Greenyard is one of the Industry Leaders that today signed the new “European Code of Conduct for Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices". This new Code is a common path towards sustainable food systems proposed by the EU Commission and is one of the first deliverables in the EU’s sustainability strategy. The aspirational goals of this new Code of Conduct are perfectly aligned with our own Greenyard Sustainability Commitments and our purpose to be a driving force towards healthier lifestyles and more sustainable food supply chains.
Hein Deprez - “Our sector depends on nature, the availability of healthy soils, fresh water and favourable climate conditions. The world is waking up to the fact that we need to change the way we produce and consume food. As a major player in fruit and vegetables, Greenyard wants to play an active role in the transition towards healthier and more sustainable eating habits.”
The four key commitments we are working on today focus on climate change, water, zero-waste and social responsibility. They are embedded across our business, ensuring sustainability is central to everything we do. In our next Sustainability Report, which will be published later this year, we will give an update on the progress we have made on these commitments.
As global demand for (healthy) food is rising, fruit and vegetables bring an additional advantage. Not only do they fulfil this need in a versatile and a tasty way, they also better safeguard the planetary boundaries as they have a lower environmental impact, compared to many other food categories. Increased fruit and vegetables consumption therefore has a direct impact on both people’s health, and the health of our planet. For current and for future generations.
The combination of health and sustainability have always been at the very heart of our business, which is built around the vision to make lives healthier by helping people enjoy fruit and vegetables at any moment, easy, fast and pleasurable, whilst fostering nature.
We especially leverage our business model based on long-term relationships and alliances with stakeholders (from grower to retailer) to achieve improvements at every stage of the supply chain and contribute to a more sustainable way of feeding the world. We are confident that, together with the other companies who have signed this new Code, we can accelerate this process, motivate others to join us on this journey and find new and creative ways to continue our path towards a more sustainable future.
We cannot stress enough that this is not a road we can travel alone. As food supply chains become increasingly long and complex, close collaboration and connecting fork to field is essential if we are to achieve our ambitions.