‘Your deposit for the land’ enables the reintroduction of grazing in Europe's most valuable nature reserves in the Weinviertel region and the Hundsheimer Berge hills.
Wild pastures in the Weinviertel region: 250 hectares of sustainable grazing land
The Leiser Berge regional development association is launching an Austria-wide showcase project with the support of Blühendes Österreich. 250 hectares of valuable dry grasslands and wet meadows in the eastern Weinviertel region will be preserved in the long term through nature conservation grazing. Tux-Zillertal cattle, forest sheep and Konik horses will take care of the dry grasslands. Water buffalo will ensure the preservation of the rare wet meadows in the Weinviertel region in future.
Blühendes Österreich is investing €394,000 in the implementation of the project. The concept phase has already been financed, and now support is being provided for the purchase of the first five water buffalo, which will be acquired from the Neusiedler See – Seewinkel National Park and will begin their work for biodiversity in the Weinviertel region in future. BILLA customers are enabling the establishment of a new agricultural business in the Weinviertel region, including grazing infrastructure and personnel. The total volume of the project amounts to €2,000,000.
‘This project plays a central role in preserving biodiversity in the eastern Weinviertel region. Nature-friendly grazing creates and maintains valuable habitats that provide a home for numerous endangered animal and plant species. We are very grateful for the support of Billa customers. Without their commitment, this project would not be possible,’ explains Alexander Ernst, managing director of the Leiser Berge regional development association.
Hundsheimer Berg and Spitzerberg: Protected areas under sustainable management
A second deposit donation project is dedicated to the reintroduction of grazing in Austria's largest dry and semi-dry grassland conservation areas, the Hundsheimer Berg and Spitzerberg in Lower Austria. Together with the municipality of Hundsheim, the market town of Prellenkirchen, the WWF and the Lower Austria Nature Conservation Department, organic farmer Georg Prantl from Neudorf/Burgenland and his family are focusing on extensive grazing.
In future, cattle and sheep will graze more than 56 hectares of valuable nature conservation areas there. In addition to the grazing infrastructure (pasture fencing, water supply, stable renovation), a concept for visitors is also being implemented, with signage, excursions and information services. This is co-financed by the LEADER region Römerland Carnuntum.
‘Our work is hard, but meaningful: every day that our animals graze outside, we help to preserve one of Austria's most species-rich habitats. Blühendes Österreich and the deposit donations support the concrete implementation of practical nature conservation. As an organic farmer who looks at the big picture, I am delighted to be able to make a significant contribution,’ emphasises Georg Prantl.
Deposit donations enable nature conservation
‘Your deposit for the country’ has been available in all BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores with bottle return since April 2025. With every deposit amount donated, customers contribute to supporting nature conservation in Austria. Since April, 167,000 euros in donations have been collected.
‘We are delighted that the deposit donation initiative is having such a rapid impact. The first projects are beacons of nature conservation in Austria. They show how powerful our customers' commitment is and how we can work together to protect biodiversity in Austria. The Blühendes Österreich team is already working on supporting further nature conservation projects in Austria,’ says Robert Nagele, CEO of BILLA AG and Blühendes Österreich.
10 years of Blühendes Österreich
Since its foundation in 2015, Blühendes Österreich has supported more than 300 partners in renaturalising and improving over 1,300 hectares of biotopes that are valuable in terms of nature conservation. Over 60 protected areas throughout Austria have been co-financed for project implementation. In 2022, Blühendes Österreich was awarded the prestigious EU NATURA 2000 Award.
