It is often said that Austria is a world champion. A Bio world champion, no less. That holds true when it comes to organic farmland, organic operations, or a strong organic association. But set against that is a consumer attitude towards Bio that still has plenty of room to grow. To move Austrians from being – largely – bargain-hunters to conscious organic consumers, we need to make some real noise. The Bio-Landgut Esterhazy has done exactly that, making a resounding statement by hosting the Biofeldtage 2018 and extending an open invitation.
Biofeldtage 2018 – An International Success
This new event has more than lived up to Austria's pioneering role in organic farming. Every expectation was exceeded: Around 8,000 visitors came to the Biofeldtage 2018 at Bio-Landgut Esterhazy in Donnerskirchen in the Lake Neusiedl region. More than ever before – even by European comparison with similar events. The organising partners, the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) Austria, the association BIO AUSTRIA Burgenland, the Landwirtschaftskammer Österreich (LKÖ), as well as PANNATURA is certain to attract international attention with its entirely new concept of a comprehensive, holistic approach to land management at the 2018 Biofeldtage. Guests from all across Austria, the neighbouring countries, and even delegations from France, England, Romania, Greece, Croatia and as far afield as Kazakhstan were represented at the Bio-Landgut Esterhazy.
So much for the official figures and information. We were there and experienced an intense day all about organic farming in Austria. What stuck with us above all was the point mentioned at the outset: that Austria is a nation of deal-hunters. Prices are scrutinised down to the last cent, and people buy wherever it's cheapest. A striking example of this came from the representative of a retail chain: "When we offer a promotion on pork at €4.99 per kilogram, 18 tonnes of pork are sold across Austria. But if the promotion price drops by just €1.00 — to €3.99 — between 64 and 70 tonnes are sold." Animal welfare and health, organic husbandry and feed, and high meat quality simply don't add up at that price.
We chose organic farming because we firmly believe it is the best approach for our soils, enables the production of wholesome food, and secures the future for our children. As consumers, we will continue to choose organic products, because we believe the added value they offer far outweighs their higher price. The Biofeldtage reminded us once again that we are on the right path.
