How logical is ‘bio’?

NURNBERG - This week the Biofach takes place again, the largest organic food fair in the world. Location: Nuremberg, Germany. Number of exhibitors: 3,200, expect number of visitors: 50,000 from 134 countries. Every year this fair gets bigger and more professional. It makes sense, because organic or 'bio' is growing rapidly. At least in Western Europe where the world's largest organic market can be found.

For many consumers the claim 'organic' is important. For them, this is proof that they buy a good, honest product produced without using chemical pesticides, fertilizer or genetically modified organisms. Consumers even claim that organic food tastes better and that it would be healthier, which has never been proven. The Skal logo is the ultimate guarantee for them.

How different it is with many food producers. They know that organic has also disadvantages and realize that organic farming requires much more agricultural land to achieve the same amount of yield. They know that organic farming doesn't solve the world food problem. And they know that the regular guidelines are already so strict and good in the Netherlands that a Skal certificate often adds little. Nevertheless, many of them apply for the Skal-certificate, because it provides access to a large, fast-growing market.

It is not surprising that the largest organic fair in the world takes place in Germany. Germany is the largest organic market in Europe with 11.4% of global sales, followed by France at 7.3%. Looking at the highest consumption figures per capita, we see Denmark topping all the lists, followed by the other Scandinavian countries and Switzerland. In Germany you will find several national bio-chains such as Alnatura and Dennree, but also large regional players like Biocompany in and around Berlin and Basic in the North Rhine-Westphalia area. The organic share in mainstream supermarkets is also increasing and not only in the Edeka's and Rewe's, but also at the discounters. Aldi even uses the slogan 'jetzt noch größere Bio-auswahl!' There is another interesting channel for organic food products: the drugstore channel. In the DM in Düsseldorf we found not only organic baby food, but also fruit juices, biscuits, chips, pasta and pasta sauces.

For the time being, the growth of organic continues. Until we realize that it doesn't add many extras anymore and fits within the broad framework of responsible and sustainable entrepreneurship. The ‘dark green’ supporters will continue to buy in the alternative channel from conviction. But as long as goat wool socks are sold in these bioshops, it will also drive many 'light greener' buyers towards other channels. Thanks to this latter group, organic is becoming more and more commonplace.

TEN the export network offers advice and support to food & beverage companies that dare to look across borders. We coordinate export activities, stimulate business development projects and set up new international routes, both in the regular as in organic channels. TEN professionalizes existing export activities and we are consultants working for the SIB program (Starters International Business Program of the RVO, Dutch Government) for SME companies. For more information: www.theexportnetwork.nl or contact us for an appointment: http://www.theexportnetwork.nl/contact/.