Growing number of Danish farmers interested in converting to organic farming

The government is allocating an additional 5 million kroner to support them

A growing number of Danish farmers are applying for organic conversion inspections that determine whether they can make the switch from conventional to organic food production.

From 2014 to 2015, the number of these inspections increased by 328 percent.

According to Kirsten Lund Jensen, the head of the organic farming department at Landbrug & Fødevarer, some 60-70 percent of those who undergo the inspections eventually begin the process of converting to organic farming.

The Venstre government has therefore decided to add 5 million kroner to the 6 million allocated for conversion inspections and the maintenance of organic farming in 2016 by the previous government.

In high demand
“The conversion inspections are an important cog in the engine that drives Danish organic farming forwards,” said Jensen.

According to Landbrug & Fødevarer, Denmark has proportionally the highest market share of organic products in the world, which makes up 8 percent of the total food market.

A growing number of Danish consumers prefer to buy, for instance, organic milk, eggs, carrots, oatmeal or wheat flour and their demand for a wider range of organic products is increasing.