Organic exhibition BioFach 2010 kicked off in Nuremberg, Germany, on Wednesday, with over 2,500 companies exhibiting a wide range of products, from fruit and vegetables to cosmetics and textiles.
The fair’s central theme this year, ‘Organic + Fair’, was embodied by the impressive stand occupied by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations (FLO) International, as well as the large number of Fairtrade-certified exhibitors present.
“We have around 113 Fairtrade partners exhibiting at the event,” said Bettina von Reden of FLO member organisation TransFair. “We are trying to show that organic and Fairtrade are a perfect match.”
Jaqueline Aturinde, operations manager for Ugandan firm Tatgem, which produces Fairtrade pineapples and passionfruit, extolled the benefits of the label.
“When our products are certified, they get a premium on export markets, which is good for the growers,” she said. “In 2011, we will gain certification for our avocados, mangoes, apples, bananas, papaya and ginger.”
Elsewhere, the stress also fell on the need to go beyond organic. Tobias Keye of German organics importer Lehmann Natur revealed details of the company’s new project in Spain, which involves the use of permaculture, a form of agriculture that “treats nature the way it should be treated – with total respect”.
Dutch organics specialist Eosta showed off its Nature & More ‘Sustainability Flower’, which the company’s Michael Wilde said had attracted much attention from visitors, including the Dutch minister of agriculture.
“The idea is to lay out the different reasons for going organic,” he told Fruitnet.com. “It is very difficult to have a single message, since there are many, which is why we, as well as our customers and growers, are so happy with the Sustainability Flower, which manages to be both comprehensive and easy to understand.”
