The Greenery
Healthy is More 2009 Sustainability Report
Table of contents Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Sustainable entrepreneurship at The Greenery . . . . . . . . . . 4 Healthy cultivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Healthy innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Healthy variation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Healthy communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Healthy business operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Healthy employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Looking ahead: ‘Healthy is More’ in 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 2
The Greenery at a glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Other information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 GRI Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Foreword All year round and worldwide, The Greenery delivers a complete, daily, fresh range of vegetables, fruit and mushrooms to its customers. As a major player in the international market we aim to take the lead when it comes to sustainable entrepreneurship. Together with our growers, both in the Netherlands and abroad, we are able to meet our customers’ demands for sustainably
We will continue on this path in 2010. We intend to formulate even more emphatically measurable and transparent objectives for all aspects of our ‘Healthy is More’ strategy. And of course we hope to express this in many innovative practical examples. You can send suggestions or comments to: duurzaamheid@thegreenery.com
produced products. For The Greenery, sustainability is a process that is constantly advancing. In 2008 we introduced our sustainability strategy ‘Healthy is More’, at the core of which is the supply of healthy and safe high-quality products. In this report you can read how sustainable enterprise is interwoven in The Greenery’s business, from cultivation to sales. It contains results, illustrated with a number of practical examples. All in all, this report has been a huge source of inspiration for us. We are sure it will be for you too. For us 2009 was a year in which we expanded our sustainability strategy ‘Healthy is More.’ Take, for example, areas such as food safety, the reduction of crop protection agents, more sustainable transport and the reduction of CO2 emissions. But our sustainability strategy also includes the introduction of new products, greater variety, a healthier range of products and innovation in numerous areas. Many of our growers are moving towards more sustainable forms of energy. Our efforts were rewarded in 2009 with the Euro-
pean Award for Cooperative Innovation for our own Residue Management System (RMS). RMS enables the reduction of crop protection agents through intelligent cooperation between the various parties in the supply chain. In 2009 we also decided to focus especially on innovative growers that are making extraordinary progress in the area of sustainability. The Greenery has introduced the sustainability initiative Nature Counts. An independent jury will award the Nature Counts designation to sustainable and innovative growers. With this initiative, The Greenery wants to stimulate growers to move towards the sustainable cultivation of fresh fruit and vegetables. Our healthy products spring from our healthy, expert and motivated growers and staff. We thank them for their dedication and enthusiasm in giving sustainability within The Greenery flesh and blood. They have made a huge contribution in a year in which not only sustainability has been a key concern, but also the aftermath of the economic crisis.
Philip Smits, General Manager The Greenery B.V.
Albert Knol Financial Manager The Greenery B.V.
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Sustainable entrepreneurship at The Greenery The Greenery is a leading international fruit and vegetable company. All year round we supply a full range of fresh fruit, vegetables and mushrooms to our customers: supermarket chains, wholesalers, caterers and the food processing industry. We regard high quality and universal professionalism as the focus of our business. Sustainability is an integral part of business operations at The Greenery. We take our responsibility seriously to work with growers to provide healthy products for a healthy society.
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At The Greenery, sustainability begins with good health. Working with its growers and suppliers, The Greenery is able to ensure that the consumer is offered a wide range of fruit, vegetables and mushrooms on a daily basis. Making this happen means balancing all the various links in the chain. After all, sustainability is about the balance between People, Planet and Profit. In pursuing our strategy, The Greenery focuses on the following:
Communicating with stakeholders
our organisation’s social environment. Every two years we conduct satisfaction surveys among our growers and employees. In striving for safe and sustainable crop protection, however, it is also important that we communicate with environmental organisations, such as The Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment (Stichting Natuur en Milieu) and Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie). We regularly hold discussions with the sector, both at national and European level, including the sector-specific consultations on healthy food. With DPA (the sector association for sellers of fruit, vegetables and mushrooms) and Freshfel (the European sector association), The Greenery participates in work groups focusing specifically on sustainability issues. These work groups are also the setting for discussions with the European Food Safety Authority.
The Greenery attaches great value to good communication with the people around it: employees, growers (both in the Netherlands and elsewhere) and customers, as well as other stakeholders in
This report describes the involvement of stakeholders in various activities geared towards sustainable entrepreneurship.
• Healthy cultivation • Healthy innovation • Healthy variation • Healthy communication • Healthy business operations • Healthy employees
Healthy cultivation A healthy crop is a sustainable crop and what is good for nature is good for people. This is why The Greenery launched the initiative Nature Counts in 2009 in order to stimulate the horticulture sector to make its cultivation operations increasingly sustainable. Growers that are affiliated with The Greenery use as few crop protection agents as possible, make sparing use of (renewable) energy and reach agreements on good labour conditions throughout the entire supply chain. The Greenery is convinced that the use of crop protection agents can be reduced to a minimum by bringing together the expertise of various chain partners and through innovation and verification on our part. 5
Food safety
Traceability
The Greenery guarantees that its food products are safe by actively supervising and monitoring its suppliers both in the Netherlands and abroad. The basis of this policy is that growers are at least GlobalGap certified and that the product is cultivated in accordance with the statutory requirements and meets the legal maximum residue level (MRL). A large number of retail organisations have requirements that are tougher than the legal maximum residue levels permitted. The Greenery is happy to meet these requirements of its customers and works hard to reduce the quantity of residue as much as possible and, in doing so, adheres to the following principle: crops should always be cultivated without crop protection agents unless they are absolutely necessary.
Tracking and tracing are important elements in The Greenery’s quality system. The journey the product takes from harvesting to the store shelf is registered systematically. In the event of an incident, The Greenery can provide information within four hours on the origin of a product and what was used during its cultivation, as prescribed by the General Food Law.
Food chain projects The Greenery seeks international cooperation with various parties in the fruit, vegetables and potatoes chain in its efforts to reduce crop protection agents without compromising quality. Since 2008, we have been active participants in a large number of food chain projects both in the Netherlands and beyond and this participation was
expanded further in 2009. For example, there is now three-way cooperation between the Italian grape grower Agricoper, crop protection agent manufacturer Bayer Crop Science and The Greenery. These are unique worldwide programmes in
European recognition In 2009, The Greenery was presented with the European Award for Cooperative Innovation in the Food Chain category in Brussels. The European umbrella organisation for agricultural and horticultural coop-
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erations awarded The Greenery a prize for its Residue Management System (RMS) which has made an important contribution to improving cooperation in the chain. This database allows The Greenery to monitor, check and manage the more than 3,500 residue samples taken each year. The system is a management tool that helps reduce crop protection agents used in the cultivation of fruit and vegetables. The RMS helps The Greenery and its growers provide retailers throughout Europe with products that meet their specific requirements, which also exceed the minimum statutory requirements. One database now contains more than 20,000 analysis results for produced and traded fruit and vegetable products. RMS is also environmentally friendly as it has pushed back our use of paper. No more paper is used in the extensive exchange of data between laboratories, growers and suppliers.
which the parties involved monitor the cultivation process collectively. The Greenery is now involved in projects with growers and suppliers of crop protection agents in Spain, Greece, Uruguay and Brazil.
