Organic farming in figures

Farms and areas

As of 2023, there were 24,450 organic farms in Austria - 637 fewer than in 2022. This corresponds to 23.1 percent of all IACS farms. In arable farming regions (Lower Austria and Vienna) the number of organic farms increased slightly, while in grassland regions (especially Carinthia (-5.6 percent), Styria (-3.8 percent), Tyrol (-5.9 percent) and Salzburg (-5.3 percent), the number of organic farms decreased. With 48 percent, Salzburg has the highest share of organic farms among all IACS farms, followed by Burgenland with 29 percent and Vienna with 26 percent.

In 2023, 27.4 percent, and thus more than a quarter, of the utilised agricultural area (UAA) was farmed organically in Austria, totalling around 701,150 hectares of the UAA. Compared to 2022, this corresponded to a decline in area of around 5,000 hectares or -0.7 percent. In terms of crop types, there was an increase in arable land (+0.7 percent) and vineyards (+5.4 percent) - where the 10,000 hectares mark was exceeded for the first time - but a decrease in permanent grassland (-4.6 percent), especially in alpine pastures and orchards (-17.1 percent), in particular with a significant decrease in nuts in Styria (mainly due to changes in support schemes).

Major arable crops

There was also a slight increase of around +1,700 hectares in organic arable land in 2023. With 21,438 hectares, the development of crops on organic arable land shows a significant, +193.8 percent, increase in fallow land. This is primarily due to the mandatory creation of biodiversity areas as part of the ÖPUL organic programme. Moreover, strong growth was recorded for grain peas, winter barley, pea-cereal mixtures and buckwheat. However, there were also some declines, such as in winter spelt, emmer and spring oats, as well as a slight decline in oil pumpkin. Organic vineyards recorded an increase of +5.4 percent to around 10,400 hectares. A decrease in organic areas was recorded in particular in the area of permanent grassland with 6,200 hectares (-1.6 percent) and in orchards with 874 hectares (-17.1 percent). In particular, there has been a significant decline in nuts in Styria, which is mainly due to changes in subsidy regulations.

Organic livestock

In 2023, around 24 percent of the livestock farmers (IACS) were organic farms. The proportion of organically reared animals varies greatly depending on the different types of livestock. While the organic share of all cattle is about 23 percent, more than 43 percent of the suckler cows are kept on organic farms, but only 21 percent of the dairy cows. The proportion of organic sheep and geese is 29 percent. A quarter of the broiler chickens kept in Austria are fattened on organic farms; in general, the proportion of organic poultry has risen sharply in recent years. With about half of the total number of livestock reared, the share of animals kept according to organic farming principles is highest in goats with 54 percent and ducks with 47 percent.

For more information, please see the Green Report (“Grüner Bericht”). (in German only)