The number of organic growers and producers in Austria is on the decline. They are currently believed to number just 18,654, down from 19,741 in 1999 and 20,207 in 1998.
There are various reasons informing this decline. Some farmers have retired without a natural successor willing to take on the farm. Others have thrown in the towel, frustrated at the complexity of the certification regulations.
The news contradicts the well-documented rise in organics consumption and provides further evidence that, whether organic or conventional, a farmer’s lot is rarely an easy one.