23.09.2026
On September 23rd the EU Organic Awards recognised the most outstanding projects and players in Europe’s organic sector. The awards ceremony takes place every year on EU Organic Day and honours innovative achievements across the entire organic value chain.
"We are absolutely delighted to receive this recognition for our Edible Zoo and our food offering! It is inspiring to see how many great ideas are emerging from the organic sector. This is where the future of agriculture lies," says Julia Zotter, sharing her impressions directly from the EU Organic Awards ceremony in Brussels.
The award was presented by EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen. The event provides an important platform for discussing the future of organic farming.
The awards are presented in six categories:
It is particularly noteworthy that five Austrian businesses made it through to the final round among the 21 finalists across the six categories. In Category 6, all three finalists were Austrian companies.
As "Best Organic Restaurant / Best Organic Catering", Zotter won this year’s EU Organic Award with its holistic Farm-to-Table concept, the Edible Zoo. The jury was impressed by the extensive food service facilities at the Chocolate Experience World, the staff canteen and the "Delicacies from the Edible Zoo" product range.
"This is a very special honour for us, and I am particularly pleased by the recognition of our organic farming concept. When I opened the Edible Zoo in 2011, people initially laughed at me. At the time, it covered 27 hectares and was home to many traditional and endangered livestock breeds, which we kept for our staff canteen and Chocolate Experience World. Today, the operation encompasses 95 hectares of fully organic farmland and includes our own butchery. We provide 230 employees with a free organic lunch every day and offer our 300,000 visitors a varied menu at the Organic BBQ Grill and our Organic Coffee Shop, as well as selected processed meat products in our online shop," says Josef Zotter, delighted to receive the award in recognition of his life’s work.
The Edible Zoo concept
Zotter’s Edible Zoo combines organic farming, sustainable food production and a unique experience of nature. Numerous endangered livestock breeds live across around 95 hectares of organically farmed land, while regional varieties of fruit and vegetables thrive within a closed ecological cycle. Visitors can experience organic farming up close, observe the animals and enjoy our specialities at the Organic Coffee Shop, BBQ Grill or Deli shop. With the glass-fronted butchery "ÖKO Speck Takel", we focus on transparency, giving visitors an open and comprehensible insight into the production and processing of food. The Edible Zoo stands for respectful treatment of animals and plants, sustainability, innovation and regional enjoyment. In keeping with Josef Zotter’s motto: "Look your food in the eye."
Why we applied for the EU Organic Award
By entering the EU Organic Awards 2026, we wanted to showcase our commitment to high-quality organic products, sustainable business practices and the advancement of organic farming. Our aim is to raise awareness of organic food, make it more accessible to consumers and demonstrate how innovative concepts can contribute to a sustainable food supply. We care about what happens to the environment and to animals. We practise open-air livestock farming throughout the year and are happy to showcase this approach at the Edible Zoo, one of the attractions at the Zotter Experience World.
The importance of organic farming
Across the EU, around 17 million hectares, or 11% of agricultural land, are already farmed organically. Austria is considered a pioneer, with 27% of its agricultural land farmed organically. This corresponds to 690,900 hectares – meaning that one in every four hectares in Austria is farmed organically.
Products from Zotter’s Farm-to-Table production / Edible Zoo
