Biofach 2017: Building an Organic Future

From 15 to 18 February 2017, 2,785 exhibitors from 88 countries will be gathering together for BioFach, the World's Leading Trade Fair for Organic Food, and Vivaness, the International Trade Fair for Natural Personal Care. 70% of the exhibitors will be from outside Germany, and 259 will be from the natural cosmetics sector. These are the latest figures released by NürnbergMesse. In eight halls spanning a net area of 47,543 m², the over 48,000 expected visitors will find a comprehensive range of products that covers every segment of the organic industry.

The congresses will be focusing on diversity and responsibility, while Germany will be presenting itself for the 28th edition as country of the year with the motto “Building an organic future”.

Picture: Logo of  Germany, the BioFach Country of the Year. The Federal Ministry is going to build a future for organic – an endeavour that calls for innovation and responsibility'

Figures and analysis at the Congress

What was the development of organic turnover last year - in Europe and globally? What was the performance of particular sales channels and what's the situation from the perspective of the producers? These questions will be answered by organic associations and market researchers at BioFach. It is a tradition to present the previous year's sales figures for the organic market in Germany, other European countries and countries worldwide. Included in this presentation is data relating to the development of land that is being farmed organically. After the latest quarterly surveys you'll also be wondering what the overall figures for the specialist wholefood trade in Germany are.

We'll provide an initial overview of the market data taht are already published, please find them in our news in brief on Monday and Tuesday. From 14 February, detailed analysis of the figures will be presented at the BioFach Congress, including at these events:

BIOFACH World: Trends and news of organic markets in ASEAN and India

The German organic food market: Facts, figures and analysis

The World of Organic Agriculture at BIOFACH 2017

The European market for organic food at BIOFACH 2017

Global Organic Market Overview - facts, trends and opportunities

The Future Strategy for Organic Farming of the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture

Many people are keenly awaiting the Future Strategy for Organic Farming that the Minister for Agriculture, Christian Schmidt, will reveal at the press conference on the opening day of BioFach. Schmidt keeps emphasising that the aim of the ministry is to expand the area of land managed organically to 20% of farmed land. He has initiated the Future Strategy for Organic Farming in order to reach this target figure. The ministry says in a statement: “With this strategy for the future the government and the federal states will boost organic agriculture in Germany and supplement and support regional organic action programmes and organic model regions.”

In the recent past, the federal government,  by means of the Bundesprogramm Ökologischer Landbau und andere Formen nachhaltiger Landwirtschaft (BÖLN), supported organic farming with 17 million euros a year, and in 2017 the figure will rise to 20 million euros. During the Congress representatives of the Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft BMEL will present the concept and the roadmap for an increase in organic farming in Germany. Others talk about European perspectives.

Presentation of the BMEL strategy for organic farming in the future

Best Practices in government support to organic agriculture

Using action plans to develop organics in Europe

Pesticides and contaminants in organic products

Picture: Federal Minister of Agriculture Christian Schmidt emphasises again and  again that his aim is 20% of agricultural land being farmed organically. Photo © Karin Heinze

Major theme in 2017: “Diversity and responsibility for one world”

The organic movement has always maintained that organic is a holistic social development approach. The organic umbrella organisation BÖLW,  as the sponsor of the world's leading trade fair, and Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein, the chairman of the German association, want to show  the visitors from all over the world “the huge importance of organic as a science-based and values-based economic system for Germany and the whole world. German organic entrepreneurs are taking ecological and social responsibility locally and in all parts of the world.” 

The international organic umbrella organisation and   patron of BioFach, IFOAM Organics International, sees four principles underlying people's understanding of the worldwide organic movement: health, ecology, fairness and  care. “Organic actors create in a variety of locally adapted ways an agriculture and food economy that is viable and functions in tune with soil, water and climate, thinks in terms of cycles and enhances the life chances of people today and in the future,” IFOAM explains. It goes on to say that a common factor that links the organic movement is its diversity. This why diversity and responsibility and its  many facets are addressed in the Congress and why ecological solutions to the issues facing us in the future are presented from a global and local perspective at, among others, the following events:

Recent updates in Organic Scientific Research

True Cost Accounting - from the perspective of policies and politics

New Rules of Play: How to Access the EU Organic Market

Organic farming, biodiversity and beauty

Practical research for climate protection in organic agriculture

Making the CAP more sustainable

Picture: At Eingang Mitte at BioFach the participating nations are welcomed with their flags. Photo © Karin Heinze

Resilience and diversity in agriculture and nutrition

According to IFOAM and BÖLW, in future an even greater role will be played by political responsibility for the development of organic agriculture, cooperation in development work, free access to the market for all actors and a viable economy characterised by resilience and diversity – as laid down in the IFOAM programme Organic 3.0.

Picture: Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein and EU Commissioner Hogan on a tour round the fair on a former BioFach. Photo © Karin Heinze

BÖLW summarises the opportunity that BioFach offers the industry as follows: “In the policy forum at the  BioFach Congress politicians, multipliers, press and entrepreneurs discuss in depth the achievements, challenges and development possibilities of the organic sector. At BioFach all actors can discuss developments in the organic sector.”

Tracking innovations and trends

When the international organic industry gathers at BioFach and Vivaness, it's not of course just a matter of visiting the Congress because for many visitors the priority is discussing with other people in the exhibition halls. They come to seek out trends and new products, sample things and talk to manufacturers and colleagues in the industry. The trends being concentrated at Biofach are convenience, speciality foods, the exotic taste of coconut, superfoods, free-from products and regionality. Two of the numerous trends at Vivaness include multifunctionality and vegan cosmetics, explains Nuremberg Messe.

Again in 2017, the proven location of particular themes across the exhibition halls makes it easy for visitors to find their way. The German manufacturers are mainly in Halls 6, 7 and 9, the German Specialist Trade Forum is in Hall 9.565 . Hall 7A is traditionally reserved for Vivaness and natural cosmetics. You find the stands of international companies in Halls 1,2,4 and 5. The Congress takes place in NCC Ost.

Awaiting visitors to the Worlds of Experience Gastronomy, Olive Oil, Wine and Vegan are product presentations, tastings and workshops, plus talking to experts. There's again a lot to discover in the spacious innovations section in the entrance hall (Eingang Mitte). All the 771 new products being displayed and can be viewed at the BioFach and Vivaness novelty stands. The BioFach pavilion will have 24 young organic enterprises, while a further 10 will be appearing at the Vivaness  equivalent. Start-ups and young, innovative natural cosmetics manufacturers will be showcasing products in the special area called Breeze.

There is an interactive hall map offered as well as an App. Photo © NürnbergMesse

Petra Wolf, a member of the management at NürnbergMesse  looks tensely and also proudly at this year's BioFach: „ In 2017, BioFach is focusing on Germany – the home of many pioneers in the industry, a country where regional value chains are promoted and in which at the same time the linking of ecological projects worldwide was valued from the outset – by, for example, creating sustainable relations pertaining to raw materials. As the organisers of BioFach, together with the Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft (BÖLW) and the Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (BMEL), we're looking forward to the presentation of Germany as the Country of the Year under the motto 'Bio schafft Zukunft – Building an Organic Future'!”

Picture: Petra Wolf, member of the management at NürnbergMesse. Photo © NürnbergMesse

During the BioFach and Vivaness days we'll keep you up to date at

organic-market.info and #organic_tweet