Climate action

Climate change is one of the most serious threats worldwide. In the regions we source our produce from, we actively work to reduce emissions linked to cultivation, transport, energy and waste. We are the first fruit and vegetable importer worldwide whose Scope 1, 2, 3 and FLAG climate objectives were approved and validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Our objectives are in line with the Paris climate agreement.

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Validated CO2 reduction targets

Approximately 99% of emissions are not in our own production facilities or processes but occur elsewhere in our value chain. That is why, in addition to our scope 1 and 2 climate targets, we also calculated our scope 3 climate targets, including targets for FLAG (Forest, Land and Agriculture). These targets were validated by the SBTi. Validation by SBTi demonstrates how serious we are about reducing our carbon footprint and addressing climate change throughout our entire value chain.

CO2 emission reduction by our growers

The agricultural sector is highly reliant on land use and is affected by climate change. However, the sector also contributes to emissions. To reduce CO₂ emissions we support and work with our growers, for example by installing solar panels, improving fertiliser use and increasingly the sustainability of transport. Technology is used to reveal emissions and work on action plans. By sharing successes, we motivate growers to improve even more but also encourage other growers to start reducing emissions.

CO2 emission reduction in our own processes

We also continue to increase the sustainability of our own processes. In our own facilities, we use green electricity, generate energy using more than 2,000 solar panels and reuse heat from our warehouse to heat the building - all of which reduces our dependence on gas. Currently, 95% of our vehicle fleet is electric. Our premises in Maasdijk are rated BREEAM-NL Excellent. LED lighting has been installed in the entire building. We perform an energy audit, which monitors and inspects our energy efficiency performance, every four years.

Sea freight where possible

Transport is responsible for approximately 30% of our emissions. Transporting products by sea instead of air is an effective way to reduce these emissions. We prioritise sea freight where possible to contribute to emission reduction. Approximately 95% of the total volume of fruit and vegetables is transported by ship or truck. For our focus products, 98% of avocados are transported by sea and mangoes are always transported by sea. For some products, air freight is unavoidable in certain seasons, as alternative transport methods cannot guarantee the required levels of freshness. We regularly test whether products can be transported by ship or truck.

Sustainable packaging

We constantly develop new, more sustainable packaging for our products. Our starting points are:

We aim for the longest shelf life for our products, as this reduces food waste and allows us to guarantee the best product quality
Reduction of packaging waste, we choose mono packaging where possible, as it is the most recyclable form of packaging
We only use high-quality materials from sustainable sources
We reuse our packaging where possible

Reducing food waste by valorising

We have implemented various measures to minimise food waste. Products that fail to meet our quality requirement are processed into, for example, purée, juice, guacamole or oil. We valorise 100% of our avocados in this way. At least once a week, we donate fruit and vegetables to the Food Bank. The remaining residual waste flows from the production process are converted into biogas. Together with our Norwegian partner BAMA, we also launched a pilot with the avocado scanner from OneThird. This technology helps consumers choose perfectly ripe avocados and contributes to reducing food waste.

Enjoy today, changing tomorrow!