Kenari Nuts Enter the International Organic Market at BIOFACH 2020
Originally published: 2020 · Last updated: August 2026
Following the achievement of organic certification in 2019, Kawanasi introduced Kenari Nuts to the international organic market at BIOFACH Nuremberg in 2020.
It was an important next step in the development of Kenari.
Two years earlier, Kenari had made its first international appearance at SIAL Paris. The experience generated interest in the nut and highlighted the growing importance of organic products in international food markets.
After achieving organic certification in 2019, BIOFACH provided an opportunity to present Kenari specifically to the international organic-food community.
From International Introduction to the Organic Market
SIAL Paris 2018 had provided Kawanasi with an initial opportunity to introduce Kenari to international food professionals.
The response helped demonstrate that there was interest in a distinctive Indonesian nut that was relatively unfamiliar in international markets.
Organic certification in 2019 strengthened the foundation for taking that opportunity further.
BIOFACH was a natural next step.
As one of the major international meeting points for the organic food sector, the exhibition brought together companies, buyers and professionals focused specifically on organic products and the development of the organic market.
For Kenari, this meant moving the conversation from:
“What is this unusual Indonesian nut?”
toward:
“What place could Kenari have in the international organic food market?”
Introducing a Forest-Origin Nut to the Organic Community
Kenari's identity was an important part of the story.
The nut comes from naturally occurring Kenari trees in the forests of Eastern Indonesia, where local communities have traditionally harvested the fruit.
This gave Kenari a different starting point from many established commercial nuts.
The challenge was to translate the characteristics and origin of a relatively unknown forest product into a product that could meet the expectations of an international food market.
That meant continuing to develop the systems behind the product, including sourcing, post-harvest handling, processing, quality control, certification and traceability.
Kawanasi's approach today continues to connect these elements, from working with communities at origin through processing and quality management to international market development.
Why BIOFACH Was an Important Platform
For Kawanasi, BIOFACH offered something different from a general food exhibition.
The audience was already interested in:
organic products;
responsible sourcing;
natural and distinctive ingredients;
transparent supply chains;
new food products; and
opportunities within the organic market.
That made it particularly relevant for introducing Kenari.
The exhibition also allowed Kawanasi to continue learning about the expectations of international organic buyers and consumers while presenting Kenari's characteristics and potential.
The timing was significant.
Kenari had recently achieved organic certification, but its international development was still at an early stage.
BIOFACH therefore became part of the process of establishing Kenari within the broader organic food conversation.
Continuing the European Market Journey
The European market represented an important opportunity for Kenari, but market access required more than organic certification.
Kawanasi was also continuing to work through the regulatory requirements associated with introducing Kenari to European consumers.
The Novel Food pathway would become an important part of this process.
The work ultimately led to EU Novel Food approval in 2023, after which Kenari Nuts entered the European market under the East Forest brand. The Anuga 2023 catalogue also records that the EU Novel Food approval had been received in March 2023 and that East Forest Kenari Nuts were being introduced to the European market in four flavors.
This made the 2020 BIOFACH appearance part of a much longer European market-development journey.
Building a Market for a Little-Known Nut
One of the challenges of introducing Kenari internationally was simply that people had to understand what it was.
Kenari did not have the same established consumer recognition as almonds, cashews or macadamias.
That meant international market development involved both introducing the product and building awareness of the ingredient itself.
BIOFACH provided an important environment for doing that.
The exhibition allowed Kawanasi to present Kenari not simply as another nut, but as an Indonesian forest-origin food with distinctive characteristics and potential for different food applications.
That work would continue through subsequent international exhibitions and market-development activities.
The Next Stage
BIOFACH 2020 came at an important point in Kenari's international development.
The sequence was becoming clear:
2018
First international exposure at SIAL Paris.
2019
Organic certification and export development.
2020
Introduction to the international organic market at BIOFACH.
The following year, Kawanasi would continue presenting Kenari to the international organic community through BIOFACH Special 2021, including a more detailed presentation of Kenari's origin, characteristics, nutritional profile, applications and development journey.
From Organic Certification to International Recognition
The BIOFACH 2020 appearance was therefore another step in moving Kenari from a relatively unknown Indonesian forest nut toward a product that could participate in international markets.
The journey would continue through further exhibitions, regulatory development and product innovation.
In 2023, Kawanasi achieved EU Novel Food approval and Kenari-based East Forest products began entering the European market. That same year, East Forest received international recognition at BIOFACH and Anuga.