The Products of Organic Food in Germany
1. The Overview of Organic Food in Germany
The organic products called Bio products in Germany in
the previous time had been much produced and sold in some
localities. At first the organic products had been produced in
Germany in 1924. However, from the structure of better
convenient transportation, there are many organic products
available all over the cities in Germany and there is an
importation Bio product from other countries to satisfy the
needs for many consumers. The main discipline for producing
the Bio products did not use chemical compounds, or unnatural
sources in order to get high nutrition and free from the
poisonous chemical substances. Moreover, on the process of
production it had been realized to the effect may be happen
from the environmental surroundings.
During 2006-2009 the organic products became very
popular. It could be said that these products became the hottest
and had the rate of highest growth. It resulted from consumer’s
attentiveness very much realized with their health and there
were some contagious diseases from animals such as mad
cow disease (the bovine spongiform encephalopathy), avian flu
and other diseases affecting from poisonous substances and
chemical residues. In 2007 the circulation of the organic
products increased at 15% and 10% in 2008 respectively.
However, from the statistical report of Bund Ökologische
Lebensmittelwirtschaft (BOELW), it concluded that in 2009 the
organic products in Germany were steadiness which had
circulation in the same way of circulation in 2008. It was 5.7
billion Euros or 285 billion baths because the important
marketing channels were retail shops and supermarkets which
were discounters for decreasing the organic products in their
supermarkets and prices of products to attract the interest from
the customers. However, it was not much successful because it
could increase only the quantity of products but it could not
increase the circulation.
2. The Production
The farmers produced the organic products in Germany
can be classified into 2 groups as:
1. Producers under the regulation of Europe Bio (EU-Bio)
are 47.5%.
2.
Producers
under
(Verbands –Bio) are 52.5 %.
the
regulations
of
Germany
In 2009 there were total farmers in Germany 21,009
members could produce the products of organic food in the
areas of 951,557 hectares. Comparing with last year, there was
business operation increased 5.9 % or 1,185 members and
agricultural areas increased 4.4 % or 40,172 hectares. It was
5.6 % of all farmers and 5.9 of all agricultural areas in
Germany.
Table 1: The percentage of producers produced the
organic products in 2009 classified as the type of producers.
Numbers of
Percentage
Areas
Percentage
Producers/
(%)
(Hectares)
(%)
Business
Producers
9,979
47.5
298,218
31.3
11,030
52.5
653,339
68.7
under the
regulation
of Europe
Bio (EUBio)
Producers
under the
regulations
of
Germany
(Verbands
–Bio)
All
21,009
100
951,557
100
producers
Percentage
of
5.9 %
5.6%
total
agriculture
The farmers produced the products of organic foods
gathering in many associations under the Organic Food
Federation confederated by a group of products, regulation of
products and area of products. The statistic information of the
Organic Food Federation in 2009 reported that there were
farmers and producers produced the organic food which
members of the federation 11,030 companies. Comparing with
last year, there was manufacturing increased 6% or 620
companies; areas for all agricultures in 2009 were 653,339
hectares increased 5.2 % or 32,301 hectares. There was
producing organic product in the eastern German much more
than western German.
Table 2: Producers Federation of Germany in 2009
The
Number
of
Areas (Hectares)
Farmers
No.
Federation
(2008)
(2009)
(2008)
(2009)
1
Bioland
4,967
5,233
243,966
257,019
2
Naturaland
2,005
2,214
93,964
105,316
3
Demeter
1,341
1,388
60,365
64,253
4
Biokreis
726
810
29,057
33,433
5
Biopark
659
647
139,600
138,167
6
Gaa
325
337
31,092
32,588
7
Ecovin
197
210
1,150
1,307
8
Verband
161
162
19,958
19,208
Okohofe
Total
10,410
11,030
621,038
659,339
Picture 1: The Percentage of Producers Federation
produced the products of organic products in Germany
The Percentage of Producers Federation produced
the products of organic products in Germany classified
into the numbers of producers
 Bioland
 Naturaland
 Demeter
 Biokreis
 Biopark
 Gaa
 Ecovin
