BioFach: building an organic future

Nuremberg / DE. (nm) When the international organic industry meets in Nuremberg for the 2017 editions of BioFach and Vivaness, it will be treated to a special highlight: Germany and its domestic organic sector will be presenting themselves as the country of the year at the World’s Leading Trade Fair for Organic Food from 15 to 18. February 2017. Visitors have been invited from all over the world to come and gain an insight into the diversity of the German organic sector. Companies, many of which will be organic pioneers, will be showcasing their attributes to exhibitors and visitors as potential professional partners in the areas of innovation and responsibility. Associations and institutions, including a number owned by the federal or state governments, will be doing this as well. Innovation and responsibility are key driving forces being used by organic enterprises in Germany to create a more sustainable future – and the organic sector understands that they are crucial to realizing its motto of «Building an organic future» too.

Booming organic market

Germany is one of the biggest organic nations in the world, which is having an impact on point-of-sale turnover and turnover per capita. Christian Schmidt, Germany’s Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, described the country’s organic industry, saying, «An entrepreneurial spirit that exemplifies sustainability is filling people with enthusiasm and showing the way forward for the food and agriculture industries». According to estimates from research group Biomarkt, over 8.6 billion EUR were generated from organic food and drink sales in Germany in 2015. Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein, the chairman of the German Federation of the Organic Food Industry (BÖLW), which is the country’s national organic umbrella organization, said, «People are wanting more and more organic products, and preferably local produce, because healthy food and protecting animals and the environment are important to them».

The organic market has seen growth rates of between five and 10 percent in the last few years, thanks to more and more food retailer shelf space being occupied by organic products, a strong natural food specialist store segment and customers opting for organic products at other points of sale. Overall, the domestic market has plenty of potential – both for importers who bring organic exotic products, specialities and seasonal goods into Germany and for local farmers and processors who see prospects for their future in the organic market.

Organic pioneers with a flair for progress and a sense of responsibility

Organic agriculture and production have a long tradition in Germany. Organic farming, processing and retail enterprises have been developing organic foods for nearly 100 years now – and have done so with a flair for progress and a sense of responsibility towards the human race, the animal kingdom and the environment. Every year, more farmers are deciding that organic agriculture holds prospects for their future. Altogether, almost 1.1 million hectares of land were being cultivated by roughly 24’700 organic farms at the end of 2015. That means the proportion of land being used for organic produce had increased to 6.5 percent.

The fact that organic enterprises in Germany devised their own organic rules shows how committed they are to this segment of the food market. Long before the EU organic regulation existed, organic farmers formed associations and got together to establish what organic product farming, processing, monitoring and labelling should entail. Many ideas that were put forward for certified organic agriculture and food in Germany played a key role in the development of the EU organic regulation and have now been legal requirements and used in other countries for a long time.

Back then, German organic companies displayed enormous innovative abilities – and they continue to do that today. These abilities are not just reflected in new developments like vegan products made from locally grown lupin, the world’s first organic yeast and fermented tofu made with kombucha, but also in current research projects such as the cultivation of organic non-hybrid seeds and the cultivation of dual-purpose breed for chicken raising. All the initiatives are devised within the industry and are driven forward by dedicated organic companies, associations and research institutes working together. They are also supported and advanced by the federal and state governments.

Enterprises in the German organic industry don’t just import in order to purchase high-quality raw materials. There are many industry players who have been able to foster responsible and fair relationships while working with foreign partners. One of many good examples is exotic dried fruit, an organic best-seller: Projects with cultivation partners in newly industrialized and developing countries such as Sri Lanka, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Inner Mongolia have led to economically successful and helpful trade relationships with small-scale farmers in these countries, who have been able to secure their families’ livelihoods as a result of such relationships lasting many years. German providers are devoted to fair trade with their suppliers for other products too, however, and commit to relationships with suppliers outside of Germany here as well. Coffee is one example: The last montane rainforests and wild coffee are being preserved in Ethiopia thanks to projects in the African country. At the same time, people are generating a guaranteed income for themselves through the coffee growing in the region. These things are excellent examples of nature conservation, successful economical development and top-quality organic products.

In progress: the food industry continues to develop

Thinking about the organic movement has an effect. Looking at the bigger picture has long contributed to our opinions on what we eat, how it is produced and where it comes from. «Agricultural and food issues are discussed publicly», Löwenstein stressed. He added: «This results in gradual but constant awareness changes, which then lead to sustainable changes in a food system. These are absolutely essential if the environment and resources are to be preserved, hunger and the climate crisis are to be combated, and a stable future is to be secured for all people». Regardless of whether it’s debates about animal protection in agriculture, the discussion on genetic engineering in cultivation and food processing, fair trade rules or the path to a sustainable economic strategy and beating hunger, the question of how progress can be nurtured while responsibility is increased profitably at the same time is always being pushed forward by every kind of enterprise from the German pioneer to the young organic start-up.

Federal and state governments encourage organic farming

Although the innovative abilities of companies and their willingness to assume responsibility are vital, basic conditions that encourage entrepreneurial activity, allow ideas to be developed and respect responsibility when it is accepted are just as important. Schmidt said, «Organic farming has become an important pillar of the German food and agricultural industries alongside conventional farming. My aim is to continue to increase the production of organic products in Germany and to strengthen organic farming».

Germany is trying to increase its percentage of organically cultivated land to 20 percent of its cropland. To achieve this goal, the federal government has initiated a strategy for organic farming in the future, and this will be presented at BioFach 2017. The strategy will be used by the federal and state governments to strengthen the country’s organic farming, expand regional organic action programmes and organic model regions, and support these programmes and regions efficiently. The federal government has actually already been supporting organic farming for several years, pumping 17 million EUR into the «Federal Programme for Organic Farming and Other Forms of Sustainable Agriculture» every year, and will be putting in 20 million EUR in 2017.

The biggest land percentages dedicated to organic farming are in the states of Saarland (13.1 percent), Hesse (11 percent) and Brandenburg (10.3 percent). The states with the most organically cultivated land are Bavaria (230’000 hectares), Brandenburg (136’000 hectares), Baden-Württemberg (130’000 hectares) and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania (126’000 hectares).

Networking, shaping the future and a source of inspiration

BioFach represents the global organic market in its entirety every year and offers industry players an incomparable platform that enables them to network, be inspired by the product diversity, innovative abilities and sense of responsibility in the industry, and to shape the future of the market. Petra Wolf, a member of NürnbergMesse’s management board, said: «By focusing on Germany in 2017, the world-leading trade fair will be focusing on a country that is home to many pioneers in the industry, that supports local value chains and that also places value on the networking of organic projects all over the world – such as the fostering of sustainable raw material relationships».

«As the organizers of BioFach, we are looking forward to presenting Germany as the country of the year in cooperation with the German Federation of the Organic Food Industry (BÖLW) and the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in accordance with the motto ‘Building an organic future’!»

About BioFach World

NürnbergMesse has proven expertise in the area of organic food. The international organic industry meets every year in Nuremberg at BioFach, the World’s Leading Trade Fair for Organic Food. BioFach World is represented across the globe by five other BioFach events in Japan, the United States, South America, China and India, and brings over 3’000 exhibitors and 100’000 trade visitors together year after year.

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