the Competence Center for Organic Farming Lower Saxony (KÖN), will take place on November 27 in Visselhövede and will also address these issues. The event will begin at 9 a.m. with a political debate. Carolin Grieshop, Director of KÖN, will discuss with Silvia Bender, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), Jan Plagge, President of Bioland, and Dr. Marco Mohrmann, spokesperson for the agricultural policy of the CDU in the Landtag of Lower Saxony, to find out whether “market growth is possible even without targets”. This debate is part of the objectives set for 2030, i.e. 30% organic farming in Germany, in the face of current challenges in the organic market.
Given the difficulty in controlling consumer behavior, representatives from Alnatura, EDEKA, Lidl and the “Bio-Kartoffel Erzeuger Verein” association will answer the question of what they intend to do to stimulate consumer growth of organic. Trends in market gardening, dual use of arable land and regenerative agriculture will be other themes addressed during this specialized forum, which will bring together 30 speakers, as many information stands, and around 250 participants. The 8th “Organic Vegetable and Potato Professional Forum” will start at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m.
For more information:
Sabrina Scott
SEX
Such. 04262-9593-80
www.bio-fachforum.de
