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Ökologischer Betrieb
© BLE, Bonn/Thomas Stephan
Ökologischer Betrieb
Institute of

BW Farm Economics

Project

Analyses of the economic situation of organic farming



Is organic farming profitable for farms? Information from the Farm Accountancy Data Network provides an answer.
© BLE, Bonn/Thomas Stephan
Is organic farming profitable for farms? Information from the Farm Accountancy Data Network provides an answer.

Analysis of the economic situation of organic farming

The organic area shall further grow in view of the German government. This requires that the organic management is profitable. Book-keeping records of the BMEL Farm Accountancy Network provide relevant information, if this was the case in the last years.

Background and Objective

The economic performance of organic farming has a major influence on the development of the organic sector. The income development in organic farms is therefore analysed every year on the basis of bookkeeping results from the German Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN, data from representatively selected farms in Germany).

In order to be able to assess the financial situation of organic farming in Germany, the income of organically managed FADN farms is compared to the income of comparable conventional farms. Since the regional distribution and the farm structures of organic farms differ significantly, it does not make sense to compare the average organic farms with the average of all conventional farms. That is why every organic farm is only comparable to conventional farms with similar locational conditions (for example same region and farm type, similar soil conditions) and similar equipment (for example similar amount of land, similar amount of dairy cows). The selected conventional individual farms are aggregated into one group for comparison so that for each organic farm a conventional comparison group is available.

Preliminary Results

In the economic year 2021/22 organic FADN farms achieved a profit plus labour costs per average working unit (AWU) of on average of € 42 607. Comparable conventional farms yield an average profit plus labour cost per AWU of € 39 147. The average income of organic farms thus exceeded the income of conventional comparable farms by 9% last year. 

For the FY 2021/22 the accountancy results of 446 organic farms and 1 862 comparable conventional farms were analysed.

Duration

Permanent task 1.1996

More Information

Project status: ongoing

Publications to the project

  1. 0

    Kuhnert H, Offermann F (2023) Analyse der wirtschaftlichen Lage ökologisch wirtschaftender Betriebe im Wirtschaftsjahr 2021/22. Braunschweig: Thünen-Institut für Betriebswirtschaft, 7 p

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn066239.pdf

  2. 1

    Sanders J (2014) Analyse der wirtschaftlichen Lage ökologisch wirtschaftender Betriebe im Wirtschaftsjahr 2012/13. Braunschweig: Thünen-Institut für Betriebswirtschaft, 8 p

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn053892.pdf

  3. 2

    Sanders J (2014) Ökologischer Landbau - eine Wachstumsstrategie für landwirtschaftliche Betriebe in Deutschland? HLBS Rep 32(4):136-137

  4. 3

    Sanders J (2013) Wirtschaftlichkeit des ökologischen Landbaus: Einkommen bleiben stabil. In: Zahlen, Daten, Fakten : die Bio-Branche 2013. Berlin: Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft

  5. 4

    Sanders J (2012) Ökolandbau ist für Landwirte attraktiv. Forschungsrep Spezial Ökol Landbau 2012:10-11

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn051288.pdf

  6. 5

    Sanders J, Offermann F, Nieberg H (2012) Wirtschaftlichkeit des ökologischen Landbaus in Deutschland unter veränderten agrarpolitischen Rahmenbedingungen. Braunschweig: vTI, 120 p, Landbauforsch SH 364

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn051019.pdf

  7. 6

    Nieberg H, Sanders J, Offermann F (2010) Biobauern sehen optimistisch in die Zukunft : Umfrage unter Ökolandwirten. Bauernzeitg (Brandenburg):40-42

  8. 7

    Sanders J, Nieberg H, Offermann F (2010) Einkommensentwicklung konventioneller und ökologischer Betriebe. Agra Europe (Bonn) 51(8):S1-3

  9. 8

    Sanders J, Nieberg H, Offermann F (2010) Is organic farming still financially attractive in Switzerland? : Paper prepared for the SGA-Jahrestagung, Tänikon, 25.3.2010-26.3.2010. Tänikon: SGA, 2 p

  10. 9

    Sanders J, Nieberg H, Offermann F (2010) Ökolandbau lohnt sich. B&B Agrar 63(2):33-35

  11. 10

    Nieberg H, Sanders J, Offermann F (2010) Umfrage unter Ökolandwirten : Biobauern sehen optimistisch in die Zukunft. In: Blicke in die Zukunft : Visionen für die Landwirtschaft von übermorgen. Berlin: Deutscher Bauernverl, pp 40-42

  12. 11

    Offermann F, Nieberg H (2000) Economic performance of organic farms in Europe. Stuttgart-Hohenheim: Institut für Landwirtschaftliche Betriebslehre, XVIII, 198 p, Organic Farming Europe 5

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