In 1979, farmers from various federal states founded the "Association of Organic Organic Farms in Austria", a forerunner of today's organic association BIO AUSTRIA. The forty-year anniversary was celebrated on October 17 in the appropriate conditions at the Bio-Seminar-Betrieb of the Kletzmayr family in St. Marien (Upper Austria).
Around 350 guests from all over Austria accepted the invitation of BIO AUSTRIA, including numerous pioneers and founding members of the organic association, coming from all federal states. Numerous companions from politics, business and society were also present, among them the head of the agriculture section of the Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism, Johannes Fankhauser, LKÖ Secretary General DI Ferdinand Lembacher and Agriculture Minister A.D. DI Andrä Rupprechter.
"The joint efforts of pioneers in organic farming, their persistence and conviction have paved the way for much that is taken for granted today. The merger of these organic farmers into a single association has laid the foundation for the development of organics in Austria, and without this association, the organic agriculture probably would not have received the recognition that it is given today," said Gertraud Grabmann, CEO of BIO AUSTRIA, in her speech on the role of the founding members of the Organic Association.
In his speech, former Minister of Agriculture, Andrä Rupprechter, emphasized the cooperation of politics and the organic association, which was also an essential prerequisite for the successful development of organic agriculture in Austria. In a retrospective, he shed light on a number of milestones - from the first-time establishment of guidelines for organic farming in the Austrian food book "Codex Alimentarius Austriacus" in the late 1980s to the establishment of the Department of Organic Agriculture in the Ministry in 1989, all the way to the founding of the Bio Umbrella organization BIO AUSTRIA in 2005.
Reliable and competent partner
"BIO AUSTRIA has always been a reliable partner with a high degree of expertise, and it was particularly important in negotiations with the European Commission that the association contributed its expertise." BIO AUSTRIA is undoubtedly an essential and professional representation for organic farmers in Austria," Rupprechter stressed.
Head of Section Johannes Fankhauser also emphasized the great cooperation with the organic association, regarding the further development of organic agriculture and emphasized the essential role of BIO AUSTRIA in the education and advice of organic farmers. In addition, he cited measures by politicians that have led to the strengthening of organic farming in Austria, and in 2001 in the first bio-action program of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management are. This is a concrete declaration of intent to promote organic agriculture and its products.
Green Event
The event has been certified as a "Green Event" and thus aligned with special consideration of ecological, social and social sustainability. For example, a shuttle service has taken guests to and from the train station in Linz. In addition to climate-friendly mobility, other factors include the use of organic, seasonal foods from the region, waste prevention and accessibility criteria of a green event.
For more information: www.bio-austria.at