HC Deb 30 January 1997 vol 289 c356W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the farmed area of each member state of the EU is farmed organically. [12854]

Mr. Boswell

Available information shows that, in 1996, organically farmed land constituted less than 1 per cent. of total agricultural area in Belgium, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom; between 1 per cent. and 2 per cent. in Finland, Germany, Denmark and Italy; between 3 per cent. and 4 per cent. in Sweden; and between 7 per cent. and 8 per cent. in Austria.

Source: Impact of EC Regulations 2078/92 on the development of organic farming in the European Union", Dr. Nicolas Lampkin, Welsh Institute of Rural Studies, Aberystwyth.

Mr. Prentice

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much organic produce was imported from (a) the EU and (b) other countries in each year since 1990. [12853]

Mr. Boswell

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West (Mr. Jones) on 6 November 1996,Official Report, column 577.