True Personalised Customer Support: The Striking Case of ZACMI in Germany

What would happen if a company needed to experiment with a new product using a ZACMI device not designed for that specific purpose? Have you ever asked yourself this question?
Our filling machines are designed to accommodate a wide range of possibilities within the F&B sector, allowing for work on liquid, solid, semi-solid products, products with pieces of varying sizes and densities, and so on.
Despite this, of course, we cannot foresee every possible variation that the food industry will create over time.
Today we’ll see how we handled the request of a German company to experiment with a new recipe using one of our filling machines.

In episode 9 of the Worldwide Tour, we head to northern Europe, supporting one of the most important multinationals in the organic and vegan sector, which has long owned several of our filling and seaming machines. The company primarily deals with soups, but that won’t be the focus of today’s article. We discussed this dish and its curious history here.

We take this opportunity to show you how our concept of assistance and support is truly comprehensive, demonstrating how virtually any issue can be resolved with commitment, dedication, and a willingness to collaborate.

We also take the opportunity, as always, to delve into the bio and vegan culture which, over the last two decades, has gained significant mainstream traction, becoming not only a universally recognized ideology but also, let’s be honest, a business opportunity.

Side by Side Isn’t Just a Saying

It all started when our team was contacted by a longstanding client, a large multinational company headquartered in Germany, which, as we mentioned, specialises in organic and vegan soups.
The idea was to develop a new recipe that would require our filling machine to operate differently from standard procedures.

Happy to collaborate on any type of innovation and – let’s not hide it – confident that the capabilities of our machine would allow us to successfully test virtually any new solution with relative ease, we sent our team to the company’s headquarters.

Upon arrival, we set the parameters to make the production of this new product as fast, efficient, and trouble-free as possible, working alongside the client to meet their requests and adapting the work process to the new preparation.

Considering that the machine was not originally designed for this specific type of product at the time of sale, some glitches were possible.

To prevent long production stoppages or potential damage, we preferred to be present and share the project directly with the manufacturing company. This allowed us to fine-tune the machine on-site and start production without any difficulties.

It should be noted that from now on, our support team will be able to conduct audits focused on the specific use of that machine, suggesting maintenance schedules and spare part choices perfectly tailored to the machine’s actual working hours and the type of production. However, we’ve already discussed this in the episode where we travelled to France.

We are happy to contribute to any form of innovation and are even more so when it involves working in such an important field as organic and vegan products, which, beyond current trends and contradictions we will have the opportunity to discuss, are based on an attention to and respect for our ecosystem that we cannot help but appreciate.

So let’s take this opportunity for a little journey into the history of these two movements, which are so important globally today. Indeed, organic and vegan have become undeniable mass phenomena, with a growing demand for sustainable and animal-friendly products and lifestyles.

The Origins of Organic/Bio: Not Just a Modern Fad

Organic farming has its origins in the 19th century, when some thinkers and farmers began to question conventional farming methods based on the use of synthetic chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

Among the pioneers of organic farming are:

• Sir Albert Howard, a British agronomist who in the 1920s developed the concept of “organic farming” based on the recycling of organic waste.
  
• Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher who in the 1920s formulated the principles of biodynamic agriculture, a form of organic farming that considers the farm as a living organism.
  
• Lady Eve Balfour, who in 1940 published the book “The Living Soil,” considered one of the foundational texts of organic farming.

In the 1960s and 70s, the organic movement spread worldwide, driven by growing environmental awareness and the countercultural movements of the era. The first associations and organic certification standards, such as the Organic Foods Production Act in the United States, were born.

However, there are even more radical and incredibly fascinating figures who have had a huge influence on farming methods and on two concepts we’ll discuss shortly: biodynamics and permaculture.

One of these figures is Masanobu Fukuoka, to whom we must dedicate a small section.

Masanobu Fukuoka and the Agriculture of “Do Nothing”

Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-2008) was a Japanese botanist and philosopher, a pioneer of a revolutionary agricultural approach known as “natural farming” or “do-nothing farming.”

After working as a plant pathologist researcher, Fukuoka decided to return to his family farm on the island of Shikoku to develop a farming system that minimised human intervention.

His goal was to accompany natural processes rather than trying to dominate them.

Key principles of Fukuoka’s farming included:

• No-till (no soil tilling such as ploughing or digging)
• No-fertilisers (no use of chemical fertilisers or compost)
• No-pesticides (no use of herbicides, insecticides, or other chemicals)
  

Fukuoka argued that the natural balance of the ecosystem was disrupted by conventional farming practices, making them necessary. His approach aimed to restore this balance, allowing crops to thrive without invasive interventions.

Beyond the practical aspect, Fukuoka’s farming was deeply rooted in his life philosophy, inspired by Zen principles. He saw the Universe as in constant flux, where everything happens spontaneously without the need to force processes.

