Welcome note September 2022 Newsletter – EU Organic Day and EU Organic Awards
23 September was a day of celebrations! Besides the autumn equinox, it was the second edition of EU Organic Day. On this joyful day, we celebrated across Europe and in Brussels where eight excellent organic practices received the first ever European Organic Awards.
Rewarding excellence along the EU organic value chain
In Brussels, representatives of a pan-European collaboration handed out the first EU Organic Awards, hosted by the European Commission. I would like to congratulate the eight winners within seven categories:
- Best organic farmer (female): Nazaret Mateos Álvarez (Entresetas) – Paredes de Nava, Palencia, Spain;
- Best organic farmer (male): David Pejic (Zrno eko imanje) – Dubrava, Zagreb County, Croatia;
- Best organic region: Occitanie, France;
- Best organic city: Gemeinde Seeham am Obertrumer See – Salzburg, Austria;
- Best organic bio-district: Associazione Bio-Distretto Cilento – Campania, Italy;
- Best organic SME: Goodvenience.bio GmbH – Magdala, Thuringia, Germany;
- Best organic food retailer: La ferme à l’arbre de Liège – Lantin, Liège, Belgium;
- Best organic restaurant: Lilla Bjers HB – Visby, Gotland Island, Sweden.
You can see impressions of the awards ceremony in this album and on all social media platforms using #EUOrganic and #EUOrganicAwards. For more information, read our press release and the Commission’s press release. And, of course, besides the winners, there were also the great examples of those shortlisted!
Those shortlisted can submit their applications again next year, and if your business want to try its luck, you can do so too! Keep an eye on the EU Commission’s website and our website for more information!
Celebrating organic across the EU
Of course, the awards celebrations in Brussels were only the tip of the iceberg!
I was glad to see so many organic initiatives throughout Europe. There were many events with government officials which our members organised, there were Q&A’s with researchers, days dedicated to social media action, the opening of a biodynamic library, and international initiatives like Organic September and #IGrowYourFood that linked up to the EU Organic Day! Have a look on our interactive map and on all social media platforms using #EUOrganic and #EUOrganicDay.
The EU Organic Day and the Awards are great to help us remember the importance of involving national, regional, and local actors. We need the involvement and engagement of the entire value chain and actors at all levels to make the Organic Action Plan as successful as possible. Only by increasing both supply and demand for organic can we reach the Farm to Fork Strategy’s 25% organic target and transition to more sustainable food systems.
I hope to see even more great initiatives from all of you on next year’s #EUOrganic Day and Awards.
Don’t panic, the future is organic,
Eduardo