Sustainable cultivation projects The Greenery facilitates and provides its growers with the necessary knowledge about food safety with a view to minimising the use of crop protection agents. A positive development is that The Greenery is cooperating with a number of manufacturers of crop protection agents in order to achieve the best possible results. The Greenery takes as a guiding principle that crops should always be cultivated without crop protection agents unless they are absolutely necessary. The year under review provided many good examples of particularly sustainable cultivation:
• The bumblebee as transporter
An analysis of its own residue database provided The Greenery with insight into the most common problems facing the cultivation of strawberries outdoors. Grey mould appeared to be the most serious disease. In cooperation with Koppert Biological Systems, The Greenery has been using bumblebees to fight grey mould since 2008. This natural form of disease control was first done by way of a trial at strawberry growers Henny and RenĂŠ Luysterburg in Heerle (the Netherlands).
The bumblebees leave a biological agent on the flower with their hairs. Using bumblebees as transporters resulted in heavier and less misshapen fruit. That in turn resulted in more class-1 fruit and lower sorting costs. In 2010 the project was put on hold as the dispenser used to place the biological agent on the bumblebees requires technical modifications.
• Treating apples and pears long before
harvesting Growers of hard fruit treat the fruit in the final phase of the growing season to protect it against rot during storage. This is done within the prescriptions of the label so that the statutory maximum residue level (MRL) is complied with. In order to meet those market requirements that exceed the statutory requirements, The Greenery is working with BASF to study further the way in which an important agent in the spraying schedule degrades. This has resulted in a better understanding of the essential period between the final treatment and the actual harvesting of the apples and pears. By extending the period of product treatment somewhat, growers are better able to meet those retail requirements that exceed statutory requirements while the quality of the product remains good. The trial was conducted for both apples and pears and will be repeated in 2010 in order to convince growers.
• Alternative leeks and sprouts
Growers that need to use crop protection agents nonetheless do so using a minimum of these agents and with the greatest care. For the second year in a row, crop protection agent manufacturer Syngenta teamed up with The Greenery in 2009 to conduct an extensive leek cultivation trial with the aim of reducing the residues in the product when it is ready for sale, both in terms of quantity
and value so that growers are able to meet the market requirements that are over and above the statutory requirements. The trial took place at leek grower Louis Pemen in Rijsbergen. The traditional spray schedule was compared with a new method employing an advanced schedule. The result was extremely encouraging. The leeks were of excellent quality with very little residue. The Greenery and Syngenta also conducted tests
with Brussels sprouts using an alternative spraying schedule with positive results.
• Introduction of Nature Counts
There is more to cultivating healthy fruit and vegetables than limiting the use of crop protection agents alone. The Greenery takes a broad view of what makes for sound and healthy cultivation. This means that growers think about the environment, our habitat, conserving energy, recycling waste and efficient logistics. To stimulate healthy cultivation practices, in 2009 The Greenery developed the health initiative Nature Counts and launched it the following year. With this initiative The Greenery presents growers with the best sustainability credentials.
Energy-efficient projects at growers The number of energy-efficient projects at growers is on the rise. A few of the results achieved thus far include:
• Beefsteak tomato grower A+G van den Bosch in
Bleiswijk proves that the use of natural gas in horticulture can be reduced considerably. With two terrestrial-heat installations, the company has reduced its energy consumption by 90%. In late 2007, the terrestrial-heat sources were commissioned for a 148,000m2 greenhouse
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tractor, which is steered precisely to the nearest centimetre. With the system, the tractor can be driven unmanned from A to B 24 hours a day. This means a big saving in labour costs for the grower. Thanks to the highly efficient GPS system, savings of up to 5% can also be achieved in the use of crop protection agents and artificial fertiliser;
• In 2009 bell pepper grower Grootscholten in 8
Thanks to two geothermal heat installations, A+G van den Bosch managed to reduce its energy consumption by 90%. and in early 2010 the second installation started operating for a 57,000m2 greenhouse. A third greenhouse of 50,000m2 is heated with residual heat from the ROCA power station in Capelle. The terrestrial-heat project has yielded a saving of 8 million cubic metres of natural gas;
• In
2009 the Herbert brothers in Zeewolde started precision agriculture using a GPS system. The system is based on the navigation system used in cars. GPS receivers that communicate with satellites are located both on the roof of the barn and on the unmanned tractor. The receiver on the barn refines the signal and transmits information to the receiver on the
Steenbergen conducted a trial with the Pura Nature cultivation concept. This concept involves a cultivation plan where the focus is on a fully natural crop grown with as little environmental impact as possible. The crop protection used is completely biological and the fertilisers are organic. The crop is cultivated in natural substrate and not in the ground and it therefore does not qualify as biological under current regulations;
• The cold installation in the Tolpoort distribution
centre in Hoogkarspel of growers associations Quality Growers Holland and Westfresh has been constructed using the latest energysaving technologies. The energy consumption of the cold installation has been drastically reduced, particularly the energy consumption of the ventilators;
• Rich soil grower Boon in Zeewolde is taking the
first steps to becoming a sustainability pioneer. He focuses specifically on reducing C02 emissions. To reduce reliance on traditional sources of power Boon is opting for green power which is generated by solar panels, windmills and a bio-gas installation. The reduction compensates the quantity of CO2 that is emitted during the cultivation, processing and transport of rich soil vegetables and results in a climate-neutral crop. The project will be up and running in 2010.
Carbon footprint Together with the Commodity Board for Horticulture (Productschap Tuinbouw - PT) and the Agricultural Economics Institute (Landbouw Economisch Instituut - LEI), The Greenery has developed a method for calculating the Carbon Footprint for Dutch horticultural products. In 2009, this system was applied for the first time to growers groups. In December, The Greenery launched a follow-up study in order to further professionalise the system.
The company A+G van den Bosch is consuming 90% less energy thanks to two terrestrial heat installations. In this way the calculation system can be applied to modern cultivation techniques such as the terrestrial-heat heating systems and the closed greenhouse.
Netherlands, for example, the sale of biological vegetables and biological fruit grew by 8.8% and 5.1% respectively. In 2009, Naturelle studied consumer behaviour with respect to the purchasing of biological vegetables and fruit. The results of the study have led
Water footprint The Greenery understands that water is increasingly becoming a scarce commodity. The water footprint indicates how many cubic metres of water is needed for the entire lifecycle of a pro duct. In 2009 The Greenery examined the water footprint and the possibility to quantify it for the cultivation and sale of fruit and vegetables. The aim, in the not too distant future, is to gain a better understanding of the impact of the water footprint and stimulate awareness of and efficiency in water consumption.
