Last updated April 2008:

Support for Organic Farming in Wales 1993 to present
Date	Event	Impact in Wales
1993	EC Regulation (2092/91) defined organic crop production	Use of the term 'organic' is legally defined, and only those registered with a certification body and inspected annually may use the term for food products.
1992 [CAP reform]	EC Regulation (2078/92) provides means to support conversion to organic farming	MAFF start work on Organic Aid Scheme.
1994	Organic Aid Scheme introduced	Three rates for non-LFA, LFA and Unimproved/rough grazing lands under organic management.
October 1996	Organic Conversion Information Service (OCIS) launched in Wales	Free advisory visits to farmers enquiring about organic production. Half day visit to outline organic principles, optional full day visit to look at detailed implications for the farm.
1998	Ron Davies MP, Secretary of State for Wales, establishes three industry working groups	Organic working group established alongside dairy and red meat groups.  Establishes importance of organic farming for Wales, despite occupying only one-third of one percent of land area at the time.
March 1999	Organic Working group launches Welsh Organic Action Plan	Identifies need for a Centre to coordinate an Information Strategy, and the importance of policy and marketing work for development of organic food and farming in Wales
October 1999	Organic Farming Scheme opens (and closes)	Due to prolonged publicity prior to the scheme opening there is huge response, and the scheme is forced to close after only one month.
1999	Organic Regulation 1804/1999 supplements Reg. 2092/91 to include livestock	Added weight to legal protection for use of the word 'organic'.
2000	Organic Farming Centre for Wales established	Focal point for dissemination of information, focusing on the needs of producers.
November 2000	Organic Farming Scheme re-opens	Again, backlog of applications which delay contracts.  Some contracts further delayed due to Food and Mouth Disease in 2001.
February 2001	Welsh Statutory Instrument regarding the OFS (Foot and Mouth in UK)	Provides specific Welsh legislation governing the Organic Farming Scheme
2003	New three-year contract for Organic Centre Wales.	Extends remit to public education, public procurement, policy and strategy development, thus providing support to the whole of the organic community in Wales
January 2004	Statutory Instrument concerning Maintenance Payments	Enables opening of the Organic Maintenance Scheme.  (Five years of support for existing organic farmers.
1st March 2004	Organic Maintenance Scheme opens in Wales	Long-term organic farmers have access to support funds for the first time.
1st July 2004	Second Organic Action Plan for Wales launched	Advocates an increased land area target to be monitored against nine indicators of sustainable development, including financial viability of organic farms, public awareness of organic food, and the share of the UK market that is supplied from Wales
2004 [CAP reform]	Welsh Assembly Government decide on use of historical reference period to set Single Payment Scheme levels, and  against use of the National Envelope.	Historic payment decision nominally supports family farms, but causes problems as most of Wales' organic farmers converted during the reference period (2000-2002). See Briefing sheet Cymraeg National Envelope decision removes major route to compensate organic farmers, particularly dairy farmers.
2007 [New RDP]	New Rural Development Plan for Wales. The new phase of European funding for rural development in Wales 2007-2013 starts.  Approval of the Wales plan is delayed so applications to the revised Organic Farming Scheme only open in November. The new scheme brings additional support for horticulture and arable crops and simpler administration. (Foot and Mouth outbreak in SE England.)	Despite the scheme being closed, there is a significant increase in land conversions during 2007. Farmers that started conversion in late 2006 or early 2007 struggle without payments during the winter of 2007/08.
2008	Revised Organic Farming Scheme	The revised Organic Farming Scheme is open - farmers must claim for payment on their Single Application Form.  Farmers that started conversion in early 2007 will get two years' payments in the autumn.