The Organic Farming Action Programme of the Federal Ministry

The promotion of organic farming has been given high priority in Austria since the early 1990ies.  The first organic farming action programme was launched by the Federal Minister of  Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management in 2001; others were adopted in 2003, 2005 and 2008.

As the measures of the Organic Farming Action Programme 2008-2010 proved successful (further increase in areas under organic farming and in the sale of organic food) and there are no major new measures, this Action Programme will (where of use) remain in force in terms of objectives and measures until 2014.

The Organic Farming Action Programme 2015-2020, too, counts on several components. One key element for the further development of organic farming is the Rural Development subsidisation programme with the following priorities:

• Austrian Agri-environmental Programme ÖPUL: EUR 150 million for organic farms, which means that more than one third of the total ÖPUL subsidies (37 %) are paid to organic farms.
• As a particularly high number of organic farms are active in Austria’s mountain areas, they also obtain a quarter of the compensatory allowance for less-favoured areas.
• Bonus for organic production, the so-called ‘Biobonus’ (higher subsidy, better assessment in the selection process) in connection with aids granted for investments, processing and marketing, education, information, and sales.

The following measures, too, will contribute significantly:

• Special support to important fields like research and schools (agricultural research and education centres - HBLFAs).
• Setting priorities in the fields of market analyses, information of commercial processors and marketers, product development, quality assurance as well as market development.

Implementation of the Organic Farming Action Programme is to start already by means of the following initiatives:

• “More organic farms”: Promotion of the information campaign via the Organic Farming Regulation and specific activities to gain additional organic farms and, in particular, also to convince farmers who abandoned organic farming to return.
• “More organic projects”: Make RD project measures more attractive and make better use of them: e.g. The investment aid with higher extra payments (percentages) by means of combinations with subsidies for mountain farmers and young farmers and approval of a large number of organic-education, sales promotion and innovation projects.
• “More organic in ÖPUL”: Organic farms obtain better premiums if they create biodiversity areas under the ÖPUL “Organic farming” measure. This means that an organic farm is to receive EUR 230/hectare for its biodiversity areas, i.e. the same premium as for its arable land.
• Entry into the programme possible also in 2017, so far only until 2016.
• “More organic products”: Export campaign by the Austrian paying agency (AMA), the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) and more ‘organic’ in public institutions.
• “More awareness about organic products”: Strong Bio Austria, positive presentation of the organic sector, more intensive cooperation.