Knowledge about food

10 years of pioneering work for our food

The association's founders Maria Fanninger (left) and Hannes Royer (right) with Maggie Entenfellner, who sits on the association's Board of Wise Men.(Bild: Land schafft Leben)

The "Land schafft Leben" association is currently celebrating its tenth anniversary. Since 2014, the team around Maria Fanninger and Hannes Royer has been taking a very close look at what we Austrians have on our plates! On the anniversary, it is clear that raising awareness of food is more important today than ever.

"People lack a connection to their food, they make their purchasing decisions mainly based on price." It was this realization that prompted organic mountain farmer Hannes Royer and entrepreneur Maria Fanninger to found the non-profit association "Land schafft Leben" in 2014.

Since then, they have been educating people about Austrian food and its production, as well as its impact on the environment and health. In the award-winning podcast "Wer nichts weiß, muss alles essen", at lectures in schools or on social media channels, interested parties can find out everything worth knowing about the topic of "food". 

"It's incredible how much has happened in the food sector over the past ten years. People are becoming more and more interested in where their food comes from and how it is produced, and this is also becoming increasingly important in the food service industry," says the founding duo, taking stock after ten years. 

Price is crucial
At the same time, however, rising prices mean that price is increasingly becoming the decisive criterion when shopping. "In the next ten years, there will still be plenty for us to do to communicate to people: What we eat every day is anything but irrelevant. Because every time we reach for the shelf, we are placing a production order," warns Hannes Royer. 

The "Kronen" newspaper also regularly reports on how important it is to know about these topics. "In the truest sense of the word, it's about our 'means of life'. What we consume every day is of great importance. Not only for our health, but also for our environment. Avoiding food waste, animal welfare in meat production and appropriate labeling of where the product comes from are important cornerstones for me!", says "Krone" animal corner manager Maggie Entenfellner. 

We decide on animal welfare every time we reach for the shelf!

Maggie Entenfellner, „Krone“ Tierecke

Important knowledge transfer!

• Around 1600 pages of knowledge, 630 infographics and 540 videos are freely accessible to everyone on the "Land schafft Leben" website .
• This can serve as a guide for consumers, but also for journalists, teachers and students and provide a basis for their work.

She has also been a member of the association's Board of Wise Men for many years and is a strong advocate of educational work. Having grown up on a farm herself, Entenfellner demands: "It is unacceptable that an animal has to suffer like this in a country where we are doing so well."

The work of "Land schafft Leben" will be done when Austrians consume consciously. However, this requires not only awareness, but also transparency.