Approval for one important Munich organic supermarket
I’ve never found Reformhäuser—Germany’s answer to “health food” stores, which first opened their doors in the early 20th century—very attractive alternatives to conventional supermarkets. The wares on display are generally as aesthetically appealing as the sales personnel, rather square and old-fashioned. White lab coats, frumpy Birkenstocks, wrinkled apples and dried-up carrots are accompanied by the pungent, healthful aromas of yeast and vitamin B in a veritable oasis of sensuous denial. And all this at prices to make you recoil in disbelief.Yet cooking and eating have been sensuous activities for thousands of years. Gratification of the senses begins at the shop counter: firm, shiny fruit, lettuce, herbs and vegetables pearled with water, artistically arranged sausages, piles of cheeses, pork tenderloin, filets, cutlets and chicken breasts all elicit a lust for life, enjoyment and the expectation of pleasure.
Imagine you had to buy the ingredients for a romantic candlelight dinner at a Reformhaus? Having said that, it wouldn’t be much better if you had to go to a conventional greengrocer, supermarket or market stall. These may offer perfect-looking products, attractively arranged to please the eye, but conventional goods often disappoint the palate.
For example, most of the supermarkets and greengrocers, whether Aldi or the stand owner at the Viktualienmarkt, buy the bulk of their fruit and vegetables at the Munich wholesale market. This is the largest trading center for agri-industrial products from southern Europe this side of the Alps. Here you will find acre upon acre of cellophane-wrapped produce, arranged in an orderly fashion, every morsel doused with pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, while fleets of diesel-guzzling, soot-spewing, road-choking trucks ensure that every last variety of fruit and vegetable is available to us every single day of the year. Now we have new tomatoes all year round, which look no less firm and juicy after three weeks in the fridge. The concept of the space-saving, square tomato may have become a standing joke, but considering the boring, flavorless examples currently gracing the supermarket shelves perhaps this is not such a far-fetched idea. Not even the strongly scented stalks, which are currently a fashion accessory for vine tomatoes—as if not all tomatoes grow on bushes—are of any help.
The complete lack of flavor in many agri-industrial products stifles any desire to eat. Yet the considerably more problematic and dangerous pleasure-killers are the methods of production, the processing and the sale of such food. Plants and animals are maltreated—extremely hazardous chemicals and cruelty to animals are the orders of the day. Markets are flooded with products of inferior quality and consumers are gradually being poisoned. The joy of cooking and dining is gradually being eroded by a daily menu of potentially BSE- or salmonella-infected meat and chickens pumped with antibiotics, hidden pesticides, artificial flavoring and other nutritionally void substances.
The gap in the market between the utterly bland Reformhaus and the disease-inducing, agri-industrial mass market has now been filled by a group of young traders and entrepreneurs who have turned their backs on the fussy ideas of the old Reformhaus movement and are offering organically grown produce at reasonable prices. They have moved away from the rigid guidelines set down by the health food purists—such as not using refined flour, or meat or any kind of processed food—and are concentrating on organic products, gentle and sustainable methods of production, regional products and, last but not least, goods from so-called fair-trade sources. This is because agri-industrial production not only harms plants, animals and the environment, but in many places it is also driving farmers to hunger and poverty. The worst example of this is the coffee market: for every pound of name brand coffee sold here (about € 2.99) the farmer who produced it in Africa or Brazil will get 10–15 cents. If you want your money to go directly to the farmer, you should buy fair-trade coffee from now on—this may mean spending € 1–2 more per pound, but it ensures that the farmer will receive enough from the crop to feed his family.
The new organic supermarkets have confronted the problems that always plagued the sale of organic products in the past: the meager network of traders, the small quantity of produce sold (as compared to supermarkets) and the relatively high production costs, although the expression “high” needs to be seen in perspective here. “Low” prices are only low because the unpopular additional costs have been excluded, namely the cost of environmental pollution created by the long-distance transportation, the cost of environmental destruction by the agri-industry and the often absurd government subsidies, none of which are shown on the price tag. Once we have recognized that low prices in conventional supermarket are a con, we will have taken the first step toward becoming emancipated consumers.
Organic supermarkets can help us take that step. They are a potentially successful new model for the economically sound and environmentally sustainable sale of high-quality foodstuffs. Their wide range of products, similar to those found in conventional supermarkets, has led to increased sales, which, in turn, has brought prices down. In the last few years many organic producers have joined forces, forming regional groups to avoid the higher prices created by the long-distance transportation of organic produce. Organic supermarkets have established an entirely new clientele, free of the stereotypical grain-munching, sandalwood incense-burning customer of yesteryear. Furthermore, the sensible and passionate eater has been emancipated: s/he knows that humane treatment of animals is more expensive than mass animal rearing and therefore reduces his/her consumption of meat in favor of higher quality. The daily consumption of sausage or salami at breakfast becomes unappetizing when you consider the abonimable slaughtering practices of which the press has kindly informed us since the advent of BSE. Instead, the marmalade jar and the honey pot have received a new lease on life.
