Market Trends of Europe Biofertilizers Industry
More Farmers Embrace Organic Farming Practices
The sustainable agriculture movement has strengthened in response to environmental and social concerns associated with conventional farming methods. Europe's dependence on imported chemical fertilizers to meet domestic agricultural demand has resulted in soil accumulation and risks to water resources and human health. In response, European governments are promoting Organic Agriculture and Integrated Nutrient Management practices. The organic farming sector has expanded significantly across Europe since the 1990s. According to IFOAM Organics Europe, the European Union recorded 419,112 organic producers in 2022, a 10.8% increase from the previous year. Italy, with 82,593 organic producers, leads the EU countries, contributing to increased biofertilizer adoption in the market.
Institutional support has strengthened the transition to organic farming practices and expanded the area under organic cultivation. The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) reports that organic cultivation in the European Union reached 16.9 million hectares, constituting 10.45% of total farmland. Liechtenstein maintains the highest organic area share globally at 43%, while Austria follows with 27.5%. The growing emphasis on food and environmental safety has increased demand for safer field application products, including biofertilizers.
Spain Dominates the Biofertilizer Market
Spain maintains the second-largest organic cultivation area in Europe, following France. According to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture's 2023 organic production statistics, Spain's organic farmland reached 2.99 million hectares in 2023, representing a 12.5% increase from 2.67 million hectares in the previous year. The government supports sustainable farming through policy initiatives, including the 2022 Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan 2023-2027. This plan promotes sustainable development in agriculture, food production, and rural areas to ensure food security through a competitive sector and viable rural environment. The strategy emphasizes improving soil structure and organic matter content, necessitating biofertilizer application.
New market entrants are increasing biofertilizer product availability in Spain. In 2023, Spanish biotech start-up Rooteco secured EUR 300,000 (USD 324,675.3) in seed funding. The agrotech company produces and distributes biofertilizers to major horticultural companies, associations, and cooperatives, which then supply these products to growers and landowners. Research and development activities further strengthen market growth. Rooteco's operations include selecting, isolating, multiplying, and marketing microorganisms registered as biofertilizers, developed through their proprietary R&D and technology to achieve maximum strain efficiency. These factors have established Spain as the primary market for biofertilizers, supported by extensive organic farming and companies engaged in biofertilizer production.
