The role of organic production as part of the sustainable food system has increased during the recent decades in Finland, as well as in the rest of Europe and other parts of the world. The Switzerland-based Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) compiles and publishes annual statistics on the development of the global organic sector in its updated database (1) and as an annual publication (2). In Finland, organic statistics are compiled by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), the Finnish Food Authority and the Finnish Organic Food Association (Pro Luomu). Every other year, Kantar Oy produces a consumer barometer for organic production as assigned by the Finnish Organic Food Association.
Development of international organic markets
Measured by the value of sales, the largest organic markets in 2022 were in the United States (EUR 58.6 billion), Germany (EUR 15.3 billion) and China (EUR 12.4 billion). In 2022, the value of global organic sales was EUR 134.8 billion, whereas it was only EUR 15.1 billion in 2000. With its value of organic sales of EUR 53.1 billion in 2022, Europe was the second largest organic market in the world behind the United States (2).
In Finland’s grocery trade, the value of organic sales was EUR 352 million in 2023, accounting for 1.9% of the value of total grocery trade sales (4). Consumption per capita was roughly EUR 73 in Finland in 2022, slightly below the EU average (EUR 102). In the largest countries measured by organic consumption, Denmark and Switzerland, consumption per capita was EUR 365–437, and the corresponding figure in our neighbouring Sweden was EUR 248 (2).
Key figures of the Finnish organic sector
In Finland, the organic field area accounted for an average of 7.5% of the total field area in 2010 and as much as 15.0% in the peak year of 2022. Last year, the organic field area started to decrease after several years of growth, being 13.7% of the total field area. In 2023, the organic field area and the field area under the organic transition stage totalled 310,719 hectares (3).
In 2022, there were 4,945 organic producers, 417 processing companies registered for the monitoring of organic production and 41 companies engaged in the exports of organic products in Finland (2). The average size of organic farms has grown steadily in Finland, being 71.9 hectares in 2023, whereas it was 43.4 hectares in 2010. The average size of all Finnish farms was 53 hectares in 2023. This means that organic farms are larger than Finnish farms on average.
Monthly buyers of organic products numbered 2.3 million in 2023, up by more than 100,000 from 2021 and as much as 660,000 from 2010. Of them, 30% are active users who purchase organic products at least weekly (5). Bananas, milk, eggs, coffee and orange juice were the most popular organic products. Organic children’s food has the largest market share covering 23% of the value of all children’s food sold in Finland (4).
Organic arable crop production
Luke publishes Finland’s organic production statistics annually (6). The 2022 organic cereal harvest comprised 5% of the total cereal harvest, totalling 1 million kilos, up by 54% from the previous year. Oats accounted for more than half of the organic cereal harvest at 107 million kilos, followed by organic wheat at 22 million kilos. Organic oats accounted for 6.5% and organic rye for 5.4% of total production in Finland. In addition, the organic pea harvest was 8 million kilos and the organic faba bean harvest 3 million kilos, accounting for roughly 16% of the total faba bean harvest.
The relative share of organic cereal production area from the total cereal production area in Finland was the sixth largest in the world, being 8.8% in 2022. The leading countries were Austria (18.5%) and Estonia (15.6%). In Sweden, organic production covers 12% of the total cereal production area (2). Finland’s organic turnip rape area totalled 5,871 hectares, or 19.5% of the total turnip rape production area, in 2023.
Organic production in horticulture
The registered organic vegetable production area was 1,085 hectares in Finland in 2023, covering 10.3% of the total outdoor vegetable area (7). In 2022, organic production comprised the largest share of total vegetable production in Luxembourg (41%) and Denmark (41%). Measured by the total area, the USA, Italy, China and France were the world’s largest producers of organic vegetables (2).
Finland’s organic fruit production area was 61 hectares, accounting for 8% of the total fruit production area (7). In our neighbouring countries around the Baltic Sea, the corresponding figure was 33% in Latvia, 29% in Denmark, 24% in Sweden and 69% in Estonia (2).
Organic production of animal-based products
In 2023, there were 1,050 organic livestock farms in Finland, of which 116 produced organic milk, 407 beef, 7 pork, 3 chicken meat and 37 eggs (8). Organic meat production amounted to approximately 4.4 million kilos. Beef accounted for 81% of all organic meat. Organic beef only comprised 4.2% of total beef production, whereas the corresponding figure was almost 20% in lamb production. Organic production made up 6.3% of total egg production. Organic milk production amounted to 73 million litres, covering 3.4% of total milk production (9).
Of the world’s nearly 3.41 million certified organic apiaries, some 4,600 were located in Finland in 2022 (8). Of all organic apiaries, 32% are in Europe and 37% in South America. Roughly 3.4% of global apiaries are organic (2).
In Europe, organic aquaculture is mainly centred in Norway, Ireland and Italy, which produce organic fish and mussels. In Asia, China is the largest producer of organic aquaculture products. Currently, Finland has no production regulations on organic aquaculture, and no organic aquaculture is carried out here.
Finland’s wild collection area is record-high
Finland is a forested country, and we had 6.9 million hectares of certified wild collection areas for natural products in 2022, which is the largest area in the world relative to the land area. The second highest wild collection area was in India at 4.4 million hectares.
Collection volumes of wild berries show significant variation from one year to the next. In 2022, a record volume of organic bilberries was collected (4.3 million kilos). In addition, 1.4 million kilos of organic lingonberries and some 170,000 kilos of organic cloudberries were available for sale. Of all bilberries collected available for sale, 46% came from wild collection areas. The corresponding figures were slightly more than 17% for lingonberry and up to 63% for cloudberry (10).
Organic food products are specialty products sought for Finnish exports
The export value of organic products totalled EUR 59 million in 2022. Milling products are our key organic products in exports, accounting for roughly 30% of Finland’s total export value of milling products. Other significant organic products in exports include dairy products, plant-based drinks, bakery products, as well as natural products such as berries, sap water and mushrooms (11).
Reference list
[1] FiBL 2024. FiBL Statistics – European and global organic farming statistics Linkki FiBl:n tilastotietokantaan
[2] Willer, H., Trávnicek, J. & Schlatter, B. (eds.) 2024. The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and Emerging Trends 2024. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, and IFOAM – Organics International, Bonn
[3] Ruokavirasto 2023. Tilastot ja tietohaut Linkki
[4] ProLuomu 2024. Luomumyynnin elpymistä saadaan vielä odottaa Linkki
[5] Kantar 2023a. Luomun kuluttajabarometri 2023. Linkki
[6] Luke 2024. Luomusatotilastot Linki
[7] Luke 2023. Puutarhatilastot 2022 Linkki
[8] Ruokavirasto 2023. Luonnonmukainen eläintuotanto 2022-2023 Linkki
[9] ] Luke Maataloustilastot, tuotanto. Linkki
[10] Ruokavirasto 2023. Marsi 2022. Luonnonmarjojen ja -sienten kauppaan tulomäärät vuonna 2022. Kantar TSN Agri Oy, 3/2020. Linki
[11] ProLuomu 2023. Luomuelintarvikkeiden vienti 2022. Linkki