With organic production accounting for 25% of all farming in Austria, the country currently leads the way in Europe. Biohof Achleitner, based in the Austrian town of Eferding, is one example of a family business that has been successfully supplying consumers with organic fruits and vegetables for more than 30 years. The keys ingredients in its success? A fair and sustainable approach to growing with minimal waste, close relationships with customers, employees and other organic growers, and home deliveries.

On 1 July, the European committee of the International Bremia Evaluation Board (IBEB-EU) published three widely occurring new variants of downy mildew in lettuce: Bl:38EU, Bl:39EU and Bl:40EU. A considerable number of vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan’s current lettuce varieties are resistant to these three new races.

The Salatrio concept – a single, colourful head of ‘living lettuce’ made up of three different types – has been around for years and continues to gain popularity worldwide. At the Salatrio Client Demo in early May 2023, Rijk Zwaan showcased 40 innovative combinations of leafies: more robust, more productive and easier to work with, offering more crunch, more crispiness and more convenience. “Growers are very excited to test these for themselves,” says Crop Coordinator Peter Sonneveld. Read on for the five key insights from the demo.