From February 11 to February 14, more than 35,000 visitors from 140 countries flooded into seven halls filled with some 2,300 exhibitors from 94 nations at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre in Nuremberg, Germany for the annual BIOFACH 2025 conference, the only exclusively organic international tradeshow. The world’s biggest organic trade show was founded by Hagen Sunder, Hubert Rottner and Jürgen Ries and began with 197 exhibitors at the inaugural BIOFACH in the Ludwigshafen Stadthalle in 1990.
The week was filled with BIOFACH Congress sessions, interactive events and workshops and LOTS of free samples of organic products from around the world. This year’s theme for the trade show was “Taking Action for Ecological Change.” BIOFACH offers an invaluable opportunity for suppliers to swap business cards with importers, network with the international organic industry, and hold impromptu trade meetings onsite.
OTA hosted 10 member companies and eight non-member companies in the United States of America pavilion to showcase their products, the biggest OTA contingent since the organization began attending BIOFACH in the early 2000s. Among the members were a provider of South American bulk herbs and nutraceuticals, an award-winning dairy cooperative, and America’s only gourmet line of heirloom organic lentils and specialty grains. This big presence coincided with OTA’s 40th Anniversary and a new brand and logo launch—revealed on the booth displays and marketing materials ahead of the new OTA website launch. 
On Day 1, OTA International Trade Manager Sarah Gorman gave members a tour through the streets of Nuremberg to visit three German grocery stores, including one exclusively organic shop called Rewe, so they could view inventory and get a sense of the organic market in the EU.
At the conference center, attendees packed the halls, winding through booths with samples of everything from olive oils and teas to pizza, herbs, spices, and beauty products. At the USA pavilion, conference attendees crowded around the OTA member booths, trying samples and making new connections with the OTA members.
A huge benefit to be in the OTA tent
“Being here in the OTA pavilion is a huge benefit,” said Organic Valley Global Account Manager David Corcoran. Organic Valley has attended BIOFACH for over 15 years, but not always with the OTA contingent. Not anymore, said Corcoran. “We used to have our own standalone booth at Biofach, so we’re not only saving a lot of money here, but we’re also part of the group.”
Corcoran said that it is easier to attend BIOFACH as a member of OTA because OTA navigates many of the logistical details of attending the conference that companies would otherwise be responsible for coordinating on their own. Prior to attending with OTA, Corcoran said he had to think about everything from booth set-up to hotels and airport transport. “Now I don’t have to think about anything. I just come with my samples and I’m ready to go. It’s super convenient. It’s having a team working for you to get you here.”
Organic Valley is one of the many U.S. brands leveraging BIOFACH as an opportunity to break into or expand into the European market. The conference offers valuable insights in the market for both importers and exporters.
“Our business is a little bit unique,” said Corcoran. “We are mainly a dairy products company and in Europe it’s very competitive because of the domestic market here, but we do make a lot of contacts for other regions—We just launched our Oat Creamers last month, and this has garnered a lot of attention here in the European market.”
OTA extends its footprint at BIOFACH Congress
Taking place alongside the huge trade fair is the BIOFACH Congress, whose theme this year was “Yes we do! How to effect change in the organic food segment.” This year marked the most congress sessions to date that OTA staffers have participated in – 12 sessions over the four days.
OTA co-CEO Tom Chapman and Director of Strategic Projects Alexis Bramley participated in the session “Post-election Politics in the U.S.: Impacts to the Organic Sector and Trade Policy,” during which Robert Yang, Director of USDA’s National Organic Program’s Accreditation Division also spoke. The recent presidential election provided an opportunity during the session to address unfolding current events in the United States.
Chapman said of President Donald Trump’s perspective on tariffs, “We don’t have many reciprocal trade agreements when it comes to tariffs. We have a trade policy that was really based on post-Cold War politics where we wanted more countries to support democratic western regimes versus Soviet regimes. We had very liberal trade policies that helped support that throughout the world....So, as you think about American trade policy going forward, it might be more educational looking at what happened in the 1930s than what’s happened over the last few decades.”
“Tariffs aren’t being used for diplomacy. He’s using them for economic benefit,” said Chapman.
Bramley spoke to the importance of international organic label equivalencies. “United States currently has seven organic equivalency agreements. Equivalencies are a crucial tool for the U.S. organic market,” she said. “Equivalency acknowledges that in certain instances technical requirements will differ by jurisdiction or region; however, they recognize standards as comparable without compromising the integrity of the organic standards in both markets.”
“Equivalence also enables a more consistent supply of organic goods and enables consumers to have access to products that they’re looking for year-round. Equivalents reduce trade barriers for operators in the market,” said Bramley.
Building partnerships and community
Christine Kent, Business Development and Sales Manager for Clarkson Specialty Lecithin, an OTA member, had a positive experience at the conference. She said OTA’s involvement gives Clarkson Specialty “the platform to build strong partnerships, stay ahead of market trends, and continue delivering the highest quality organic lecithins to our customers.”
Kent finds the community-building part of OTA to be one of the most impactful highlights of being a member. “Being part of OTA means being part of a community that is shaping the future of organic food—one meaningful connection at a time,” she says.
Organic Valley’s Corcoran echoed that one of the greatest benefits of attending the show as a member was the camaraderie and support from other members. “Another benefit of being an OTA member is the help from other members. Everyone here is working together and helping each other out.”
By: Megan Parker, Digital Marketing Coordinator