According to a new report Facts and Figures on Organic Agriculture in the European Union, the EU-27 had in 2011 a total area of 9.6 million hectares cultivated as organic, up from 5.7 million in 2002. During the last decade, organic area in the EU improved by about 500 000 hectares per year, resulting in 5.4% of total utilised agricultural area in Europe in organic production. The organic area is cultivated by more than 186 000 farms across Europe. Most of the organic land (78%) and of organic farms (83%) are situated in the EU Member States having joined the EU before 2004 (the so called EU-15), in which national and European legislation, among others, helped stimulate the development of this sector. The European countries having joined the EU since 2004 (called in the report the EU-N12) are not lagging behind and are quickly expanding the organic sector as well. They registered a 13% yearly growth rate in their organic area from 2002 to 2011 and saw their number of holdings increase almost tenfold between 2003 and 2010.

The report shows that permanent pasture represents the biggest share of the organic area (about 45%), followed by cereals (around 15%) and permanent crops (about 13%). Aside from poultry, sheep (46%) and cattle (30%) are Europe's the most important types of organic animal production. Pigs represented 10 percent, and goats were at 6 percent of organic production in Europe in 2011.