Fanny & arthur

Photographer: Carla Kogelman

Title: Fanny & arthur

Location: Weinviertel, Austria

Period: 07/2024 - 08/2025

Category: Solutions

Nowhere in Europe is organic farming as widespread as in Austria. A new photo series, created over the course of six summers in rural Lower Austria, offers an intimate glimpse into the daily life of a farming family navigating tradition, sustainability, and modern challenges.
According to European directives, one quarter of agriculture in the EU must be organic by 2030. Austria has long been ahead of this target, with 26 percent of its agriculture already certified organic by 2021. In contrast, the Netherlands stood at just 3.8 percent in the same year, with political developments slowing rather than accelerating the shift toward organic production. In many other EU countries, however, the process has gathered momentum.
The series follows Martina and Siegfried, a young couple who chose to embrace organic farming in the Weinviertel, the north-eastern part of Lower Austria. Their journey unfolds alongside the growth of their two children, Fanny and Arthur, capturing both the challenges and beauty of a lifestyle deeply rooted in the land.
The work not only illustrates the rhythms of farm life but also highlights the human side of Europe’s agricultural transformation. The youngest child, Arthur, was diagnosed with a neurodermatitis allergy, which restricts his diet and marks his skin. Yet he emerges in the photographs as a determined boy with the heart of a farmer, embodying resilience and the strong bond between family, land, and future.
By portraying the everyday reality of a family dedicated to organic agriculture, the series gives a human face to a sector at the forefront of Europe’s sustainability goals.