Danish Lead 2009
Posted - November 1, 2008
Denmark Country of the Year at BioFach 2009
By Adriana Michael - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2008
Next year in February, Biofach, the most international and influential fair for organic trade celebrates its 20th anniversary. Denmark has been selected “Country of the Year” to greet and share its amazing success story in the organic sector with over 46,000 visitors and around 2,900 exhibitors.
This is no surprise for those in the know. Denmark has a strong history of environmentalism. The country is a pioneer and trailblazer in wind power.
Today Danes spend an average of 80 Euros a year per person on organic food, making this small country of over 5 million people, the leader in the European Union (EU). Sales of Danish organic products grew by 33% in 2007. A 6.5% of all food sold in the country comes from organic sources. The capital city of Copenhagen enjoys a 12%, while the Danish government scores even higher than the citizens, with 45% of food requirements in schools, hospitals and other official areas coming from organic production.
“We have chosen Denmark because it has one of the world’s leading organic markets,” said in a release Udo Funke, managing director of BioFach in Nuernberg. Biofach management is convinced Denmark will continue to play an important role on the organic market in the future. “Denmark is a strong export-partner with internationally recognised organic products.”
How did Danemark reach this benchmark?
Denmark was the first country in the world to introduce a state-controlled organic certification, represented by a red Ø-mark, says Paul Holmbeck, managing director of Organic Denmark, a national umbrella organization that coordinates all private and public efforts for the proper development of the organic sector in the country. “Our national organic mark is trusted by Danish consumers and enjoys a 94% recognition rate”, says Holmbeck. “People in Denmark believe in our government institutions”. If someone tries to break the rules, the process goes very public and this openeness creates consumer trust.
Holmbeck also believes that the merging of all consumer, farmer and trade organic associations in 2002 under the umbrella – Organic Danemark – was a real turning point in the country’s organic movement.
The merger of eight main different organic associations was a process that started back in 1998, when the first step was to move offices of all entities to the same building. Holmbeck has been involved with the organization since the beginning and has seen first hand the process of internal restructuring and organization that has made Organic Danemark the powerhouse it is today.
“We had the same objectives and worked on the procedures to make sure all needs of all entities were addressed and covered,” says Holmbeck. Having one voice, one umbrella has empowered the movement and its members even further. “Communication with government officials and the media and reaching end consumers has been much effective”, adds Nanna Hyldegaard Hansen, public relations manager for Organic Danemark.
One of the main accomplishments of the Danish organic sector i since its pioneering years has been the cooperation of farmers and processors with the major supermarket chains, a task that Organic Danemark has developed even further.
“We created a tailor-made marketing strategy with each chain,” says Holmbeck. “They are competitors and know we work with all of them, but we make sure to offer each chain added value for our relationship with them.”
Another contributing aspect to the strong development of the organic sector has been the product differentiation, thanks to strong cooperation between organic producers, research institutions and Universities and the amazing support received from the government. “Danemark enjoys an environment that rewards innovation and a commitment to product development and to find more sustainable ways to obtain consumer goods”, says Holmbeck.
Given Denmark’s high levels of organic food consumption, it’s a sure bet that their strategy has paid off. Holmbeck also says that Organic Danemark is using the same approach to increase export activity with supermarket chains outside the country. During Biofach 2009 in Germany, visitors and exhibitors will enjoy a series of seminars and presentations to showcase Danemark’s success story and the different aspects of the programs currently in place , besides the release of results from research showing more evidence of the strong relationship between health issues and organic farming.
