The Organic Landscape Divided: Between Coronavirus Denial and Science | NDR.de – TV – broadcasts from the ground up

Written by Leah Struckmayer, Jörg Hilbert

Demeter is one of the big names among organic farming associations. The Agriculture Association publishes its client magazine, Demeter Journal, four times a year. Available free in organic stores, the magazine has over 280,000 larger circulation copies of the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung. Shortly before the peak of the second corona wave, an unknown author describes his future world there. The article “If We Dare to Trust” describes the world “without research”. “The era of destructive intellectual elites is over,” the article says. The anti-science theses in the article sparked online protests, including calls for a boycott of Demeter’s products. Demeter was forced to remove the controversial article from the site. This is just a description of utopia. Could be “misunderstood in the context of the Corona crisis”.

Corona spawning under Demeter’s seal

But conspiracy myths appear to be a problem for the Demeter Association. Demeter Ulrike P. beekeepers are publishing crude dissertations on the corona pandemic on the Internet. In doing so, it uses anti-Semitic illustrative models. She writes on Telegram: “I don’t want to talk about Jewish medicine. But there are circles that are trying to direct humanity on a large scale.” Ulrike P. does not want our questions about this to be answered in an interview. Instead, we get a confused pamphlet against mask requirements, against anti-epidemic measures, against government. Demeter also refuses to be interviewed in this case. The association declared in writing that the beekeeper’s statements were “false and disgusting”. Demeter is clearly distancing himself from “right-wing extremism and hate efforts”.

The Teachings of Rudolf Steiner

The beekeeper of Demeter Ulrike P. describes anthropology as the basis of her life. Founded in the 1920s by the subconscious Rudolf Steiner, a worldview underpinning Demeter’s biodynamic agriculture.

Anthropology wants to add unrealizable aspects to the natural sciences. So there are cosmic forces and it is through anthropology that the human spirit can reach a higher level. Mysterious and racist elements can be found in Steiner’s work. For example, he wrote about “root strains” and considered disease a consequence of bad karma in a previous life. In biodynamic farming, it is customary for cow pods sprinkled with compost to be buried in the ground. It should be charged with “cosmic radiation”. The pods are then drilled again, ground and mixed with water and ‘stirred rhythmically’. This allows farmers to “become more familiar with the farm being”. […] Connect, “Demeter says.

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Conspiracy portal

Sociologist Nora Bossel considers this esotericism as a gateway to conspiracy ideologies: “People who tend to esoteric are in principle more skeptical of science, since esoteric explanatory models cannot be proven scientifically and also often conflict with current scientific knowledge.” However, not all persons within the associations are in any way purely ideological; Economic interests are often at the fore now.

Other cultivation associations also struggle with corona reduction. In fact, an organic farmer has demonstrated so-called side thinkers on his farm. “There are some people with visions, like Bill Gates. He would like to vaccinate seven billion people. The only question is, what’s the motivation behind that?” Yoshin B. During his speech. Upon request, Bioland distances itself from farmer activities. Bioland takes “the corona pandemic and required measures seriously” and clearly identifies himself “from the thinking patterns of” side thinkers “and Corona deniers.”

Compare with the German past

Parts of the organic landscape oscillate between conspiracy and divergence theory. Just like Joseph Wilhelm, Head of Rapunzel Organic Brand. In April 2020, Wilhelm appeared on his company’s website as someone who downplayed Corona. He wrote, “Masks = muzzle = submission. For me, wearing masks is the highest form of humiliation.” After all, he writes about comparisons of “in troubled times in German history”.

Rapunzel was also subjected to calls for a boycott after that. Then Wilhelm felt misunderstood and publicly distanced himself from the Corona deniers. “I am particularly concerned that I am mentioned as a promoter of conspiracy theories,” he said in his statement. Because many consumers want to buy healthy food, but they don’t want conspiracy theories for free.