EU Organic Awards 2023: EESC announces finalists

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is proud to announce the finalists for each category of the second edition of the  EU Organic Awards, co-organised with the European Commission and other partners to reward excellence along the European organic value chain. The winners of each category will be announced on 25 September, in connection with EU Organic Day, at a special ceremony attended by the EU's Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski.

As the organic transition gains momentum across Europe, we are witnessing a plethora of remarkable initiatives in action. The initial phase of the evaluation has concluded and, following a detailed examination of all the submissions, we are proud to present the finalists in each of the three categories:

The finalists. in alphabetical order. are:

1. Best organic food processing small medium enterprise (SME)
   • Ekološka kmetija Kukenberger, Slovenia, processing dairy products.
   • Fürstenhof GmbH, Germany, processing eggs and poultry meat.
   • The Merry Mill, Ireland, mainly processing gluten-free oats and flour.
2. Best organic retailer
   • Gut Wulkselde GmbH, Germany, a shop selling produce from their farm.
   • NaturaSì Ariele Conegliano, Italy, a shop which is part of the NaturaSì network.
   • Valle y Vega Cooperative Agroecológica de Granada, Spain, a farmer cooperative-run shop.
3. Best organic restaurant/ food service
   • Biohotel St. Daniel, Slovenia, a restaurant forming part of a "biohotel".
   • Luftburg - Kolariks Freizeitbetriebe GmbH, Austria, a family-friendly restaurant.
   • Trnulja Country Estate, Slovenia, a restaurant at a country estate.

The EESC has once again been able to attract high-quality applications for these awards, thanks to its network of civil society organisations. These remarkable projects encompass the entire organic value chain, providing clear evidence that a real practical shift towards more sustainable and equitable food systems is already underway. It is now imperative for policy-makers to establish conducive conditions that allow these initiatives to flourish and be emulated across various regions, according to Peter Schmidt, president of the EESC's Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment (NAT).

The awards were launched as part of a commitment made in the Commission's action plan for the development of organic production with the objective of recognising excellence along the organic food chain, from farmer to restaurant. It rewards the best and most innovative organic operators who are helping to reduce the impact of agriculture on climate and the environment, and whose actions will help achieve the ambitions of the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies.

Further information about the candidates, the selection criteria and the awards in general can be found on the EU Organic Awards website and on the EESC website. (ks)