INTERESTING CONGRESS PROGRAMME AT BIOFACH AND VIVANESS 2008 
BioFach and Vivaness are accompanied by an extensive congress programme in CCN Ost at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 21-24 February 2008. The World Organic Trade Fair offers all visitors free admission to the some 120 events, including presentations, workshops and panel discussions.
The opening ceremony for invited guests takes place in Tokio hall at 10 a.m. on 21.2.2008.
A detailed congress programme for each day is available on the Internet. [+] 

CONGRESS HIGHLIGHTS AT BIOFACH AND VIVANESS 
Several congresses on special themes offer real highlights for visitors at BioFach and Vivaness. Four congresses are offered to supplement the rest of the programme and cover natural personal care, wine, organic food and Africa.
A presentation on the LOHAS lifestyle and its potential for the natural personal care market takes place in the Shanghai room at 2 p.m. on Thursday, 21.2.2008. There are more events at the Vivaness Forum
The presentation of the BioFach 2008 International Wine Award takes place at 11.15 a.m. on Thursday, 21.2.2008. The Olive Oil Award for the best olive oil chosen by visitors is presented at 3 p.m. on Saturday, 23.2.2008. More information: Wine Forum.
You can also look forward to a panel discussion on “Reaching the full Potential of Organic in Africa”. Saturday, 23.2.2008, Shanghai room of CCN Ost, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. More information: Symposium Organic Africa.

CLIMATE PROTECTION CERTIFICATES FOR ORGANIC TRADE
Under the Nature & More seal of transparency, the Dutch importer Eosta is launching organic products on the market with a complete eco audit from field to shop. Until now, Eosta’s partner Soil & More International is the only company in the world to offer carbon credits from “organic production”. There are currently various approaches to this new issue.
How a company can record its emission status with the new “Stop Climate Change” standard and initiate specific measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions is discussed at BioFach by the following panel chaired by Elke Röder (German Organic Producers and Traders Association BNN): Dr. Jörg Heinzemann (University of Göttingen/Agra-Teg), Dr. Jochen Neuendorff (GfRS), Dr. Ulrike Eberle (Freiburg Institute for Applied Ecology) and Hermann Heldberg (Board of the German Organic Producers and Traders Association BNN).
Thursday, 21.2.2008, 3 – 4 p.m., CCN Ost, St. Petersburg room.

TEGUT TOPS 200 MILLION EURO BARRIER 
Over 2,500 organic products are meanwhile listed in Tegut markets, which led to another 19 % growth of organic sales in 2007. The annual sales of organic foods rose to 201 million EUR last year, which means organic products account for about 18 % of the company’s total sales. Tegut operates some 300 supermarkets in Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia.
The Fulda-based company therefore proves it is possible to combine a commitment to ecology and health with economic success. This is also shown by honours such as “Entrepreneur of the Year 2007”, which Tegut Chief Executive Officer Wolfgang Gutberlet was awarded by business consultants Ernst & Young at the end of last year.

FRANCE: BIOCOOP TURNS OVER 300 MILLION EUR
The French capital is being increasingly taken over by organic supermarkets despite exorbitantly high rents. Naturalia and Biocoop are the two chains that are expanding in Paris. The Biocoop Group with 290 stores achieved sales of over 300 million euros in 2007, which equates to 22 % growth. Around 100 new stores have been established in France in the past five years, according to Samantha Breitembruch of Biocoop. 30 new specialist stores were opened in 2007 alone. 60 % of the stores are larger than 150 m² and therefore more like supermarkets. [+] 

RESTAURANT CHAIN SWITCHES TO ORGANIC
The Belgian chain Le Pain Quotidien (Our Daily Bread) cultivates naturalness. This is the reason why more and more of the ingredients it has used since 2005 have been organic. The chain now has more than 80 stores in 12 countries. By the end of January 2008, all 25 Belgian shop-restaurants belonging to Le Pain Quotidien will have been visited by an organic control organisation and given a document acknowledging their organic status for bread and viennoiserie products. This will make them models to be emulated by other countries where conversion to organic has been started but has still not progressed as far.
Mr De Landtsheer is proud of the fact that the company is the biggest user of organic grain in Belgium (over 1200 tons a year).
People certainly seem to like the idea: in the USA alone there are 27 restaurants, most in New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC, and you also find them in Brussels, Antwerp, Paris, Istanbul, Dubai, Moscow, Sydney, Qatar and Geneva.[+] 

FAIRTRADE SWEET TREATS VERY POPULAR 
Fairtrade sweets achieved in Germany estimated sales of 24 million EUR in 2007, which is 20 % up on the previous year. The best-selling products are Fairtrade chocolate bars, of which 8 million passed over the shop counter. 52 % of all Fairtrade sweets already originate from organic farming products.
TransFair e. V. as independent organization is not involved in trading activities itself, but awards the Fairtrade label for fair-traded products. In Germany, 110 licensees currently offer some 750 Fairtrade products like coffee, tea, chocolate, biscuits, cocoa, honey, bananas, fruit juices, wine, sports balls, rice and roses.
1.4 million farmers throughout the world profit from Fairtrade and together with their families make up over five million people. The products come from 569 producer groups in 57 countries.

NEWS TICKER
[*] The Organic Farmers Association in the Paris region has signed a 5-year contract with the Seine-Normandy Water Association that promises help for conversion to organic farming. The contract is the first of its kind in France.

[*] A new fast food restaurant chain has started in the USA: The Health Food Hut is a new franchise restaurant starting up in key selected neighbourhoods in Florida and intends to cover all of America later on.