Bio-Berlin

One of the most prominent words you see in Berlin today is Bio. Bio stands for biological and is fast being adopted by everyone from drinks companies to grocery stores to service a growing mainstream demand for better products. Bio is an offical standard in Germany: since September 2001, all agricultural products and foodstuffs from organic farming can be labeled with the national Bio-Siegel (eco label) of Germany. The small hexagonal logo with the inscription “Bio” hopes to “bring about clarity, uniformity and orientation for organic or eco products respectively.”

Bio was everywhere in Berlin. One of the soda brands growing in popularity is German born Bionade, our hotel Lux-Eleven offered a bio-breakfast after our shower using their bio-soaps, a morning bio-coffee was served from a bio-café, our lunch was bio and even our beer was too (we could also buy bio headache pills for our hangover!).

Stores that resemble the US WholeFoods are popping up everywhere and if you think it’s just a fad, we noticed a sign on a construction site announce the development of the biggest bio-supermarket opening soon in the center of Berlin.

While the Bio movement in Berlin seemed to be much more visible than any organic-movement in the US or UK, One thing that seemed a little lacking in the craze was the consideration for locally produced foods. Oh well, you have to start somewhere we suppose.