7.1% Increase in organic dairy farmland

Figures from Statistic Netherlands (CBS) show that since 2022, the total amount of organic farmland in the Netherlands has grown to 80,900 ha. Most of this (38,500 ha) is for organic milk production. This means that in one year, farmland for organic milk has increased by 7.1 percent.

Farms that want to go organic and receive certification to do so must first undergo a transition period. For grassland, that period takes two years. In 2023, there were 6.0 thousand hectares of certified farmland in transition, 2.7 thousand hectares of which was for dairy farming. 

Certified organic dairy farms
A total of 531 dairy farms were certified organic by 2023, 332 of which were fully organic. In addition to organic acreage, the remaining 199 farms had acreage in transition. These farms thus expanded their organic share.

42% revenue growth
The organic products trade association Bionext sees a strong increase in sales of organic food products in the Dutch retail sector. In the past two years, sales increased by 42 percent. Michaël Wilde, now former director of Bionext, commented in the trade journal Zuivelzicht: “Organic’s rise to a market share of 3.8 percent is nice, but we are far from there yet.” 

Crucial role for retail
In the article, Wilde emphasized that supermarkets account for 75 percent of organic sales. According to him, retail plays a crucial role in promoting organic products. By offering more organic products, and also placing them more prominently on the shelf, consumers can more easily choose organic dairy products.