Bulgaria: Organic Annual Report
Bulgarian consumer demand for organic food and beverage products increased in 2017/18 due to growing economic stability, stronger purchasing power and rising consumer demand for products perceived as healthful. Sales of organic foods and beverages reached a record €28 million and prospects in 2019 and 2020 look to be promising. Strong competition among organic suppliers and rising demand drive new-to-market products and higher sales. The number of domestic organic producers declined by 7 percent in 2017. Bulgaria’s 2017 organic area planted accounted for 2.7 percent of its total agricultural area, down from 3.2 percent in 2016. In 2018, the Government of Bulgaria’s (GOB) Government Audit Chamber issued a less-than-positive report of the GOB’s handling of the organics sector, which spurred the Ministry of Agriculture (MinAg) to introduce regulatory changes aimed at better certification oversight and more domestic support for organic farmers.
