Definition: Certified organic crop area

Category: Food: From farm to fork statistics

Agricultural holdings are certified organic by national Certification and Inspection bodies.

Farming is considered to be organic if it complies with "Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 (OJ No L 189/2007) on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91".

The area defined comprises all crop area. It might include secondary and other crops, so it might be not strictly comparable with the definition of Utilised Agricultural Area (only area of main crops) in the Farm Structural Survey.

Based on the level of conversion, data have to be reported on:

- Fully converted area (= organic area). It fulfils all the conditions of production established in the above-mentioned regulation. Only this area can be considered to be organic.
- Area in period of conversion. Area in process to be organic. It fulfils the conditions, but a period of time is required to eliminate prohibited products in the organic production methods. (It varies for type crop)
- Total area : sum of the fully converted area and area in period of conversion http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_SDDS/en/food_in_porg1_esms.htm European Union, Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91