Biological cultivation A large portion of the range of fruit, vegetables and mushrooms sold by The Greenery is also cultivated biologically, also known as EKO cultivation. Biological growers only use natural raw materials, cultivate in the ground and use biological crop protection exclusively. Naturelle, the biological division of The Greenery, supplies biological potatoes, vegetables, mushrooms, fruit, exotic items and citrus with the EKO label. Biological products sold well in many European countries in 2009. In the
to a better understanding of consumer behaviour and improved service for our customers. Naturelle is also involved in a project run by the Ministry of Agriculture to improve the image of biological cultivation among conventional growers. A website has been launched for this purpose: www.biologischondernemen.nl
Fair Trade The Greenery has been fully certified for years to package and sell Fair Trade products. This hallmark offers smaller producers in developing countries the opportunity to produce and sell at pre-determined, fair prices. The producers of Fair Trade products are members of the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO).
SEDEX A large number of The Greenery’s customers are members of Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (SEDEX), a knowledge centre for measuring and improving ethically responsible enterprise. Sedex measures, among other things, how well suppliers perform when it comes to Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship. British customers, in particular, want growers that supply The Greenery to make information available for the Sedex database. In 2009, The Greenery made sure the database and the measuring methods remained up to date. The number of participating growers has grown to 150 and continues to rise.
The Fair Trade products are also produced biologically and are traded by Naturelle.
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Healthy innovation Innovation is an important tool for improving products and expanding the range to meet market demand. Innovation is taking place right across the entire production process. For example, The Greenery is examining new cultivation and harvesting methods, packaging methods, packaging, advances in transport and logistics, as well as new products. All this is happening together with growers and research institutions, making it possible for us to respond to the wishes of our customers.
Steering group 10
The Innovation steering group, which contains, in addition to the general manager of The Greenery, those responsible for the units Sourcing NL, Greenery Benelux, Quality and Environment and Marketing, examines current and future innovation projects. Furthermore, two innovation managers work with the product managers on innovation projects at the product group level. Beyond its own organisation, The Greenery participates in Frisblik, the sector consultative body on innovation and it stays well informed by participating in relevant conferences, trade fairs and maintaining a broad network, etc.
Advances in the cultivation process The Greenery considers cooperation with chain partners essential for product innovation. However, innovation goes beyond testing and introducing new varieties. Innovations and improvements in the cultivation process are also crucial. In practice,
growers require intensive supervision when introducing a new variety. To meet this requirement, The Greenery signed a multiple-year cooperative agreement with advisory and research organisation DLV Plant in 2009. DLV Plant offers growers of soft fruit intensive support in the testing and introduction of new varieties and the implementation of innovations in the cultivation process in order to maximise growers' yields.
Planning strawberries On national strawberry day in October, The Greenery received the innovation prize for its online cultivation planning module. Using the module, growers can better identify their production schedules and low growth and growth degree hours. The information that the module produces forms the basis for compiling a supply prognosis, which in turn is used as input for relevant marketing information. This is important for growers that, for example, produce exclusively for a supermarket chain.
Cooperation with agriculturalists In close cooperation with seed-enhancing companies, The Greenery is working on the development of new varieties. For example, we are working with the testing company for leaf vegetables where we are experimenting with new varieties. The requirements and wishes of customers and consumers are central in all work on new varieties.
company Rijk Zwaan jointly support the Fresh Innovation Chair at Wageningen University (WUR) through a five-year sponsorship agreement. The Greenery and Rijk Zwaan supervise the scientific research that focuses on developing knowledge of the mechanisms surrounding ripening, ageing and the internal and external deviations of harvested and freshly cut fruit and vegetables. They share their practical knowledge of the products with the researchers involved.
Restaurant of the Future
The leaf vegetable test field. The test field gives The Greenery growers a good impression of the varieties and the differences between them as offered by the various seedenhancers and they learn about the cultivation methods applicable for the different varieties. When a suitable variety is found, The Greenery usually concludes an exclusive contract with the seed-enhancement company in order to market the new product.
Wageningen Chair The Greenery and the vegetable-enhancement
With the Restaurant of the Future, The Greenery has concluded a participation agreement. It is a cooperative agreement between Wageningen University (WUR) and specialists in catering and ICT. In this restaurant, scientists monitor diners under test conditions for a longer period of time. Among the things they study is the influence that labels on food products have on consumer purchasing behaviour. Furthermore, the research conducted in the Restaurant of the Future focuses on the effects of layout, lighting, presentation, the route taken through the store and packaging on food-choice behaviour. The Greenery uses the information for innovations in concepts but also in trade marketing and category management projects.
New varieties In 2009, The Greenery introduced a number of new varieties: Tomatoberry: a heart-shaped mini tomato several centimetres long that looks like a straw-
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berry and has a sweet and sour taste. The tomatoberry is a healthy snack packed with vitamins A and C; Valor: a new, abundantly-fruiting strawberry variety for rich-soil cultivation that bears fruit continuously from mid-June through to midSeptember and longer if they are protected in a plastic tunnel or greenhouse; Brilliance: a variety of raspberry with fruit that keep longer. Refrigerated, the Brillance will easily keep one to two days longer. Bellaverde broccoli: a new vegetable that has a milder taste than regular broccoli and is characterised by a long stem that reminds you of a green asparagus.
New super mushroom With a compost supplier, The Greenery has started a project to cultivate a new super mushroom. This is cultivated at lower temperatures that cause the mushroom to grow slower and need more time to ripen. Moreover, the growing process requires less water. The new mushroom is harder, whiter and can easily be kept in the refrigerator three to four days longer than the current product.
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Healthy variation The Greenery offers a wide range of tasty vegetable, fruit and mushroom varieties, all packed with healthy nutrients. Each variety has a unique mix of fibres, vitamins and minerals. Growers that are affiliated with The Greenery often select special varieties that appeal even more strongly to the consumer. The Greenery also offers variation in how its products are delivered to the consumer: packaged, unpackaged, at the cash desk, in schools and canteens. Most of our range is also available as biologically-cultivated variants.
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Vitapauze
Fresh motivates
A good example of healthy variation is the Vitapauze school fruit programme, which started at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year in primary schools. The Greenery is making out a case for more vegetable and fruit consumption by school-aged children. Unfortunately, various studies show that children eat too few vegetables and fruit and too often choose unhealthy snacks. There is also a correlation between bad eating habits and obesity. Vitapauze is a range of vegetables and fruit that is distributed in all school classrooms via the ‘school milk method’. Via www.Vitapauze.nl parents can sign their children up for a daily portion of fruit and vegetables. On the site parents can see immediately if their children’s school participates in the Vitapauze programme.
The quality of the fresh produce section determines how customers perceive quality in the entire store. Studies show that the quality and the ‘personality’ of the fresh produce department motivates the consumer more strongly than low prices, a wide range or friendly service. As a result, retailers see fruit, vegetables and potatoes as an important product category for emphasising the uniqueness of their own store formulas. The Greenery supports retailers in designing the layout of the fresh produce section, during campaigns, demonstrations and materials on the store floor and, in some cases, by training employees working in the fresh produce section. There are many ways in which The Greenery can support retailers in optimising the sale of fruit and vegetables, such as through shopper and consumer surveys that result in a better understanding of consumer preferences and consumer behaviour.
