Anita Ericson
In everyday life, you would have halfway under control of the sustainable way of life: You take the public transport to work, carefully separate your rubbish, put on wood chip heating, dress Fairtrade in organic cotton and go to the organic market for shopping. in the Eco vacation you stay in Austria because it is well known that a long journey does not make a slim carbon footprint.
In order not to worsen your private life cycle assessment even during your stay, you only need a suitable hotel and tips for eating out. But where do you get it from? We have taken a close look at local accommodation providers and restaurants, which - in whatever form - stick to sustainability and have experienced many surprises.
What the eco-label can do
Let's start with the state Austrian eco-label for tourism companies (ÖUZ), the most famous seal of approval with which almost 200 hotels have been awarded. His logo is a pretty Hundertwasser symbol, but when you look at the criteria it quickly becomes clear that the sign is not quite the yellow of the egg.
Keyword egg: In fact, the tasty breakfast omlet can be prepared from free-range eggs instead of eggs from happy chickens in organic and free range. Organic is treated very neglectfully here. Otto Fichtl from the Association for Consumer information VKI, who is responsible for suggestions for creating and maintaining the criteria and rules: "Admittedly, there is room for improvement, but we are not an organic certification body either. We are pushing regionality for this. It is also important to us to reach 20 to 30 percent of the companies, and if we set the criteria too high, many will jump off. ” It is much more important to gradually increase the requirements, which are adjusted every four years.
"The strength of the label lies in the holistic aspect, you have to do something in all relevant areas - such as waste, energy, water consumption, cleaning, office, mobility", Fichtl refers to a broad spectrum of the environmental label.
"Too bad there would be so much more inside," says Klaus Kessler of Nature hotel Chesa Valisa in Kleinwalsertal, which is one of the co-initiators of the ÖUZ, “When it was introduced many years ago, hardly anyone spoke of organic. Today organic is THE topic when it comes to sustainability. There is a lot of catching up to do with the eco-label ”. The ÖUZ grew out of a Kleinwalsertal environmental initiative in the 1980s, which was quite successful with criteria that were very strict for the circumstances and found its way to Vienna. Kessler: "This is how our idea was raised to a national level and continued with the lowest common denominator". That too Chesa Valisa was a carrier for a long time, but we have developed further and are now taking different paths. Daughter Magdalena Kessler, who recently took over the house with brother David: “At some point the Austrian Ecolabel was no longer enough for us. So we left it and instead we did Bio Hotels connected ".
And what about Bio Hotels?
The Bio Hotels are not a label, but an association that has very strict requirements, says Magdalena Kessler: “We have XNUMX percent organic without any ifs and buts. In addition, great attention is paid to the lowest possible carbon footprint. A fair price for the WalserBuura (The Walser farmers) is a matter of course for us. "
“For me they are Bio Hotels the only ones in the tourism industry with a clear statement and strict criteria ”, is Nadja Blumenkamp from Biohotel Rupertus Arrived in Leogang also, "We are also well supported, we receive training and advice. I feel comfortable there, as a member of a community of values ”. Nevertheless, she thinks it's good that the Austrian Ecolabel exists, Blumenkamp: “For us it was the start and we learned a lot there. We will continue to do it this way. ”
The attitude of Ulrike Retter from Hotel savior on the Styrian Pöllauberg for the state environmental seal: “The standard is relatively easy to achieve, but it is a good basis. I see it as an entry-level drug into the topic of sustainable tourism quality, and that's how we started. ”
In the meantime, she has gone a few steps further, she also relies on that for her company Green Globe certification, an international standard according to the guidelines of the GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria). “We are checked every year for the Green Globe. And sometimes that really hurts, not only is the current state checked, but demonstrable improvements compared to the previous year are also demanded, "continues Retter." We also have the Green Hood, which guarantees high, regional, largely organic quality when eating stands."
Cooked ecologically
The Green dome is awarded by the Styrian association Styria vitalis to restaurants and hotels all over Austria. The focus here is on the kitchen philosophy: whole foods, vegetarian and vegan dishes, fresh and home-cooked are the main characters here. Organic ingredients are also an issue, but one is 100 percent far from the claim - it is enough if parts of the offer come from organic agriculture. However, organic certification of the company is mandatory, this is the only way to be sure that all bio-declared foods are actually such.
