Special Report on Packaging
Posted - October 4, 2009
In search of the most sustainable packaging
By Angela West
The growth in popularity of organic foods and natural products has resulted in a considerable level of new product development over a short period of time. As noticed during industry trade shows, the manner in which organic, nutritious and fair trade goods are packaged and presented to a growing consumer market demanding them, is frequently overlooked. Nutrition, environmental concerns, marketability and logistics are all factors that directly influence the choice of packaging substrate and design. Which are the most unique, convenient, eco-friendly and safe packaging solutions? Which are the best materials? Could it be PET or bio-plastics? Or is it glass or metal?
This is the second of a series (started with the O.W.N. Summer 2009 digital edition available at www.organicwellnessnews.com) on packaging alternatives that fit the values of the green movement. We asked industry players about their choices. Here are some of their replies.
In Canada Harmony Organic opts for traditional glass shaped bottle
Harmony Organic Dairy Products Inc. is a medium sized organic certified enterprise owned and operated in Ontario since 2001 by organic dairy farmers Lawrence Andres and Ross Wilhelm. Although market demand has forced the dairy to also offer its milk and cream products in recyclable cartons and 4 liter bags, the most discerning consumers still prefer to buy their milk in reusable attractive old fashioned shaped glass bottles. The reason? Taste!, says marketing director Robert Kuenzlen.
France
Posted - July 23, 2009
France
Send your comments to: editorial@organicwellnessnews.com
Africa at BioFach 2009
Posted - January 18, 2009
Africa Pavilion Going Strong for BioFach 2009
Africa will again makes its presence known at BioFach. After great success with its first Africa Pavilion at the 2008 edition of the Nuremberg, Germany, fair, 2009 fair visitors will again enjoy African designs, colours, sounds and flavours.
Last year, the Africa Pavilion gathered 73 exporters exhibiting from 13 African countries, generating favourable coverage and sales. This year over 100 exporters, export promotion agencies and non-governmental organizations will showcase specialities from Sub-Saharan African countries, connecting buyers and suppliers. According to organizers Grolink and Agroeco, this year, around 35 stands with 120 exhibitors from 14 African countries will be exhibiting a full range of organic certified products.
Products to be displayed include cashew nuts, cereals, cocoa, coconut oil, coffee, cotton, dairy, dried fruit, essential oils, fertilizers (organic, of course), flowers, fruits, spices, nuts, herbs, hibiscus, honey, wax, macadamia, natural products, oilseed, processed food, pulses, rice, sesame, shea butter, spices, tea and vegetables.
Countries represented are: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The 2009 Africa Pavilion will occupy 500 square metres of space; Uganda alone will occupy 90 square meters.
Products to be displayed include cashew nuts, cereals, cocoa, coconut oil, coffee, cotton, dairy, dried fruit, essential oils, fertilizers (organic, of course), flowers, fruits, spices, nuts, herbs, hibiscus, honey, wax, macadamia, natural products, oilseed, processed food, pulses, rice, sesame, shea butter, spices, tea and vegetables.
Organizations cooperating with Grolink and Agroeco in the development of the project include IFOAM, ITC, Organic Exchange, Rwanda Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, NOGAMU (a Ugandan agricultural movement), TOPAZ, Hivos and the Triodos Foundation.
If the Africa Pavilions at Biofach 2009 and 2010 show results similar to those in 2008, organizers will consider to celebrate Africa as Continent of the Year in BioFach 2011.
Visit http://www.organicafrica2009.com and send any requests to africa2009@grolink.se.
Send your comments to: editorial@organicwellnessnews.com
La Vita Launches New Cookies
Posted - December 18, 2008
Crunchy, Healthy Cookies Deliver Old-Fashioned Good Taste: La Vita Introduces Eight New Prebiotic Cookie Varieties
La Vita Health Foods has introduced a line of cookies with a low glycemic index that are also prebiotic, vegan and Kosher, and cholesterol, wheat, dairy and lactose-free. These La Vita All Natural Crunchy Cookies contain no high fructose corn syrup, maltitol, artificial sweeteners, or preservatives and still have a year-long shelf life.
