"So large a share of organic farmland in total agricultural land, and also a large share of ecologically and sustainably managed forestland in the country's total land area are Estonia's advantages," Minister of Rural Affairs Tarmo Tamm (Centre) said in a press release on Thursday.

According to Tamm, these indicators help establish Estonia's image as an organic country as well as raise awareness about Estonia, thereby contributing to the export of organic products and services.

Approximately 200,000 hectares of farmland was organically farmed in Estonia in 2017, acounting for nearly one fifth of the country's total agricultural land. Almost two million hectares of forestland, meanwhile, was being managed in a manner qualifying it to be registered as organic foraging range in the future. Approximately 260,000 hectares of organic foraging areas have already been registered.

Estonia's interim goal for 2021 is to increase these totals to 250,000 hectares of organically farmed farmland and two million hectares of forestland qualifying for registration as organic foraging ranges.

These targets were set out jointly by the Ministry of Rural Affairs, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, and the advisory chamber on organic economy.

The goal of the organic economy program is to make organic economy a significant area of the economy and exports, increase the export of products with value-added by Estonian businesses as well as create the preconditions for the creation of new jobs.