"The 30th birthday of Ja! Natürlich is the perfect occasion to look back on the success story of organic in Austria - and to emphasise that it is far from over. What began at BILLA in 1994 with the vision of offering all our customers affordable organic products of the highest quality has helped make Austria the organic world champion today," says Marcel Haraszti, Management Board member of REWE International AG, with conviction. With 27 per cent of agricultural land farmed organically (source: Eurostat), Austria is the EU leader and the enthusiasm for organic is also reflected in purchasing behaviour: 80 per cent of Austrian consumers regularly buy products from organic farming.

"Even the current economically challenging times have not changed this - the growth curve of Ja! Natürlich's growth curve continues to rise. This is because organic products are less affected by price increases and customers have the utmost confidence in the organic pioneer. They share our conviction that we must treat our soil, animals, biodiversity and the climate responsibly when producing food. This is what Ja! Natürlich has stood for for 30 years and this mission is certainly not losing its power and relevance in times of a global climate crisis," emphasises Haraszti.

Ja! Natürlich goes beyond the legal organic standard in almost all areas. "This is only possible in close partnerships with organic farmers who share our conviction. In agriculture, organic is also a way of life and, for some, a risk. Since its foundation, Ja! Natürlich has therefore stood for long-term cooperation and the joint further development of quality criteria," summarises Ja! Natürlich managing directors Andreas Steidl summarises.

Ja! Natürlich can point to numerous milestones in a wide variety of areas, each of which has had a formative influence on the entire industry. For example, the highest animal welfare standards were developed during the three decades of pioneering work: introduced back in 2018, Ja! Natürlich is still the only organic brand in the country where dairy cows are guaranteed free range around the clock, 365 days a year. As early as 2013, Ja! Natürlich began putting an end to the killing of male chicks in egg production back in 2013, and the entire domestic organic sector followed suit in 2016. As early as 2001, Ja! Natürlich started a flagship project for species-appropriate husbandry with free-range pigs in the Waldviertel region, which is still unique in Austria today. "Together with the Austrian farmers involved, we have not only been able to realise the substantial further development of guidelines and introduce innovative products, but have also managed to increase volumes by over 100% over the past 15 years - for which the Ja! Natürlich farmers deserve a big thank you for this," says Andreas Steidl.

The fact that Ja! Natürlich, as an organic pioneer, was formative for Austria's exemplary role in organic agriculture in Europe immediately after Austria's accession to the European Union in 1995, is also confirmed by Franz Fischler, Minister of Agriculture in the year the brand was founded and shortly afterwards EU Commissioner for Agriculture. "There was no regulation for organic at that time, but there were a few scandals and little consumer confidence in organic food. The trade helped to develop the guidelines and was more ambitious than legislators and associations right from the start - this is how organic was brought out of its niche. Today, organic is very well established in Austria, but still needs to develop further. It will be crucial to remain innovative, not to turn a blind eye to new technologies and digitalisation and to significantly increase the proportion of organic produce in processed products. There is still a lot to do!", Franz Fischer appeals to the domestic organic scene.

As a pioneer, Ja! Natürlich has maintained its innovative spirit and is constantly developing new products of the highest organic quality in co-operation with producers. Especially those that were previously not available in large quantities from domestic production. The most prominent example of the many exotic products that Ja! Natürlich has brought to Austria over the years is organic rice. Organic farmer Erwin Unger from Seewinkel in Burgenland started growing rice domestically almost ten years ago, and since 2016 it has been an integral part of the Ja! Natürlich range throughout Austria."Today, rice from Austria has almost become the norm - back then, many people reacted with a shake of the head. Experiments like this are only possible with a strong partner at your side - I have found this partner in Ja! Natürlich I have found this partner. This requires not only a shared vision, but also patience and perseverance. After all, innovations don't happen overnight, but are a lengthy process characterised by setbacks and adjustments until you reach your goal. And innovation never stops," says Erwin Unger, describing the collaboration.

Generations have grown up with Ja! Natürlich - the brand enjoys the trust of Austrians. The success after 30 years of continuous sales growth to 585 million euros in 2023 is also reflected in the high proportion of organic products in many important product groups. Overall, the organic share in BILLA and BILLA Plus in the food sector is around 12%. However, this figure is already over 30% for whole milk, just under 27% for beef, 30% for vegetables and around 26% for eggs. BILLA's organic share of baked goods from the counter is already over 50%. And in the dry goods range, the proportion of Ja! Natürlich is already high in some cases - for example 36% for bread cubes. "On the one hand, this underlines the great potential that Ja! Natürlich still has. At the same time, it demonstrates the great focus that BILLA and BILLA PLUS place on organic - because, according to our surveys, a third of customers come to BILLA because of Ja! Natürlich!", emphasises Klaudia Atzmüller, Managing Director of Ja! Natürlich.