During the inspirational 'Healthy is more’ afternoon, The Greenery introduced its new Nature Counts sustainability label. Twice a year, a panel of experts will assign the label to products whose production is demonstrably more sustainable than that of conventional growing methods. The Greenery's aim with the label launch is to encourage both the market garden sector and individual growers to continue to invest in sustainability in the cultivation of fresh vegetables and fruit.
Healthy is more
During the inspiring ‘Healthy is more’ afternoon, various speakers (including former minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment Jacqueline Cramer and trend-watcher Adjiedj Bakas) discussed future scenarios regarding sustainability in the fruit and vegetable sector. The speakers highlighted the increasing need for sustainability in the food supply chain. The Greenery itself invests in corporate social responsibility through its ‘Healthy is more’ sustainability policy, which includes ‘Healthy Cultivation’, ‘Healthy Variation’, ‘Healthy Innovation’, ‘Healthy Business Operations’, ‘Healthy Employees’ and ‘Healthy Communication’. The introduction of the label falls under Healthy Cultivation, and is one of the initiatives with which The Greenery aims to encourage and promote sustainability in the market-garden sector.
Nature Counts
The ‘Nature Counts’ sustainability label will be awarded twice a year by a panel of experts who work in fields such as crop protection, health, CO2 emission and sustainable trade. The label is awarded to products grown by individuals and businesses who are leaders in the field of sustainability, with an emphasis on ‘people and planet’. Candidates are assessed on the following criteria: energy consumption, crop protection, environment and landscape, transparency, waste, water, and employees. To be eligible for the Nature Counts label, candidates must perform exceptionally in one of the areas and above average in the others.
Sustainability
The Greenery aims to promote sustainability in the market garden sector through the Nature Counts label. The label will be used as a means to communicate clearly with customers and consumers regarding sustainable products. Only products that have proven successful will be eligible for the label. Sustainability projects that did not achieve the desired result, but constituted an initial step or otherwise contributed to sustainability in the fruit and vegetable sector will receive a mention on the website www.naturecounts.com.
First award
During the announcement of the new sustainability label, the Nature Counts title was awarded to the beefsteak tomatoes of the A+G Van den Bosch family in Bleiswijk. The panel praised the pioneering character of the family business, who were the first market gardening company in the Netherlands to use geothermal energy to heat their greenhouses. In doing so, they significantly reduced their consumption of natural gas, realising an energy saving of 90%. The company also actively supports other market gardeners who wish to use geothermal energy to grow vegetables.
Note to editors
If you have any questions, please contact:
The Greenery, Tim Willaert, Corporate Communication, Tel: 0180 64 87 35, www.thegreenery.com