Organic farming a rising star in German agriculture

GERMANY: Visitors to the hall for organic farming at the 75th International Green Week here would find it hard to neglect a man with a green pinafore. Standing at the main entrance of the hall, with a plate full of flowers in hands, he would invite you to taste his flowers with a big smile .

He is Christian Herb, a farmer from Germany’s southern state of Bavaria. He has brought the flowers he cultivated for visitors to eat.

Herb said, “my flowers are different from normal flowers because they are cultivated by organic farming and are harmless to human health.”

“Eating flower sounds strange to people now, but in fact it has a long history. People living in the time of Rome ate flowers,” he said. “There is also a saying in Germany that eating something that looks good makes you happier,” added Herb.

With the theme “Agriculture and climate change”, the 75th International Green Week opened on Friday in Berlin, drawing more than 50 agriculture ministers from all over the world, who would discuss related topics in the global forum on food and agriculture.

Support should be provided to promote innovation and improve quality in agriculture as a way of strengthening the competitiveness of businesses, said by Ilse Aigner, Germany’s agriculture minister.

Organic farming, expected to produce healthier food in a more environment-friendly way, was brought to the German government’s attention in 1990s. In 2002, the German government set up the Federal Organic Farming Scheme (Boel) to improve conditions for organic farming.

In the hall for organic farming, visitors can see all kinds of food produced by organic farming, from what we eat or drink everyday, like apples, eggs and wines, to something we have never thought of, like Herb’s flowers.

The German agriculture ministry has also set up an exhibition counter with a slogan saying “Come, Enjoy and Experience.”

At present, Germany is the largest market for organic food in the European Union, accounting for about one third of its annual sale of 16.2 billion euros.

“The German government plans to raise its sale of organic food from current 5 percent to 20 percent of its total sale of agriculture products by 2015. “ said Elmar Seck, director of the exhibition counter

“Boel is a complete plan that promotes both the research and the development of all areas of the food production chain, including farmers, food enterprises and retailers, as well as consumers.” Seck said.

Berlin, Sunday, Xinhua