Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association

The European Commission has officially announced the winner of the EU organic logo competition. Over the past two months, some 130,000 people have voted online to choose the new organic symbol from three finalists. The winning design is by Dusan Milenkovic, a student from Germany, who gained 63% of the overall vote for his “Euro-leaf” logo. From 1st July 2010, the organic logo of the EU will be obligatory on all pre-packaged organic products that have been produced in any of the EU Member States and meet the necessary standards. It will be optional for imported products. Other private, regional or national logos will be allowed to appear alongside the EU label. The organic farming regulation will be amended in the coming weeks to introduce the new logo into one of the annexes.

The design which won the organic logo competition:

The closing date of January 31st date is fast approaching for votes on the new EU Organic logo. To have your say on the three designs please go the following website and cast your vote http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/logo/index.htm

Organic food sales throughout much of Europe have remained strong despite the recession. The latest research has found that organic consumers have not turned their backs on the organic sector and still continue to prioritise their spending capacity by buying organic food.  ” Looking back at 2009, Amarajit Sahota, director of consultancy and research firm Organic Monitor, estimated overall growth in Europe was between 2 and 6 percent. This is a drop from the double-digit growth sales of previous years but it is still unusually strong for a premium prices category”