Who we are
All over the world, professionals with a strong passion for blackcurrants grow this superfruit. But many other people ignore most of it. In fact, blackcurrant growing is uncomparable with the cultivation of major crops like wheat or other fruit like apples or oranges.
Being a minor crop, blackcurrants receive much less support in research in any kind of field than other fruits or vegetables. Many people even ignore most of it until its existence. Still, blackcurrant growing requires a certain knowledge, and farmers are keen to share this knowledge among each other – this is why the IBA has been created!
The members of the IBA can come from many different horizons:
First of all, they are blackcurrant growers.
Secondly, research institutes or companies who support the growers in agronomic questions: horticulture, plant protection, variety research…
Finally, some of our members process blackcurrants, a few more conduct health research projects with blackcurrants.
Our objectives
Education
Collaboration
Stimulation
IBA History
Creation of the IBA
The creation of the IBA is a story of passionate people worldwide, who have decided to gather together and to ally their forces. They have a common goal: spreading the knowledge about blackcurrants.
A bi-annual European Blackcurrant Conference had been organised since 1995. Considering the huge success of these conferences, growers from the United States and New Zealand were keen to join the common European effort. They wanted to become a part of the blackcurrant community and help to construct the remarkable history of the blackcurrant.
As a consequence, the International Blackcurrant Association (IBA) was formed in 2008 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Changes in 2020
Establishing the IBA headquarters in New Zealand was our choice in 2008, when we created the association. Our New Zealand grower association was very much involved in the creation of the International Blackcurrant Association: the first president, general manager and treasurer were New Zealanders. All of them contributed a lot to the succes and attraction of the IBA.
Nevertheless, for administrative reasons, we found it necessary to make a change: in fact, having a headquarter in Europe seems more in line with the strategic choices of the IBA Executive. In a common agreement between all our members, we therefore decided to transfer the International Blackcurrant Association to France in 2024.
IBA today
The International Blackcurrant Association (IBA) is a non-profits organization, according to the French Law of 1901, with its headquarters in France.
As at 2026, the International Blackcurrant Association (IBA) receives its funds mainly from the blackcurrant associations of the following countries:
- Austria
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Japan
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Poland
- United Kingdom.
This core group assists growers in other countries to form their own associations and become part of the IBA.
Some individual members, mostly from countries without any grower association, are also active members of our association.
Finally, our activities are co-funded by partners from the transforming industry.
Organisation
Administrative status
The International Blackcurrant Association (IBA) is a non-profits organization, according to the French Law of 1901, with its headquarters in France.
Just like any other association, the IBA has its own rules of association. The details figure in its statutes, and internal rules fix the various points not provided for in these statutes, particularly those related to the practical operation of the activities of the IBA.
Purpose of the IBA
The main missions of the International Blackcurrant Association are:
- Information
- Promotion
- International respresentation and acknowledgment (technological, regulatory and economical monitoring)
The IBA and its members thus contribute actively to promote blackcurrants, to spread the knowledge about the health benefits of blackcurrants, and to share vital information on optimum blackcurrant growing methods.
Activities
International grower meetings: The IBA organizes a short 24-hours grower meeting in different countries every uneven year. These meetings generally take place early June, before the harvest starts. It is the best time to share experiences on the currant season, when mainly field visits are on the agenda.
International Blackcurrant Conferences: Our member country associations organize these 3-days conferences. They include farm visits, visits of industry partners and allow a deep insight in the blackcurrant business of the country. Presentations on various topics around blackcurrants round up the programme. International Conferences take place every even year.
Working groups: The IBA offers different possibilities to its members where topics of their interest may be discussed (i.e. agronomy, plant breeding, marketing, new product development). The purpose is to bring forward the industry as a whole on a global level by mutualizing efforts and sharing useful information. These small groups of people can meet online or in person once or several times a year.
Our members
The members of the IBA share the same field of interest: blackcurrants. They can come from many different horizons:
- blackcurrant growers
- institutes or companies that give support to the growers in the fields of agronomy, horticulture, plant protection or variety research
- processing and manufacturing industry
- research institutes
- anyone else showing interest in blackcurrants for any other reason.