2009 Industribution Trophy Retailers value the support they have been given by The Greenery and expressed their appreciation in 2009 by awarding us with the Industribution Trophy for the second consecutive time. In the Foodmagazine’s annual business relation survey, retailers assess suppliers in areas such as knowledge of the retail organisation, delivery reliability and support during the introduction of new products. The Greenery was awarded the prestigious Industribution Trophy in the category for bread and fruit, vegetables and potatoes.
Mix tomatoes With a new mix tomatoes concept, The Greenery is responding to the trend towards greater individualisation. Snack tomatoes are generally sold already packaged. In late 2009, The Greenery introduced a unique range of mix tomatoes where consumers themselves choose the quantity of snack tomatoes they want and can also vary the colour and taste of the mix tomatoes. The concept was successfully tested in 2009 and was launched in the stores of a major German retail customer in 2010.
Fred&Ed Research shows that the percentage of children
Variety in asparagus In 2009 green and purple asparagus were planted on a larger scale. In addition to white asparagus, The Greenery wants to set itself apart by introducing other colours, peeled asparagus and the pre-cooked variety. Ten hectares of different new varieties of green asparagus have been planted. The total acreage of purple asparagus is 12 hectares.
Einfach Frisch
suffering from obesity is still rising year on year. This trend shows no signs of changing despite information campaigns. The Greenery and Food Sense therefore want to stimulate children and adults to include fruit and vegetables as a set part of a healthy diet. By linking up the healthy line of snacks with the popular Fred&Ed brand of Food Sense, the fruit and vegetable snacks have been made more attractive for children.
This joint kids snack fruit and vegetable range was developed in 2009 and launched on the market in the first quarter of 2010.
Einfach Frisch, a concept of Greenery Convenience GmbH, focuses on the German market with fresh convenience products. The range consists of cut fruit and vegetables, pan-ready products and fresh salads, wok vegetables, juices and meal-sized salads.
Einfach Frisch is Germany’s only supplier of this particular wide range of fresh produce. A new product line was successfully introduced in 2009 in collaboration with well-known brand Sylter Salatfrische.
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Healthy communication Using a number of communication initiatives, The Greenery aims to stimulate healthy choices. For example, by working with customers to ensure products are placed as attractively as possible in the stores. Also through special projects, such as Vitapauze, a tailored range of fresh fruit and vegetables that is distributed daily in primary schools using ‘the school milk method’. A futher way is by providing information on the origin of the product via the website www.verseoogst.nl After all, each Greenery product and each grower has a story to tell. The individual story may involve the cultivation method used, the health characteristics or the application possibilities. 14
Nature Counts With the launch of Nature Counts, The Greenery wants to stimulate the horticultural sector and also individual growers, to opt for sustainability in the way they cultivate fresh fruit and vegetables. The Nature Counts designation is used to communicate clearly with customers and consumers about sustainable products. Growers or growers’ organisations that pioneer sustainability in the sector and deliver products that have proved to be successful can be awarded this designation. www.naturecounts.com
Fresh harvest Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of what makes a healthy diet. Questions such as ‘What am I actually eating here?’ and ‘Where does it come from?’ feature more in choices
regarding fruit, vegetable and potato products. The website www.verseoogst.nl provides consumers with very clear information on the products and the growers that cultivate them. Fresh harvest is the initiative of The Greenery to give our growers a face and it also offers growers a template for simply building a website with information on their company, the products they grow and, for example, the cultivation methods used. The website also serves a second aim of The Greenery: We are proud of our growers and want to communicate this pride.
Grower of the Year: Greenco It's important to tell people who our affiliated growers are and how they set themselves apart. This is what The Greenery wants to communicate with the annual election of The Greenery Grower of the Year. In 2009, the honour went to Greenco from
Honselersdijk. According to the judging panel, the six entrepreneurs at Greenco work as a cast-iron team and they dare to invest in concepts such as the snack tomato. They sell not only tomatoes, but also a feeling. Moreover, Greenco is specialised in innovative and sustainable (residue-free) cultivation and sets an example for other growers.
• An unsold product can be considered waste.
Rather than letting products go to waste The Greenery prefers to supply fruit and vegetable to the Food Bank free of charge. This means that people living on the minimum can also have access to responsible and healthy food.
the 400th anniversary of New York, The Greenery was present in the Dutch Greenhouse specially built for the occasion. Visitors had an opportunity to become acquainted with the latest innovative technologies and research under way in the Dutch greenhouse horticulture sector.
• During the 32nd edition of ‘Kom in de Kas’
• The Greenery also supported the ‘Klas in de Kas’
(Come to the Greenhouse), a number of Greenery growers opened their doors to the public. Kom in de Kas is the largest public event organised by the Dutch glasshouse horticulture sector and attracts around 165,000 visitors.
• The Greenery sponsors Tomato World, a visitors
centre that mirrors the reality of the Dutch greenhouse horticulture sector. Visitors, including companies and schools, can learn about the cultivation of tomatoes, variety enhancement, growth and the technical innovations within the sector. Tomato World has an information and education centre, a conference space and a hightech glasshouse where more than 50 different varieties of tomato are cultivated year round.
In addition, this group of entrepreneurs is the driving force behind the Tomato World information and education centre, which the judging panel felt to be an outstanding showpiece for the entire sector. www.tomatoworld.nl
Healthy choice The Greenery wants to stimulate the healthy choice of the consumer. We aim to do this by working with our customers to present the product attractively in stores but also by supplying recipes. Packaging and promotion sites play an important role here.
• For years already, The Greenery has parti
cipated in the Ride for The Roses, an initiative by Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. The proceeds from this non-competitive ride go to KWF Kankerbestrijding (the Dutch Cancer Society).
• The National Apple Picking Day is organised by
‘Nederland bloeit’ (Holland blooms) and The Greenery participates. On this day, growers of hard fruit open their orchards to the public. Young and old help to pick apples and pears and learn about fruit and the cultivation of fruit in Holland.
Healthy cooperation In 2009 The Greenery supported a number of healthy initiatives and good causes:
(Classroom in the Greenhouse) initiative in 2009. This project is organised by the Westland Info Group for Glasshouse Horticulture and its aim is to teach primary school pupils aged 10-12 about life and work on a fruit and vegetable farm.
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During the Dutch-American festivities celebrating
2009 again saw a Greenery team of growers and employees taking part in Ride for the Roses event.
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Healthy business operations By intelligently adapting a number of its activities, The Greenery is also striving to reduce its impact on the environment across its own business operations. This mainly involves efficiently organising our logistical processes. By keeping the chain as short as possible and reducing waste in all areas and links in the chain, we can minimise our impact on people, the environment and habitat.
