Annex 4: Case study “Organic Farming” - ITAS

4.2. Case studies from Asia
Area under organic management
“The total organic area in Asia is nearly 3.1 million hectares, managed by almost 130’000
farms. This constitutes ten percent of the world’s organic agricultural land. The leading
countries are China (2.3 million hectares), India (528’171 hectares) and Indonesia
(41’431 hectares). The highest shares of organic land of all agricultural land are in Timor
Leste (6.9 percent), Lebanon (1 percent), Sri Lanka and Israel (0.7 percent). Wild collection
plays a major role in Azerbaijan, India and China (all with more than one million hectares).”
[Willer, Yussefi-Menzler, Sorensen 2008, p.18].
Asian Organic Market
“The Asian market continues to show high growth in terms of organic food production and
sales. Organic crops are grown across the continent, with some countries becoming
international suppliers of organic commodities. China is well-established as a global source of
organic seeds, beans, herbs and ingredients. India, Thailand and the Philippines are also
becoming important producers and exporters ... .”
Demand is concentrated in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, the most
affluent countries in the region.
As in other parts of the world, demand is surpassing supply with large volumes of organic
foods imported into each country. The number organic trade fair is also on the rise, a
reflection of the growing demand.” [Willer, Yussefi-Menzler, Sorensen 2008, p.18-19].
“The Asian market is showing high growth because of widening availability and rising
consumer awareness. A growing number of conventional food retailers, especially those in the
big cities, are introducing organic products. The number of dedicated organic food shops is
also rising, with many new store openings in countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.
Some large food companies are also coming into the market and introducing organic lines.
Consumer awareness for organic foods is rising partly because of the high incidence of health
scares in recent years. The scares, some involving food, are raising consumer awareness of
health issues and stimulating demand for organic products. Important health scares were the
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