Bio Suisse

Bio Suisse, a private-sector organization, is the federation of Swiss organic farmers. This umbrella organization counts 34 organic farmers' associations among its members, as well as the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL. Bio Suisse developed common and uniform standards for agriculture and processing. 

 

Organic produce carrying the Bud label (Common label, the “Bud”) has a market share in Switzerland of about 60%. More than 800 processing and trade companies have a licence contract with Bio Suisse to use the label.

Bio Suisse’s roots
 
Swiss farmers play a leading role in the development of organic farming. Indeed, shortly after Dr. Rudolf Steiner (1924) founded biodynamic agriculture, farms in Switzerland took up his methods. In the 1940s, Dr. Hans Müller developed the organic-biological method, and firmly established the concept of sustainable organic agriculture with closed cycles in crop production. In 1974, far-sighted researchers formed the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), with the mission of underpinning scientifically the observations made by the organic farming pioneers.

 

The modern era of organic agriculture began in 1981 with the founding of the Association of the Swiss Organic Agriculture Organisations (Bio Suisse). The first common standards on organic farming methods were adopted in 1981. The common logo, the “Bud” (German: Knospe) label, was created at the same time.
 
The Swiss organic market and Bio Suisse have experienced vigorous growth over recent years. Today some 5700 Swiss organic farms are certified to Bio Suisse standards (representing 10% of all Swiss farms). Representative surveys show: More than 70% of the Swiss are already aware of the Bud label.