BioFach 2017: Germany, country of the year

The organic community comes to Germany every year and meets at Biofach and Vivaness in Nuremberg. From 15th to 18th February 2017, Germany is to be the country of the year.

The next event is paying particular attention to the German organic sector under the heading “Building an Organic Future – Bio schafft Zukunft”. Within the framework of this presentation, the sector and NürnbergMesse placed particular emphasis on innovations, international relations and responsibility as the fundamental aspects of a forward-looking market.

Organic farming is now an important pillar of German agriculture and the German food industry

The Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Christian Schmidt, explains: “Organic products are becoming increasing popular with consumers; organic farming is now an important pillar of German agriculture and the German food industry, alongside conventional farming. My goal is to further increase the production of organic products in Germany. This is one reason why I initiated the Organic Farming – Looking Forwards strategy, which I am going to present at Biofach 2017. With Germany’s appearance as country of the year, the German organic sector can present its entrepreneurial spirit, its great capacity for innovation and the responsibility that it is accepting throughout the world.”

“With the presentation of Germany as the country of the year at Biofach 2017, we want – in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture – to show the performance of the sector and to illustrate how the organic sector is also taking on responsibility internationally. We want to contribute to the organic food industry being perceived around the world as a knowledge and value-based type of industry and strengthened,” says Dr Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein, Chairman of the national organic umbrella association Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft (BÖLW), the national honorary sponsor of the world’s leading trade fair. “We are convinced: organic products are building the future in Germany and throughout the world – for this form of industry can provide answers to precisely the questions that are asked regarding the agriculture and food industry of the future. This includes, in particular, the protection of the climate and resources, food sovereignty and globalisation.”

The CEOs of NürnbergMesse, Dr Roland Fleck and Peter Ottmann, are delighted about the country of the year being Germany: “One of the pioneering nations of the sector, a reliable partner of international products and one of the strong global organic markets at 8.6 billion euros, according to the latest figures, will be presented in all its aspects at the exhibition duo Biofach and Vivaness 2017 in Nuremberg. We would like to thank the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the BÖLW for the confidence in us as the organiser of the world’s leading trade fair that they are showing with this decision. The appearance of Germany as country of the year 2017 will definitely be forward-looking and inspiring.”