Real Policy Instead of an Eco-Niche

The debate over “correct” agriculture has been characterized for decades by the pros and cons of “conventional” and “organic” farming. nature solidarity advocates for agricultural policy frameworks that make the entire EU agricultural sector more nature-friendly in a short period of time. This is so that organic farming can finally move out of its niche [Farmers’ Money: Subsidies and Direct Payments – Legends and Facts – agrarheute, 2024] and become attractive to the next generation of farmers. Real policy is required, not the individual supermarket customer.

Moving Out of the Niche
For nature-friendly agriculture, “organic” is not enough. Even nearly three decades after the agricultural transition was declared in Germany, organic products had a market share of just 6.3% of total German food retail sales in 2023 [Organic Sector: Figures, Data, Facts – foodwatch, 2025].
Depending on the type of livestock, organic meat accounts for a negligible 1% to 3% share. The view of neighboring European countries is also sobering: in 2023, the organic market share was 3.5% in Italy, 1.7% in Norway, 4.6% in the Netherlands, and 5.6% in France; to be Europe’s “frontrunners” in the consumption of organic food, Austria, Denmark, and Switzerland reach organic market shares of just over 11%.

The conclusion: Even if the organic sector were to grow faster than the overall market every year, it would take many more decades to reach a relevant, system-changing scale. nature solidarity is convinced: we do not have this time. The condition of the soil, the loss of biodiversity, and the suffering of animals in stables deserve more than the hope for an unlikely organic boom.

nature solidarity is therefore fighting for agricultural policy conditions that make the entire EU agricultural sector more nature-friendly in a short period of time: through market-based instruments for more environmentally friendly crop farming instead of ever-new bureaucratic monsters; by protecting domestic farmers from unfair and destructive global market dumping; through innovations that help farmers heal soils and ecosystems instead of destroying them, while simultaneously strengthening their freedom as responsible entrepreneurs instead of being enslaved by corporations and banks.
The modest market shares of organic products in Germany and Europe after so many years of organic farming are not only evidence of the failure of European agricultural policy. At the same time, organic farming serves many politicians as a fig leaf for their own lack of ideas and inaction: citizens and consumers are led to believe that they are to blame for the lack of progress in organic farming because they supposedly fill their shopping carts too often with products from conventional agriculture. In fact, European agricultural politicians must be asked why they do not design the rules in such a way that not only an organic niche is created, but the entire agricultural sector develops in an environmentally friendly manner.

Organic is a start, but far from the solution, as shown by a 2019 analysis presented by the state-run Thünen Institute. Its researchers examined 528 studies published in German or English between 1990 and 2018, making 2,816 comparisons between organic and conventional agriculture [Performance of Organic Farming for the Environment and Society – Thünen Report 65]. According to the report, organic farming is better in terms of water protection, soil fertility, and biodiversity. However, there are hardly any differences compared to conventional agriculture regarding CO₂ emissions, resource use – see nitrogen and energy balance – or animal welfare.
The analysis makes it clear: it depends on the management and the overall conditions of the individual farm; these have a greater influence on achieving the desired goals than the “organic” or “conventional” labels.