Skip to main content
SeeMallorca

Organic farming continues to flourish in Mallorca

featured in News & reviews Author Nicola Henderson, Site Editor Updated

Environmentally friendly farming techniques are being used on more and more farms in Majorca. Ten years ago, 3,600 hectares were devoted to organic farming - last year, this figure rose to 29,000 hectares. 492 farmers in Mallorca now claim to use ecological methods for their crops and livestock rearing.

The return to more natural methods of farming has proven more profitable to some farmers, who say that the margins in conventional farming have been sqeezed over the past few years. Artisan foods and organic produce sell well at farmers markets. The switch to eco farming has been relatively straight-forward for Mallorcan farmers, for whom traditional farming methods have never really gone away. In addition, the rich soil and warm climate provide excellent grwoing conditions without the need for artifical enhancers.

Cereals, crops and fruits are the main organic produce. Livestock who benefit from a natural way of life include sheep, poultry, rabbits and bees. The Balearic government have invested €2 million in the development of organic farming, with an additional €400,000 to be distributed this year. The money helps farmers switch from conventional intensive farming to environmentally friendly methods.