Organic Agriculture: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Organic agriculture is presently the fastest-growing sector of agriculture in the world occupying 76.4 million ha of land in 191 countries. Despite its phenomenal market growth from €15.1 billion in 2000 to €124.8 billion in 2021, and an increase in the number of producers from 200,000 in 1999 to 3.7 million in 2021, the sector is still facing mutifarious challenges globally. This chapter tries to situate organic agriculture within the global perspective, elucidating the opportunities and challenges facing the sector, and the roles of research and extension in advancing the sector.