The importance of organic agriculture in the European agricultural sector is growing and has been doing so especially since the early 1990s. The total area under organic production in Western Europe has increased from just over 100 000 hectares in 1985 to more than ten-fold a decade later. Some countries, especially the German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, are now showing a rate of growth which takes the organic industry out of its marginal position and transforms it into a more generally accepted form of agriculture. Central and Eastern Europe, where figures from only the last few years are available, shows a similar trend.

In its task to foster long-term environmental sustainability in agriculture and food security, FAO has great cause to be interested in and to promote organic agriculture. Not only should the greater European experience in organic agriculture be acknowledged and supported, but also the available knowledge ought to be more actively integrated in other FAO policies and programmes. To enable farmers in developing countries to make informed choices requires that FAO provides information on ‘alternative agricultural methods’. To do this, new programmes emphasising organic farming methods should be carefully integrated with existing activities. Successful and widespread adoption of organic methods would provide developing countries with a sustainable agricultural basis without the legacy of harmful environmental degradation that has been a feature of agriculture in many developed countries.