Increase and decrease in farmland under a specific agricultural method

Growth in a given agricultural method occurs when more land enters that method than is taken out of it. Two consecutive years are compared in order to determine this. Agricultural land that enters the agricultural method in the reference year constitutes an increase. Agricultural land that is no longer under this agricultural method in the reference year constitutes a decrease. In addition, there is land that retains the same farming method.

An example of an increase in 2024 would be a field that was certified organic in 2024 but had not yet been certified in 2023. A decrease would be a field that was no longer certified organic in 2024, but had been certified in 2023. A field that remained unchanged would have been certified as organic in both 2023 and 2024.

When a field is no longer under organic cultivation, several scenarios are possible: a plot may no longer be in use as agricultural land or it may have reverted to conventional farming, for instance.