In 2022, VULKAN Brewery from Mendig made a significant transition by converting its entire production to 100% Bioland quality, and now aims to raise awareness about the importance of organically produced beers at Anuga.
"At VULKAN, we have always seen it as our mission to brew sustainable, natural beers using locally-sourced ingredients. Organic certification was the next logical step for us," says Malte Tack, CEO of VULKAN Brewery.
Organic beers still occupy a niche position in Germany. While organic food accounts for 6.8% of the overall market, the organic share in the beer industry is merely 1%.
Beer often hides behind the German Reinheitsgebot, suggesting itself as a "green" product. However, it is often overlooked that the German Reinheitsgebot only dictates which ingredients can be used, but not how they are cultivated. It permits the use of only four main ingredients: water, malt (from barley), hops, and yeast. Its aim was to ensure the quality and purity of beer and prevent the use of harmful additives. However, it does not address the fact that harmful pesticides and chemically synthesized fertilizers can be used in the cultivation of barley and hops.
How Harmful Is Conventional Barley and Hops Farming?
A closer look at the conventional cultivation of these raw materials reveals that it significantly harms our environment and poses risks to human health. Conventional agriculture uses systemic fungicides, which are pesticides used to combat harmful organisms. These chemicals can accumulate in soil and potentially infiltrate groundwater. Insecticides are used to combat pests but also harm ecologically important insects and soil organisms. Herbicides are used to chemically eliminate weeds and grasses, and mineral nitrogen fertilizers are used to provide nutrients to plants that the soil cannot naturally supply. Repeated application further damages soil fertility.
All of these practices have far-reaching consequences that can be prevented through organic farming.
Where the Reinheitsgebot Ends, Organic Begins
In organic farming, all these harmful pesticides and chemically synthesized fertilizers are prohibited. Instead, natural methods are employed to combat harmful organisms, such as using natural predators against pests and restoring soil fertility.
While consumers have developed a strong awareness of organic practices in meat and animal products, the same level of attention to the origin of raw materials is not yet evident in the beer industry. This is surprising, considering that in 2022, according to Statista, each person in Germany consumed 91.8 liters of beer on average.
As the first Bioland-certified brewery in Rhineland-Palatinate, Malte Tack and his team aim to give a loud and colorful voice to organic beers. Over the next three years, they plan to double the production of organically made beers and encourage other breweries to follow suit.
You can learn more about this topic and enjoy a freshly poured organic beer at booth D102 in Hall 08.1.
To the press compartment of Vulkan Brauerei GmbH & Co. KG
Downloads to this press release
