Photo: EESC
Bulgarian company Bio Bulgaria, known for its Harmonica brand, won the award for best small or medium-sized enterprise processing organic food at the fifth edition of the EU Organic Awards, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) said.
After being shortlisted among the three finalists in the category, Bio Bulgaria took first place as the best organic food processing company in the EU, ahead of Spain’s Cantero de Letur and Austria’s Genusskoarl.
The winners of the fifth edition of the EU Organic Awards were announced at an official ceremony in Brussels on September 23, which marks EU Organic Day.
Since 2016, Bio Bulgaria is an organic food company which supports short supply chains, fair trade and the development of local communities, the EESC press release said. For the past decade, they have helped dozens of Bulgarian organic farmers secure stable markets for their raw materials. Beyond its products, it promotes education through schools and the media, keeps organic food affordable and turns waste into valuable products.
The laureates uphold the high standards set by previous winners and present innovative, sustainable projects across the entire organic production value chain in Europe, the European Commission said. Their work demonstrates how organic farming and production can create added value, build communities and jobs in rural areas, turn ambitious sustainability goals into action, and support resilient, future-oriented food systems, the Commission added.
The Commission remains committed to continuing to support the organic production sector and the value chain by strengthening their competitiveness while maintaining high standards. Under the proposed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2027, the EU budget will continue to support organic farming and innovation in the sector, drawing on research and the European Competitiveness Fund, the Commission also said.
For this year’s edition, more than 120 applications were again received from across the EU, with 21 candidates from 12 countries making the shortlist.
The EU Organic Awards are jointly organised by the European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the European Committee of the Regions, Copa-Cogeca and IFOAM Organics Europe, with the European Parliament and the Council participating in the evaluation.
BTA recalls that at last year’s EU Organic Awards, a Bulgarian woman won first place in the Best Organic Farmer category for 2025. This was Albina Yasinskaya of Rozino organic farm. A year earlier, the same category also had a finalist from Bulgaria - Blagovesta Vasileva of Wild Farm.
Source: BTA