IBA Board of Directors
The International Blackcurrant Association is governed by a Board of Directors. This Board is composed of the representatives of all financing grower country associations (one per country) and one or two representative(s) of the processing industry or individual members.
Four of the Board members are elected bi-annually to become the IBA’s president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer.
Furthermore, a General Manager, appointed by the Board, conducts the marketing strategy and general administration of the International Blackcurrant Association (IBA).
Austria: Stefan Lampl
Dipl. Ing. Stefan Lampl has been the Manager of the Styrian Berry Cooperative (StBoG) for many years. The main crop marketed in this cooperative is elderberry. Nevertheless, many growers and Stefan himself also grow blackcurrants.
Denmark: Jens Holme Pedersen
Jens Holme Pedersen has grown blackcurrants in Denmark conventionally and organically for tens of years. He is head of the Danish grower cooperative Hortiadvice.
France: Guillaume Marie
Guillaume Marie is the head of the French Association of red and black currants (ANCG). He farms blackcurrants, but also potatoes, onions, wheat, corn beetroot, hazelnuts, flax and other crops on his family owned farm “Les Deux Ormes” 100 km South-West of Paris.
Germany: Heiko Danner
Heiko Danner is a wine growing engineer who started growing blackcurrants in 1991. His passion for the black power pearl and his pro-active nature led him to plant a test field for blackcurrant varieties from all over the world, and to create the “Cassismanufaktur”: the production of blackcurrant products on his own.
He therefore now grows blackcurrants, and produces and markets a full range of blackcurrant products.
Japan: Jun Fujikuma
Fujikuma Jun san is the Executive Officer of the Beneseed Co., Ltd. Beneseed was established by Japanese philanthropist and business philosopher, Katayama Genjiro san. This company already assisted the initial development of the IBA as a “family of global business” back in 2008.
A film director for 30 years, Jun san specialized in filming world heritage sites for documentaries. In 2004, he met Katayama Genjiro san. Inspired by the social business philosophy, Jun san joined Beneseed. He now works in the area of international business development. Blackcurrants are a key part of Beneseed’s highly successful flagship product.
Netherlands: Lauran Vermue
Lauran Vermue runs the Coöperatieve Nederlandse Bessentelers (Cooperative of Dutch Blackcurrant Growers). This cooperative was founded in the mid 1980’s. Today, it consists of nearly 20 member farms in the southwestern part of the Netherlands. All farms grow blackcurrants in combination with other agricultural crops (e.g. potatoes) and fruit (apples, pears). Their blackcurrants are mostly processed for food ingredients such as soft drinks.
New Zealand: Mike Callagher
Mike Callagher is currently General Manager of the New Zealand Blackcurrant co-operative and long term member of Black Currants New Zealand (BCNZ). With his professional experience as an industrial biochemist, he had been involved for 30 years with pharma / nutraceutical extraction. He came into the blackcurrant world as a manager of the “Just the Berries” brand.
Poland: Jakub Osrodek
Jakub Osrodek has been elected vice-president of the IBA at the International Blackcurrant Conference in Leibnitz (Austria) in 2024.
United Kingdom: James Wright
James Wright is the farm manager of Whittern Farms in Herefordshire.
Independent Director: Anna Ralph
Anna Ralph is the Managing Director of Pixley Berries (Juice) Ltd. As part of the the blackcurrant business for more than 10 years, she brings a customer perspective to the IBA’s strategic development.
Administration: the IBA Executive Committee and the General Manager
The Executive Committee
Every two years, the IBA Board of Directors proceeds to elections for the Executive Committee: the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. This committee will meet as many times as the day-to-day business requires. It has the obligation to hold at least one physical meeting annually, to which must be present at least three members.
The Executive has the following attributions:
- the daily management and administration of the association, as well as the accounts.
- the positive and open internal communication with the members of the IBA.
