Co-operative retail giant Migros will now use its Migros Bio brand with the Bio Suisse Bud mark exclusively on organic products that have been grown or processed in Switzerland.
Migros – Switzerland’s largest retailer, owned by more than 2 million members – says this is a strengthening of its commitment to Swiss organic farming. Since 1995, it has carried its own organic brand, Migros Bio, sourcing produce from many Bio Suisse farms in the process.
In recent years the co-op has been working to combine the Migros Bio mark with the national Bio Suisse certification carried on its products, and last year it began to switch over its Migros Bio range to Bio Suisse.
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Bio Suisse, the umbrella organisation of Swiss Bud farms and owner of the registered trademark ‘Bud’, was founded in 1981 and now represents 7362 organic producers in Switzerland, and more than 2300 operations and producer groups worldwide.
To receive the Bio Suisse certification, producers must adhere to specific criteria including entirely organic operation, avoiding flavourings, colourings and the use of synthetic chemical pesticides, and not being transported by air.
While imported products that meet at least the EU organic standard will continue to carry the Migros Bio brand, they will not be converted to the Bio Suisse bud and advertised with the bud logo.
Migros CEO Peter Diethelm said:”With this clear focus, we offer our customers easy orientation when shopping. Wherever the bud is shown, our commitment to Swiss organic farming is included.”
Balz Strasser, managing director of Bio Suisse, said: “We are delighted to be able to intensify the already very good co-operation and thus strengthen Swiss organic farming in the long term.”
