Public voting opens for organic logo hopefuls
The 2007 EU regulation on organic foods (834/2007) provided for a new, common organic logo to appear on pre-packaged organic food sold in the EU, on a mandatory basis if it originates from the EU and on a voluntary basis if from outside. It was originally planned that the logo would start appearing on products this year.
However the common logo originally was withdrawn in April 2008, after it was pointed out that it resembled the logo of Aldi supermarket. Moreover, it used the word ‘Bio’ – a term that is not associated with organics in the English language.
The contest to come up with a new logo was launched in April this year, and was open to design students in all EU member states.
The three finalists, selected from 3422 entries, can be viewed and voted on at http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/logo/index.htm until 31 January 2010. The winning design will have to be used on packaging from July 2010.
The prize ceremony will take place in the summer, but there is no indication at this stage when industry will be informed of the final logo in order for it to be incorporated into packaging designs in time for the deadline.
The identities and nationalities of the designers have not been disclosed at this stage, to prevent national bias in the voting.
The brief
The brief for the contest was to come up with “an eye-catching and original logo that captures the diverse aspects of organic farming and production”.
The panel of judges, drawn from design institutions, organic agencies and market experts, evaluated the designs for “their universal appeal, their comprehensibility without the use of words, their clarity of presentation, and their timeliness”.