Like now - when it says organic there is organic in it?!? That may be true with daily shopping, but it is not entirely certain in the catering trade. Sabine Taudes from the control point Austria Organic Warranty explains: “Of course, a product that is declared organic must also be one. Just: it is not controlled. Except, as it were, as part of routine controls by the food authority ”. These generally only take place every few years and even if there is a violation, the consequences are moderate - there is a maximum of one complaint to the administrative court for consumer fraud under the Consumer Protection Act. Taudes: “We therefore require a mandatory organic control contract with an accredited body if organic is advertised on the menu or otherwise. Only in this way can black sheep, which unfortunately exist, be put out of business. “There is a separate working group with the Ministry of Agriculture, the organic associations, the food authorities - and the WKO. "Everyone would be in favor of it, only the gastronomy section of the Chamber of Commerce has so far been unsettled," sighs Taudes. The reasoning:
Mario Pulker, Chairman of the WKO's Gastronomy Association, said: "From the industry perspective, the status quo is a sensible solution, as it offers companies a certain flexibility to include seasonal organic food on the menu and to advertise it accordingly without having to conclude a control contract. Comprehensive control obligations would have potentially negative effects on supplier relationships in the region and could cause major problems, especially for organic agriculture. Many restaurateurs will not be able to pay the price for organic goods without the possibility of applying (and will also not be able to be certified). The result would be a decline in regional cooperation, which would almost certainly do more harm to the Bio brand than maintaining the current legal situation.
A tightening of the current rules also represents an over-fulfillment of the European legal requirements (gold plating), which diametrically opposes the general efforts to reduce bureaucracy.
Overall, the topic is not about protecting "black sheep"! Incorrect labeling is not a trivial offense and is punished both in terms of food and criminal law. Rather, it is about the greatest possible flexibility in the overwhelming interest of the member companies of the association. "
An organic hotel is not always an organic hotel
The term organic in the company name (organic hotel, organic restaurant) is also based on this guideline, here the zone becomes a little gray again. Marlies Wech from the Bio Hotels: “What an organic hotel is now is a matter of interpretation as long as there is no law on it. The door and gate is open to black sheep. As a brand, we stand for complete control from cultivation or from rearing to processing to the plate. Our members submit to the same control mechanisms as organic agriculture ”. Exclusively organic in the kitchen is only part of the philosophy Bio Hotelswho also pay close attention to the environmentally friendly energy and waste cycles of their members.
Holistic attitude
"One hundred percent organic is our maxim, that's the only viable option. For us, doing business sustainably means not only offering healthy food, but also showing a holistic attitude in all matters. Saving electricity and energy, environmentally friendly detergents and cleaning agents, of course, building materials ... ”explains Kerstin Pirker from Children's hotel Benjamin in the Carinthian Maltatal resolutely, “That's why we're with them Bio Hotels, this is the right place for us. What annoys me are free riders, for example those who advertise organic breakfasts and then offer exactly one organic cheese. ”Which brings us back to the lack of legal basis. This is the conclusion of our story: Open your eyes, look carefully!
RECOMMENDATIONS
Basically: If organic products are advertised on a menu or a breakfast is advertised as organic, you are only on the very safe side if the provider is under a contract with a certified organic inspection body. Then he will be happy to show you the corresponding badge with his company number. Further details can be found on the Austria Bio Garantie website. www.abg.at
If a house describes itself as an organic hotel, caution is required. Is it a member of the Bio Hotels, do everything right - this is an association, but the criteria are very strict, the focus is on organic food (controlled) and the lowest possible carbon footprint (2 houses in Austria, others in Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Greece and Switzerland). But be careful: mix up the "real" Bio Hotels not with other organic hotels that can be found on Google, and where there is often very little behind them.
www.biohotels.info
Green toques have 34 restaurants in Austria, some of the range must be offered in organic quality, and a bio-control contract is mandatory. www.gruenehood.at
The international label Green Globe is limited to six larger houses in Germany, it is more widespread in the Caribbean and Asia - the criteria are strict, however, and improvements are required every year. Here, too, organic only plays a subordinate role. www.greenglobe.com
If you prefer to be down-to-earth, you are in good hands on a holiday on an organic farm - since these are farmers, organic control is of course given (149 farms).
www.urlaubambauernhof.at
The Austrian Eco-label for tourism companies is awarded by the Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism. Around 200 hotels and so many other tourism offers have been awarded. Depending on the operating mode, around 50 mandatory criteria have to be met, plus 100 target criteria that can be freely selected from a catalog. Every four years, the criteria are adjusted, developed by the VKI and discussed on a broad basis (environmental institutions on the one hand, industry representatives on the other).
His biggest shortcoming, if you think that sustainability without organic is impossible to make: that is where less value is placed. Nevertheless, the label has its justification: for many companies, it is the entry into the topic. Some of the hotels that are ahead of the curve when it comes to eco have practically apprenticed here and got a taste for it.
Tourismus.umweltzeichen.at
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