The idea of the organic supermarket in Munich can be traced back to the opening of the “Basic-Bio” supermarket. Among the Basic inventors is George Schweissfurth, son of the founder of the Hermannsdorfer Landwerkstätten (Munich Found 10/1999), who made the admirable switch from being the Dr. Jekyll of conventional mass meat production to the Mr. Hyde of organic farming and who has made a name for himself across Europe. Schweissfurth junior opened the first organic supermarket in Schwabing in 1998 (Munich Found 12/98). The success was overwhelming. The wide range of organic products, diversity of producers and “Basic’s” own “no Logo” foodstuffs opened an enormous, as yet undiscovered niche in the market. The new consumer had money to burn, was critical and environmentally aware and would have visited a Reformhaus only in search of foods to meet special dietary requirements. This is the place for passionate gourmands and gourmets who are willing to pay that little extra without wanting to go over the top. Aldi and Basic shopping bags hanging together from the handlebars of bicycles are no longer an unusual sight. But once this shopper has discovered the organic Italian country wine, sold under Basic’s own label at € 2.99 a bottle, he will know that, from now on, he can get all his essential foodstuffs in one place.
Of course, Basic doesn’t get all its products from Schweissfurth senior’s farms but from a large catchment area. Most of the meat products come from nearby Chiemgau. The store’s bread and baked goods are delivered by Munich’s organic bakers, whose diverse recipes have turned food sampling into a try-them-all contest. Customers who suffer from allergies will be happy to discover an exact list of ingredients on each product. And because the market is no longer dominated by the grain-gobbling muesli-lover you can even get white bread, which, thanks to the high-quality flour, wholesome organic ingredients and manual production methods, is light years ahead of that sold by Munich’s conventional bakery chains.
The concept of “Basic-bio for all” was extended in 2000 when a second supermarket was opened between Isartor and the Viktualienmarkt. As well as the organic foods and an organic bistro, the second floor of the supermarket is home to what Schweissfurth claims to be the largest organic drugstore in Europe. In addition to an extensive selection of food supplements—a favorite haunt of American ex-pats—the store carries cosmetics, the unavoidable esoteric extras, such as joss sticks and aroma oils, and a range of natural clothing for babies. A very professional and well-informed staff is on hand to give advice. Customers can try many of the products out before buying them, which is particularly useful to those suffering from allergies. As cosmetics tend to be rather expensive, this is a particularly consumer-friendly service. All the leading natural cosmetic brands, made with essential oils and free of petrochemical-based substances, are available here. Instead of the pungent stench of designer perfumes, the scent of rose, lavender and rosemary hangs in the air. All of the around 1,000 products in Basic’s inventory have been created without preservatives, synthetic colors and aromas and without animal testing.
A certain political and moral attitude is discernible in the food section, as well as the drugstore, but this only serves to make the store more attractive. Shopping may not be a substitute for political awareness, but at least you can shop with a good conscience because the product has not been manufactured at the expense of man and the environment. Chickens, cattle and pigs are bred under humane conditions, at least until they reach the slaughterhouse. Producers who do not destroy the environment and adhere to the principle of sustainability are given support. The goods on offer benefit ecological projects in poor or third-world countries, thus helping them become independent of industrialized countries. Rainer Plum, a resourceful producer of natural cosmetics, who hails from the Chiemgau region, is a good example. His “Tautropfen” products are created by using organic Damask roses grown in Iran and Turkey, where the entrepreneur has created a lot of new jobs. His rosewater, which can be used either as a toner for the face, for making marzipan or in a refreshing summer drink, is produced by the traditional method of water distillation without the addition of synthetic chemical solvents. The “Tautropfen” line—a purists dream come true—even includes a shampoo without detergents, relying instead upon traditional methods of cleansing practiced for generations in Morocco and other North African countries. Many swear by the shampoo made of 11- million-year-old clay from the Atlas Mountains, though applying it takes a bit of getting used to.
Basic includes even more unusual attractions in its repertoire: elixirs made in accordance with ethno-botanical and ethno-pharmacological principles. Mixed with natural fruit juices you can enjoy happy hours with Paracelsus and Hildegard of Bingen. The kick you get out of these modern spiritualist cocktails varies from one person to another. The taste, however, is delicious. A visit to the beauty and “wellness” section of the drugstore is a must. Wrapped in warm towels, the soothing sounds of lapping water and chimes in the background, while being treated with aroma acupressure, it is easy to forget the stress of life outside. There is even a little bit of harmless esotericism for those who are interested. Gift vouchers for this pleasant form of pampering make popular birthday gifts.
This all-embracing concept of “Bio für alle” seems to be working. In addition to the two Munich shops a branch was opened last year in Stuttgart with further subsidiaries planned for Augsburg, Nuremberg and Northrhine Westphalia this year. The owners are optimistic about the future: currently, the market share for organic products is around 2 percent. Germany’s Minister of Agriculture, Renate Künast, thinks this figure will increase to 10 percent in the next 10 years, while research into organic consumer behavior forecasts an increase of 15–20 percent in the coming years. So Basic is riding high on the trend—one that celebrates the pleasures of eating and is helping consumers rediscover the meaning of flavor. For more information, visit www.basic-ag.de.
