Law on Organic Production by the End of the Year

At the Zagreb Fair, organized by Biovega, Makronova, and Planetopija, an eco-forum was held on the topic: Truths and Misconceptions about Eco-Products, where challenges and goals of organic production were discussed, and the new Law on Organic Production was presented.

At the eco-forum, organic farmers Damir Rosipal and Zlata Nanić, Darija Musulin, senior advisor of the Department of Organic and Integrated Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, and Anita Bočkor from Biovega, a company engaged in the import and distribution of eco-products, highlighted the advantages of organic production as well as the consumption of organic products. Organic production is a very demanding method of production and is much less commercially viable than conventional agriculture. Organic farms must undergo professional control and obtain certification in order to label their products as organic. For this reason, eco-products are significantly more expensive than those grown conventionally, but they are also of much higher quality and healthier.

 Therefore, it is important to educate and inform people in Croatia to distinguish true organic production from various attempts to deceive consumers. Zlata Nanić, the founder of the first organic farm in Croatia and a pioneer of organic production, spoke about the misconceptions that end consumers have about organic products. – Consumers in Croatia believe that domestic products automatically signify quality fruits and vegetables. However, this is a mistaken belief because organic production results in products that are of much higher quality and have greater nutritional value. Damir Rosipal pointed out many uneducated farmers in our country who not only use chemicals in cultivation but do so with incorrect chemical products and in the wrong way.

The Law on Organic Production is expected to introduce order to the market of eco-products and is anticipated to come into effect by the end of the year. For production under the Law, the ‘Eco-Product’ label will be awarded, which will signify products that contain 95 percent of ingredients from organic production. Additionally, according to the Law, all companies that do not engage in organic production will have to remove the terms bio, organic, and eco from their names and the names of their products. Thus, there will no longer be Bio-Active or bio pastries, products that do not come from organic production but use such labels. The main goal of the Law is the protection and safety of end consumers.

Sister companies Biovega, Makronova, Planetopija, and Biozrno are jointly presenting at the Mystic fair as part of the Zagreb Fair, where they have a booth titled ‘Good Feeling’. This year, the owners and founders of these companies, Jadranka Boban Pejić and Zlatko Pejić, are celebrating 25 years of operation. The booth is full of interesting content, such as free shiatsu massages, a cooking workshop for ‘eco-pancakes’, or a Primavera care treatment.  (Zlatko Salahović)