3. Marketing
Channels
 Verbund Okohofe
At the present time the consumers in Germany
consume the products of organic foods about 12-18 billion
members or 17-20 % of all population because the price of
organic products are rather expensive than the general
products produced normally about 10-40 %. However, last
year the retail shop and supermarket which are discounters
decreased the price of their organic products to attract the
more interest from the customers especially some fruits and
vegetables which have continuously high amount of
consuming such as carrot, banana, cabbage etc.
The marketing channels can be classified into the
organic products as:
1. The general retail shop and supermarkets
2. Discounter supermarket
3. The particular shop or supermarkets sell only the
organic products.
4. The shop for good health (Reform House)
5. Bakery or hand work
6. The shops of producers
In 2009 the market of organic products in Germany had
continuously sold although the total circulation would less
increase comparing with last year. It was 1% or 5.8 billion
Euros. The reason of growth rate decreasing did not come from
decreasing popularity of organic products but it came from the
economic system affecting from the impact of global economy.
The statistic report was shown that amount of spending money
for conventional products of consumers in German in 2009
decreased at 2.4 %. It showed that the decreased amount of
trading organic products decreased was less than decreased
amount of trading the general food products. It could be said
that the stable structure and popularity of consumers to the
organic products were rather high level continuously. This good
affects to export the organic rice and other organic products of
Thai to the market in Germany.
Moreover, in the overview of the particular shops and
supermarkets only sold the organic products have very much
increasingly got the popularity. In 2009 those shops had the
high circulation of selling products at 4% comparing with last
year because there were obvious kinds of products and
salespersons could tell the clear information about the organic
products to the customers such as these shops; Basic,
Alnatura, Reformhaus, Bio Markt etc.
The Picture 2: The circulation of organic food was
classified into the types of business
The circulation of organic food was
classified into the types of business
Circulation (Billion Euros)
 Statistical Anticipation
 Total Circulation
 Retail shops / Supermarkets / Discounter
 The particular shops only sell the organic products
 Shops for good health
 Bakery/ Hand work etc.
4. Developing Market of Organic Products in 2009
Developing market of organic product in Germany can
be concluded as:
1. The discounter supermarkets which are very
impact to market. The products can be dispensed to
the customers very wide because these shops have
most regular customers, many branches and
established in the places where the customers can
easily find them. So, it is easy to dispense the
products of organic food.
2. Giving
more
market
share
of
discounter
supermarket affects to the factors of productions’
price. However, although the strategy of decreasing
product’s price can get more quantity of trading but
cannot get more total circulation of trading.
3. The total products of organic food have stable price
or decrease when comparing with last year.
4. Consumers interest in the obvious kinds of
products available in the shop. The information can
be referred from the Organic Food Federation about
the particular shops and supermarkets sell only the
organic products specified that the shop or
supermarket which have large areas (Larger than
300 square kilometers) will become more popular
for the customers than the smaller shop or
supermarkets. This affects to 100 small shops or
supermarket closed themselves in 2009.
5. The organic products produced by the producers in
each locality of Germany are most reliable to the
customers. It affects to have growth rate in other
organic products in other cities.
The Picture 3: Distribution of the particular shop or
supermarkets sells only the organic Products in Germany.
(Rate: 100,000 people in the city where have
population more than 100,000 people)
Source: Zeit Magazin
5. The Example Products of Organic Food in Germany
Picture 4: The circulation of selling products of organic
food in 2009 (January-November) compared with the same
time of 2008.

