THE locals may not give a fig about buying it, but Andalucia has become Europe’s largest producer of organic products.
The massive growth in the ecological sector has seen Spain overtake Italy for the first time as the continents key producer of healthy fruit and vegetables.
According to figures released at Europe’s biggest environmental fair, Biofach in Germany, Spain has 1.25 million hectares certified as organic, in comparison with 1.15m in Italy.
Some 784,000 hectares – or around 65 per cent of Spain’s total – are located in Andalucia.
The growth has also seen a massive increase in jobs with over 8000 companies now registered in the organic sector in Andalucia alone.
But the news comes as it emerges that the average Andalucian spends just SIX EUROS a year on organic products.
Across Spain the figure rises a little to 12 euros, but this is a tiny amount compared to the European average of 50 euros a year.
In Switzerland the average resident spend 115 euros a year.
According to green specialists this is as much to do with availability as demand.
“Despite so much being grown here it is still very hard to get hold of organic produce here,” says Lies Wajer, a Dutch organic farmer from Ronda.
“We need to work very hard to make it available and educate people.”
Across Spain the ecological sector has grown dramatically over the last year despite the current crisis.
In Andalucia there has been a 34 per cent increase in production from December 2007 to 2008.
There has also been a 24 per cent growth in points of sale and a 12 per cent increase in businesses.
According to Junta Organic Agriculture boss Jose Roman the industry is fighting the current economic crisis in a “very relaxed” way.
I wonder where the figure of 6 euros a year comes from? Is that based on goods purchased in supermarkets? I'm sure the consumption of organically-produced food in Andalucia is a lot higher than this would indicate.
In the pueblo where I live, many people have huertos and grow their own fruit and veg organically. They have no idea what organic means, they just do what they have always done and use manure from their chickens and donkeys to fertilise the ground. They can't afford chemicals! Some of them sell their produce on the street and they all share surpluses with friends and family. I doubt this is factored in to the "6 euros a year";