Organic farming and eating products grown in clean areas with minimal interference in nature is about to become a new world trend. Products bearing the "Bio" mark have a specially assigned place in big supermarkets. Statistics show that globally over the last 10 years areas used for organic farming have almost doubled. A number of people dream of organic products displacing conventional ones. But so far, the price of organic products is high. This is the main reason that makes Bulgarian organic food escape the interest of buyers. Just 10 percent of Bulgarian organic products is sold in Bulgaria. The rest goes to the markets of EU, U.S. and Japan.

In Bulgaria, following the world trend, the sector of organic products has significantly grown in recent years. Farmers are already about 4 thousand and their number is growing every year, according to data of the Bulgarian Organic Products Association. Farmers are encouraged to switch from conventional to organic production through programs for rural development. "Subsidies are important, but more important is the philosophy of organic farming. It is environmentally friendly, and products are beneficial to human health", says Albena Simeonova co-chair of the association.

"Organic products are not part of the menu in kindergartens and schools. We produce mainly for export, but this does not hinder the development of the sector in Bulgaria. The future of small and medium farmers is in organic production. We are people who live in the countryside and help the development of small settlements. Organic farmers take care of the balance in nature. They are innovators in the field of agriculture. The aim of our work is to maintain safety and high quality of foods, protect the environment, but also to promote the benefits of our work among the largest possible range of users."

Bozhidar Petkov grows organic raspberries near the town of Troyan. It is among the cleanest regions in the country and is very suitable for organic farming. Bozhidar Petkov is chairman of the Association of Raspberry Growers. According to him, despite the low interest among Bulgarian consumers, revenues in the sector have been rising.

"We have attracted interest towards our production of raspberries and strawberries and we export to Germany, The Netherlands, Scandinavia, USA. Profit opportunities are great, but so far access to the major markets is extremely difficult when it comes to small quantities. We want to overcome this in order for more Bulgarian organic products to reach the markets. The price difference between organic and conventional products is not so large, but for us producers, organic farming is a philosophy and lifestyle. I like producing organic food using methods that our ancestors used. Indeed, the number of organic farms has been growing in Bulgaria but commercial interest is the primary driving force. Projects in this programming period are many but I think that those who are only interested in making money will disappear from the market because of the lack of traditions. Organic farming also faces a number of challenges. My advice to beginners is starting with small areas in order to learn from possible mistakes. There is a critical period of adaptation from conventional to organic farming, which is 3 years. This is the period of the greatest hardships. After that balance is achieved in the farm and human intervention becomes minimal.”

Englishversion: Alexander Markov