Introduction of Lean
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The Greenery introduced Lean to its business operations in 2009. The aim of this Japanese methodology is to tackle all forms of waste in business operations. This is part of The Greenery strategy to achieve operational excellence. Lean brings uniformity to working methods and boosts the sense of involvement among employees. The methodology was implemented at a number of sorting lines in Bleiswijk in 2009. This allowed
The Greenery to standardise and optimise the internal logistics processes at these specific sorting lines. A 25% improvement in efficiency on these lines was achieved. Lean is also bearing fruit in employee motivation, knowledge development, safety and absen teeism due to illness. In 2010 Lean will be rolled out across the entire Bleiswijk location and subsequently to the other distribution centres.
Chain cooperation With the aim of getting the best fruit and vege table products to the consumer as quickly and as fresh as possible, The Greenery started a unique chain cooperation with one of its retail customers in 2009. For a number of different product groups, selected Greenery growers have been directly linked up with the customer. The growers harvest their products ‘to order’, meaning that the fresh product arrives at the distribution centre of the customer concerned in the shortest possible time. The closed date coding system ensures that the
desired delivery times are achieved. This type of cooperation in the supply chain results in savings of 30–40% in delivery times and an undeniable rise in turnover of fruit and vegetables for the retail customer concerned. It also leads to smaller inventories in the chain.
SideWings The Greenery’s transport company is participating in a test with SideWings: streamlined panels placed on the sides of a semitrailer, resulting in an average fuel saving of 7%. In addition to generating substantial cost savings, the SideWing
reduces the emission of CO2, improves traffic safety and produces less noise on the road. The SideWing was designed using aviation and space technology. Basically, a wing profile is mounted to the inside of the first panel. The SideWing was designed and tested in a wind tunnel by Ephicas, a spin-off company of Delft University of Technology. This technology achieves twice the performance of conventional side panels. After the test period, The Greenery will evaluate the energy and environmental savings achieved. Whether or not The Greenery’s semitrailers will
be equipped with SideWings in the future depends on these results.
Low-noise lorries Since 2008, subsidiary Hollander Barendrecht has been making deliveries to PLUS supermarkets with low-noise lorries. The specially designed lorries reduce noise nuisance for people living near the supermarkets since the refrigerator engine is quieter and the floor and walls produce less noise when containers are being rolled on and off. Consequently, it is now possible to make deliveries to supermarkets outside of peak hours, which in itself means less time in traffic jams and lower CO2 emissions.
Trends in packaging The Dutch government wants to see 40% of all packaging products manufactured from recyclable raw materials by 2015. This figure was still at 10% at the beginning of 2010. The Greenery fully realises the value of using more sustainable packaging to limit impacts on the environment and our surroundings and has therefore introduced a range of sustainable innovations in packaging. For soft fruit and mushrooms we have developed a new type of packaging that requires less material. Top seal foil has now replaced plastic lids on strawberry and mushroom trays. A box without a lid was developed for greenhouse vegetables,
17
and we have a new type of mushroom crate that uses significantly less material than the traditional blue mushroom crates. As from 2010, these crates are being manufactured from recycled plastic. In 2009 The Greenery also conducted a feasibility study for manufacturing foam trays – used for packing items such as chicory – from cornstarch.
Plastic Hero
18
Plastic Hero is a campaign designed to aid consumers in separating their plastic waste, which makes it an excellent fit for The Greenery’s objectives in the area of sustainable entrepreneurship. The Plastic Hero logo was introduced in early 2010 as a stamp on mushroom containers made of 100% recycled plastic (rPP). The Greenery is the first fruit, vegetable and potato sales organisation in the Netherlands to begin using this environmentallyfriendly packaging method.
Efficient transport Reduction in transport flows and control of goods
flows yielded substantial results in 2009. For example, 80 growers had carton suppliers install erection machines at their business premises. This enabled them to erect boxes on-site and to achieve substantial savings in transport costs. Pallet transport to distribution centres and interlocal transport was reduced by 10%. The popular EPS foldable containers, which take up little space when not in use, afforded substantial savings of 65% for transport. By the end of 2009, 15% of The Greenery growers were shipping products direct to customers. The Greenery also began using Long and Heavy Lorries (LLH) for large shipments over long distances, resulting in a fuel savings of 15% per pallet.
Fresh Corridor The Greenery supports the Fresh Corridor initiative and is a member of its Project Board. The object of this initiative is to improve accessibility to ports in the Netherlands and thereby make Europe more accessible for shipments of fresh goods. This involves investigating transport alternatives in order to relieve traffic arteries. In 2009, The Greenery took part in a supply pilot in which goods were shipped over water directly from the port to our Barendrecht location.
Certified quality assurance All The Greenery’s locations are in compliance with
Local for local products Demand is showing a clear trend in favour of locally grown produce. The Greenery is exploring ways to meet this customer demand in our core markets. In 2009, The Greenery concluded an agreement with a large local English tomato grower. Relying on national product supply in this way not only saves on costs and reduces environmental impact and fuel consumption, but also enables The Greenery to better meet customers’ tight and increasingly short lead-times.
the requirements of the IFS, BRC and QS systems and are certified accordingly, depending on customers’ wishes. The Greenery has an environmental management system in place that meets the requirements of the ISO 14001. In addition to internal audits, the SGS auditor performs annual evaluations to ascertain that the sites are still meeting certification requirements. The Greenery guarantees food safety by means of a single, organisation-wide policy which has been in place since 2007 and which specifies procedures and work instructions that must be followed.
Fewer emissions and less energy consumption The Greenery’s efforts to limit the impact of its business operations on the environment go beyond internal measures to include marketoriented initiatives. Water and energy consumption at all sites is centrally registered and analysed, and refrigeration systems are purchased with an eye to their environmental impact. CO2 emissions due to electricity and gas use have shown a positive downward trend, as have energy and water consumption. That downward trend can be attributed mainly to good housekeeping, a careful approach to the production process and economical use of raw materials and Âprocessing aids. Energy-saving measures have included the installation of motion sensors at each site in 2009. CO2 emissions were down 2.7% in 2009 relative to 2008, electricity consumption by 3.2% per 1000 packaging units and gas consumption by 7.5% per 1000 packaging units. The total volume of water used in 2009 was cut from 243,623 to 212,318 cubic metres.
Energy consumption in GJ per 1000 packaging units
CO2 emissions in kT x 1000 60
1200
50
1000
40
800
30
600
20
400
10
200
0
0 2007 Electricity
2008
2007
2009
Electricity
Gas consumption
2008
2009
Gas consumption
19 Waste in millions of kg
Water consumption in m3 x 1000 300
15
250
12,5
200
10
150
7,5
100
5,0
50
2,5
0
0 2007
2008
2009
2007
2008
2009
Gas consumed under the 1998 EU IPPC Directive. Electricity purchased under the 2008 GHC.
Healthy employees Healthy employees and healthy growers are the basis of a healthy organisation. The Greenery therefore works in various ways to create a healthy and pleasant working environment. This includes offering an array of training programmes and improvements that have been made in the working environment, paying special attention to the physical strain experienced by staff. Our employee satisfaction survey (ESS) has proved an innovative tool for engaging employees in dialogue to discuss topics such as job perception and well being.
