• Africa’s certified organic farmland fell 17.6% in 2024, dropping from 3.4 million to 2.8 million hectares.

• The decline coincided with the European Union’s new organic regulation requiring full compliance from third-country exporters.

• African organic exports rose 7.6% to 687,395 tonnes, driven by a 24.4% increase in U.S. demand.

Africa recorded a sharp contraction in certified organic farmland in 2024. Certified areas declined from about 3.4 million hectares to just over 2.8 million hectares, according to the latest edition of “The World of Organic Agriculture” report published on February 14 by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL).

The 600,000-hectare drop represented a 17.6% year-on-year decline. The contraction marked the first reduction in organic farmland on the continent since 2011.

The report linked the decline in declared organic areas to the transition toward the European Union’s new organic regulation. The European Union requires imports from third countries to comply with the same standards imposed on European operators from 2024 onward. The framework progressively ends the equivalence system that had allowed certain non-EU countries to export under standards deemed comparable.

Certification bodies revised their data under the new regime. They retained only land fully compliant with updated European requirements. The adjustment partly explains the reported decline in certified areas.

Africa now accounts for 2.8% of global organic farmland but only 0.2% of its own agricultural land. Organic land distribution remains highly concentrated. Four countries account for nearly half of the continent’s certified areas.

Uganda leads Africa with 505,308 certified hectares in 2024. Burkina Faso follows with 251,000 hectares. Ethiopia holds 227,000 hectares. Togo ranks fourth with more than 225,000 hectares.

Exports Expand, Driven by U.S. Demand

Despite the reduction in cultivated areas, African organic exports strengthened. FiBL reported that the continent exported 687,395 tonnes of organic products in 2024, marking 7.6% year-on-year growth.

The European Union remained the main outlet and absorbed 62.38% of shipments. However, EU imports from Africa edged down 0.4% to 428,845 tonnes. The United States ranked as the second-largest destination and increased its purchases by 24.4% year on year to 258,550 tonnes.

Soybeans and soy-derived products accounted for more than 340,000 tonnes and nearly 50% of African organic exports. Vegetable oils followed with 63,000 tonnes, mainly olive oil. Bananas ranked third with 48,000 tonnes. Togo remained the leading exporter, primarily shipping soy products. Tunisia followed with olive oil exports, while Ghana distinguished itself with banana shipments.

Favorable Outlook for the Coming Years?

The European Union’s new organic regulation presents both compliance challenges and market opportunities for African exporters. Exporters face higher compliance costs and stricter value chain organization. However, the regulation also grants access to one of the world’s fastest-growing and most demanding organic markets.

Although consolidated 2025 data on certified areas, production volumes and exports remain unavailable, FiBL observed tangible progress in the adoption of organic and agroecological practices.

The report stated that by the end of 2025, 14 African countries had integrated agroecology policies or laws. Meanwhile, 42 universities offered dedicated academic programs, signaling institutional transformation. By comparison, only five countries had organic agriculture legislation in 2022.

Participatory Guarantee Systems expanded across the continent. The continental Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative and the Knowledge Centre for Organic Agriculture and Agroecology in Africa supported this alternative certification model. In 2025, 1,326 farmers obtained certification through Participatory Guarantee Systems, and 18 additional groups remained in the certification process, the report said.

Stéphanas Assocle