Organic & Biodynamic wine production data globally

Organic & Biodynamic wine-growing globally

The area under vines destined for the production of wine grapes, table grapes or dried grapes, in production or awaiting production globally was 7.4 mha (million hectares) in 2018. 5 countries – Spain, China, France, Italy, and Turkey – represent 50% of the world vineyard.Source: OIV.

BioFach 2020 said ‘Since 2013, organic wine production in the three major wine-producing countries alone (Spain, France, and Italy) has grown by more than 70 percent. The overall proportion of organically certified vineyards within Europe’s wine-growing areas has also grown 3.4 times since 2008 to 9.5 percent. Just 1,036 vineyards around the world have been certified by Demeter or Biodyvin. That represents growth of 38 percent over the total of 747 in 2016. The largest vineyard operating on biodynamic principles in Europe is Bodega Parra Jimenez, with 500 hectares in La Mancha (Spain).’

Data from the FIBL Survey 2020 (The World of Organic Agriculture 2020) shows that the total area of organic vines worldwide has more than tripled since 2008, from 127,000 to 422,000 hectares in 2018. Organic vines currently account for slightly more than six percent of the total winegrowing area worldwide.

In Germany and in Europe as a whole, the figure is ten percent. The global total in 2000 was still just 1.3 percent. Spain has the largest area of organic vines, with 113,419 hectares (12.1 percent of the total), while Italy has the highest proportion of organic vines compared with the total area devoted to wine-growing, at 15.9 percent (106,447 hectares). France (organic: 12.6 percent), Spain, and Italy still produce the largest amounts of wine, and they’re also the largest organic wine-producing countries. Together these three countries account for 74 percent of the total area of organic vines worldwide.

2018 In March 2018 Demeter e.V. in Germany reported there were more than 616 wineries with Demeter Biodynamic certification worldwide with more than 8,200 hectares (20,254 acres) of vineyards.

2017 ‘As regards grapes for wine, biodynamic production is represented worldwide by 639 farms certified as Biodynamic® with the largest number in France (~300) and Italy (>70). The vineyards are ~11,000 hectares; France with 4,700 hectares is the country where biodynamic viticulture is mostly spread. Four countries register more than 1,000 hectares; two are traditional wine producers (Italy and Spain) and the others belong to the “New World” (USA and Chile).The average surface of a biodynamic farm with grapes (for wine) varies from 4 to 30 hectares depending on the country (Source: Castellini, Alessandra & Mauracher, Christine & Troiano, Stefania. (2017). An overview of the biodynamic wine sector. International Journal of Wine Research. Volume 9. 1-11. 10.2147/IJWR.S69126).

2017 Around 4.5% of the world’s wine grape vineyards were organic or biodynamic, a total of 316,000 hectares (780,520 acres) of vines. Of this, Europe’s 281,000 hectares (538,460 acres) gave it an 80% share of the global total (Millésime Bio 2017 Dossier de Presse p.13). 90% of Europe’s organic vineyards were from just three countries: Spain, France and Italy (Millésime Bio 2017 Dossier de Presse p.14).

2013 In 2013 the European Union’s organic vineyard total reached nearly 245,000 hectares (605,150 acres), up 6 per cent on 2012, meaning 7% of the EU vineyard was organic, according to Elisabeth Mercier (January 2015, Montpellier, France). Individual country shares were 34% for Spain, 28% for Italy, 16% for France, 3% for Germany, and 2% each for Greece and Austria, and 1% each for Portugal, Bulgaria and Romania, with ‘others’ on 2%. Between 2008 and 2013 the growth in surface area of organic vineyards was 172% in Spain, 68% in Italy and 129% in France and 111% the European Union as a whole. The percentage of organic vineyards in Spain, Italy and France was similar, at 8.4%, 8.6% and 8.2% respectively.

2012 In 2012 there were 284,155 hectares of organic vines worldwide (up 7% on 2011) equating to 4% of the global vineyard (up from 3.2% in 2011), according to Elisabeth Mercier of Agence Bio. Of this surface area 30% was in conversion. Roughly speaking, 81% of the world’s organic vineyards were in the European Union, and 72% of the world’s organic vineyards were found in just three countries–Italy (20%), France (23%), and Spain (29%). Three countries accounted for 71% of global organic wine production: Spain (27%), France (22%) and Italy (22%). The leading markets in terms of value for organic wines were France, Germany, USA, Italy, UK, and Austria. 4 million hectolitres of organic wine were sold in 2012 with both France and Germany accounting for 21% each, with Italy in third place (11%).

Bibliography

Elisabeth Mercier (of Agence Bio), Panorama de la Viticulture bio en France et dans le Monde presented at the Millésime Bio organic wine fair, 27 January 2015, Montpellier, France.

‘An Overview of the Biodynamic wine sector,’ International Journal of Wine Research 2017:9 (Dove Press)