20
Employee Satisfaction Survey The ESS conducted in 2009 for the first time in two years generated a significant set of insights. This survey took a different form from that carried out in 2007. The paper questionnaire was replaced with a new format comprising two parts: interactive voting meetings and in-depth discussions. With a turnout of 70%, the response was considerably higher in 2009 than in 2007 (44%), yielding results that accurately reflect what is going on within the organisation. The results also make clear which areas still need improvement. The high turnout further underscores a strong sense of engagement on the part of employees. In total, 271 employees took part in 50 in-depth discussions, which provided an opportunity to examine the results of the voting meetings within the context of the individual departments. Planning and execution of the questionnaire and
HR managers responsible for ESS. discussions were assigned to the AWVN, an independent organisation and one of the largest employers’ associations in the Netherlands. Points for improvement were subsequently implemented by each operational division and location based on the results of the ESS.
The general management oversees this implementation within each of The Greenery’s operational divisions. In terms of overall function, staff assigned The Greenery a score of 7.1. As an employer, The Greenery scored 6.9. The Greenery will use the results of the 2009 ESS to determine whether improvements made following
Swine flu In response to an appeal from the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, The Greenery put
the 2007 ESS had the desired impact. Both the Works Council and the AWVN have indicated their satisfaction with the survey approach and execution.
Training The Greenery is keen to promote training and education. In 2009, priority was given to employees working in middle management positions, including location managers, team leaders in the sheds and process managers. The Greenery offers three training options for talented young people. There is a traineeship designed primarily for university or university of applied sciences graduates just entering the job market, which comprises a 14-month project within the Sales, Logistics and/or Finance departments.
21
measures in place to safeguard its operational continuity as a key link in the food supply chain in the event of a pandemic. These measures included providing employees with all pertinent information and creating a backup system for critical functions. To this end, critical processes had to be distinguished in advance from those which could be temporarily delayed or halted in the event of a reduced workforce (based on a 30% workforce reduction). Ultimately, however, few of those measures required implementation; a handful of employees took the temporary precaution of working from home and several foreign trips were cancelled due to the risk of infection.
The Greenery also organises a work-study scheme in which senior secondary vocational education (MBO) students can earn their diploma in Logistics while working within the organisation. A total of 13 employees were enrolled in this scheme. Alongside this are various opportunities for internships, which are continuing to draw increasing interest.
Reducing physical strain The Greenery has been working hard during the past two years to reduce physical strains on staff. Trials with step loading platforms, pallet changers, mobile clip hoist systems and hoisting platforms
Learning how to use the Automatic External Defibrillator.
provided new insights into the practicability of these aids and their financial feasibility. Safety and health-awareness training further served to significantly improve working conditions. All of The Greenery’s locations are in compliance with the Working Conditions Act. Risk inventories and evaluations carried out in 2009, together with thorough analyses of business incidents, led to the formulation of new actions for 2010.
Works Council elections
22
Thanks to the large number of employees who stood up for the Works Council (WC) and Subcommittees (SCs), The Greenery was able to hold its first-ever elections in 2009. Twenty-two candidates stood for 15 seats. A total of 530 employees voted, representing approximately 30% of those eligible to do so. The 15 elected members, who will serve for terms of four years, represent a large number of different operating divisions. With eight new members, the WC is putting forward a fresh face.
Absences due to illness In 2009, The Greenery had an illness-related absence rate of 4.8%, not including employees on pregnancy leave. The higher percentage relative to 2008 can be attributed mainly to the new flu virus. Physical complaints also played a significant role. The Greenery’s target for 2010 is 4.5% or lower.
Outflow Outflow Of total In % of total
Workforce Number of FTEs employed at year-end Executive management/ MT/administrative Logistics Transport and other Total
2008 436 1857 23%
2009 268 1790 15%
2008
2009
594
588
997 170 1661
894 173 1655
Diversity Women represent 11% of management Number of people 2008 2009 employed at year-end Male 1532 1481 Female 325 309 Total 1857 1790
Age group
Number of people employed at year-end 2008 2008 2009 2009
Age category
F
M
F
M
<25 years
39
178
30
139
25-34 years 35-44 years 45-54 years >55 years Total
82 99 66 39 325
267 454 366 267 1532
77 92 71 39 309
276 413 395 258 1481
Number of FTEs by country business Number of FTEs employed at year-end
The Netherlands England Italy Spain China Belgium USA Germany Poland Total
permanent 1553 23 5 7 14 53 3 2 1 1661
2008 temporary 928
3
931
total 2481 23 5 7 14 56 3 2 1 2592
permanent 1550 21 5 7 14 51 3 3 1 1655
2009 temporary 934
10
944
total 2484 21 5 7 14 61 3 3 1 2599
Looking ahead: ‘Healthy is More’ in 2010 The Greenery sees sustainability as a process. In 2010 The Greenery will continue pursuing its sustainability strategy of ‘Healthy is More’. We will take further steps to achieve sustainability throughout the entire chain, from cultivation to store shelf.
At the heart of the ‘Healthy is More’ strategy are the stimulation, support and promotion of healthier products and healthier cultivation methods and optimisation of the chain. Among our objectives for 2010 is to set measurable targets for clear-cut, practical goals, reflecting and defining precisely where we stand as a company. The Greenery will define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for individual components of the ‘Healthy is More’ strategy, focusing on healthy cultivation, healthy innovation, healthy variation, healthy communication, healthy business operations and healthy employees. Naturally this means working in cooperation with a diverse range of both internal and external parties. Here it is essential that The Greenery’s sustainability policy is upheld by growers and customers both at home and abroad, thus generating the broad base of support and the mutual investments in sustainability needed to make a real impact. In recent years, The Greenery has met with various social organisations on a regular basis and we look forward to continuing these dialogues in 2010.
It is clear that society still has some way to go in defining the parameters of sustainability and in determining just how it ought to be measured. The Greenery is keen to tackle areas that have already been brought into focus, as well as to play a proactive role in the united effort to find solutions to various dilemmas, such as:
• We are working with the LEI and Commodity
Board for Horticulture to facilitate application of the carbon footprint. This project aims to develop a calculation tool for comparing the degree of sustainability between products, thus resolving the continuing difficulty of telling customers how sustainable individual products actually are.
• Growers are taking numerous steps and making
innovations in the product process: they are using natural resources in new ways, finding means to conserve energy, coordinating with other chain partners and more. But general awareness about these sustainability initiatives is limited. ‘Nature Counts’ aims to change that by shining a spotlight on growers and their products. They are the ones who do the work,
and they are the ones who deserve recognition through the designation of ‘Nature Counts’.
• A large amount of food gets thrown away. That
includes unsold products that are past their expiry date – products like fruit, vegetables and mushrooms. This has to change. We can turn food waste around using information, new product concepts and/or alternative approaches to expiry dates. There are various factors at play in food wastage. The Greenery plays its part by ensuring a logistics process that is as efficient as possible and by developing new, long-life breeds and flavourful products.
