Trend towards supply chain transparency

For BIOFACH 2024, the BIOFACH trend jury  analysed the products submitted for the Novelty Stand to identify overarching product trends for the organic food sector. One of these is “transparency”. There is a growing awareness and a desire among consumers for more traceability in the supply chain and transparency in all matters. The focus is on product origin and production methods and the disclosure of animal husbandry standards. In this context, the debates about genetic engineering and personal freedom of choice are also hot topics.

Impact Hub Berlin: Transparency in the food industry is more important than ever

This observation is also reflected in other trend studies from outside BIOFACH: In the definition of its Sustainable Food Trends 2023 , Impact Hub Berlin writes that consumers are overwhelmed by the substantial number of sustainability promises. This results in scepticism towards manufacturers’ claims and a feeling of disillusionment about the future of our planet. Accordingly, what people need is radical transparency. Accessible and transparent information about more sustainable approaches is thus intended to simplify the choice between various vendors.

Aurora Kaas embraces transparency and regionality

Some companies from the organic food sector have taken this development to heart – and it is these businesses that are behind the BIOFACH product trend “transparency”. Companies like Aurora Kaas, for example. Founded in 1980 in the small Dutch village of Ven-Zelderheide (less than 5 km from the German border), the family-run company has been dedicated to the processing of organic dairy products from the very beginning. Today, around eight million litres of cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk are processed into cheese in the company’s own cheese factory. “In recent years, issues of regionality and knowing how a product is made and where it is from have been increasingly important. We are noticing that a lot of people are becoming more conscious consumers,” says Manon ten Dam, Managing Director of Aurora Kaas, about the change in behaviour of potential customers.

“Mama Kuh” cheese: a trending product thanks to cow-calf contact system

With its “Mama Kuh” cheese, the company has one of this year’s BIOFACH trend products in its range. The cheese comes from a cow-calf contact system – and with a view to transparency, this is an important aspect to communicate about the product. “We work with milk suppliers that have been implementing the cow-calf contact system for many years now. Two of the Demeter-certified farms approached us and together we considered how to communicate this information,” ten Dam explains, talking about the origins of the product. In the cow-calf contact system, calves spend at least four weeks with their mother or a nurse cow.  At Aurora Kaas, this can be as long as 12 weeks. The company is won over by the concept: “We would very much like to expand this offering and are conducting intensive talks with the two farms to seek suitable ways of doing this,” ten Dam emphasises.

Eco-model region Lower Rhine promotes organic food in out-of-home and institutional catering

In addition, Aurora Kaas is also involved in out-of-home catering as an important lever for promoting organic food. As tem Dam explains: “We are a member of the Eco-model region Lower Rhine. In this conjunction we took part in a “Kitchens meet Farmers” meeting, where local kindergartens, schools and commercial kitchens had the opportunity to get to know us and our products. Now we are looking at how transparently manufactured products can get a place in the meal plans.” With its radical transparency and effective communication strategy, Aurora Kaas is setting a good example and showing what’s possible.

Sources:

^{1 In 2024, the trend jury was composed of industry experts Anne Baumann (Deputy Managing Director of AöL), Karin Heinze (Founder of BiO Reporter International), Michael Radau (CEO SuperBioMarkt AG), Jens Schinnerling (Purchasing Manager dennree GmbH) and Julian Stock (CEO Good Food Collective).}

^{2 Impact Hub Berlin. (2023). Sustainable Food Trends 2023. https://berlin.impacthub.net/sustainable-food-trends-2023/}

^{3 Federal Office for Agriculture and Food. (2024). Cow-calf contact system. https://www.oekolandbau.de/bio-im-alltag/bio-fuer-die-umwelt/tierhaltung/mutter-und-kuhgebundene-kaelberaufzucht/}