Discover Germany | Special Theme | Austria’s Organic Experts
Organic passion made in Austria There are no excuses nowadays to not lead a healthy, environmentally conscious lifestyle, as the means to follow an organic and nourishing and above all environmentally and people-friendly diet are easily available. TEXT: SILKE HENKELE I PHOTOS: LEMBERONA HANDELS GMBH
Lemberona is a people-conscious Viennabased company that has specialised in organic and Fair Trade food; the company’s offer comprises local farmers’ organic and as well as Fair Trade organic food products grown by non-local small farmers. “We choose our products carefully and by following our own very strict standards. In setting these, we pay tribute to one of the cornerstones of our philosophy, namely the responsibility we feel for humanity and for our planet in general and for our suppliers and customers in particular,“ says Elmira Bertagnoli, the director of Lemberona, explaining the company’s concept.
which translates as ‘live sustainably with the best resources’. “Our company’s name not only gives voice to the guiding principle of our company and our brands ‘Perlen von Samarkand’ (Pearls of Samarkand) and ’Bio-Leben’ (Organic Living) but also mirrors the knowledge and awareness me and my family have gathered over a considerable amount of time,” Bertagnoli further explicates. Family Bertagnoli, who are the initiators of Lemberona and its concept, is deeply rooted within Austrian agriculture and for many generations has operated a number of mills in the Lower Austrian area.
A family tradition becomes Lemberona’s mission
Perlen von Samarkand and Bio-Leben — Lemberona’s Fair Trade organic brands
The company’s name says it all: Lemberona is a fantasy word devised from the first letters of Lemberona’s guiding principle ‘Lebe mit besten Rohstoffen nachhaltig’, 38 | Issue 49 | April 2017
“People working at Lemberona are very much aware of the concerns of small farmers who have specialised in organic
farming methods. This makes us particularly sensitive towards their needs and living conditions,“ Bertagnoli underlines Lemberona’s provider-conscious concept. Consequently, Lemberona has initiated partnerships with small farmers from all over the world and under the label ’Perlen von Samarkand’ sells fairly traded high-quality organic products grown in countries as varied as Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Mexico, India, and many more. Yet, fairly traded products are but one side of Lemberona’s medal. “While we are very sensitive towards our producers’ needs and the necessity to pay fair prices, we also want to support our local Austrian farmers. ‘Bio-Leben’ is our brand that sells organic food, which is 100 per cent Austrian-grown, processed and packed. By selling our Austrian farmers’ produce, we not only promote the farmers’ subsistence, we also make our customers aware of the diversity of the local Austrian food spectrum,” Bertagnoli explains. The fact that Lemberona acts in a peopleconscious way has the positive side-effects that they only offer high-quality food to