New Rules of Origin Effective June 2026

How can you tell if honey is truly from Austria? With regional specialties, organic products, and inexpensive imported blends on the shelves, it’s often not easy for Austrian honey to stand out in the supermarket. While checking the label helps, many origin labels have been rather vague up until now. That’s exactly what the new 2026 amendment to the Honey Regulation is set to change.

In the Traunviertel region, not far from Gmunden, vegetables are grown not according to trends, but based on experience. For decades, the Kirchgatterer family farm has stood for a form of agriculture rooted in careful cultivation, a close connection to nature, and a sense of responsibility toward the soil and people. Having grown across generations, the farm thrives on the belief that consistency arises where one looks closely, exercises patience, and is willing to carefully integrate new approaches into existing structures. A look behind the scenes of a vegetable farm that combines tradition and innovation.

Whether in cakes, muesli, spreads, or beverages, sugar is an indispensable part of our diet. But what seems so commonplace today was once something quite special. Until well into the Middle Ages, honey was the only sweetener in Austria. It wasn’t until later that beet and cane sugar found their way into our kitchens. The Land schafft Leben association explains the journey the beet takes from cultivation to the sugar aisle and how production works in Austria.