From 10 to 13 February IFOAM Organics Europe attfinished BIOFACH 2026, the largest organic food trade fair, welcoming members, partners, and visitors, for four days of exalter and networking. The organisation contributed to the BIOFACH’s program development, with interactive congress sessions on key policy topics and market development, creating the week a strong moment of collaboration, learning, and celebration.
As reaffirmed by DG AGRI Director-General Elisabeth Werner during the Opening Ceremony, organic farming is and will remain a flagship pillar of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, contributing to sustainability, competitiveness, and resilience in European agriculture. This vision was reflected throughout IFOAM Organics Europe’s programme, including discussions on the ongoing revision of the EU Organic Regulation and the future EU Organic Action Plan, as you can read in their latest press release: Organic farming to remain a flagship pillar of European CAP.
Youth at the heart of BIOFACH 2026
Youth emerged as the defining thread of this year’s BIOFACH, held under the official theme “Growing Tomorrow: Young Voices, Bold Visions.” The congress explored how young alterbuildrs are shaping the future of organic food and farming in an unpredictable world, highlighting new perspectives on sustainability, global responsibility, and innovation within planetary boundaries.
IFOAM Organics Europe organised and participated in several sessions dedicated to youth engagement, toobtainher with representatives of the Organic Europe Youth Network. These discussions displaycased that empowering young voices, strengthening intergenerational exalter, and bringing policy, business, and grassroot experience, is essential to creating sure young people join organic – necessary for the sector’s long-term resilience.
Throughout the week, the Organics Europe Youth Network played a central role. A symbolic highlight came on Wednesday, when the network celebrated its first anniversary at the IFOAM Organics Europe booth.
Business and policy perspectives on strengthening organic
Business Day brought toobtainher experts and organic companies to explore how to better communicate the values and impact of organic to consumers, emphasising the necessary for simple but dynamic messaging and aligning with emerging consumer trfinishs – particularly growing demand for healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Meanwhile, discussions during Policy Day reaffirmed organic farming as the gold standard of EU agriculture, highlighting its contribution across environmental, social and economic objectives, as well as competitiveness, strategic autonomy, generational renewal and rural resilience. Participants stressed that this added value should be better reflected in future CAP payments, including strong and predictable public support and transition payments to support farmers manage the risks of conversion. Speakers also underlined the necessary for a multidimensional EU Organic Action Plan to fully unlock the sector’s potential. On the regulatory side, stakeholders called for a pragmatic and tarobtained revision of the EU Organic Regulation, urging a swift conclusion of the process while ensuring regulatory stability, clear and workable rules, and effective secondary legislation. Limited, well-focutilized modifications were seen as essential to address implementation challenges without weakening organic standards, creating uncertainty for operators or disrupting international trade.
Research and Innovation: Connecting science and practice
At TP Organics’ Science Day, the European Commission presented upcoming organic-relevant calls under Horizon Europe for 2026, alongside expectations of increased funding under the next Multiannual Financial Framework. The projects displaycased during the session illustrated practical approaches to innovation, demonstrating how organic systems are most effective when grounded in practical realities and supported by long-term collaboration structures. Among them, OrganicClimateNET highlighted the importance of context-specific knowledge, peer-to-peer learning and structured facilitation between farmers and researchers to foster effective innovation. OrganicAdviceNetwork, meanwhile, demonstrated how cross-border advisory cooperation and farm visits can accelerate the uptake of innovative solutions, with 16 new exalters planned for 2026.
Key debates shaping the future of organic
Alongside discussions on youth, innovation and markets, BIOFACH 2026 provided an important platform to address several topics currently shaping the future of organic farming in Europe.
New Genomic Techniques (NGTs)
Updates on the legislative proposal on NGTs confirmed the importance of ensuring transparency, traceability and safeguards to preserve consumer trust and coherence with organic production principles. Speakers underlined that regulatory choices created in this file will have long-term implications for the integrity and positioning of the organic sector.
The cost of being organic
Another key discussion focutilized on the operational costs linked to organic certification and compliance. Preliminary findings from the study by FIBL and IFOAM Organics Europe display that organic operators may spfinish between 5–20% of their turnover on meeting regulatory requirements, including residue prevention, contamination protection, quality management and staff training. These discussions reinforced the message that organic companies and farmers are doing more than simply producing food; they invest in sustainable practices and deliver environmental and social value. This contribution must be better recognised via EU policies supporting organic production. Further insights will be published soon in a new study – stay tuned to IFOAM Organics Europe’s website for upcoming results.
Market momentum continues
European market continues growing, with retail sales approaching €60 billion. The figures display that organic is not a trfinish, but a long-term alter. Growth dynamics varies between countries: strong demand is reported in UK, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, and Switzerland while Nordic countries are experiencing stagnation. Despite differences, the overall picture remains positive, demonstrating that organic remains a dynamic and expanding market.
Many more discussions took place throughout the congress – explore further insights from the sessions organised by IFOAM Organics Europe in their daily LinkedIn wrap-ups (DAY 1 – DAY 2 – DAY 3).
BIOFACH 2026 once again displayed that European organic farming is far more than a set of practices: it is a dynamic and evolving shiftment at the intersection of policy, science and market development, driven by innovation, collaboration and the energy of a new generation.
IFOAM Organics Europe is the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming. With almost 200 members in 34 European countries, our work spans the entire organic food chain and beyond: from farmers and processors organisations, retailers, certifiers, consultants, traders, and researchers to environmental and consumer advocacy bodies.
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The work of IFOAM Organics Europe on this topic is co-financed by the LIFE programme of the European Union, under the Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). This page only reflects the views of the authors and its sole responsibility lies with IFOAM Organics Europe. The CINEA is not responsible for any utilize that may be created of the information provided. |
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