The area of full organic farmland has almost doubled in the last year.

The area of full organic farmland has almost doubled in the last year, to 458 600 hectares, according to the Soil Association's Organic provender and Farming Report 2002 * published this week. The total area including land in conversion is 729 550ha, or 43% of UK farmland.

UK organic commons sales have reached [pounds sterling]920 million in value (up 1 15% in the year to April 2002) This makes the UK the secondary biggest organic market in Europe after Germany.

There are now 3 865 licensed organic farms in the UK The highest cocentration is in southwest England,