Yesterday, on the occasion of EU Organic Day 2025, the European Commission announced the winners of the fourth edition of the EU Organic Awards.
This year’s awardees uphold the high standards set by previous winners, showcasing innovative and sustainable projects across Europe’s organic value chain. Their work demonstrates how organic farming and production can deliver added value, create communities and jobs in rural areas, turn ambitious sustainability goals into reality, and strengthen resilient, future-oriented food systems. In the new CAP proposal, the EU will maintain strong policy support for organic farming, ensuring the sector can continue to grow and thrive.
The winners of the edition 2025 of the EU Organic Awards are:
· Best organic farmer (female) to Ms Albina Yasinskaya in Bulgaria. Ms Yasinskaya runs Rozino Organic Farm in the Rose Valley, Bulgaria’s first ESG-certified farm, operating a closed production cycle from dairy and meat to processing. The farm applies permaculture, a seasonal production strategy and zero-waste principles, supports the local community, and is seen as a national trendsetter in sustainable organic farming.
· Best organic farmer (male) to Mr Lieven Devreese in Belgium. Mr Devreese runs Het Polderveld Farm, a community-supported agriculture model supplying 150 families and a local hospital with organic food, while integrating ecological, social and economic sustainability. The farm champions fair wages, therapeutic activities for psychiatric patients to engage in monthly farming activities, offering therapeutic and social benefits, and consumer participation, serving as a replicable model of community-centred organic farming across the EU.
· Best organic food processing SME to Joseph Brotmanufaktur GmbH in Austria. Founded by Josef Weghaupt 15 years ago, Joseph Brot is the world’s largest artisan bakery, processing over 1,000 tonnes of organic flour entirely by hand. Working with 24 smallholder families to cultivate 14 rare grain varieties, the bakery leads in preserving original grain culture while promoting biodiversity, fair value chains and sustainable food systems across Austria.
· Best organic restaurant/food caterer to Peskesi restaurant in Greece. Based in Heraklion, Crete, Peskesi combines its own organic farm with partnerships from 98% local producers, embracing a “Farm to Table” and “Table to Farm” philosophy since 2014. Celebrated internationally, the restaurant revives Cretan gastronomy through sustainable farming, zero-waste practices, and cultural initiatives that preserve traditional recipes, native varieties, and local identity.
· Best organic food retailer to Radis&Bona eG in Germany. Based in Regensburg, Bavaria, this cooperative farm shop has been offering 100% organic products since 2021, sourced directly from local producers within an 80 km radius. With its cooperative model, Radis&Bona strengthens regional farming, ensures fair prices, and promotes sustainable practices through short supply chains, low ecological impact, and strong community participation.
· Best organic city to Valpaços in Portugal. This rural municipality in northern Portugal, now leads the country in organic farming, growing from 41 certified producers in 2019 to 516 today. Valpaços combines tradition and innovation through PDO and PGI products like wine, olive oil, and honey, while advancing sustainability with school gardens, municipal composting, climate action measures, and strong biodiversity policies—offering a transferable model for resilient, organic food systems in Europe.
· Best organic region & biodistrict to Võru County in Estonia. Since 2018, this southeastern region has pioneered a sustainable organic food system, achieving its goal of ensuring 20% organic food in all schools and kindergartens by 2024 through strong cooperation between local authorities, producers, and the community. With eco-labelled catering in every school, a planned valorisation centre for organic garden products, and broad engagement across sectors, Võru County offers a replicable model for integrating organic food into public catering while boosting rural economies and protecting biodiversity.
More than 100 applications were received from across the EU for this year's edition, with 21 candidates shortlisted from 13 countries. The EU Organic Awards feature 6 categories and 7 individual awards, recognising innovative, sustainable, and inspiring projects that add significant value to organic production and consumption. The awards are organised by the European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Committee of the Regions, COPA-COGECA, and IFOAM Organics Europe, with support from the European Parliament and the Council.
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