Transparency provided by our grain suppliers:

Do you recall your first contact with organic food?

Our first contact with organic food was within the family at the end of the 1970s. We have intensified this since 1980 when our cousin started to apply the BIOLAND guideline to his agricultural enterprise.

What does your company product range comprise of and why did you decide to commit yourself to organic farming?

We have three farms with a total area of approximately 850 hectares, which we manage together with external partners.

The parent company is in the Federal State of North-Rhine Westphalia. Here we focus on vegetable production.

For us, organic farming has always been the agriculture of the future. Having recognized this, we quickly decided to convert our agricultural business to organic farming.

How long have you been active in the organic food sector and how long have you been distributing organic products?

We converted our business to organic farming in 1988 and since then we have also been selling our products.

What is the philosophy behind your company?

We have three all important business goals:
As much organic farming as possible - organic farming is the agriculture of the future.
Cooperation - we enjoy working together with partners and we strive to achieve that in all of our activities from the farm to the table.
Jobs in rural areas - it is our goal to create jobs in order to give people the chance to live and work in the countryside.

How long have you been conducting business with KRÖNER-STÄRKE?

We started in 1996/1997, together with the Eickernmühle (see next interview), to deliver organic flour to KRÖNER-STÄRKE.

In which areas do you want to further develop this cooperation?

For the time being, we will always respond to customer requests. If required, we are willing to agree on multi-year contracts with our customers in combination with the respective contract growing arrangements with farmers.

How do you guarantee the quality of your organic products?

We guarantee traceability back to the field.

We conduct plant inspections, also abroad, and supplier audits via control bodies and co-operations.

How do you see the future of organic farming and organic food trade?

My wish for the next 10 years would be to see a 20 percent or more increase in organic farming in Germany and a regionalization of the trade with organically grown products. It would be great if the labels organic and regional could achieve a 20 percent share in food retail. Unfortunately, organic farming is stagnating at the moment and some fields are even being converted back to traditional methods. In our opinion, the marketing structures would need some improvement and the product prices need to be secured at a level that is adequate to the cost structure.

How do you assess the organic food market today and in the future?

The organic market will continue to grow as will demand. Currently, the biggest challenge is agricultural production.

In terms of products, I think that the development of vegetarian products is most important. However, we also have to improve transparency: It is not acceptable that organic farming is relocated to Eastern Europe for cost reasons.

What share do organic products have of your company total sales?

100 %