Cereal

Products from meat/sausage

Yogurt

Cooking oil

Quark

Egg

Sauce

Canned food

Hot drinks

Parfait

Fresh meat

Non-alcohol drinks

Baby food

Tomato

Low fat milk

Bakery

Alcoholic beverage

Butter

Beverage from dairy products

Sweets

Vegetable

Sugar

Side dishes

Milk
6. Certification Organic Products
All organic products in Germany must be controlled and
certified to get the standard according to the EU law No.
2092/91 (EEC No.2092/91), the agricultural products,
organic food, organic agricultural methods and agriculture
for BIO products. It is consistent with the regulation of
IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movement) which is very important organization of organic
agriculture and recognized as the one of the world. The only
standard organic products certified have right to use the logo
of certified organic products which will have the different
agencies to certify them.
The logo certified organic products in Germany can
classify into agencies and organizations which check out
certification as:
3.1 The EU-Logo had started to use since 2001. It is
green circle and it has blue circle inside. In the blue circle it
has 12 white stars surrounded with the green ear of rice.
The outside of circle has blue triangles around the circle and
there is passage in it translated into official language of EU.
At the present EU is arranging the contest to design a new
logo. It is anticipated that a new logo would be formally
announced to use it in the middle year of 2009. However, in
Germany there was less using the EU-Logy because logo of
Germany government was more popular.
3.2 German Bio Logo had started to use since 2000 for
the products of organic food, other organic products. The
logo is green hexagon. The inside of it is white and there is
black and green letter referring to the EU law. This logo has
been popularized the most in Germany because it has been
very well known by people and neighboring countries such
as French etc. The quantity of products used the logo
certified by the government in 2009 was 56,065 types from
the number of producers were 3,413 members. There were
quantity of product increasingly used the logo 35,200 types.
3.3 Logo of Producer Association, confederation of
producers the products of organic products classified from
the property, regulation and area of products. The most
producers set higher standard than certified standard of
Germany government and EU. The important logos are
Bioland, Naturaland and Demeter.
In addition to those logos, there is also Fairtrade which
has been popularized by most people. This logo is
commercial logy of fair-trade recognized by ELO (Fairtrade
Labelling Organizations International). There are regulations
such as buying directly the organic products from the
farmers with higher price and justice, helping farmers to
develop production, management and selling. At the present
time the consumers in Germany and EU continuously focus
on this standard and the standard of organic products. This
resulted in the organic products produced by the producers
must adjust the strategy of marketing channel by using
Fairtrade logo to increase the value of their organic
products.
In 2005 two-thirds of organic products used
Fairtrade logo at 45% and increased at 65% in 2006.
7. Structure of Tax, Regulation and Related Measure
7.1 Structure of Tax
(1) Value Added Tax, at the present, has the rate of
19% for general products but food has rate of 7%.
(2) Import Duty classified into type of products will pay
tax as:
- Material goods will not exceed 4%
- Rudimentary products will not exceed 20%
(3) Tariff, Germany uses tariff as Harmonized System
and custom officials check out the completeness of
document whether it is right with coordinated products
specified in importing document and then issue the
confirmation letter to confirm the completeness of document.
7.2 Non-Tariff Measure
(1) Import License, the agricultural products must pay
import tax and have import license all the time.
(2) Special Quota, dividing special quota for products
from Eastern Europe Countries is obstacle to Thai trading
because
Thai
products
exports
to
Germany
are
disadvantageous price comparing with these countries
