Spain is the leading producer of organic farming in the European Union. Over 80% of the Spanish organic production is exported to EU countries, such as Germany, Denmark, UK, Switzerland, etc. One of the pending unresolved matters of the Spanish "bio" sector is the increase in domestic organic consumption. And that is the main task of BioCultura, the great ecological fair of the Spanish country which is held in four big cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao.
In Spain, there are about 2 million hectares certified as organic according to official data.
BioCultura Valencia is the first event of the year, at Feria Valencia, from February 27th to March the 1st. Then, there is Barcelona (from the 7th till the 10th of March, Palau Sant Jordi), Bilbao (from the 2nd to the 4th of October, BEC) and Madrid (from the 12th to the 15th of November, IFEMA). Precisely, in Madrid, in 2014, the thirtieth anniversary of BioCultura was fulfilled in the capital. Angeles Parra, the director, said "we are working hard to create in Spain an Interior ecological consumption trend as is already happening in other countries around us. We need large-scale awareness campaigns and the Administration getting involved at various levels. The good news are that because there is so much to grow, many eco entrepreneurs find in this sector a good way for their green business ".
The organic sector in Spain has not stopped growing, even in the worst moments of the economic recession, at a rate of 10/12% annually.
Moreover, the production rate peaks some years, and in some regions, overcoming these percentages. For Angeles Parra, "the industry is changing a lot. We used to be only a few very conscious eco-activists. Today, fortunately, the organic sector arrives to many social groups and many distribution platforms. Even so, there is still much work to do. In this regard, note that BioCultura is not an ordinary show. It is a reflection of thousands of people, producers and consumers, chefs and farmers, journalists and educators, eco entrepreneurs and conscientious doctors, prescribers and peasants, who know that there are other ways of consuming, producing, feeling and living and they can be found in BioCultura. "
Among the four annual editions of BioCultura, nearly 170,000 people pass through the fair. And thousands are exhibitors. It reaches almost a thousand parallel activities that the show generates around. And if all of this was not enough, we must say that BioCultura is a fair organized by the NGO Association Vida Sana, an entity that does not depend on government subsidies and is completely independent economically. Angeles Parra stated: "It is very important that we found ourselves those activities we generate. Only then we can be independent from political, business and other powers.
The Mediterranean is the organic garden of Europe. Our products have superior organoleptic, nutritional and health unquestionable quality. Trades like BioCultura are not only a platform to publicize organic products within the borders of the state. But also, to see from the outside that, beyond politicians vaudeville, farmers and Spanish citizens are fighting for healthy food and life, for a decent future ,for our children and for ecosystems free of chemicals and GM, not just for us, but for all humanity and all other living beings that populate the ecosphere “.
DATES BIOCULTURA 2015
Valencia: Feria Valencia, from February 27th to March the 1st.
Barcelona: from the 7th till the 10th of March, Palau Sant Jordi
Bilbao: from the 2nd to the 4th of October, BEC
Madrid: from 12th to the 15th of November, IFEMA
Cristina Diago
Comunicación BioCultura
redaccion@vidasana.org
