From today, all products from Demeter-certified companies that meet the biodynamic standard will be able to carry the label without paying royalties on the individual reference. A breakthrough that makes life easier for companies and broadens the choice for consumers.
“We have turned certification into a genuine growth engine,” explains Enrico Amico, president of Demeter Italy. The new contribution system stems from a precise idea: biodynamic is not only an ethical choice, it is also a business choice. And it should be treated as such, with tools that allow companies to plan, grow and stay on the market competitively.
The goal is no longer just to certify, but to accompany. No longer just to verify the application of the biodynamic standard but to support growth. “Demeter Italy wants to be a concrete growth partner, not a cost to manage,” Amico says.
The new mechanism: fairer, more predictable
The plan rewrites the contribution rules substantially. The calculation is now based on farm hectares, weighted by crop risk class: from greenhouse horticulture to pasture, from viticulture to arable. Those with smaller areas pay proportionately less. Those who grow, do so gradually and predictably, thanks to progressive steps that avoid sharp jumps.
For the first time, companies will be able to plan their contributions with certainty. No longer variables dependent on sales trends, but a stable framework on which to build medium-term strategies. This is a significant paradigm shift: certification stops being an element of uncertainty in corporate budgets and becomes a predictable and manageable item.
A breakthrough for transformers
The processing world also emerges renewed from this shift. The development fee-which includes organic and biodynamic products purchased from Demeter farms and organic products under derogation used to make Demeter products-will henceforth be calculated on the value of the purchased, no longer on the sold.
It means that investment in packaging, labeling and product enhancement will no longer be penalized. On the contrary: entrepreneurial capacity is encouraged. Those who work to give more value to the biodynamic product-through design, communication, distribution-will not be taxed on their margins, but only on the raw material from which they start.
Rewards for those who do more
The plan also introduces concrete reductions for farms that demonstrate a commitment above the required standard. Three areas are rewarded: crop diversification in favor of biodiversity; stable presence of hives on the farm; and social responsibility activities in the area.
“To see today a community united around such an ambitious reform is a satisfaction that goes far beyond the administrative result,” says Alois Lageder, Demeter Italy’s Board Member with responsibility for tariffs. “It is proof that when you build seriously and put the common good at the center, trust comes.”
Italian biodynamics now has better tools to establish itself in the marketplace. And it does so by demonstrating that it can be grown with respect for the land, fairness to people and economic soundness.
