„The significance of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) for the organic sector is continuously growing. On one side CEE offers chances as a sales market for organic products. On the other side its importance as an supplier of raw material is strongly increasing, and the offer of high quality organic products in the brand range as well as on the level of private label is being extended”, Bernhard Jansen, director of the organizer EkoConnect - International Centre for Organic Agriculture of Central and Eastern Europe e. V. sums up his impressions of the 6th Organic Marketing Forum in Warsaw. The two-day international event for producers, processers and marketers of organic products and raw materials took place the 26th and 27th of May in the Polish capital. The response kept last year’s level with approx. 370 participants from 27 countries. The exhibition area grew significantly for 35%, and the number of stands increased for about one third.
Amongst the exhibitors there were also shared stands from Poland, Austria and Germany. For the first time also a federation of several Central-Asian Associations represented the organic sector in their region. A growing number of visitors and exhibitors came from Russian-speaking countries. “The good atmosphere at the Forum, as well as the catering and tasting activities of the Polish Agricultural Minister in collaboration with the polish Association Polska Ekologia, show that the positive development of organic agriculture in Poland is moving forward. The whole organic market in Eastern Europe is in a dynamic development phase”, Bernhard Jansen says.
„There will be no success without organic“ was the theme of the initiating presentation of Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein (BöLW). He pointed out that the world hunger can neither be fought by genetic engineering nor with input of more production equipment, but only by traditional small farmer’s agriculture, organic farming and changed consumer’s behaviour. Apart from diverse contributions about marketing and management on all levels of the supply chain, particularly the highly informative contributions from single CEE countries like Russia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland as well as the topics related to specific subjects met great interest. Additionally the own knowledge and position regarding sustainability and the use of media could be questioned in workshops, and it was possible to attend a school lesson about healthy food together with local pupils. The final presentation of the companies Bioconcept-Gardenia from Poland and Ariza from the Netherlands pointed out the great chances of a long-term East-West collaboration in an impressing manner. Respect and trust between partners can have very positive effects - also economically.
The company LaSelva (Italy) won the 1st price in the concluding competition „Best of Organic“. The other prices were given to Bio Planet (Poland) and Voelkel (Germany).
The patronage of the Organic Marketing Forum was held by the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and the IFOAM EU Group. EkoConnect organised the Forum in co-operation with the Polish Association Ekoland, the state advisory service for agriculture in Poland, Polska Ekologia and the Organic Retailers Association. More information is available at www.organic-marketing-forum.org.
EkoConnect – International Centre for Organic
Agriculture of Central and Eastern Europe
