BioFach 2015: doing justice to new trends

The specialist organic trade is developing very well at home and abroad and it’s “an important driver of development overall”, writes NürnbergMesse as the trade fair approaches. At Biofach we’ll get up-to-the-minute data about growth in turnover in the specialist trade and expansion of organically managed land. But the natural cosmetics industry is also registering significant growth, and the latest market data to be presented at Vivaness will reveal which companies and sales channels were the main beneficiaries in the course of last year.

Vivaness is still in Hall 7A und is using the foyer for the presentation of new products and the special show Breeze. It has now become established as the forum for new exhibitors with innovative products. According to NürnbergMesse, the number of exhibitors has increased by eight percent to 200 firms. Following the pattern of BioFach, for the first time, visitors to Vivaness can select the best new products in various categories, including in the recently introduced trend category, which this year is vegan cosmetics.

Visitors are always drawn in droves to Vivaness Novelties. Photo Karin Heinze

Experience the World of Vegan is a new feature for the trade. Alongside olives and wine, vegan food is getting its own Experience the World in 2015. NürnbergMesse, in cooperation with the vegetarian association VEBU, has also facilitated the display of the products of around 100 exhibitors in Hall 6. In cooking demonstrations and tasting sessions, chefs are on hand with ideas for the trade. The BioFach organisers say that a VEBU business team will be available, with “marketing expertise and numerous specialists on the veggie market”.

For the first time there will be a new trend category: free-from foods. NürnbergMesse has commissioned a study to show the importance of this theme for the organic trade, and the results will be presented at BioFach. Another new feature is Cook & Talk, a venue operated by Bioland for anyone interested in the catering business. There won’t be any cooking but only the dissemination of information. Apart from these innovations, things are much the same as last year: the German companies share Halls 6, 7 and 9. The extensive new products area (picture) is again located in the foyer Mitte; the Specialist Trade Venue with the Specialist Trade Forum and the Specialist Trade Club are in Hall 9. This is also where young companies, supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, present themselves and their innovations.

The upcoming generation is the target of the Jobs Market, the exhibitors in the special area Education – Work – Prospects in Hall 9 and the careers meeting on Thursday morning, when people entering the world of work come together with potential employers. For the second time, the Research Prize Organic Food for practice-oriented doctoral theses, Masters and Bachelor degree dissertations will be presented at BioFach.

After last year’s positive experience, the streamlined Congress programme has been retained: they plan to offer about 100 events, which they expect 6,500 people to attend. The Congress organizers are creating new focal points with two new forums: politics and science. The two honorary sponsors of the fair, the organic umbrella organisations IFOAM (worldwide) and BÖLW (Germany), want to see a stronger emphasis on the political debates that affect the organic industry: the free trade agreements TTIP and CETA and the planned revision of the EU Organic Regulation.

The aim of the Science Forum is to facilitate dialogue between scientists, practitioners and advisers and to optimize collaboration. Standard items in the Congress programme are the various market and industry data, the Specialist Trade Forum and the theme of sustainability. Vivaness has as usual its accompanying forum and the platform “meet & talk”.

As in the past, an exciting event will be finding out which are the best organic stores in Germany, chosen by the readers of the wholefood magazine Schrot&Korn. The actress Inez Bjorg David will present the awards to the four best organic stores on Thursday from 16.00 in Room Brüssel (NCC Mitte).

The whole Congress programme is online at www.biofach.de/kongress and can be accessed free of charge by all visitors and exhibitors without further registration or cost.

We will be reporting separately on the Biofach Country of the Year – The Netherlands.