Send your comments to: editorial@organicwellnessnews.com
Danish Lead 2009
Posted - November 1, 2008
Denmark Country of the Year at BioFach 2009
By Adriana Michael - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2008
Next year in February, Biofach, the most international and influential fair for organic trade celebrates its 20th anniversary. Denmark has been selected
Send your comments to: editorial@organicwellnessnews.com
Germany Leads the Way
Posted - May 12, 2008
Organic Supermarkets and Discounters Remain as Driving Forces in Germany
Introduction by Kai Kreuzer, BIO-Marktinfo
When Rudolf Steiner “invented” organic agriculture in the 1920s, he couldn’t have perceived what significance it would have in Germany some 80 years later. Today, Germany is the biggest European organic market, with a share of around 30% of all organic sales in the continent. Three percent of total food consumption is organic. Last year 16,800 farmers worked on 812,000 hectares of organic farmland. That’s almost 5% of the total agricultural surface. Germany recorded 4 billion Euro in organic sales in 2007, 15% more than the year before.
Based on its evolution, the German market can be divided into three categories: the pioneers, the small specialized shops and the conventional market. The first phase refers to the early 1920s, when concern for the side effects of industrialized farming was already evident. Farmers noticed the steady decline in their crops; some decided to follow the principles of Rudolf Steiner. Demeter and Reformhaus were among the first names to appear. During World War II, development came to a halt.
The first simple direct-marketing systems sprung up in the mid 1950s, when farmers began to sell their produce at shops and farmers’ markets. In the 1960s, there was moderate growth in organic farms belonging to the biodynamic Demeter association and the Bioland group, founded in 1971.
In the second phase, beginning in the early 1970s, specialized organic shops emerged. One of the first was the Erdgarten in Munich and Rapunzel in Augsburg, predecessor of today’s big importer and trader. Most organic wholesalers were founded during this period, due to demand from shops for regular suppliers. Shop owners drove to farms for wheat, potatoes, vegetables and fruit. Some drove to Italy in lorries to import wine and oranges! A structure of about 18 wholesalers was born which continue to do business today, largely delivering on a regional basis. Dennree, the only national distributor and now the biggest wholesaler with a yearly turnover of 230 million Euro, started in 1974.
After 25 years, about 2,500 specialized shops had been founded and the percentage of organic product lines continues to increase. The average retail space grew from about 25 m2 to 100 m2. These shops were still tiny compared to the supermarkets and shopping centers that had been developing at the same time.
The third phase began in 1998, with the foundation of the organic supermarket Basic in Munich, center of Germany’s organic lifestyle. Although Basic was not the first organic supermarket in Germany - about a half dozen others preceded it - none has enjoyed such enormous success. In the last 8 years, small retail chains have developed. In 2005, 60 organic supermarkets opened with a retail space between 200 and 1,000 m2. Altogether, there are now more than 300 such stores, with 50 to 60 new ones cropping up per year.
Meanwhile, consumer awareness of organics grew thanks to the “conventional” mistakes of non-organic producers. Organic options moved into mainstream consciousness through food scandals, including hormones in calf meat. Soon organics were no longer considered fringe products for odd customers who wore eco-clothing, but instead developed an image as a choice for modern, sustainability- and future-oriented customers.
Seeing opportunity, big business entered the picture. In 2003, the discount-retail company Plus (2,750 shops) rolled out a modest range of organic products (30 lines) under their own label BioBio. Branchenprimus Aldi S
Send your comments to: editorial@organicwellnessnews.com
Germany Leads the Way - Part 2
Posted - May 12, 2008
Organic Supermarkets and Discounters Remain as Driving Forces in Germany
By Martin Grass
Learning about the people behind the brands we see at the fairs and shops is important to maintain the transparency of the organic sector. Keeping track “from field to fork” is the prevalent slogan.
Here we present some of the best players of the organic scene in Germany. They are producers and processors. Most of them started a retail shop back in the 1970s . The retailers play an important role, especially organic supermarkets and natural health stores such as the Reformhaus chain, the oldest health conscious retail chain, dating back from the 19th century. Today, Reformhaus operates mainly in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with products under its own Neuform brand and the brands of other suppliers.
Although not all products are organic, the trend is to increase the number of organic certified products. Reformhaus is a strong reference in the German market for reliable advice, quality products, variety and convenience. On the other hand, organic supermarkets have been emerging with a strong image of a trendy yet quality-oriented sector, where LOHAS consumers gather for a cappuccino while their bread is being baked.
