Sustainability and organic: key drivers for the future

Some 43,500 trade visitors (2009: 46,771) visited the exhibition and congress centre in Nuremberg from 17-20 February 2010 for BioFach and Vivaness, the annual get-together for the global organic market. The international share of visitors was around 38% and the buyers came from 121 countries. After Germany, the other leading nations were Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. The 2,557 exhibitors (vs. 2,733 in 2009), around 65% of them international, were overall satisfied with the high quality of the visitors. Eighty-five per cent of the BioFach exhibitors and 97% of the Vivaness exhibitors expect good follow-up business, according to the results of a survey conducted by an independent institute. These figures are up 12% and 16% respectively versus the previous year – clear proof of an optimistic view of the future and good conditions for sustainable development of the market and its annual get-together.

Organic and Fair, the Theme of the Year in 2010

More and more customers focus their consumption on quality and values, the basis of which includes organic products with fair production and trading conditions. Fifty-two exhibitors and around 100 product presentations reflected the variety of the theme of the year, Organic + Fair. Almost 8,000 people participated in the 180 events at the BioFach Congress and the six special forums to exchange views on the market with particular emphasis on fairness and sustainability. The Fair & Ethical Trade Forum alone attracted around 750 visitors. Fair trade aspects and the added benefit of organic – whether food and beverages, textiles or cosmetics – are rapidly gaining importance. Fairness not only applies to aid projects in developing or third world countries, but also has wider relevance. The core issue is the partnership between both farmers and raw material suppliers at regional, national as well as international level, who receive fair prices for their work. It is also a question of long-term cooperation, advice and development of social structures and support for existing social projects. By doing so, manufacturers finance health and education programmes that benefit people in developing countries on the one side and in social institutions in Europe on the other. Due to ongoing changing lifestyles and values in the developed countries, or first and second world, more and more consumers are especially receptive to products that maintain an intact environment and healthy living conditions for subsequent generations – throughout the whole world. Many natural food, as well as cosmetic companies, have already laid the foundation by supporting projects several years, if not decades, ago. Today, these contacts form the basis for raw material quality on the one hand and environmental protection and biodiversity on the other.