Eurolink News

European public decide on new organic logo (27th January, 2010)

January 27, 2010 at 6:29 pm Leave a comment

Over 100,000 people across Europe have taken part in an online vote to choose a new label for organic food. The winning logo is due to be announced at an award ceremony in Brussels during the summer, and will be compulsory for pre-packaged organic produce made in the EU. The appearance of the logo on a food label will guarantee that the product is in line with strictest organic standards.
The competition to find the best logo began last year, when almost 3,500 designers and artists responded to a European Commission invitation to submit proposals. The brief stipulated that the logo should be ‘easy to remember and to associate with the EU and organic farming without using any words or letters’. Outgoing Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said the logo should not simply target organic producers or suppliers, but ‘all Europeans interested in organic farming and sustainable food choices.’ An internationally-renowned jury was drafted in to whittle down thousands of entries to a shortlist of three. Thirty-four proposals were submitted from Ireland, but unfortunately none of them made it onto the shortlist. The contest was then thrown open to the public in an online vote.
Commissioner Boel said the idea of involving the public was to make sure that the new logo would appeal to as many people as possible. ‘The open selection process also contributes to the wider objective of making people aware of the importance of the organic farming sector,’ she added.

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