Germany save the climate and can score points with their transparent origin" said Monika Tietke, organic grower and secretary of BKE.
With the motto "organic potatoes from here - 300 days per annum" the association came into the limelight for the first time during the Grüne Woche. The organic potato growers are in a position to supply their high quality potatoes to the trade 300 days per year, from the end of June to the last day of April. This is possible because of various potato varieties, a clever choice of growing areas and a good storage technique. "And nevertheless sometimes at the end of February the first early organic potatoes from Egypt or Israel are already on the shelves of supermarkets and of some organic companies. This is an enormous annoyance for us and it is a threat to the survival of some organic companies" Tietke says. "In addition organic potatoes from areas overseas have hardly anything to do with our basic idea of an ecological and regional foodstuff economy" Christoph Schäfer, chairman of BKE adds.
For instance in Israel the CO2-emission is much higher when producing organic potatoes than in Germany and so-called fossil water is used for irrigation. This very pure water is very much needed for human consumption and already worsens the ecological balance.
The German organic growers are leaders in the cultivation of organic potatoes in the EU. In 2010 the area used here for organic potatoes was 8,250 HA in total. On the bigger part of this (7,450 HA in 2010) consumption potatoes for the fresh market are produced.