- the external communication with the press, research institutes, sponsors, commercial organizations political institutions and any other organization or person.
- the hiring of a General Manager or any other employee for the association.
The General Manager
The General Manager of the International Blackcurrant Association is appointed by the Executive Committtee and conducts the daily business. He or she prepares the annual budget, conceptualizes a business and promotional plan and implements the association’s strategy within agreed financial parameters.
Country Associations, Independent members, Honorary members
Blackcurrant country associations
If blackcurrants mainly grow in the Northern hemisphere (but also in New Zealand and Tasmania), there are still differences from one country to the other. Not every country grows the same variety. Not every country grows for the same purpose.
Generally, the growers in each country plant the varieties and the quantity which correspond best to the needs of the national industry and consumer habits.
The country associations of growers (including research institutes and processors for some of them) are the basis of our association.
These associations of individuals or legal entities come from one or several countries. They have the purpose of bringing together the actors of the blackcurrant industry of their country or countries.
As at 2026, the following countries have such organizations and are members of the International Blackcurrant Association:
For detailled information, please view each country’s info sheet.
Note: If one country association is member of the IBA, all of its members are automatically members of the IBA.
Independent members
Honorary members
Since the creation of the IBA, some persons have given remarkable support to the association. They have therefore received honorary membership:
Mr. Genjiro Katayama, the CEO of Beneseed, is the well-known Japanese philanthropist. Beneseed produces health supplements and cosmetics. One of the company’s flagship products is the blackcurrant-based health supplement “Active Seed 1”. Beneseed buys blackcurrants from New Zealand. The company supports several projects, like ‘Greening Waipara’ in New Zealand , and other projects in Australia and Mexico.
Mr. Edward Thompson is the owner of “Pixley Berries” and was part of the group of people who founded the European Blackcurrant Association in 1993.
He realized very early that it was vital to the blackcurrant industry that countries work together and talk about their different challenges. This is why he involved in developing the European Blackcurrant Association. Then, in 2008, when New Zealand and the USA wanted to join in, he also pushed forward the extension of this association to found the International Blackcurrant Association.
Also, sustainability and progressive farming is at the heart of everything he does. Very early, he identified climate change as a threat to blackcurrant production: in 2002 he conducted a study of the winter chill effect, which lead onto bud break technology research in 2003 and then subsequent variety trial work.
He is the only blackcurrant grower in Great Britain to be entirely vertically integrated and in control of every element of his production, from the soil to shelf, bush to bottle.
Funds and Sponsors
Funds
The funds of the International Blackcurrant Association are composed of:
- membership fees, fixed annually by the Board of Directors
- any subsidies from countries, public institutions or any other body
- proceeds of any event, the interest and royalties of the property and securities it may possess, and the fees for services rendered
- any other resources or grants that are not contrary to the laws in force.
Sponsors
IBA membership
Admission in the IBA
The International Blackcurrant Association‘s members are individuals or legal entities. Of course, membership within the IBA is voluntary. It is subject to the payment of an annual fee. Each member commits to respect the IBA statutes that are available upon his entry into the association.
Individuals are automatically admitted as members of the association without prior agreement.
Nevertheless, for the admission of legal persons (national / multinational producer organization or non-producer organizations), the Board of Directors will pronounce their admission. Legal persons are:
A. Members of national or multinational producer organizations (associations of individuals or legal entities from one country or several countries whose purpose is to bring together the actors of the blackcurrant industry of this country or these countries).
B. Companies (any non-producer organization / legal entity wishing to participate in the operation and realization of the purpose of the association).
The duration of commitment as a member is fixed to 3 years for legal entities, 1 year for individuals.
Take out membership for individuals or companies
Access to all parts of the IBA website, reduced conference fees and the possibility for all the employees of your company / organization to participate in our growers’ meetings.
Access to all parts of the IBA website, reduced conference fees and the possibility for yourself to participate in our growers’ meetings.
Membership for producer organizations
To know more about membership and for becoming a member as a producer organization, please contact manager@blackcurrant-iba.com or fill the contact form below.