Organic Numbers Up in Australia

"SYDNEY // Australians are turning in ever increasing numbers to organic food as worried consumers become more aware of the health and environmental benefits of chemical-free fruit and vegetables.

Australia has the biggest area of land devoted to organic farming in the world, about 12 million hectares.

A study by the Biological Farmers of Australia, a non-profit industry group, shows that sales of organic produce have increased by 80 per cent since 2004 and are worth about US$220 million (Dh810m) a year.

“It was quite a pleasant surprise for us,” said Andrew Monk from the Biological Farmers of Australia. “We were expecting the figures for domestic growth to be quite suppressed. What we found was an 80 per cent increase since the last report, which was done four years ago.”

Read the article