Ekoorganik Organic Store
Pioneer and Leading Organic Store of TurkeyReliable ProducersCertified Organic ProductsLocal Family Eco StoreSince 2007Beylikduzu, Istanbul

Rapunzel Naturkost

Rapunzel Naturkost
Rapunzel is one of the leading organic food producers in Europe. Rapunzel Naturkost was founded by Joseph Wilhelm in Germany in 1974.

All Rapunzel Naturkost Products

Rapunzel Naturkost was founded by Joseph Wilhelm in Germany in 1974. The mission of Rapunzel Germany is to produce organic raw materials in different countries and purchase certified organically grown raw materials and products for the manufacturing of organic consumer products.

Distribution to wholesalers and 5000 organic shops in Germany and other European countries is part of this implementation. The responsibilities of Rapunzel Germany include the organic certification and quality control from farm level right through until manufacturing of the final products.

Rapunzel Naturkost started to import dried fruits from Turkey already in 1976. Further in the 1980ies Rapunzel opened an office in Izmir for consultancy in organic farming.

In the year 1997 Rapunzel invested in an own organic process facility in Ören / Kemalpaşa, close to Izmir. At Rapunzel Organik Tarım the main organic products (sultanas, apricots, figs and hazelnuts) are processed carefully.

Until now Rapunzel is the only major processing company in Turkey, which works with 100% organic products. This ensures that any risk of contamination from non-organic produce is avoided at this important interface between agricultural production and trade.

In Ören, Rapunzel is processing about 3000 tons of organic products per year. For many years Rapunzel has been cooperating with about 450 organic farmers in Turkey. Rapunzel is purchasing directly from these organic farmers without any intermediaries or traders in between.



Rapunzel is one of the leading organic food producers in Europe. It all started very small: In 1974, Joseph Wilhelm and Jennifer Vermeulen started a self-sufficiency commune on a farm with a small natural health food store in the city of Augsburg in Bavaria.

From these humble beginnings an international company with more than 500 employees developed during the last 45 years. The idea behind it all remained the same since 1974: to manufacture certified organic, natural and untreated, vegetarian foods.

Where does the company name 'Rapunzel' come from? In Southern Germany, lamb's lettuce is also called 'Rapunzel' - a strong, deep green plant that grows even when the ground is covered with snow. This symbol and the Rapunzel founders' strong desire for healthy food - similar to the pregnant woman's lust for lamb's lettuce in the beginning of the Rapunzel fairytale - were the reasons why Jennifer Vermeulen named the company Rapunzel.

1974 Joseph Wilhelm and Jennifer Vermeulen rent a farmhouse in the village of Pestenacker (Upper Bavaria) with the goal to grow healthy food

1975 Opening of the natural health food store „Rapunzel Naturspeisen“ in Augsburg.
Start with the production of muesli, nut creams and fruit bars

1976 First contacts to farmers in Italy and Turkey.
Move into the former guest house „Zur Post“ in Tegernbach, in the county of Fürstenfeldbruck

1977 First nationwide delivery of products

1979 Move to the village of Kimratshofen in the Allgäu region

1985 Purchase of the former dairy in the village of Legau and renovation of the building that serves as headquarters until today

1987 Rapunzel markets the first organic chocolate in the world. Construction of a new nut cream plant

1989 Opening of a first office in the city of Izmir, Turkey

1990 SAMBA introduced into the market

1992 Foundation of the Fair-​Trade-Programm HAND IN HAND

1997 Foundation of the Turkish subsidiary Rapunzel Organik Tarim Ltd.
Development of the OXYGUARD® process for cold-pressed edible oils

1998 Start of the HAND IN HAND fund

2003 Opening of the Rapunzel logistics center in the town of Bad Grönenbach with fully-automated high bay warehouse

2004 Certification as Demeter manufacturer

2007 Sustainable energy supply with Rapunzel biomass heating plant and photovoltaic panels on all roofs. "Genfrei Gehen" - march for a GMO-free world from Lübeck to Lindau

2008 Joseph Wilhelm initiates the One World Award, award ceremony at the IFOAM World Congress in Modena, Italy

2009 "Genfrei Gehen" – second march for a GMO-free world from Berlin to Brussels

2010 Construction of a new roasting plant for nuts and seeds.
New company tour concept with glass production walkway, museum and cinema.
Presentation of 2nd One World Awards

2012 Introduction of innovative breakfast porridge into whole food trade.
Presentation of 3rd One World Awards.
Remodeling and renovation of Turkish subsidiary

2013 New raw material warehouse in Legau

2014 Production expansion with second nut cream plant, packaging plant for bulkware and automated palletizer.
Presentation of 4th One World Awards.
Construction and opening of the Rapunzel Tower at headquarters in Legau

2015 Construction of a thermal power plant and a drying plant

2016 First palm oil meeting in Legau.
Rapunzel certification pursuant to EU Eco-Regulation EMAS

2017 Presentation of 5th One World Awards


All Rapunzel products
Türkiye Organic Agriculture Organic is a controlled and certified agriculture and production method without using chemical inputs. The purpose of ecological agriculture is to protect the environment, plant, animal and human health without polluting the soil, water resources and air. Organic is scientific and legal concept. Marketing of a product with expressions such as "natural, additive-free, hormone-free, pure, village product, from the farm, homemade, healthy" does not mean that it is organic. The organic food products in Ekoorganik Organic Store are in line with the European Union Organic Agriculture Legislation, and produced in accordance with the Organic Agriculture Law and Regulation of Turkish Republic and has been certified by the Organic Certification Bodies authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture, after being inspected by laboratory analyzes.

What does Organic mean? | Why Organic? | Organic Agriculture Law | Organic Regulation | Organic Products | Certificators | Organic Certificates | Organic Producers | Organic Marks

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