Fukuoka’s work and writings, such as “The One-Straw Revolution,” have significantly influenced organic farming, permaculture, and other sustainable agricultural movements.

But what are biodynamics and permaculture? Let’s find out.

Biodynamics and Permaculture: A Definition

Biodynamic farming and permaculture are two distinct but complementary approaches to sustainable agriculture. Here’s a brief definition of each.

Biodynamic Farming

Biodynamic farming is a set of practices based on the anthroposophical spiritual vision of the world developed by theosophist Rudolf Steiner.
It aims to maintain soil fertility, plant health, and product quality through the use of natural fertilisers and biodynamic preparations (the use of substances that activate and generate vital processes in the soil and plants), without the use of synthetic chemicals.

According to its supporters, the farm is a living organism immersed in cosmic forces.

Biodynamic practices, such as green manure (burying plant material to maintain or increase soil fertility), crop rotation, and the application of herbal and mineral preparations, are intended to make the entire soil “alive.”

However, many aspects of biodynamic farming, such as the efficacy of the preparations, lack scientific support and are considered pseudoscientific by the academic community.

Permaculture

Permaculture is a holistic method for designing sustainable human settlements based on careful observation of natural ecosystems.
It aims to create productive and resilient systems that meet essential human needs such as food, water, and energy by mimicking the structure and relationships of ecosystems.

The ethical principles of permaculture are: care for the Earth, care for people, and fair share.

Through techniques such as agroforestry (the cultivation of perennial tree and/or shrub species associated with crops and/or livestock on the same land unit), animal integration, and multifunctional design, permaculture aims to preserve biodiversity and reduce waste.

In this sense, the two names we should keep in mind as points of reference are David Holmgren and Bill Mollison, universally considered the founders of the holistic approach to designing sustainable human settlements that combines ecological principles, design, and agricultural practices. Let’s get to know them better.

David Holmgren (1955) is an Australian designer, writer, and activist. In the 1970s, while studying at the University of Tasmania, he met Bill Mollison and together they developed the fundamental concepts of permaculture.

In 1978 Holmgren and Mollison published “Permaculture One,” the first book on permaculture, followed by other works such as “Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability” (2002). Their 12 ethical and design principles are considered the heart of permaculture philosophy.

Holmgren has also designed and managed the Melliodora farm in Victoria, Australia, which has become an international reference point for the practical application of permaculture.

Bill Mollison (1928-2016) was an Australian biologist and naturalist. After working as a researcher, teacher, and photographer, he dedicated himself to studying natural systems and indigenous communities, developing the idea of “permanent agriculture.”

After meeting Holmgren, he founded the International Permaculture Solutions Institute in 1981 and began offering the first Permaculture Design Courses (PDC).

Mollison is the author of numerous books such as “Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual” (1988) and “Introduction to Permaculture” (1991). His approach was based on careful observation of nature to design productive and resilient systems.

In summary, while biodynamic farming is based on a spiritual vision and uses practices such as preparations, permaculture is a design approach that aims to create resilient productive systems by mimicking nature.

Both reject the use of synthetic chemical inputs and aim for sustainability, though with different approaches.

The Historical Evolution of Biodynamic Farming

As mentioned, biodynamic agriculture has deep roots dating back to the early 20th century when the Austrian philosopher and theosophist Rudolf Steiner laid its foundations.

The Origins with Rudolf Steiner

In 1924, Steiner held a series of lectures for a group of farmers concerned about the declining quality of their produce. He believed that the increasing use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides was damaging the vitality of the soil and plants.

In response, Steiner outlined a holistic approach to agriculture based on his anthropological view of the world, which claims to scientifically and integratively analyse both the physical reality and the “spiritual” dimension, seeing them as “a single divine expression in constant transformation.” He believed that farms should be managed as living organisms, in harmony with the cosmic and spiritual forces of nature.

Steiner developed a series of “biodynamic preparations” made from herbs, minerals, and manure, to be applied to the soil and plants according to lunar and astral rhythms. These practices, along with crop rotation and the exclusion of chemical inputs, were meant to restore balance to the agroecosystem.

The Spread in the 1920s and 1930s

After Steiner’s death in 1925, his followers began to experiment with and spread biodynamic agriculture in Germany and other European countries. The first associations and certification standards were established, such as Demeter International, founded in 1928. Despite criticism from the scientific community, which considered the biodynamic approach to be lacking empirical basis, biodynamic agriculture slowly gained ground, especially in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

The Revival in the 1960s and 1970s

In the 1960s and 1970s, biodynamic agriculture experienced a true revival, driven by the growing environmental and countercultural movement. New generations of farmers and consumers were drawn to this approach, attracted by its holistic vision and rejection of the industrialization of agriculture.