which get this special quota.
(3) Product checking, the custom officials may take a
random to check import license and take products which are
available in the market to temporarily check or check when
getting inform from customers about sanitation and size of
package. If the result of checking is not correct as the
specification from the document, those products will be
removed from the market.
(4) New Regulation for Products, Germany emphasizes
to the safety of consumer’s health and environmental
protection and natural resource conservation, so there is
setting many regulations to succeed these purposes.
(5) Responsibility for the Products, all products
import to the market have regulation as the law specified
that whenever the products cause the damage to consumers
about their health or the environment, the producers must
take responsibility to that damage not exceeding 100 million
Euros. However, if they are import products, the imported
must take responsibility to that damage except the
agricultural products that don’t have converged.
8. Name and Address of Related Organization and
Federation
1.
Bioland Bundesverband
Kaiserstr. 18
55116 Mainz
Tel.: +49-61361-239790
Fax: +49-6131-2397927
www.bioland.de
2. Bund Oekoklogische Lebensmittelwirtschaft
Marienstrasse 19-20
10117 Berlin
E-Mail : info@boelw.de
www.boelw.de
3. Assoziation Oekologische Lebensmittelhersteller
Zum Pilsterhof 7
97769 Oberleichtersbach
Tel.: +49-9741-4834
Fax: +49-9741-932201
4. Biokreis e.V.
Regensburger Str. 34
94036 Passau
Tel.: +49-851-756500
Fax: +49-851-7565025
5. Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung
Deichmanns Aue 29
53179 Bonn
Tel: +49 228 - 68 45-3355
Fax: +49 228 - 68 45-2907
E-Mail: bio-siegel@ble.de
Internet: www.bmelv.de
6. Geschäftsstelle Bundesprogramm Ökologischer
Landbau in der Bundesanstalt für
Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (BLE)
Deichmanns Aue 29
53179 Bonn
Tel.: +49 228 - 68 45-3355
Fax: +49 228 - 68 45-2907
Internet: www.oekolandbau.de
7. Bundesverband Naturkost Naturwaren Hersteller
und Handel e.V.
Eberplatz 1
50668 Koeln
Tel.: +49-221-13975644
Fax: +49-221-13975640
www.n-bnn.de
8. Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft
und Verbraucherschutz (BMELV)
Rochusstr. 1, 53123 Bonn
Post box: 14 02 70, 53107 Bonn
Tel: 0228/529-0
Fax: 0228/529-4262
Internet: www.bmelv.de
9. International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movement
Internet: www.ifoam.org
9. Food Products and Organic Products Expo in Germany
1. Grüne Woche Berlin
2130.01.2011
International Green Week Berlin
Messe Berlin GmbH
Messedamm 22
14055 Berlin
Tel.: +49-30-30382026
Fax: +49-30-30382019
E-mail : igw@messe-berlin.de
www.greenweek.de
2. Fruit Logistica
911.02.2011
International Trade Fair for Fruit and Vegetable
Marketing
Messe Berlin GmbH
Messedamm 22
14055 Berlin
Tel.: +49-30-30382047
Fax: +49-30-30382020
E-mail: fruitlogistica@messe-berlin.de
www.fruitlogistica.de
3.
Biofach
1619.02.2011
World Organic Trade Fair
NürnbergMesse GmbH
Messezentrum
90471 Nürnberg
Tel.: +49-911-86068648
Fax: +49-911-86068634
E-mail: info@biofach.de
www.biofach.de
4. Fish International
1214.02.2012
International Trade Fair for Fish and Seafood
MGH Messe- und Ausstellungsges. Hansa GmbH
Bürgerweide
20209 Bremen
Tel.: +49-421-3505260
Fax: +49-421-3505261
E-mail: info@fishinternational.de
www.fishinternational.com
5.
InterMopro
2326.09.2011
International Trade Fair Dairy Products
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Messeplatz 1
40474 Düsseldorf
Tel.: +49-211-4560900
Fax: +49-211-4560668
E-mail: info@messe-duesseldorf.de
www.intermopro.de
6. Intercool
2326.09.2011
International Trade Fair Frozen Food, Ice Cream,
Refrigeration Technology
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Messeplatz 1
40474 Düsseldorf
Tel.: +49-211-4560900
Fax: +49-211-4560668
E-mail: info@messe-duesseldorf.de
www.intercool.de
7. InterMeat
23-26.09.2011
International Trade Fair Meat, Cold Meat and
Sausage
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Messeplatz 1
40474 Düsseldorf
Tel.: +49-211-4560900
Fax: +49-211-4560668
E-mail: info@messe-duesseldorf.de
www.intermeat.de
Department of International Trade
Promotion, Frankfurt, Germany
January, 2011