In Europe today, organic agricultural land, operators4 and markets5, in almost all countries, continue to develop and grow. Furthermore in a global context Europe continues to be a forerunner in organic agriculture. This positive development in Europe and in particular in the European Union (EU) is due to a number of reasons, including strong consumer demand, legal protection and requirements for organic production and labelling as set out in EU and national legislation, and the development of private organic standards. In addition, policy support measures, such as conversion and maintenance payments for organic production and other relevant measures, provided for in most countries under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) and support for research and advice, contribute to sectoral development. More coordinated policy approaches have also been promoted through national organic action plans which seek to link support measures with further development and growth. The organic sector also benefits from strong organisations, represented by International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) EU Group, which plays an important role in the development of organic food and farming in Europe.\ud
The chapter presents the latest area, operator and market data for Europe (2012 data)\u