Luisa Neubauer's keynote speech at BIOFACH 2026: ‘A lived “yes” to the world’

As the leading international trade fair for the organic food industry, BIOFACH once again brought together players from across the entire organic value chain in Nuremberg from 10 to 13 February 2026. Under the theme ‘Growing Tomorrow: Young Voices, Bold Visions’, the trade fair deliberately focused on the perspective of younger generations – and opened with a keynote speech by Luisa Neubauer, who programmatically addressed this claim.

Written by Stefan Jablonka

Luisa Neubauer speaks at the opening ceremony of Biofach 2026

The climate protection activist and publicist did not choose an abstract introduction, but began on a personal note: with her childhood spent between her mother's organic products and her father's Nuremberg grilled sausages. From this biographical tension, she derived a central message: nutrition is not a private matter, but a political one. A fridge sticker with the slogan ‘Food is political’ became a symbol of a realisation that still shapes her today.

After graduating from high school, Neubauer says she knew how to do many things, but she didn't know how to grow a carrot. This gap led her to an organic farm in England, where she gained practical experience of agriculture through ‘woofing’ – an international exchange programme in which people work on organic farms in exchange for board and lodging. There, she understood what soils can do – and what they lose when they are exploited for decades. For her, agriculture became a concrete experience of planetary boundaries.

Luisa Neubauer on stage at BIOFACH 2026 — Climate protection activist Luisa Neubauer delivering her keynote speech at the opening of BIOFACH 2026.

Movements don't happen overnight

With regard to Fridays for Future, Neubauer rejected the idea of a spontaneous youth movement. Great moments arise when generations build on each other's achievements. She referred to health food initiatives after the war, the anti-nuclear movement and the pioneers of the energy transition. What later brought millions onto the streets was the result of decades of preparatory work. Hope, therefore, is always a generational project.

Today, according to Neubauer, it is not only the succession of disasters that is cause for concern, but the ‘radical overlooking’ of these crises. While ecological problems are worsening, other narratives dominate public attention. She pointed to global financial flows, 97 per cent of which have a destructive effect on nature, while only three per cent have a positive impact. At the same time, economic risk reports show that ecological dangers are among the greatest threats to the global economy.

Hope is not a privilege

The emotional core of her keynote speech was the story of her host sister Agnes from Tanzania. Agnes now works as a permaculture trainer, teaching women about sustainable farming and climate resilience. From her, she learned a phrase that became her guiding principle: giving up hope is a privilege – and not everyone has that privilege. Those who live in regions where harvests and livelihoods are directly affected by climate change cannot afford to give up hope.

Trade fair visitors flock to the central entrance for BIOFACH 2026 — With around 32,000 trade visitors, the world's leading trade fair for organic food continued to provide strong impetus in 2026.

Organic as a lived commitment

Neubauer formulated a clear mission for BIOFACH. Sustainable organic farming is more than just a production method – it is a ‘living yes to the world’. A yes to intact soils, fair conditions and agriculture without the exploitation of people, animals and nature. Those who take responsibility here prove that ecological farming is possible.

Her focus was on the younger generations. We owe them not only intact soils, but also political framework conditions and financing models that enable sustainable agriculture. Above all, however, we owe them practical proof that a different form of economic activity works – one that is ecological, fair and sustainable.

Tailwind instead of resignation

In conclusion, Neubauer called on people not to let themselves be talked down. Especially in times when hopelessness is part of political strategies, continuing to fight becomes an act of resistance in itself. For the organic sector, this means not only being a pioneer, but also showing backbone: as a tailwind for farmers, as a voice for sustainable framework conditions – and as a visible sign that transformation is possible.

With this message, the keynote speech tied in with the theme of BIOFACH 2026. On this morning, ‘Growing Tomorrow’ meant one thing above all else: not delegating responsibility, but accepting it – as an industry, as a society and as a generation.

Author

Stefan Jablonka

Freelance journalist