During this period, numerous biodynamic farms and producer associations were founded worldwide, such as the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association in the United States (1938) and the Associazione per l’Agricoltura Biodinamica in Italy (1978).

Recent Developments and the Current Situation

Today, biodynamic agriculture is practised in over 50 countries around the world, with a particular concentration in Europe. According to Demeter International data, in 2021 there were over 6,000 certified biodynamic farms globally, covering about 200,000 hectares.

Despite criticism from the scientific community, which continues to view it as pseudoscience, biodynamic agriculture has gained a certain legitimacy and visibility, also thanks to the interest of consumers concerned with sustainability and the quality of food products.

So far, the cultivation methods attentive to the ecosystem, but what can we say about veganism? Where does it fit in?

The Origins of Veganism

Veganism has its roots in vegetarianism, a dietary and lifestyle practice that dates back many centuries in various cultures and religions before and after Christ.

Among the pioneers of modern veganism, we find:

• Donald Watson, a British activist who coined the term “vegan” in 1944 and founded the Vegan Society, defining veganism as a lifestyle that excludes all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals.
  
• Henry Stephens Salt, a 19th-century British activist who wrote the book “Animals’ Rights Considered in Relation to Social Progress,” considered one of the fundamental texts of the animal rights movement.
  
• Mohandas Gandhi, the Indian leader who promoted vegetarianism as an integral part of his philosophy of nonviolence.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the vegan movement spread globally, thanks also to the activism of organisations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and the growing awareness of the conditions of animals in the food industry.

Veganism, therefore, is a movement that promotes a lifestyle based on resources not derived from animals (not just no meat and fish, but also no dairy and eggs, for example). Although its roots and essence lie in anti-speciesism, the motivations supporting it have expanded to include environmental, demographic, medical, health, and socio-economic issues.

Veganism: A Phenomenon in Constant Growth

Veganism and vegetarianism are constantly growing phenomena, fueled by increased environmental awareness, ecological and climate challenges, and considerations of various kinds, both from an ethical and health perspective.

In the 1990s, the vegan population was relatively small (less than 1% of the world’s population), but it was already growing rapidly.
Between 2014 and 2023, the vegan population quadrupled, rising from a relatively low percentage to a more significant one, reaching around 2.3% of the world’s population in 2024.

It is noteworthy that despite the increase in vegetarians and vegans, per capita meat consumption is still rising in many countries, creating a paradox and raising several ethical questions.

Many vegans and supporters of organic farming claim to have experienced significant health improvements, such as increased energy and reduced chronic diseases. However, it is important to note that not all organic or vegan products are automatically healthy, and a balanced diet is essential for well-being.

It is also necessary to be clear on one point: there are concerns in the scientific community about the so-called “cherry picking” of data, which is the practice of selecting specific data or information that supports a particular thesis or argument, while ignoring or excluding information that might contradict or challenge that same position.

In the debate on organic agriculture, for example, some supporters might emphasise studies that show health and environmental benefits, while they might overlook research indicating that the yields of organic crops can be lower than conventional ones under certain conditions. This selective data can create an overly positive image of organic agriculture without considering the practical challenges it imposes.

In the context of veganism, some proponents might cite studies linking a vegan diet to a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, while they might ignore research highlighting the risk of nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin B12 or iron, if attention is not paid to dietary planning and proper supplementation. This can lead to a mistaken perception of the vegan diet as universally healthy and risk-free.

Beyond concerns about the systematic selection of evidence to support a particular thesis, a phenomenon that involves many more or less recognized and popular realities, it is undeniable that only experimentation can lead to evolution and change; only the ability to think outside established frameworks can lead to different solutions compared to those considered canonical and orthodox.

Change Through Collaboration

And so, once again, the Worldwide Tour has allowed us to embark on a long and intense journey into a specific cultural and historical aspect, closely linked to our professional field, bringing to light interesting aspects often overlooked or taken for granted.

Each of the innovations we have talked about, in the intellectual, philosophical, cultural, social, or practical field, was dictated by the intuition of some pioneers and, subsequently, by the willingness to collaborate of those who believed in certain ideas and decided to experiment and spread increasingly innovative and efficient methods, in response to an ever-widening global demand and increasingly pressing ecological needs.

Similarly, in our small way, we are happy to collaborate with anyone who proposes new paths to take and new experiments to set up.

This is how, in the last 70 years, ZACMI has grown more and more to become a real point of reference in the F&B packaging sector.

This is how, in the years to come, we want to continue to develop: supporting our customers with a fast, present, effective, and solid after-sales service, a service to rely on even (and especially) when it comes to implementing creativity, innovation, and immediate problem-solving capabilities.