Demeter – You can't get more organic

Agriculture in harmony with nature

What is already established in health food stores is also enjoying growing popularity in retail: Demeter products. Whether it's cheese, milk, vegetables, or fruit. A look behind the scenes of the label and the differences compared to organic quality.

To explore the Demeter topic in more detail, we need to journey into the past. More specifically, to the year 1924. Rudolf Steiner, founder of anthroposophy, delivers a lecture on 'The Flourishing of Agriculture' during Pentecost in what is now Poland. His audience consists of farmers who are seeking a way to sustainably improve the fertility of their soils and the health of their crops and livestock. Steiner’s insights give them the exact answers they were looking for. His anthroposophy stands out for not only taking a purely scientific approach to agriculture but also making space for spirituality. This marks the birth of biodynamic agriculture. Three years later, in 1927, the Demeter farming association was founded, named after the Greek goddess of fertility. Demeter is the very first organic quality label ever created and the oldest organic farming method.

Biotta Demeter Rüebli-Orange-Ingwer – Bio-Saft – Bild 4 von 4

The big picture

Biodynamic agriculture views every farm as an individual organism, where the soil, plants, animals, and humans are part of a cycle that supports each other. Following the motto "all or nothing", Demeter certification therefore always requires a full conversion of the entire operation. A farmer cannot simultaneously produce conventionally and according to Demeter standards.

What does this mean in concrete terms? The following values are upheld by farmers who produce according to biodynamic guidelines:

Soil – The top priority is soil health and soil fertility, which is ensured through diverse crop rotation and so-called biodynamic preparations (more on this below). Soil is considered the digestive organ of plants.
Plants – Demeter farmers rely on site-adapted varieties. This means varieties that thrive optimally in the region of the respective farm are used.
Animals – At Demeter farms, species-appropriate husbandry is a top priority. Cattle keep their horns, barns are adapted to the animals' needs, and as far as possible all animals are fed with feed from the farm itself.
Humans – In Demeter's holistic approach, humans have the role of mediator. The farmer encounters plants, animals, and soil with respect and is responsible for the functioning of the entire organism. They also work according to natural rhythms, for example the biodynamic calendar.

Biotta Demeter Rüebli-Orange-Ingwer – Bio-Saft – Bild 2 von 4

Agriculture in harmony with nature

An important part of the Demeter philosophy is the production and use of so-called biodynamic preparations. These are compost preparations made from medicinal plants such as stinging nettle, chamomile, dandelion, or valerian, which farmers bury in the soil and which are intended to improve humus formation and soil structure. This method focuses on preserving the aforementioned cycle of each farm. The preparations act as tools that have a very comprehensive "system-regulating" effect.

Certain Demeter farms also orient their upcoming work with plants according to the biodynamic calendar. This calendar indicates the natural moon phases: waxing, waning, increasing, decreasing. Depending on the moon phase, certain days are particularly suitable, for example, for caring for flowering plants or harvesting root vegetables. This alignment with moon phases is based on the fundamental belief that the natural rhythm of life, including that of plants, is influenced by the position of the planets – especially the moon.

Biotta Suppe Karotte-Mango – Bild 3 von 3

It turns out that Demeter guidelines go one step further and are stricter than standard organic guidelines. Unlike organic, Demeter is characterized by the following features:

If possible, animals must be kept on the farm to close the cycle (natural fertilizer). If this is not possible, the fertilizer must come from a farm that is also Demeter-certified.

The animals keep their horns.
Use of biodynamic preparations.
Aligning work with the lunar phases (optional but recommended).
Demeter also sets rules for product packaging. For example, aluminum packaging for Demeter products is not allowed.
Demeter guidelines require gentle processing and allow only a minimum of necessary additives.

The first Demeter juice from Biotta is a modern interpretation of the classic Biotta Rüebli. The Biotta Demeter Rüebli-Orange-Ginger combines the best Thurgau Demeter Rüebli with a hint of exoticism and mild spice.

Fritz Lorenz, long-time Biotta vegetable farmer from Tägerwilen TG, grows the Rüebli on his fields according to Demeter guidelines. With 60% vegetable content, natural vitamin A from beta-carotene, and no artificial additives, the Swiss organic pioneer’s first Demeter juice impresses with great taste and natural sweetness from fruit and vegetables.