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| At BioFach Congress 2013, values take centre stage When the annual international industry gathering BioFach and Vivaness returns to Nuremberg on 13 to 16 February 2013, the requirements for sustainable and future-proof economic management will be the central focus of the Congress, which takes place alongside the world's leading trade fair. The Congress is the largest of its kind in the world, with around 150 events and 8,000 participants. The focus in 2013 builds seamlessly on last year's key topic of sustainability. Several subjects will be dealt with, including the significance of shared values, co-operation, fair action, fair and transparent value chains and diversity through regionality and globalisation. While conventional trade has primarily strived for the lowest possible food price for years, people now seem to be more concerned with added value and added benefit. This includes the method of production, social relations and working conditions as well as the product attributes. The social responsibility of companies is becoming increasingly important. A considerable change in values can be observed here over the course of the last decade. The rapidly growing turnover that fair trade produces is just one example that supports this. In addition, an ever increasing proportion of fair trade products are organically grown. In the organic food sector, many companies are taking on a greater responsibility towards all suppliers in the trade chain. What was taken for granted for a long time is now intensively communicated and made the subject of discussions. This also applies to BioFach: the world's leading trade fair is making the various aspects of shared values of the global organic family a key focus of the 2013 Congress. VALUEable, organically and regionally in the global village In mid-December 2012, the comprehensive Congress Programme for BioFach and Vivaness 2013 will be available online at www.biofach.de/congress and www.vivaness.de/congress complete with customisable congress planner. As part of the congress's focal point 'Shared Values. Action for a Future World', Dr Alexander Gerber, Managing Director of the Organic Food Production Alliance (Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft, BÖLW) (D) and Prof. Dr Götz E. Rehn, Managing Director of Alnatura Produktions- und Handels GmbH (D) and others will discuss how an economy based on values can function under the heading 'Organics are VALUEable'. Other topics include 'A common good economy: co-operation instead of competition' with Christian Felber, co-founder of the common good economy (Gemeinwohlökonomie) and the democratic bank of Austria (Demokratische Bank Österreich) (A) and others, and 'From the value chain to the valuation chain' as well as 'Organics from the home country to the global village – how regional do organics have to be?' Value brands: added value takes centre stage Germany is one of the pioneer countries of the international organic market. It boasts the most diverse range of organically, economically and socially sustainable and value-oriented projects both internationally and in individual regional sectors. For four years, a more relaxed group of ten German organic food producers have joined together under the label of value brandsto market their products predominantly in specialised shops. Their particular commitment to values such as co-operation, transparency, credibility, sustainability and fairness brings them all together. They discuss their experiences with each other and communicate their values via a Hamburg agency to the wholesale and retail industries and to the consumer. The member companies play an active role in climate and environmental protection, care about the social concerns of suppliers and employees and want to lead the way for environmentally friendly innovation. For one of the value brands, Ecological Dairy Factories of Allgäu (Ökologische Molkereien Allgäu, ÖMA) based in Kisslegg (D), organics begins with conserving nature. Together with the Rösslerhof Farm Collective (Höfegemeinschaft Rösslerhof) ÖMA initiated the project 'Conservation and Sustainability in Milk Production'. Experts from the Bioland farming association analyse and discuss how the individual partner farms are contributing to conservation and which measures could be developed, improved or extended. At Bohlsen Mill (Bohlsener Mühle) in Bohlsen (D), a producer of organic grain products that is also involved in the value-oriented group, the remnants of production are even turned into fuel. Large amounts of spelt wastage were accrued from the high production share of spelt, a grain that must be husked before being processed, which was expensive to dispose of. In the future, the company's ovens and several houses in the village will be heated using the spelt by-product. For the Barnhouse company, organic muesli experts from Mühldorf am Inn (D), independent and environmentally friendly energy production is a key topic. That's why they produce electricity using a photovoltaic plant. In addition, the company relies on energy-saving green roofing, extensive water and paper saving measures, and a special control concept for lighting. Organic Fair Society: setting an example for social responsibility and fair trade With the slogan "the best organic produce – fair for all" the Organic Fair Society (BioFairVerein), which is based in Kassel (D), supports more transparency in marketing. Now with 40 members, the group is campaigning for fairer producer prices and for organic produce to be marketed as regionally as possible. Their motto for this is "Fairness from the field to the plate". A well-known example is the member company Upländer dairy factory (Upländer Bauernmolkerei) (D), which was the first to gain public attention for its campaign for fair prices on domestic products with a designated surcharge. As such, the organic farmers who supply the Upländer dairy factory with milk are able to secure the future of their businesses. Seven values are given on the Organic Fair Society website under the motto "organic and fair is more", which exceed the EU organic regulation. These include requirements for the production of raw materials or the involvement of participating companies in environmental and social projects. Organic associations offer security Two thirds of the approximately 1 million hectares of biologically cultivated land in Germany are inspected by one of the nine recognised organic associations. For the farmers, this means higher requirements for animal farming and fewer permitted auxiliary supplies and production resources. Associations offer a long-term community, advisory services and controls that exceed the minimum of the EU organic standard. This is why the majority of organic food wholesalers that supply the specialist shops prefer to work closely with businesses such as those which belong to the farming associations Bioland, Demeter, Naturland and Gäa. A long-term co-operation, which is promoted by organic farming, is an important value for the founding generation of today's organic companies and it must now be handed down to the next generations. In retail, consumers are also increasingly questioning the status of values such as justice, fairness, transparency, environmental acceptability, long-term co-operation and reliability. Verifiable statements that are based on verifiable supply chains from reliable trade partners are increasingly called for. Values: is change the only constant? According to the Value Index 2012, "knowledge of the change process and its speed is not only fascinating for a company, but also essential for future survival". This was published by Professor Peter Wippermann from the Trendbüro in Hamburg (D). Companies must therefore show how they are assuming responsibility, and moreover, in a way that is not linked to the consumption of their products. Values are to be found in a continuous change process. This value change is reflected in the so-called megatrends– long-term and far-reaching upheavals in society. Futurologist Matthias Horx, founder and owner of the Future Institute (Zukunftsinstitut) in Kelkheim (D), takes eleven of these megatrends as a starting point. These include neo-environmentalism and health. Both directly concern consumers' behaviour and their affinity to organic produce. Sustainability and efficiency are now demanded in all sectors, Mr Horx explains. He believes successful "green brands" are the stars of the upcoming green economy and that health in this context denotes comprehensive well-being, which also includes a diet of sustainably and healthily produced food. As a part of the neo-environmentalism megatrend, Mr Horx believes the organics boom will continue unabated and the green lifestyle or LOHAS (Lifestyle of Heath and Sustainability) will continue to develop and change the consumer culture and the economy. write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Exhibition News :: home page |