Celebrating EU Organic Day and rewarding excellent examples

On 23 September, EU Organic Day, Europe celebrate its organic sector and operators. Locally and nationally, the movement was extra visible at a diversity of events giving a face to #EUorganic. At European level, the Commission unveiled the winners of this year’s EU Organic Awards and took stock of the European organic action plan.

EU Organic Awards

Outgoing EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Janusz Wojciechowski opening the ceremony summarising what happened in organic in the last five years, using the following three words to describe organic:

1. Cooperation is at the heart of organic – across the supply chain, between different organisations. Thanks to this the EU organic action plan came to be and celebrates EU Organic Day, which was essential to increase resilience across the past years
2. Progress. EU OAP stimulates demand, procurement & awareness. Policy instruments realising this are the CAP and Horizon Europe
3. Inspiration. Create the future, inspire other farmers showing they are profitable, more resilient and economical. Open more connections

Closing his last keynote address of the EU Organic Awards ceremony, the Commissioner thanked all organic operators for their day-to-day work.

Jan Plagge, IFOAM Organics Europe’s President, stressed the importance of the collaborative efforts of the past years – with the EU institutions on the EU Organic Action Plan and with agrifood stakeholders on the Strategic Dialogue.

And the award goes to…

Best organic farmer (female): Ms Reinhilde Frech-Emmelmann, who founded ReinSaat GmbH (Austria) together with Demeter and organic farmers and gardeners in St. Leonhard am Hornerwald in 1998. Her farm and over 30 propagation companies produce varieties for commercial horticulture and domestic gardens adapted to different climatic zones and organic farming’s requirements.different climatic zones and organic farming’s requirements.
 
Best organic farmer (male): Mr Benny Schöpf, chief vegetable grower at Kartoffelkombinat (Germany), the largest community-supported farm in Germany. Every year, the cooperative provides more than 2,500 households (or “shareholders”) in München with a total of 600 tonnes of organic vegetables. Mr Schöpf and his team want to inspire similar projects to strengthen the existing social network with respect to the environment.
 
Best organic region: South Savo (Finland) built a strong organic farming culture through 40 years of collaboration between farmers, researchers, and local authorities. Work on the organic region in the forested South Savo started in the late 70’s and led to its current network with over 200 small organic farmers and more than 40 organic canteens and restaurants.
 
Best organic city: BioStadt Bremen (Germany) encompasses more than 100 certified organic farms (over 30% of the region’s farms). The project started as a grassroot civil movement and was taken up by the city. It promotes sustainable public procurement in schools and other public canteens and encourages sustainable food systems through community projects, innovative farming initiatives and empowering citizens to drive local change.
 
Best organic biodistrict: Sörmland Biodistrict (Sweden) has been pioneering organic farming since the 1940s, bringing together farms, food processors, restaurants, and an eco-hotel and eco-bank. The biodistrict makes organic food available to public infrastructures and canteens, bringing local organic products to local consumers. The biodistricts also meets with and brings together farmers and gardeners to enhance landscape diversity by local diversifying production in line with the organic principles.
 
Best organic food processing Small and Medium Enterprise (SME): Gino Girolomoni Cooperativa Agricola (Italy), a family-owned cooperative specialised in organic pasta production, continuing the mission of its founder, Gino Girolomoni. The family’s lifestyle and production process are organic, from seed to table. They help revitalise and repopulate the local rural area, collaborating fairly with 400 farmers.
 
Best organic food retailer: SAiFRESC (Spain), founded by three farmers in 2011, the company transitioned to organic farming. Using local and short supply chains, they boost agriculture in the Huerta de Valencia, selling 50 types of vegetables, 10 types of herbs and 10 types of fruits and citrus. Thanks to this EU Organic Award, recognition from local institutions to further develop the sector and put good food on the public plate.
 
Best organic restaurant/food service: Kalf & Hansen (Sweden), founded in 2014 by Rune and Fabian Kalf-Hansen, is a restaurant chain offering 100% organic, affordable, seasonal Nordic cuisine for more than 10 years. Kalf & Hansen operates two restaurants, provides catering services, and serves organic meals on Swedish trains. They prioritize local sourcing, sustainability, and affordability, forging strong partnerships with local producers to offer fresh, organic meals while maintaining a focus on environmental responsibility.
 
Read more about the which other organic practitioners were shortlisted as inspirational examples for food and farming.

Panel discussion: Taking stock of the EU Organic Action plan

Following the awards ceremony, representatives the EU institutions, Presidency and agriculture organisations took stock of the EU Organic Action Plan – aimed at improving the supply and demand for organic. Among the plan’s achievements, panellists listed:

• Bringing stakeholders together on the EU Organic Day and through the EU Organic Awards,
• Giving organic the opportunity to position itself as political tool to achieve the EU’s goals,
• Provide a clear frame for Member States and set ambitious national goals for organic.

While the Organic Action Plan supports EU initiatives to increase the market and demand for organic, there is still work ahead. A recent report by the European Court of Auditors highlights the need for a long-term strategy for organic and support from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that strengthens farmers’ position in the value chain in its post-2027 funds. The Auditors specifically recommend the European Commission to better integrate environmental and market objectives into the CAP’s support and better target post-2027 funds to develop the organic sector – as the OrganicTargets4EU project research shows.

The court’s vision is in line with the strategic dialogue’s recommendations asking both to ensure that farmers who provide more environmental and social benefits are rewarded and calling on the Commission to improve the EU’s strategic approach for the organic sector by defining a long-term vision for the sector beyond 2030.

Panel discussion: Challenges to start an organic business

In the following panels, the winners joined the stage and shared their practical experience, listing some challenges and opportunities they faced in their day-to-day businesses. While these vary, among the shared ones:

• Finances can be a hurdle to set-up and start a business;
• For food businesses it is challenging to keep food products affordable. While local and seasonal products can lower the price, consumers are not always aware about food and how it is grown;
• Consumers’ awareness about the food we eat is still lacking, so awareness campaigns are crucial;
• Generational renewal in farming is challenging, so it is crucial to make farming a more attractive profession;
• Access to land for organic farming is often an issue, governments can make this easier for potential (organic) farmers.

Relive the event:

• Watch the recordings on the European Commission’s YouTube channel,
• On social media using #EUorganic,
• Read the Commission’s press release announcing the EU Organic Awards winners and our press release.