EU Organic Awards Name Seven Winners Across Europe’s Food Chain

The European Commission has announced seven winners in the fifth EU Organic Awards, recognizing projects spanning farming, food processing, retail, foodservice and local government. The awards were presented in Brussels on September 23 as part of EU Organic Day.

The 2026 program attracted more than 120 applications, with 21 finalists selected from 12 countries. The awards cover six categories and are organized by European institutions and agricultural organizations, including the Commission, COPA-COGECA and IFOAM Organics Europe.

Ireland’s Kay O’Sullivan received the award for best female organic farmer for her 63-hectare Glynn Organic Farm, while Denmark’s Hans Erik Joergensen was named best male organic farmer for the 350-hectare Risbjerg Landbrug. The Commission highlighted their work on grass-based livestock, diversified rotations, soil health, animal welfare and knowledge sharing.

Bio Bulgaria, which trades under the Harmonica brand, won the organic food-processing award. The Commission said the company works with local producers and partner manufacturers across more than 30 products, using short supply chains, clear product origins and education to expand the market for organic food.

Austria’s Zotter Schokolade won the restaurant and foodservice category, while Germany’s Boßhammersch Hof took the retail award. Zotter combines chocolate production, organic farming and visitor experiences, while Boßhammersch Hof delivers more than 2,000 plastic-free organic boxes each week and works with 60 organic farms.

The public-sector winners were Cussac-Fort-Médoc in France and Distretto Sardegna Bio in Italy. The French municipality uses a 7,000-square-metre organic plot to supply fresh vegetables for school meals, while the Sardinian bio-district connects about 2,600 organic businesses across 184,000 hectares of organic farmland.

The winners illustrate how organic-sector development is moving beyond primary production. Processing, procurement, logistics, foodservice, consumer access and local institutions all influence whether organic farming can build stable markets and retain more value within producing regions.

For agriculture and food companies, the awards also function as a practical catalogue of operating models. The recognized projects show how businesses and public authorities are combining traceable sourcing, shorter supply chains, digital ordering, public procurement and farm-level innovation to strengthen organic food systems.