Catalan organic sector companies promote themselves at BIOFACH in Nuremberg (Germany)

PRODECA is organising the joint participation of 12 Catalan organic sector companies at Biofach, held in Nuremberg (Germany) from 14 to 17 February, under the agri-food brand "Catalonia, where organic is culture". 

Biofach is Europe's and the world's leading showcase devoted exclusively to organic food. It features a very diverse range of organic companies, products and services, and hosts congresses, conferences, seminars and workshops on current organic production issues. The 2022 edition had 2,132 exhibitors from 94 countries and more than 24,000 trade visitors from 137 countries.

Catalan companies taking part under the brand "Catalonia, where organic is culture": 

• CAL VALLS (Juices and preserved vegetables) – Pla d'Urgell
• ECOBASICS (Various organic) – Gironès 
• PIRINAT (Meat) – Ripollès 
• ALTERNATIVA 3 (Coffee, infusions and sweets) – Vallès Occidental
• SANTIVERI (Multi-product organic) – Barcelonès
• CHOCOLATES SOLÉ (Chocolate) – Vallès Occidental
• INDULLEIDA (Juices and concentrates) – Segrià  
• LIQUATS VEGETALS (Plant-based drinks) – Selva
• DELAFRUIT (Multi-product organic) - Baix Camp
• ACEITES DE SEMILLAS (Oils) - Vallès Occidental
• CASA AMELLA BIO FOOD (Multi-product organic) - Bages
• BLANXART (Chocolate) - Baix Llobregat

For the fair, Prodeca, through its agri-food promotion officer at the Catalan Government Delegation to Germany, has produced a promotional programme for the Catalan companies taking part in Biofach 2023 , aiming to present their products and new launches to the German market and encourage trade contacts with importers and buyers. 

Catalonia, a leader in organic agri-food production

With turnover of €991 million, Catalonia leads Spain in organic agri-food processing and marketing. According to theCCPAE's 2021 Organic Farming Report, organic production in Catalonia grew in 2021 in organic producers (11%), productive crop area (12%), livestock (7%) and agri-industry (10%), a positive trend consolidated in recent years. 

Indeed, organic area in Catalonia is growing faster than the Spanish and European averages: over the last 10 years Catalonia's organic area has grown 207%, compared with 48% in Spain and 60% in Europe over the same period. Catalonia's organic area accounts for 10.5% of Spain's total organic area; Spain is currently the second country in Europe by organic area (behind France) and sixth in the world.

The international market, an opportunity for Catalan producers

In 2021 most Catalan organic product sales went to the domestic market, worth €394 million (46% of the total). €209 million (24%) went to the rest of Spain. Sales to other European Union countries came to €162 million (19%) and exports to third countries outside the EU reached €93 million (11%), 33% more than the previous year, according to CCPAE figures.

The €255 million in organic product exports would place Catalonia as the 17th largest exporter in this segment, ahead of countries such as New Zealand, Tunisia and the United Kingdom. Catalan exports accounted for almost 22% of Spain's total in 2021. 

Internationally, Europe's organic market reached €52 billion in turnover in 2020, the latest year with available data. According to the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), , the European organic market hit a record high in 2020, up 15% on the previous year, the highest growth rate of the last decade.

In 2020, organic crop area in Europe made up 3.4% of total farmland. The region, the second largest market for organic products after North America, has almost 420,000 organic producers, 85,000 processors and more than 6,800 importers. 

Germany, with a market of almost €15 billion, is Europe's leading organic market and the European country with the strongest growth in organic product sales in 2020, which represents an opportunity for the Catalan producers at Biofach 2023.