EVERY PURCHASE CHANGES THE WORLD
For some time, we’d noticed DEINspeisesalon’s ongoing commitment to establishing direct delivery relationships and dialogue with farmers in the local region – and the great interest they received at our organic gastronomy trade fair held at their beautiful location. We knew it was the right home for our other events and we held our AGM there too – our shareholders loved the green oasis in the middle of Cologne.
It wasn’t just their activities like their strict avoidance of waste, their own composting, the bees in their biodiverse garden, regularly cooking for homeless people and their genuine enjoyment of high quality and fair supply conditions that convinced us – aside from that, it was above all their unswerving curiosity about further steps towards sustainability and delicious food. There’s certainly plenty for all of us to do! Our economy, and especially intensive, globally oriented farming, causes major problems: damaging greenhouse gases, the loss of valuable habitats and rain forests prompting a dramatic reduction in biodiversity, social injustice and major dependencies in global supply chains – which are also very vulnerable, as the war in Ukraine has showed all too clearly.
AGRICULTURE IS PART OF THE SOLUTION!
How much safer, in comparison, are regional supply chains, cooperative and direct agreements between producers and processors, and regenerative, ecological business practices! Every purchase can contribute to a way of doing business fit for the future. And that’s what we’re encouraging in our partner network in the Rhineland – now including DEINspeisesalon. With this Regionalwert partnership and its relationships with other committed organic companies in our network, DEINspeisesalon is actively supporting agriculture that builds up humus, binds CO2 and keeps the soil fertile; that fosters biodiversity in the fields, in which hedges and meadow orchards provide space for diverse habitats and in which harmful chemicals are not used; that creates good local jobs and builds strong regional supply chains. Agriculture that is good for the environment, for animals and for all of us!
PROVEN QUALITY! SUSTAINABILITY UNDER SCRUTINY
The Regionalwert network consists of more than 40 companies – from the field to the plate. They all want to do business in such a way that we pass on a liveable future to coming generations. And that’s proven on a regular basis – with the sustainability report invented by the founder of the Regionalwert idea, Christian Hiss (which has already won several awards). Using around 300 criteria, we can measure how much work the companies do towards ecological factors such as biodiversity, soil fertility, social commitments (good workplaces for all) and regional economic factors such as stable regional supply relationships. But they can only do that work if enough customers buy their products, at prices enabling sufficient income. Our reports also focus on what can be built from scratch and where there’s room for improvement.
For instance, some regional processing facilities barely exist any more (mills, bakeries, butcheries); competition with global chains and rock-bottom prices puts them at an economic disadvantage if they work sustainably. Nonetheless, our companies continue their commitment and development, as regenerative business practices such as permaculture and agro-forest systems find their way into use. Holistic methods offer many advantages for facing climate change and more frequent extreme weather phenomena such as droughts and floods
COOPERATION NOT COMPETITION – SUPPORTED BY A COMMUNITY OF LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE
Farming and processing businesses can’t adapt to the coming challenges alone – transformation requires capital. Through Regionalwert’s just under 1000 shareholders, we’ve already been able to support 17 businesses, including two farm successions, two new Demeter market gardens, stress-free slaughter on home farms with a mobile butchery, the conversion of a dairy farm to a diverse agroforestry business with husbandry and vegetable farming, two small organic dairies, a manure hall for high soil fertility and an ecological vineyard in a fine Mittelrhein location, which is now being collaboratively restored. By buying shares, supporters help maintain and re-establish important regional structures for the future.
GO AHEAD AND SAVE THE WORLD …
We held last year’s AGM in the beautiful DEINspeisesalon event location. All our partners’ sustainability reports were up on the walls, while they talked in person about their current situations and challenges – about successes and collaborative projects – and after that, plans were made and new partners were won. Together with DEINspeisesalon, we’re planning exciting projects – our cooperation with Haus Bollheim began with a soil fertility course in which we got down to earth together. And at Türnich Castle, an exciting project will soon combine supportive agriculture and permaculture experiences.
We look forward to growing together and talking together to make the world a more sustainable place – with the innovative, curious, inquiring, benevolent and committed team from DEINspeisesalon!
MORE ABOUT REGIONALWERT AG RHINELAND