The cultivated organic areas in Cyprus at the moment are at 8% from 0.22% in 2003, and the percentage exceeded the target set for 2025 at 7.5%, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Maria Panayiotou said on Saturday, noting that the sector has made significant steps in the past ten years.
Speaking at the 2nd Annual Organic Farming Festival, at the Old Port of Limassol, the Minister noted that the organic production is a cornerstone of the EU Green Deal.
She said that this is a sustainable food production system that helps strengthen farmers’ efforts to tackle climate change, protect the environment and preserve biodiversity.
Panayiotou said that in 2003 we had only 85 organic farmers on the island and now their number has reached 1,600. She also went on to say that organic production is high in the priorities of the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027.
The Minister also refered to the EU Farm to Fork strategy which encourages the transition from conventional to
organic production and supports the demand for organic products in the market.
She said that the national action plan for Cyprus includes 16 targeted actions aimed at strengthening the biological agriculture and the goal is to convert 10% of arable land to organic by 2030.
Source: Cyprus News Agency