"FACE TO FACE WITH": BIOLAND

October 2025

Who is Bioland?

With around 10,000 members in Germany and 1,000 farms in South Tyrol, Bioland is one of the most important organic associations in Europe. Bioland farms are committed to protecting the climate, soil, and nature through various measures, producing organic food for the entire Italian market as well as for the pan-European food market. In the organic yogurt category, Bioland Südtirol holds a total (Italian) market share of 33.7%, with a growing trend. In the Italian organic apple-based product groups, over 50% of the total Italian volume comes from Bioland-certified farms.

What is Bioland’s history, and what mission and vision guide the association today?

Bioland was founded in 1972, inspired by the organic-biological approach of Hans Müller and Hans Peter Rusch. In the following decade, the Bioland standards were formalized, and the Bioland label became established at the national level, eventually becoming the leading organic association in Germany and South Tyrol. The Bioland standard helped shape the European organic regulation (the “green leaf”) and today applies stricter criteria than EU requirements.
Among its distinctive features: full conversion of the farm to the Bioland standard; a strong link to regionality with the promotion of short supply chains and the enhancement of local value; and concrete measures to protect biodiversity, such as diversified crop rotations, ecological elements, and targeted agro-livestock practices—requirements that go beyond those set by EU regulations.

How does the association welcome producers, processors, and aggregators, and what opportunities does it offer them?

In recent years, we have been opening the association to the Italian market. We’re talking about a private standard, higher than the European “green leaf”: Bioland is recognized for superior quality, always using the EU organic standard as a base.
Currently, Bioland products available in Italy still come exclusively from Germany and South Tyrol. Our next steps involve engaging Italian processors and aggregators interested in joining Bioland, and we are evaluating the opportunity to involve producers to build regional supply chains in Italy as well.
What we offer: premium positioning through co-branding; technical support on agronomic and processing practices; training and operational tools; access to commercial and supply networks; supply-chain projects and matchmaking; visibility at trade fairs and communication campaigns; and above all, a community of like-minded professionals—with organic values at their core.

What are the objectives of the European project “More Regional Organic in Europe”?

The “More Regional Organic in Europe” project has the ambitious goal of explaining organic agriculture to consumers in a simple way, while increasing the consumption and sales of organic products in Italy and Germany to strengthen awareness and understanding of European organic standards.
By choosing an organic product, people do something good for themselves and their families. But that’s not all—the benefits for society as a whole begin much earlier, in the cultivation process and in our interaction with nature and the environment. That is the message we aim to convey.

How is the European project “More Regional Organic in Europe” being developed, and which sectors does it involve in Italy?

The project revolves around the tour of our Biomobile (an electric van with a trailer): 15 Italian cities with hands-on experiential activities to let people “feel” what organic really means. We want to build networks and strengthen the regional organic infrastructure in Italy.
Above all, we want to engage people in their daily lives, offering sustainable alternatives and communicating the values of a more “organic” lifestyle. We take part in various trade fairs and involve schools, consumers, digital media, retail chains/supermarkets, and B2B players in the agri-food sector. We work with dedicated Italian partners and a social media concept that tells the stories of organic farmers and explains organic principles in a clear, relatable language.

What initiatives will Bioland present at SANA Food?

Bioland Südtirol will participate in SANA Food 2026 with the European project “More Regional Organic in Europe.”
At the fair, we will offer a rich program: show cooking sessions and tastings of fresh, organic products. We won’t be alone—together with local organic producers and processors, we will showcase their products. Every day we’ll organize cooking shows, tastings, and informational moments. The official program will also feature a workshop with a show cooking session dedicated to our sustainable catering model “Bio Fair Südtirol.”