On October 16, 2024, World Food Day, various stakeholders gathered at the Lend-Platzl restaurant in Graz. Farmers, politicians, researchers, and restaurateurs alike accepted the invitation from "Welthaus Graz" to a delightful and informative dinner. The menu included empanadas, deep-friedtasch, accompanied by testimonials from Argentina. These served as a metaphor for the global agricultural and food system, "where you never know what's in it," much like an empanada. Family farms there, as well as here in Austria, face a wide range of challenges, from trade conditions and pricing to critical environmental factors such as climate change, droughts, and forest fires, while we here struggle with flooding.

Argentina grows the majority of the soybeans imported for animal feed in Austria. But do these feed imports affect all farmers? No. Numerous farmers feed their animals entirely soy-free. In cattle farming, more than 90% of the protein requirement is met by Austrian producers. Austria is one of the largest soybean producers in Europe, with a domestic harvest of nearly 250,000 tons per year. In addition to soy-free feed and domestic cultivation, farmers also rely on soybeans from other European countries. Austria has been a pioneer in dairy farming and egg production since 2009, thanks to its GMO-free practices. Extensive cattle fattening in Austria largely avoids imported feed. In contrast, significant quantities of soybeans from domestic production or abroad are used in the fattening of bulls, pigs, and poultry.

Many farms rely entirely on grass-fed cattle, freeing up arable land for human consumption. Examples visited during the project include the Kiegerl family from Deutschlandsberg, who market their Murboden cattle through Styria Beef, and the Lanzer family from Bruck an der Mur, who sell both organic beef and vegetables. The situation is quite different in pig farming because pigs are not ruminants and therefore consume very little roughage. This makes efficient ration formulation and verified feed origin all the more important. The approach of farmer Peter Pucher, who feeds his Duroc pigs in the Vulkanland region a soy-reduced ration in which a portion is replaced by rapeseed, is particularly noteworthy. The resulting cost savings allow him to source a more expensive but regionally produced soy feed. All three families met farmers in Argentina during exchange visits who share very similar views on family farming.

The culinary journey continues, and while Barbara Lanzer takes us on a virtual tour of her farm, the kitchen serves us boiled beef from her operation with potatoes and pumpkin. We savor the regional delicacies and discuss the massive deforestation of the rainforest in Argentina in recent years, driven by agriculture and exacerbating global climate change. At the same time, transnational corporations are displacing family farms and jeopardizing local food sovereignty. What can we in Austria do to improve the situation on both sides of the Atlantic? Farmers from both countries collaborated on the project, formulating political demands and publishing them in the "Alianza Declaration of Family Farms." Among these demands is the call for mandatory origin labeling for food products in the restaurant industry, which was presented as a petition on October 16, 2024, at Lend-Platzl in Graz.

While we savor a layered apple tiramisu served in a glass, it's worth considering transparency and the legal framework. Mandatory origin labeling for processed foods has been in effect in Austria for a year now for meat, milk, and eggs in wholesale markets and commercial kitchens. In restaurants, it remains voluntary. The alliance of Styrian farmers, producer associations, and innovative restaurateurs, which emerged from the Alianza project, is now advocating for mandatory origin labeling in the restaurant industry. This is a crucial step towards enabling transparency in purchasing decisions. It's already a reality in Switzerland. There, in some restaurants, you can choose your steak from different origins, which is naturally reflected in the price. Could this also be a viable option for Austria?

Many questions remain unanswered, and it's clear we need solutions that both farmers and restaurateurs can support. What impact would such a regulation have on farmers and the hospitality industry? How can we promote the sale of local products while simultaneously prioritizing quality and transparency? What level of effort or bureaucracy would be required?

Local agriculture produces high-quality products, whether they adhere to the minimum legal standards in Austria or are premium products like Vulkanland pork or Styria beef. Site-appropriate production consumes comparatively few resources and optimizes agricultural use based on the local soil and climate. Farms with little or no use of concentrated feed demonstrate high eco-efficiency. They require little to no land for the production of purchased feed and cause comparatively low environmental impacts. This has been demonstrated through life cycle assessments conducted by Raumberg-Gumpenstein using the FarmLife farm management and life cycle assessment tool for numerous farms. However, meat from certified traceable sources currently only accounts for a portion of consumer choices. How can it be shown that purchasing decisions contribute to domestic value creation and appreciation for farmers? What will consumers choose in restaurants when, in the future, they will have a choice between cheaper imported and more expensive local meat products?

Alianza links:

Regarding the Alianza declaration: https://graz.welthaus.at/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Alianza-Erklaerung-baeuerlicher-Familienbetriebe_230426.pdf

For the petition for mandatory labeling in the restaurant industry: https://graz.welthaus.at/weltweit-aktiv/alianza/petition/

Workshops to develop the demands: https://graz.welthaus.at/weltweit-aktiv/alianza/regionale-austauschbesuche/

Company presentations:

Kiegerl family: https://graz.welthaus.at/beitraege/pressebericht-was-haben-ein-argentinischer-rinderbauer-und-ein-weststeirischer-bergbauer-gemeinsam/

Lanzer family: https://graz.welthaus.at/beitraege/alianza-projekt-im-orf/

Peter Pucher: https://youtu.be/BSvFxJcObLU

Sources:

Regulation of the Federal Minister for Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection on the labeling of ingredients in food served in community catering establishments. https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2023_II_65/BGBLA_2023_II_65.html

Land Creates Life Podcast | #149 Today's Menu: Transparency | Ulrich Herzog – If you don't know anything, you have to eat everything: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WQPrOK1PhQ