Biodynamic agriculture has experienced a significant growth in the last decade in Spain, where there are already more than 400 agricultural producers and ranchers certified by Demeter-Spain, out of which more than 75% are fruit and vegetable producers like Antonio Rodríguez Ocaña, and half of them are from Almeria.
"In 2006 we decided to convert our farm in Brenes to organic, and in 2014 I started implementing biodynamic agriculture and became Demeter-certified in 2016. Just like it had happened with the move to organic farming, we were the first in the area to have this certificate," says Antonio, manager of Biobren and president of the Spanish Association of Biodynamic Producers SURYA.
"Biodynamic agriculture can be considered advanced organic agriculture. The producer needs to be strongly respectful to the environment, as well as to undergo training in order to get into this agricultural discipline. It is a form of agriculture that has been practiced for almost a century, following the lectures given by Rudolf Steiner in Koberwitz (located in the former Prussia) in 1924. The fundamentals explained in these lectures are the basis of the current Demeter certification standards."
As for its expansion in Almeria, "it should be noted that Almeria's producer sector is one with a great commercial vocation and very attentive to developments in the fields of quality and market trends, and biodynamic production is one of them," says Antonio. "This year, there is undeniably a crisis in Europe which has taken a toll on consumption in general and, given this situation, some organic consumers have 'fled' to the conventional, including consumers of Demeter products, so the premium that was paid for Demeter products compared to the organic has now been reduced. Nevertheless, Demeter remains a gateway to enter the market." In fact, his experience at Biobren proves this.
"Of the 10 hectares we have grown in Brenes, 6 of them are planted with kakis, 2 with grapefruit and 2 with oranges. In 2016, when we obtained the Demeter certificate, there were only 10 certified hectares with kakis in the world, so we alone accounted for 60% of the world's Demeter kaki acreage. This led us, a relatively small company in the sector, to sell almost all of our production, some 100,000 kilos, to Germany." Today, according to data from the Demeter website, of the 23 certified biodynamic kaki producers in the world, 14 are Spanish. The other 9 are from Slovenia, France and Austria.
"Kakis are one of the many Demeter products consumed in Europe, where vegetables are undoubtedly the most marketed, precisely because of the growth that has taken place in Almeria. At the last symposium on biodynamic agriculture held in Almeria, the people in charge of Demeter International themselves were impressed by the professionalism with which Almeria's producers with solar greenhouses practice biodynamic agriculture."
"Only a correct promotion, targeting the Spanish public, will make it possible to introduce Demeter to consumers"
The desire of producers to be part of an association that would provide mutual support and advice, as well as commercial strength, led a group of producers in 2016 to form what is now the Spanish Association of Biodynamic Producers, SURYA.
"One of SURYA's goals is the promotion and improvement of training in biodynamic agriculture, and for three years we have been preparing an action plan with this purpose. In 2023, one of the highlights of this action plan is the organization of a technical conference in Almeria, which we will be held next autumn."
"In addition to working on the promotion of biodynamic agriculture at the producer level in Spain, we also want to work on the promotion of consumption, although we know that it will be difficult in the short term, because Spanish consumers still need to become familiar with organic products before being ready for the Demeter."
"In the medium term, only a correct promotion, targeting the Spanish public, will make it possible to introduce Demeter to consumers. In any case, further promotional work is needed from Spanish retailers, as those are the ones reaching consumers."
For more information:
SURYA
Tel.: +34 670 977 475
biobren@surya.bio
www.surya.bio