What is Organic Centre Wales (OCW)? OCW is the national resource for consumers, farmers and policy makers committed to more sustainable food and farming in Wales. Set up in 2000, it delivers projects to support and develop the organic sector. About the Centre. Information for schools
Organic Centre Wales is actively involved in education in Wales, working with the Welsh Assembly Government, providers of food and farming education, teachers, farmers and schools. Please contact us to find out more. Information for schools
Organic Centre Wales is actively involved in education in Wales, working with the Welsh Assembly Government, providers of food and farming education, teachers, farmers and schools. Please contact us to find out more.

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For schools  |  What is organic food?  |  Visit a farm  |  Gardening  |  Organic farming in Wales  |  School meals  |  Growing the Future

Organic farming in Wales

Organic farming is an important part of the Welsh landscape. There are over 1000 organic farms in Wales, ranging from smallholdings to large estates, and 8% of the total land area is managed organically.

Organic farms in Wales

The majority of Welsh organic farmers, around 80%, keep cows and sheep for meat production. Dairying is also important especially in the southwest and northeast, and there are smaller number of farms producing poultry, pigs, cereals, vegetables and fruit. Some sell directly to the public, offer holiday accommodation or welcome school visits, so you can get in touch with them direct. Many have their own websites.

The organic food chain

Some farms have farm shops or sell direct to the public through box schemes or on the Internet. Most farmers though sell their produce to organic processing businesses, such as butchers and meat retailers, dairies, egg packers and vegetable wholesalers. These processors are certified organically and have to keep careful records so that they can be sure that food in the shops really is organic. For more information on the organic market see the marketing pages.

The Welsh Assembly Government

The first Welsh Organic Action Plan was launched in 1999, and the Welsh Assembly Government has been supporting the organic sector ever since. It funds an advisory service for farmers who are thinking of going organic and it makes payments to organic farmers under the Organic Farming Scheme. It also provides information for the whole sector through Organic Centre Wales. For more information see the policy page.

Further information

If you want to find out more about organic food and farming in Wales, the UK and beyond, here are some useful links.

Soil Association
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements