Organic farming in Austria has undergone various development phases, starting from the pioneer phase in the inter-war period and  a phase of institutionalisation between the 1970ies and the 1980ies when organic associations were founded and first regulations for the certification of organic products were established (Austrian Food Code). From the early 1990ies, when national support for organic farming started, and additionally on the occasion of the EU accession in 1995, where organic support was increased within the Agri-environmental Programme ÖPUL, two boom-phases transformed the organic sector. Due to the explosive growth of production, organic marketing had to be integrated into the conventional food market (large supermarket chains) to guarantee secure sale of organic products. Consequently, the previously small and self-contained market niche rapidly became a successful part of the Austrian food market. At present, nearly 10 % of all fresh products of Austria’s retail food trade are certified organic products.