With a share of 14% of the total surface area in North Italian South Tyrol, in comparison to various other cultivation areas in Europe, many apples are grown organically here. Between 2015 and 2021, the surface area of organically grown apples quickly grew to 2,519 ha. This concerns the surface area of both farms that have just switched and farms that have already completed the 3-year conversion period and are allowed to sell their apples as a Bio-A-product.
Especially in the period from 2017 through 2020, many farms in South Tyrol switched to organic growing. Growth has stopped, however. During the past 3 years, hardly any farms have switched. In 2023, the surface area of organically grown apples even fell. In that year, 14 hectares of new organic orchards were added, whereas at the same time 33 ha were switched again from organic to integrated.
In contrast to apple growing, organic viniculture in South Tyrol is still growing.
Read more on this in the EFM January edition
