At Biofach in Nuremberg, Demeter was able to announce good business figures. In 2019, 
a total of 96 producers was newly admitted to the Demeter Association, so that there are currently almost 1,700 Demeter farms throughout Germany (+6%). They are cultivating produce on 8,000 ha more than in the previous year, covering an area of about 93,000 ha (+ 9%).
Last year, almost 800 new Demeter products were registered with the association. The number of processing farms has grown by 16 farms to a total of 323. In the processing sector, Demeter sales increased by 27% compared to the previous year. And in the trade, too, turnover grew: in natural food wholesale by over 15%.
On the occasion of Biofach, Demeter board member Alexander Gerber once again refers to the delegates' conference in April 2019. In addition to the decision that from 2022 at the latest all fresh fruit and vegetables will no longer be packed in plastic packaging, or only plastic-free packaging, further guidelines were adopted for production and distribution. For example, the great role that Demeter attributes to soil fertility was once again strengthened: in addition to farms, in future nurseries must also keep on-farm roughage eaters from an initial size of 40 hectares and in ten years from ten hectares.
Minimum assortment size
In order to ensure that Demeter products may only be sold in shops that are sufficiently active in the organic sector, the minimum threshold for the organic range has been raised. A dealer must now stock at least 1200 organic products in order to be allowed to list Demeter products. The minimum assortment size now also applies when an agricultural enterprise delivers to a chain store or wholesaler.
Source: Top Agrar / Demeter