Agriculture
When shopping for groceries, it is noticeable that organic groceries have not become as expensive as other groceries. Due to the independence and the short delivery routes, the price difference between organic products and the rest of the food is getting smaller and smaller.
There are several reasons why organic products are less affected by price increases: the companies invested early and made themselves as independent as possible. The Vetterhof in Lustenau, for example, has a huge photovoltaic system that produces electricity. But that’s not the only thing that pays off, says organic farmer Simon Vetter: “For us, it’s very important that we’re not dependent on importing mineral nitrogen fertilizers, which are incredibly energy-intensive to produce.”
Nevertheless, Vetter keeps a very close eye on price increases in many areas: “We also buy my tractors on diesel and we also purchase packaging material from the normal market,” says Vetter. That’s why organic producers also have to raise their prices, but not as much as from conventional agriculture.
There is potential in organic farming
Nevertheless, organic products are still a bit more expensive and farmers cannot meet the demand for organic products – if only because Vorarlberg is very mountainous and there are not that many suitable areas for cultivation. Nevertheless, there is potential, says Manuel Kirisits-Steinparzer from Bio Austria Vorarlberg. Because in conventional agriculture, 88 percent of the area is used to grow animal feed. In organic farming, on the other hand, it is only 64 percent. However, according to Kirisits-Steinparzer, Vorarlberg will not be able to do without imports entirely.