The General Assembly of IFOAM Organics Europe, the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming, has elected Dr Dóra Drexler, Managing Director of the Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), as the organisation's new President for the 2026–2029 term. The newly elected Vice-Presidents are Jérôme Cinel from Interbio Nouvelle-Aquitaine in France and Marian Blom from Bionext in the Netherlands.
Dóra Drexler's election is both a professional success for Hungary and an opportunity to ensure that the experiences and needs of organic farming in Central and Eastern Europe are more strongly reflected in European agricultural policy discussions.
"I am honoured to take on the role of President of IFOAM Organics Europe and to represent Europe's organic movement at this important moment for agri-food systems. Organic is part of the solution to many of the challenges facing Europe today. By strengthening farmers' resilience, reducing dependency on external inputs, supporting rural communities and delivering environmental benefits, organic contributes to a more competitive and secure future for European agri-food systems. Together with my fellow board members, I will work to ensure that organic is recognised and supported as a strategic asset for Europe", said Dóra Drexler.
For Hungary, the future of organic farming is becoming increasingly important from both an agri-food economic and policy perspective. In 2025, more than 400,000 hectares of farmland in Hungary were under organic management, representing approximately 8.5% of the country's agricultural land. Alongside the expansion of organic farmland, domestic and international demand for organic products has also grown. Between 2023 and 2025, retail sales of organic products in Hungary grew by around 14% per year*, reflecting the growing strength of the domestic organic market.
However, area-based support alone will not be enough to drive the sector's further development. Currently, a significant share of Hungarian organic production reaches international markets as raw materials, while higher value-added processed products, organic fruit and vegetable value chains, short supply chains, public catering, and stable partnerships among value chain actors still represent major growth opportunities for the sector.
To achieve this, the next CAP cycle will need to provide predictable and well-designed support for conversion and maintenance, a strong organic advisory system, practice-oriented research and development, targeted investment opportunities, and measures to strengthen market and consumer trust across the entire organic value chain.
The planning of the next CAP cycle will therefore play a decisive role in ensuring that organic farming can continue to develop in Hungary and across Europe – not only through the expansion of organic farmland, but also through the creation of more competitive, resilient and sustainable agricultural value chains.
* Baesd on NielsenIQ RMS data (Copyright © 2026, Nielsen Consumer LLC)
