Denmark: First organic Christmas tree seeds

Source: Bols Forstplanteskole

OrganicPortal NewsRoom

The growers of organic Christmas trees can now look forward to a boost. A Danish garden centre has just obtained the well-known red eco-label on their Nordmann Fir seeds, which completes the organic chain from a small seed to a full-grown Christmas tree. “We are obviously happy to be the first people in the world to produce certified organic Christmas tree seeds. Up until now, the Christmas tree growers have not been able to procure seeds carrying the organic label”, says Marianne Bols, owner of Bols Forstplanteskole in Jutland, who is behind the fair, organic seeds.

Apart from the fact that the organic seeds have an important signaling effect for consumers, they will, in all probability, make it easier to get started as an organic Christmas tree grower. “There has been an absence of organic plants for transplanting, plants which are required when you grow organic Christmas trees. We expect the obtained approval of organic seeds to speed up the production of organic plants for transplanting even more”, says Sybille Kyed, chief consultant of the Danish Organic Association. The association is pleased that it was a Danish garden centre that took the next important step in the production of Christmas trees – not only in Denmark, but on the international scene as well. This Danish step is looked upon as evidence that operating with tough demands on organic production – in this case the use of organic plants for transplanting – motivates producers to develop the organic market.

“We provide growers of organic Christmas trees with a package deal, thus giving them the opportunity to grow their own plants. We will assist them in pre-processing the seeds so that the individual grower can make his own seed and plant beds. This will create more independence in relation to the supplier of plants and the fluctuating prices. At the same time, you get an opportunity to cut costs when setting up your eco-culture”, Marianne Bols explains. She also states that the price of seeds from the garden centre will not increase due to their newly gained eco-label.

Only a few months ago and in addition to the organic certification, the Danish garden centre – again, as the first grower of Christmas trees in the world – also obtained the much-coveted membership of the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) for developing the Fair Trees concept. The membership is the result of an age-long effort to improve the working conditions for cone pickers in Georgia and their focus on a sustainable production.

More information is available here: http://www.bolsforst.dk - http://www.fairtrees.dk

The latest addition to the Fair Trees product range is Fair Candles - organic Christmas tree candles which are Fair Trade approved, just like all other Fair Trees products. The hand-made Christmas tree candles are made from beeswax gathered by Georgian beekeepers. Fair Trees has engaged four Georgians, who use traditional equipment such as zinc tubs, flames and hand-operated drums to produce the honey-scented candles under fair conditions of employment. The candles are sold in Denmark in neatly-wrapped bundles of twenty. These attractive candles, the scent of which is clean and natural, contribute in a healthy way to the coziness of Christmas time in the home. For each bundle, 1 US$ is donated to the Bols Xmas Tree Fund.

Tip: OrganicPortal Danmark - Økologisk Landbruk

OrganicPortal NewsRoom

31.01.2012

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