The Demeter label – serving soil since 1932

Among the many labels that adorn products in our supermarkets, Demeter is one of the most conspicuous: the white lettering on an orange background and the hefty price tag are equally eye-catching. What can we say about this from a Soil to Soul point of view?

Let's begin here: Demeter is a very strict standard that goes even beyond the regulations of the well-known Swiss Bio Bud label. If you want to do something for healthy soils and protect your body from pesticide residues, you're making a great investment by buying Demeter products.

The label, named after the Greek goddess of agriculture and fertility, is in fact the oldest standard in this field anywhere. Its introduction dates back to 1932, and the concept was invented by the anthroposophist Rudolf Steiner, founder of the schools of the same name. Producing according to his rules was visionary in that Steiner recognised even then that artificial fertilisers and the chemical industries' weed killers were not a long-term solution for soil. If tradition is to be believed, he sensed purely intuitively that they were not doing non-human living things much good.

In his writings, Steiner maintained that composting and crop rotation were important for maintaining soil fertility – and this not only proved to be true, but was later adopted by the organic movement. Incorporating legumes into crop rotation also ensures that the soil microbiome receives more diverse nutrition, because lentils and other legumes grow bacteria around their roots that can fix nitrogen in the soil. However, according to Steiner, you should also consider the position of the moon when you are tilling, or seeding, your field. And as for the cow horns filled with manure and buried in the ground, well, if you've never heard of those, you should look for them on the net, as space here is rather limited. Rudolf Steiner and his successors were and are convinced of their effect, finding proof of their impact is still pursued to this very today. This is in contrast to regenerative agriculture, which proceeds pragmatically, but always has science in mind when it speaks of crop rotation and the use of animals as helpers in building healthy humus.

But back to the positive sides of production according to the rules of Demeter: those who follow these rules understand their farm as a whole and will always make sure that their products don't come into contact with artificial fertilisers or plant "protection" agents. And in this way, the Demeter label probably comes closest to what regenerative agriculture does – for which, after all, there is no label. Soil-conscious food production with as few artificial additives as possible: that's a concept we at Soil to Soul can get excited about, cow horns and occasional obscurantism notwithstanding. And as far as price is concerned, food is still quite cheap compared to the rest of our cost of living. Once you've paid almost a franc for a Demeter egg at Migros, you'll think twice about what your Sunday breakfast is really worth. Therefore it's a hearty recommendation for Demeter from us, because every step towards better soils is an important and valuable step.