To help realise our objective of ‘healthy employees’, The Greenery is introducing a scheme of periodic medical examinations in 2010 in order to gain better insight into working conditions. This insight will enable The Greenery to make targeted improvements in the working environment and to reduce the physical strains experienced by employees. As a final example, our objective of ‘healthy business operations’ seeks to expand our programme of ‘harvesting on demand’, supplying customers with fresh, delicious, high-quality products within the shortest possible timespan. Because if there is one thing that will never change, it’s that our customers always come first!
23
The Greenery at a glance Company profile
24
The Greenery is a leading international fruit and vegetable company. We supply a full range of fresh fruit, vegetables and mushrooms to supermarket chains, retailers, caterers and the food processing industry worldwide all year round. To us, high quality and professionalism are the starting points when it comes to working with natural products. But we strive for more: we want to stimulate the market while we simultaneously lead the sector. We do this by launching new healthy ideas and focusing on innovations in the sector. The Greenery is driven by professional expertise and enterprising spirit, and defined by the energy of its employees.
Product distribution
The Greenery markets products from Dutch and foreign growers, especially from the approximately 1,150 Dutch grower companies that own The Greenery BV through the Coforta U.A. cooperative. Our activities extend across the entire fruit, vegetable and potato chain, starting with the quality of seeds and ending with shelf concepts for retail. Country of product origin
Spain 6%
Overseas 15%
Other European countries 8%
The Netherlands 71%
Geographic distribution of turnover
Mushrooms 5%
Other fruit 10%
The Netherlands 50%
Rest of Europe 21%
Soft fruit 5%
Other vegetables 17%
Germany 11%
Rest of the world 5%
Hard fruit 7%
Vegetable fruits 56%
England 13%
Financial information The 2009 Annual Report contains a detailed account of The Greenery’s financial results. The Report can be consulted and downloaded at: www.thegreenery.com.
Key figures
2009
2008
Net turnover
1,149
1,308
Operating result
14
10
Net profit
7
9
Capital base as a percentage of total assets
39.6%
38.7%
(in millions of euros)
Sustainability management At The Greenery, the Management Board has ultimate responsibility for sustainability, with the director of Quality and the Environment serving as the primary point of contact. The organisation’s sustainability objectives for 2010 were drawn up in coordination with the Logistics and Marketing & Communication managers. At the management level, sustainability is addressed during the weekly Operational Management Meeting, as well as during the quarterly consultations on quality assurance, environmental affairs and sustaina bility held between the director of
Quality and the Environment and the directors of the commercial departments. At the operational level, meetings on suppliers are held every two weeks and include discussion of current issues regarding sustainability. On the workfloor it is our employees who put policy into practice under the daily direction of the management.
Code of Conduct and Whistleblower Scheme The Greenery’s Code of Conduct and Whistleblower Scheme officially took effect in November 2007. The Code of Conduct endorses the rules of the ETI code of conduct and lays down standards for The Greenery, its wholly-owned subsidiaries and employees. The basic principle underlying this Code is that The Greenery’s activities are guided by a policy of honesty, integrity and openness, with respect for human rights, the environment and legitimate interests. This applies to the interests of employees, customers and shareholders, as well as suppliers and other engaged parties. The Whistleblower Scheme makes it possible to verify compliance with The Greenery’s Code of Conduct. This scheme offers all employees of The Greenery and its wholly-owned subsidiaries the opportunity to report suspicions of violations of
internal and external regulations (Code of Conduct), without fear of personal consequences.
Corporate Governance The 2009 Annual Report contains a chapter on Corporate Governance. The report is available at: www.thegreenery.com
The chain in focus (page 26 and 27) The Greenery is passionate about its products. We make sure that only the best fruit, vegetables and mushrooms take the shortest possible route from source to table. Insistence on consistent top quality – made possible thanks to our strong ties with all the various chain players – has helped The Greenery to grow into one of the largest fresh produce suppliers in the world.
25
The chain in focus
26
Seed-enhancing companies
Growers
Sales & Marketing
Innovation is a key concern at The Greenery. Our
Every day, growers both at home and abroad supply
The Greenery’s trading rooms are where our supply
market and product expertise and central position in
us with a full range of fruit, vegetables and mush-
and customer demand – both national and interna-
the supply chain make us uniquely positioned to
rooms. A healthy crop is a sustainable crop. Growers
introduce and market innovative products. In our
affiliated with The Greenery know that and use as
ongoing quest for innovation in a dynamic market,
few crop protection agents as possible, make spar-
The Greenery works in close cooperation with seed-
ing use of (renewable) energy and reach agree-
those trends and translates them into new pros-
enhancing companies in order to support forward-
ments on good labour conditions throughout the
pects. That market-oriented approach is what ena-
looking growers in the development of new breeds
entire supply chain. In 2009 The Greenery launched
bles The Greenery to offer maximum flexibility in
and sustainable cultivation methods.
the ‘Nature Counts’ initiative in order to stimulate
providing a ‘fresh’ solution to every demand. The
the horticultural sector to make its cultivation opera-
Greenery puts its expertise at the disposal of suppli-
tions increasingly sustainable.
tional – are brought together. Customers can select from a range whose quality and quantity are keyed to their varying needs and wishes. Society is easily swayed by hypes and trends. The Greenery charts
ers and customers, knowing that this will allow them, as partners in the supply chain, to continue to meet the ever-changing demand from consumers.
27
Logistics
Retailers
Consumers
Freshness hinges on speed, which is why efficiency
Retailers see fruit, vegetables and potatoes as an
The Greenery is keen to promote healthy choices
and good logistics are so vital to our business. After
important product category when it comes to distin-
amongst consumers. We do this in a wide variety of
harvesting, products go through a sequence of steps
guishing themselves from the competition. The
ways. To name just a few, we work with retailers to
from sorting to processing to packaging, in which
Greenery supports retailers in making a thorough
display products to their best advantage in their
each chain has to be perfectly linked. The Greenery
analysis of their options in fruit, vegetables and
stores and strive to offer diversity and special con-
is currently working on further expanding its pro-
potatoes, in designing the layout of the fresh pro-
cepts within our range, including Vitapauze and the
gramme of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;harvesting to orderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. By keeping the
duce section, during campaigns, demonstrations
Fred&Ed products for children. We also provide infor-
supply chain as short as possible and minimising
and materials on the store floor and, in some cases,
mation about the origins of our products on the
waste at every level and in every link, we can simul-
by training employees working in the fresh produce
website: www.verseoogst.nl
taneously minimise the impact on people, the envi-
section. These activities are informed by shopper
ronment and our surroundings.
and consumer surveys aimed at enhancing insight into consumer preferences and behaviour.