The association of organic supermarkets includes ten companies, among them Alnatura, Basic, BioCompany, Ebl-Naturkost, eo (for Eat Organic), F
Send your comments to: editorial@organicwellnessnews.com
Yacon
Posted - May 1, 2008
Yacon: Natural Sugar Control
By Adriana Michael - as printed in O.W.N. Summer 2008
A South American tuber grown in the Andes could offer valuable sugar control and immune system bonuses to the human body. The yacon, called an apple or pear of the earth for its sweet, crispy taste when washed and eaten fresh, grows between 1,500 and 2,500 metres above sea level. The Andean peoples have long used the root to ease health problems like liver ailments, says Dr. Cass Ingram, a natural health expert who has written a dozen books touching on functional foods such as yacon.
“South American traditional medicines have never been written about in common books. There’s been a lack of quality articles describing their ethnic use and the medicinal properties,” says Ingram, explaining yacon’s low profile. “No one has published about what the properties are.”
Yacon contains a high percentage of inulin, a fructo-oligo-saccharide or FOS. The body does not convert this class of sweet-tasting chemicals into energy, and so they rank a zero on the glycemic index scale. “This is the perfect functional food for resting the pancreas,” says Ingram.
Inulin mimicks better-known insulin, Ingram says, producing all kinds of health benefits. “Insulin has everything to do with how we digest our sugars and starches,” he says.
Good bacteria in the gut feed off the inulin, Ingram says. Yacon functions both as sugar control and as pro-biotic, thus boosting the immune system.
Caution is required to ensure a marketable product retains the benefits of the pure root. “We knew if we could keep it unprocessed, then it would be medicinal,” Ingram says of his early work with yacon.
Organic products derived from yacon are gradually becoming available in North America. Careful methods are required to ensure desirable inulin is obtained while unwanted fructose sugar, which occurs only in the root’s fibrous parts, is not. “If you don’t treat the product properly, what’s going to happen is that you will obtain only fructose sugar, which is not good,” says Jorge Urena, president and CEO of Uhtco Corporation. Uhtco is a well known supplier of organic yacon products, and the main importer to Canada.
Ingram worked with Urena and Uhtco’s partners in Peru to get organic yacon in its highest potency. “We asked him to make extracts that were unprocessed. No alcohol. No heat,” Ingram says. Working with small farmers in Peru and having built a Peruvian processing facility to house the required machines, Uhtco’s processing plant introduced yacon syrups and the line is expanding.
Yacon has a citrus, light caramel flavour, Ingram says. Urena prefers to use the syrups as a sweetener, while Ingram pours his over yogurt or other dairy products. “It’s more interesting for its aroma,” Ingram says, and its health properties.Whatever the impetus, many people today have far too much sugar in their diet and could certainly benefit from the natural, healthy powers of this exotic and not widely known “apple of the earth”.
Send your comments to: editorial@organicwellnessnews.com
BioFach Globally
Posted - May 1, 2008
Focus on BioFach Globally 2008:
Where the Organic People Meet
By O.W.N. News Network - as printed in O.W.N. Summer 2008
The BioFach fairs, starting with Nuremberg and now with four international offshoots, are a worldwide success. They connect the global organic market by building a business network able to address diverse market conditions in individual countries and regions.
The main German fair and its subsidiaries attract about 3,700 exhibitors and 100,000 trade visitors each year. February 21-28 this year saw a rousing celebration at the main BioFach fair in Nuremberg, the world
Send your comments to: editorial@organicwellnessnews.com
TerraCycle
Posted - May 1, 2008
From Worms to Wealth
By Adrian Larose - as printed in O.W.N. Summer 2008
Making money from millions of empty juice pouches and drained-out pop bottles might sound like a difficult prospect, but that’s what TerraCycle is doing. TerraCycle works with mainstream companies like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Kraft Foods. Working with these companies, says CEO and co-founder Tom Skazy, is exactly what is needed to move consumers towards environmentally-friendly products.
Skazy insists that discovering new ways to work with the mainstream in an eco-capitalist fashion is the only sustainable approach. Starting during Skazy’s university studies with an organic worm-poop compost product, his firm TerraCycle has grown from US $70,000 turnover in 2004 to $3.5 million in 2006, with $7 million likely in 2008.
