Organic farmland in Scotland has increased by almost two-thirds since 2021, with the latest figures showing a sharp rise in the area of land entering conversion.
The total area of organic land – including both fully organic land and land in conversion – reached 168,200 hectares in 2025, according to new Scottish Government figures. That represents a 28% increase compared with 2024 and a 62% increase compared with 2021.
Organic land now accounts for 3.3% of Scotland’s total agricultural area, putting Scotland on track to meet its target of doubling the share of agricultural land farmed organically between 2021 and 2026.
The increase has been particularly marked in land entering conversion. A total of 52,400 hectares was in conversion during 2025, around twice the area recorded in 2024 and more than three times the 2021 figure.
Land must undergo a conversion period before achieving fully organic status, with farms required to meet organic standards throughout the process.
Fully organic land stood at 115,800 hectares in 2025, an increase of 10% on the previous year and 29% on 2021.
The strongest increases in conversion land were recorded in the Highlands and Islands and Southern Scotland.
In the Highlands and Islands, land in conversion increased by 294%, from 8296 hectares in 2024 to 32,721 hectares in 2025. Southern Scotland recorded an even larger percentage increase, rising by 452% from 1761 hectares to 9720 hectares.
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The three main crop categories grown organically in Scotland are cereals, other arable crops, and vegetables, including potatoes.
The latest figures also show a 43% increase in the area of fully certified land growing vegetables. Soil Association Scotland said the increase was particularly important as climate pressures increasingly affect countries supplying imported vegetables to the UK.
Soil Association co-director David McKay said: “By boosting production of organic food, Scotland is paving the way for sustainable food security.”
He added: “It’s particularly encouraging to see nature-friendly vegetable production on the rise – it is vital this trend continues when the countries we rely on for healthy produce are increasingly being impacted by climate change.”
The organisation said the growth in organic production also highlighted the need for continued government support and investment, particularly around processing and supply chains.
McKay said there was “an insufficient provision of organic processors and abattoirs for farmers in the Highlands and Islands”, where the largest increase in land entering conversion has been recorded.
He said this demonstrated the importance of continued investment in the Scottish Organic Action Plan, launched by the Scottish Government in January.
“We need to see a continued commitment to a cross-sector approach to developing markets and tackling supply chain issues for Scottish organic produce,” he said.
The figures also show a changing balance in organic land use, with a decrease in in-conversion cereal production alongside increases in rough grazing and pasture.
There were 34,900 organically reared cattle in Scotland in 2025, representing 2.1% of the country’s cattle population.
Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie said the figures showed growing confidence in organic production among farmers and crofters.
“These new statistics show that the amount of land being farmed as organic in Scotland has seen a 62% increase since 2021,” he said.
Mr Fairlie added: “This is encouraging evidence of the growing confidence in organic farming across Scotland, and we are seeing strong progress in a sector that delivers benefits for our environment, biodiversity, animal welfare, and rural economy.”
He also highlighted the sharp rise in land entering conversion, saying it demonstrated that farmers and crofters were “recognising the opportunities organic production can offer and are investing in a sustainable future for their businesses.”
The Scottish Government’s figures suggest Scotland is making significant progress towards its ambition to expand organic farming, although the increase in production will also place greater demands on processing, markets and supply chains.
