Ecocultura attracts more than 37,000 visitors

An ecological consumers’ fair in Zamora in northwest Spain from 13 - 15 October attracted a large number of visitors from the surrounding area and from the nearest big cities Valladolid and Salamanca. People attending the fair were able to get information on organic products in particular but also on ecological house building and various kinds of renewable energy. Occupying 8000 m², the organics industry exhibited its extraordinary variety: not only producers, manufacturers and wholesalers but also consumer associations came with the intention of establishing contact with consumers and specialists.

Picture: Aceites Vizcantar, Cordoba

One of the exhibitors, Susanne Claussen, was full of praise: “We are extremely pleased with this year’s Ecocultura. The stands are much more professional and without exception really organic. And we are very happy with the service at the fair, so that we are left with a very good impression.”

Products from all over Spain, covering the whole production range, were set out on 105 stands. Ten exhibitors, including the Organic Association Agrobio (picture) came from Portugal to work on establishing better collaboration in the Iberian Peninsular. Whilst the food stands were located mainly in the exhibition hall itself, the stands presenting ecological building and renewable energy were to be found in the entrance hall. A large number of events were arranged over the three days, and people could attend talks and tasting sessions of, for example, cheese (picture), bread and wine. A demonstration bakery near the entrance was a focal point for visitors as they arrived, giving them an insight into the skills of a baker and an opportunity to sample the results of his work.

The fair paid particular attention to children. Many activities were arranged to engage their interest, from making cheese themselves to drum sessions. People flocked to the cafeteria, where there was, of course, an organic menu and coffee for weary visitors.

(Picture: Children trying their hand at baking)

The organisers of the fair, Josefina Alvarez and Antonio Regalado Juarez from the provincial government of Zamora, were very pleased with the response of so many people. “We also support organic cookery courses in schools for both children and their parents, and we are in the process of setting up a weekly organic market in Zamora,” Josefina Alvarez explained. The cookery courses and food tasting take place each week in a different school in the province (200,000 inhabitants). Other ecological initiatives like planting hedges are being supported. The Ecocultura Fair that was being held for the third year running, was wholly financed by the Zamora provincial government, the town council of Zamora and the local savings bank.

Several organic wholesalers were represented at the Fair. They are mostly much smaller than in Germany: Joaquin Bielsa Perez (picture) produces around a dozen different pre-prepared meals. He sells these, his own meat and sausage products and vegetables (about 320 items), together with a wide range of wholefood articles, on the internet (www.bionaturaaragon.com). He supplies about 1000 customers direct and delivers to 50 whole food shops in Catalonia and Aragon. The firm’s headquarters are in Granollers near Barcelona. This early pioneer has been selling organics for 25 years, and the family firm now employs ten people.

On his stand, Antonio Alfonso Fincia (picture) invited people to taste red grape juice. It tasted very sweet and was popular with his customers. Nuntia Vini (www.nuntiavini.com), as the vineyard 17 km from Zamora is called, sells its red wines of the variety ‘Tinta de Toro’ under the name Volvoreta mainly in Spain. Wholesalers sell it in Madrid and Catalonia. However, he keeps receiving large-scale orders from the USA and Germany. At the Fair, Senor Fincia wanted to test whether he could supplement his red wines with products like grape juice and red grape jam.

The majority of exhibitors at the Fair were producers: producers of local fruit and vegetables, olive oil, sausages, juices, jams, honey, nuts, to name just the main items. Many of the products are sold in delicatessen quality with corresponding labelling. Visitors to the stands were offered a whole range of samples and they took the opportunity to taste products before buying, for example Bellota ham, olive oil or jars of honey.

Two exhibitors of eco-textiles, one from Portugal, had mainly children’s clothes in white and beige tones on their stand. Several stands exhibited biological inputs like eco-fertiliser and eco-friendly sprays both for the garden and for use in agriculture.

Some foreign manufacturers and businesses also had stands, the main ones being companies from Portugal and the French manufacturer Triballat (www.triballat.com). The large-scale dairy, that was founded in 1948 and has its headquarters in Rennes, manufactures products from cow and  sheep milk together with an attractive range of soya products. Called Sojade, 13 different articles are sold as soya yoghurt as well as soya milk.

The firm Aromatechnics from the Algarve presented an interesting project. The German-born Susanne Claussen is cultivating five different herbs under the southern Portuguese sun. The herbs are processed in distillation equipment constructed by themselves, and the products are sold to around 2000 customers as hydrolates, massage and body oils or as air fresheners. Among the customers are about 500 masseurs and natural remedy practitioners, and 40 retailers.

(Picture: politicians going round the Aromatechnics stand)

Several consumer organisations supplied information on their stands about how the ‘Association de Consumidores’ functioned and where they could be found. The regional organisation of the consumer coops in Castilla y Leon operates local groups with 30-40 member families in nine locations. In total, there are around 400 families in the organisation which, wherever possible, obtains most of its organic food from organic farms in the area. Also, the marketing organisation La Faya supplies several consumer organisations that sell sheep-milk cheese and lamb, both organic, and in collaboration with a university teacher arrange seminars for consumers and agricultural courses for producers. La Faya is a part of the RAFAEL project (www.Rafael-eu.com) that brings together partners from Northern Ireland, Great Britain, France, Portugal and Spain.

The bee-keeping enterprise Sauca von Esther Ibeas (picture) sells via organic markets in the Basque country. Every month an organic market is organised in a different town, and about 30 producers take part. The organiser of the weekend markets is the Basque organic association Ekonekazaritza working together with the local town administration.

Josefina Alvarez (on the right in the picture) from the provincial government in Zamora said: “We want to direct the Fair more towards international specialist visitors in the future,” and, already looking forward to Ecocultura next year, Antonio Regalado (on the left in the picture) added: “We want to keep this Fair as a purely organic fair in the future, too.” For him, the priority will continue to be promoting business contacts between producers, consumers and retailers within the country, although more stands from abroad would be just as welcome. Since no rent is currently charged for stands, international firms, too, might well be interested.