Expo East/BioFach America reflects upward trend in the market

Everywhere you went you could sense the positive mood of more than 1,300 exhibitors and 20,000 or so visitors at the trade fair duo Natural Products Expo East and BioFach America. From 13 – 16 October 2010, the international organic and natural products industry came together in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The upbeat atmosphere at the most important business event on America’s east coast reflected a good year for the international organic trade and positive forecasts: everything was pointing to growth. Companies, and numerous young firms were represented, presented themselves with confidence and were forward-looking. The American Organic Trade Association OTA celebrated its 25th anniversary in the course of the double fair. (Picture: 20,000 visitors getting information at Expo East/BioFach America) The representatives of associations and companies were in agreement: “The wholefood industry has come through difficult economic times, but in 2010 we’ve seen really positive growth.” Barbara Haumann, the head of OTA’s press department said she was confident that the US organic sector would return shortly to double-digit growth. The Organic Trade Association represents 1,200 members, and at its birthday celebrations and the one-day event Organic Summit it showcased its achievements and also the issues it wanted to turn its attention to in the future. “Growth is back,” declared Mark Retzloff one of the management duo at the organic dairy company Aurora in Boulder/Colorado (link to interview). (Picture: Mark Retzloff has been involved in the wholefood scene for more than 40 years)






Bob Scowcroft is the co-founder and long-time managing director of the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) () that is based in Santa Cruz/California. He too looks to the future of organic farming with confidence: “For 20 years we’ve been sowing the seeds of change in agriculture, we’ve collected money for research and training and we’ve maintained a network with other institutions and politicians. We’ve achieved quite a lot, and we think we’ve been successful in as far as the government has included organic agriculture in its programmes.” (Picture: Meeting point for the industry: the pioneers Bob Scowcroft and Bob Quinn from Kamut International)

In the accompanying programme, the double trade fair offered a broad spectrum of lectures and panel discussions. There was something for everybody, ranging from the motivating speech by the CEO of Stonyfield, Gary Hirshberg (picture), who reported on his company’s skilful social media and communication strategy, and an appearance by the actress Alicia Silverstone, who actively promotes healthy eating and works as an organic ambassador, to special workshops for retailers. Silverstone said: “We are a little army now with the social media, but it’s important that everybody is his own ambassador and shares his knowledge about healthy food with his family and friends.” Hirshberg too sees social media as a gift if people only know how to make use of them. He said that organic companies ought to be aware of their responsibility, stand up for the environment and climate protection and, at the same time, tell consumers all about it. He gave the example of Stonyfield’s use of organic plastic (Inego™ Nature Works) for packaging that involves almost 50 % less CO₂.
(Picture: Top event – actress Alicia Silverstone spends two hours on the issues raised by the audience)







(Pictures: Organic dairy Organic Valley, Redwood Hill Farm and Rio Mate from Brazil)

Of course, many traditional companies in the North American organic and natural products industry were represented in Boston: the organic dairies Organic Valley, Stonyfield and 
Redwood Hill Farm all presented new products. Also prominent were beverage manufacturers, like  Ayala , with its USDA-certified herbal water (see video), Olade (picture left) and Rio Mate, tea companies like Numi and Pukka (see statement) from England, manufacturers of chocolate, sweets and snacks, and power food producers like Clif Bar (picture right).

In the cosmetics segment, the many products on display included the new hair styling range NuStyle by Aubrey Organics, the bio-lipcare based on beeswax by Badger and the bio-cosmetics using local raw materials by Surya in Brazil. I Play from North Carolina exhibited its collection for babies and toddlers, toys and accessories.
In any wholefood store in America, food supplements and cosmetics are important product ranges, and at the fair they occupied a large area. A fair like this would not be complete without the presence of the top companies and distributors United Natural Foods, Eden and Kehe Food, the suppliers of raw materials, and fruit and vegetable producers. (Pictures below: Aubrey organics, Pukka, I Play)



But as well as the traditional firms, an amazing number of start-up companies and manufacturers presented themselves and their product innovations in Boston. These new companies included Coconut Bliss, with its organic and fair ice cream based on coconut milk, Theo Chocolate (picture on left), organic and fair certified chocolates and pralines, Sunfood (picture below left) and Navitas (picture below middle).
Important trend themes like gluten-free and lactose-free foods have been taken up by, for example, Organic Valley, with its probiotic drinking yogurts, lactose-free yogurts (Green Valley brand), Late July with gluten-free snacks  and R.W.Garcia, that presented its Tortilla Chips range, demonstrating fair trade and sustainability in raw materials, processing and packaging.



With exhibitors from 96 countries, the trade fair duo – Natural Products Expo/East and BioFach America – proved once again just how international it has become. The organizers, New Hope Natural Media, that was responsible for the Natural Products Expo, and NürnbergMesse, that was responsible for the 180 international manufacturers at BioFach America, were very happy with the way this year’s fair had gone. Miriam Hempel, the project manager for international exhibitions at NürnbergMesse, said: “The feedback from the exhibitors was totally positive. They all seized the opportunity to make important contacts and to showcase their products to full effect.” (Picture: Coconut Bliss)

This was confirmed by Siegfried Neumann from the Germany noodle manufacturer Zabler, who exhibited at BioFach America for the first time: “We’re taking away lots of positive impressions from this fair, and we were very pleased to see how well our products were received. We definitely made the right decision to come here!” The assessment of Uwe Karassek from the quality control laboratory QSI in Hamburg was equally positive: “The discussions were based on sound knowledge, and the expertise expressed is testimony to the long tradition of the industry in America. A very worthwhile visit!” (Picture: The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center)

Next year, Expo East/BioFach America will take place again in Baltimore, the biggest city in the state of Maryland, putting it closer to the heart of the east coast states. The dates are: 21 – 24 September 2011.