The Sino-German Agricultural Centre (DCZ) took part in Biofach China 2025, held in Shanghai from 11 to 13 June. As the country’s leading trade fair for organic products, the event brought together companies, researchers, regulators, and associations to discuss current trends and opportunities in China’s organic sector. DCZ contributed to the forum with a presentation on the organic market in Germany and moderated a panel discussion on opportunities and challenges for German organic producers entering the Chinese market.
The panel featured representatives from across the organic landscape, including Andreas Krause (German Chamber of Commerce in China), Fang Beishu (certification body KIWA BCS), Zhang Youting (organic food platform OABC), and Jay Wang (producer association Naturland). The discussion highlighted practical insights on certification, marketing, and cross-border trade.
German organic companies presented their products at the Germany Pavilion, reflecting the country’s ongoing commitment to international organic trade and cooperation.
Key takeaways from this year’s edition include:
- Despite economic headwinds, China’s organic market continues to offer potential
- Young, price-sensitive consumers are driving interest in healthy and sustainable food
- Organic products are becoming more accessible through premium retail channels such as Hema
- German producers are exploring new models, including cross-border e-commerce, white label production, and localized supply networks in China and East Asia
- Adapting products and messaging to local consumer expectations is key to market success
On the sidelines of the fair, DCZ visited two farms that reflect the diversity of China’s organic agriculture.
Biofarm Shanghai, one of the country’s oldest certified organic farms, supplies major supermarket chains, restaurants, and home delivery customers. With over 300 certified vegetable varieties and production sites in Shanghai, Yunnan, and Ningxia, the farm combines biodiversity with scale. Tools such as autonomous tractors and digital farm management systems help ensure productivity and resilience.
D&D Farm on Hengsha Island, by contrast, follows a regenerative, low-intervention philosophy. The farm functions as a self-sustaining ecosystem, growing 80 types of vegetables, three rice varieties, free-range poultry, and more than 70 species of edible trees—offering a living example of ecological farming in practice.
The visits highlighted the coexistence of high-tech and nature-based approaches in China’s organic sector, underlining the experimental spirit and diversity driving its continued evolution.
