Solid results for BioFach and Vivaness 2010

About 43,500 trade visitors (2009: 46,771) defied the crisis and streamed into the exhibition centre in Nürnberg from 17–20 February for BioFach and Vivaness, the annual get-together for the global organic market, according to the organizers NurnbergMesse GmbH.

At BioFach Congress: Sophisticated consumers demand more

A major market trend is that consumers are becoming more sophisticated. Originally, consumers were buying organic food for health reasons and ecological reasons. However, consumers today are becoming better informed. They still care about the environment and today, climate change has made the environment more important.

Euro-Nat: Partnering Bolivian quinoa for 20 years

In 1988, entrepreneur Didier Perreol, discovered quinoa at a casual encounter during an exhibition in Geneva. He was looking for a unique cereal product to stand out from his 75 product line his firm Euro-Nat had recently introduced to natural health food stores in France.

Fair trade, ethical food support grows

Nearly a third or 30 percent of UK shoppers say they have specifically purchased locally produced food over the last month, double the number in 2006, according to new consumer research just released by UK-based food and grocery analysts IGD.

Germany still leads the pack

Germany still represents the biggest organic market in Europe, with potential for growth, followed by France and Great Britain. Organic sales account for 6.5% of the total food sales in Germany, 3.4% in France and 2.2% in Great Britain.

Irupana: building a sustainable model of social enterprise

With a jeep, 4,000 USD and two ideas, entrepreneur Javier Hurtado Mercado founded Irupana Andean Organic Food S.A. in 1985. First, he wanted to market natural and organic certified products from small indigenous producers in Bolivia. Second, he wanted to make available ancient forgotten nutritious foods.

Hope for Haiti restoring the soil

What happens when a country has no trees left and its soil has been depleted with intensive farming, a high density population and poor governance? Look at Haiti. Our hearts go out to the people of this Caribbean nation.

Organics UK plans 1.8 million campaign to boost organic sector

Organics UK is planning a 1.8 million pounds campaign over three years to promote organic food and farming and to encourage consumption of organic products with a major campaign launch in October 2010.