Hungarian-born but raised in Canada, Skazy discovered that worm poop is a very effective fertilizer. He also realized that the main ingredient, garbage, is readily available - it’s “simply a commodity that people are willing to pay to get rid of,” he says. “Waste doesn’t exist in nature,” he adds: it’s a human-made problem.
With this ready supply of ingredients, Skazy obtained funding through business plan contests. Selling a product made from waste was not enough for the firm, though: soon, it also began to package its product in containers usually seen as waste.
“Since we make a product from garbage, why don’t we package it in garbage?” Skazy says of the group’s thinking. Visiting area recycling centers, TerraCycle learned that plastic pop bottles are standardized enough to be cheap, practical non-food packaging. The “world’s first and still only products made and packaged entirely out of garbage” were born, Skazy says. Remove the old labels from the bottles, wash them out and re-fill: you’re ready to roll. (TerraCycle is not packaging food, which would have different requirements.)
The company is built on three brand criteria for all products, such as the cleaners it now also makes. First, TerraCycle’s product must work better than the typical one it replaces. Second, the product must be made with the greenest ingredients - often items previously viewed as waste. Third, the product must cost less or not much more than typical offerings.
“It’s the price that’s the big issue,” Skazy says of environmentally-friendly goods. “Usually, eco-friendly products are more expensive and they don’t work as well. That’s what people think.” The solution: find ways to work within the system that let your firm save money while it helps the environment, so you can provide the consumer an affordable product. Working from waste is one option.
To get enough empty pop bottles for its fertilizer, TerraCycle began paying collection locations - schools and churches, for instance. These locations send in empties under a program called the “bottle brigade” that now has about 4,000 participating US locations. By returning empties, the groups earn money for charitable causes and save TerraCycle laborious collection work.
TerraCycle has partnered with firms like Clif Bar, Stonyfield Farm and Honest Tea to collect their empty, non-recyclable packages, and has a US $1 million deal to collect Capri Sun juice pouches for Kraft. As of writing, the firm was in the final planning stages of a $1 million deal with Oreo.
The basic business model for such deals sees the sponsor company cover all costs to get empty packages to TerraCycle’s factory, Skazy says, such as collection and publicity costs. Locations that offer to collect empty packages receive two to six cents a package towards a charitable cause. Meanwhile, TerraCycle receives free raw ingredients - the empty packaging. It can then manufacture pencil cases, bags and other goods out of the waste, selling the end products for as little as $2 retail for pencil cases. Each year, the brigade programs collects millions of Capri Sun juice pouches from 850 schools.
Good media coverage, and lots of it, is the main benefit for the sponsor, Skazy says. More and more firms are likely to sign up for such programs. “All these big companies are looking to embrace this right now, so we’re in a very fortunate position,” he says.
“Really where it has to happen is Wal-Mart,” he says of the shift towards environmental products. “I’m not an environmentalist. I think I’m very much the average person. I don’t drive a hybrid car. I don’t go out of my way to eat organic food,” Skazy adds. To get such people to choose environmentally-friendly products, those products must be better in every way than others.
The most important ingredient for environmentally-friendly products to succeed, what Skazy calls “the holy grail” , is not to try and make the customer care about your product’s values, but “to make them choose your product without having to care.” Choosing sustainable options must not feel like a sacrifice, but simply be the obvious, best, ordinary choice. Terracycle products have succeeded here.
Even many of the green-oriented people attending the Green Jobs Conference held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this March admitted to Skazy that they sometimes choose price over environment. During his speech at the conference, Skazy asked audience members whether they bought organic bananas at the current premium cost, and only one third of the supposedly forward-thinking audience members raised their hands.
But if the price of organic vs conventional bananas was similar? Who would buy organic then? Everyone raised their hands.
Send your comments to: editorial@organicwellnessnews.com
Based on its evolution, the German market can be divided into three categories: the pioneers, the small specialized shops and the conventional market. The first phase refers to the early 1920s, when concern for the side effects of industrialized farming was already evident. Farmers noticed the steady decline in their crops; some decided to follow the principles of Rudolf Steiner. Demeter and Reformhaus were among the first names to appear. During World War II, development came to a halt.
Where the Organic People Meet
