Twelve organic food product producers from Denmark have launched an export line in Hamburg in co-operation with the Ministry of Agriculture. They want to increase the small amount of only 0.5 percent of ecological products within the catering industry. The Danes are already considering a yearly turnover of some millions of euros.
The usage of organic products in the German catering industry is very low compared to that of consumers. "If we can achieve the same sales volume in the gastronomy industry, we are talking about potentially around 3.6 million euros," according to consultant Sarah Fuglsig of the Danish food product consulting office Landbrug & Fødevarer.
Hamburg has been the Bio-city of Germany since last December
Bio-city Hamburg
There is a reason why the export initiative has been launched in Hamburg. The port city was appointed as Bio-city of Germany last December. This network was established in 2010 in order to increase the production and the consumption of organic food by means of advertising campaigns.
"Due to its large size, Hamburg is able to decide publicly what their own standards or goals are. That was the main reason to start our campaign here," Fuglsig says. In the next weeks, the Danish producers and representatives of German wholesalers and catering chains will discuss the possibilities with regard to meat, cheese, vegetables, juices and ice cream.