We are proud to present our vision and strategy regarding sustainable development within our organization. Our commitment to sustainability is embedded in our business operations and focuses on creating a positive impact on the entire chain, from “farm to fork”. This has been our goal from the moment our company Berrico FoodCompany B.V. was founded and is part of our DNA and we work hard on this with a team of 25 multicultural employees from countries inside and outside Europe, together with our organic Canadian partner from the very beginning Fruit d’Or.

The policy for sustainable development starts with ourselves. As a B2B trading company in conventional and – since the start in 2001 – organic products, we are an essential link between the production of sustainable food ingredients and our customers who further process our products and ultimately want to contribute to responsible nutrition. We do this in a world that is increasingly aware of the impact of man on the finite natural resources that exist and the burden that man places on our planet.

Our employees
We now have an employee statute in which Berrico’s core values ​​are described. Key points are “Collaboration”; “Connecting” (integral approach to sustainability issues); “Professional” (exemplary behavior and interaction with each other) and “Growth and Development” (towards a sustainable future).

We address each other on these shared values ​​and create an inspiring working environment where awareness of personal impact is central. We therefore have, among other things, a generous education and training policy; We encourage climate-neutral commuting and our office largely functions on solar energy. All these initiatives contribute to the reduction of our emissions. In addition, we separate all waste and ensure that waste is given a second life; We provide healthy food (fruit) to our employees every week and team outings have an educational value, such as a visit in 2024 to Clean2Anywhere where boats are made from plastic waste.

A continuous program “Great Place to Work” has been started with the aim of identifying and implementing initiatives that will improve the working conditions and terms for our staff (for example: In 2024 a generous pension plan for employees has been implemented). In the Netherlands there is not only a statutory minimum wage for all employees, which all Berrico employees are well above, but every employee also has a mandatory individual health insurance. And where the question is continuously asked how our own ecological footprint can be reduced. An example (2024) of this is the purchase of renovated office furniture. We want to comply with at least the initiatives of SBTi targets aimed at reducing harmful emissions and the Amfori Code of Conduct aimed at human rights, working conditions and protection of the environment.

Our suppliers
Collaboration with our suppliers in the chain is crucial to ensure that our products are sustainably produced and processed and are ecologically responsible. These suppliers are almost always located outside Europe and often on the African, South American and Asian continents. We take an active role in this: The goal is for all suppliers to be Sedex registered and SMETA or CSR certified no later than the fourth year that we do business. We guide and motivate these suppliers to work with us on this.

Our customers
Sustainability is also high on the agenda of our customers with whom we work together to “green” the entire chain. These customers trust us to take the lead in this and to assist them in attaining their objectives. The fact that Berrico is tackling this with vigour is evident from, for example, the Ecovadis certification (Silver) that we have already achieved and “Going for Gold” which is our goal.

The world we live in
Berrico does not operate in a vacuum but in a world that is becoming increasingly complex and that expects companies to also take their social responsibility. We take this very literally and that is why Berrico donates to several foundations and is in Lelystad sponsor of the Food Bank, “Santa for every child” and an active theatre life through participation in the “Cultural Business Club Agora”. We also ask and expect our suppliers to each fulfill their social responsibility in the community they are part of

Sustainable (food) production can only be achieved when the challenges are addressed in conjunction, in other words from farm to consumer. Think of energy use or CO2 emissions that occur during production and distribution. All these steps in the chain contribute to the ecological footprint of what the consumer ultimately eats. The chain responsibility that Berrico experiences and carries out directly relates to:

• Sustainable food production. Think of reducing or eliminating the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides and responsible use of water
  Being able to trace back to the source where our products come from and how each step in the process can be monitored. This is the best guarantee for excluding abuse (for example child labour) and promoting equal opportunities for men and women.
• Our industry can be “water intensive” and WHO has made water (mis)management a spearhead for our planet and has recorded this in WASH. Climate change has a dramatic impact on the availability of clean drinking water and (organic) agriculture benefits from water being reused and returned clean to the environment.
• Energy generation should be as ‘clean’ and CO2 neutral as possible and not cause any burden on the environment. This plays a role in the entire chain: agriculture, crop growing, production, storage, distribution, packaging and processing of residual flows.

We have made this policy a spearhead within Berrico for the coming years, because we believe in it and because it is important on the road towards a sustainable future. Intensifying cooperation in the chain and certifications such as SMETA, Ecovadis and SBTi are an important tool and guideline to achieve our goals in a responsible and comprehensive manner. An important part of this is that we ask our suppliers about their contribution to this and we help them take these steps. An important tool for this is the realization of an assessment that helps us to monitor and follow up the progress in the chain.

We are working hard every day with all employees to realize this!