Other information
28
Scope and method
Definition of terms
This report pertains to The Greenery B.V. as a whole, including its 16 subsidiaries. As an Annual Report, it sets out the company’s performance over the period from 1 January 2009 up to and including 31 December 2009. This report has been drawn up in conformity with the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative, level C. The Greenery B.V.’s Annual Financial Report, containing a detailed account of the financial results, is available to download on the website: www.thegreenery.com. The constituent data is stored in a central database at the company headquarters. A portion of the data includes estimates.
Packaging unit: the individual units in which products are packaged. ISO 14001: one of the standards in the ISO 14000 series, used worldwide to establish and certify environmental management systems. GRI: Global Reporting Initiative; the international guideline for reporting on sustainability. SEDEX: Supplier Ethical Data Exchange; a nonprofit membership organisation for businesses committed to continuous improvement of the ethical performance of their supply chains. Key areas of concern include labour conditions and safety. ETI: Ethical Trade Initiative; a code of conduct governing ethical entrepreneurship. MRL: Maximum Residue Level GLOBALGAP: Global Good Agricultural Practice; global standards for farmers and market gardeners regarding food safety, sustainability and quality. CO2 equivalents: a measure of relative greenhouse effect, or relative global warming potential (GWP), relative to the GWP of carbon dioxide (CO2), expressed as a multiple of the greenhouse effect of CO2.
GRI Table: Indicator
Explanation
Report page Comments and Web links number
Vision and strategy 1.1 1.2
Management Board statement. Description of key impacts, risks and opportunities.
SR 3 AR 7 - 8
Company profile 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4
Name of reporting organisation. Primary brands, products and/or services. Operational structure. Location of headquarters.
SR 33 SR 24 AR 28 - 29 SR 33
2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10
Number of countries in which the company operates. Ownership structure and legal form. Markets served. Scale of reporting organisation. Significant changes during the reporting period. Distinctions awarded during the reporting period.
SR 22 + 24 AR 28 - 29 SR 24 SR 22 + 24
The Greenery B.V.
Spoorwegemplacement 1, Barendrecht, The Netherlands
none
29
SR 6 + 13
Report parameters 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4
Reporting period. Date of most recent report. Reporting cycle. Point of contact for questions regarding the report and its content.
SR 28 SR 28 SR 33
2009 October 2009 Annual duurzaamheid@thegreenery.com
Company profile 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11
Process for defining report content. Parameters of the report. State any specific limitations on the scope or parameters of the report. Basis for reporting on other entities. Techniques and calculation bases for data measurements. Explanation of the effects of any restatement of previously supplied information. Significant changes from previous reporting periods.
SR 4 SR 28 SR 28 n/a SR 19 + 28 n/a n/a
GRI table of contents: 3.12
Table identifying the location of standard disclosures in the report.
SR 29 - 32
GRI Table:
Assurance 3.13
Policy and current practices with regard to seeking external assurance for the report.
The report was not verified by an external party.
Indicator
Explanation
Report page Comments and Web links number
Governance, duties and involvement 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5
4.6 4.7
30
4.8
4.9
4.10
Governance structure of the organisation, including committees that fall under the highest governance body. Chair of the highest governance body. For organisations with a uniform governance structure: indicate the number of independent and/or non-executive members of the highest governance body. Mechanisms for stakeholders and employees to provide recommendations or direction to the highest governance body. Linkage between compensation for members of the highest governance body, executive managers and managers (including severance schemes) and organisational performance (including social and environmental performance). Processes in place for the highest governance body to ensure that conflicts of interest are avoided. Process for determining the qualifications and expertise of the members of the highest governance body for guiding the organisation’s strategy on economic, environmental and social performance. Internally developed statement of mission or values, codes of conduct and principles relevant to the organisation’s economic, environmental and social performance and the status of their implementation. Procedures of the highest governance body for overseeing the organisation’s identification and management of economic, environmental and social performance, including relevant risks and opportunities and compliance or conformity with internationally agreed standards, codes of conduct and principles. Processes for evaluating the highest governance body’s own performance, particularly with respect to economic, environmental and social performance.
AR 28 - 29 AR 28 - 29 n/a AR 28 - 29 SR 25 AR 28 - 29
AR 28 - 29 SR 25 AR 28 - 33 AR 28 - 33 SR 25 AR 28 - 33 SR 25
AR 28 - 33 SR 25
Duties associated with external initiatives 4.11
Explanation of the organisation’s application of the precautionary principle.
4.12
Externally developed economic, environmental and social charters, principles or other initiatives to which the organisation subscribes. Membership in organisations.
4.13
AR 28 - 31 + 38 - 39 SR 25 AR 28 - 31 SR 4 + 10 SR 4
Consultations with stakeholders 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17
List of stakeholder groups engaged by the organisation. Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom organisation engages. Approaches to stakeholder engagement, including frequency by type and stakeholder group. Key topics and concerns that have been raised through stakeholder engagement, and how the organisation has responded, including through its reporting.
SR 4 SR 4 SR 4 SR 4 - 23 AR 11 - 23
Performance indicators
Report page Comments and Web links number
Economic EC1
EC4 EC7 EC8
Direct economic value generated and distributed, including revenues, operating costs, employee compensation, donations and other community investments, retained earnings and payments to capital providers and governments. Significant financial assistance received from government. Procedures for local hiring and proportion of senior management hired from the local community at significant locations of operation. Development and impact of infrastructure investments and services provided primarily for public benefit through commercial, in-kind or pro bono arrangement.
AR 35 - 38
n/a not present SR 14 - 15
Environment EN1 EN3 EN4 EN5 EN6 EN7 EN8 EN9 EN16 EN18 EN19 EN22 EN25
Total materials used by weight or volume. Direct energy consumption by primary energy sources in joules or multipliers of joules (e.g. gigajoules). Indirect energy consumption by primary source in joules or multipliers. Energy saved through conservation and efficiency improvements, in joules or multipliers. Initiatives to provide energy-efficient or renewable energy-based products and services, and reductions in energy requirements as a result of these initiatives. Initiatives to reduce indirect energy consumption and reductions achieved. Total water withdrawn by source in m3 per year. Water sources significantly affected by water withdrawal. Defined in terms of size (in m3 a year) of the water source, status (protected area) and biodiversity value (e.g. number of protected species). Total direct and indirect GHG emissions by weight (in tonnes CO2 equivalent). Initiatives to reduce GHG emissions and reductions achieved. Emissions of ozone-depleting substances by weight. Total weight of waste by type and disposal method. Identity, size, protected status and biodiversity value of water bodies and related habitats significantly affected by the reporting organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discharges of water and run-off.
SR 19 SR 19 SR 19 SR 19 SR 7 - 9 + 16 - 19 SR 7 - 9 + 16 - 19 SR 19
31
n/a SR 19 SR 7 - 9 + 16 - 19 n/a SR 19 n/a
Indicator
Explanation
Report page Comments and Web links number
Labour conditions LA1 LA2 LA4 LA7 LA8
Total workforce by employment type, employment contract and region. Total number and rate of employee turnover by age group, gender and region. Percentage of employees covered by a collective labour agreement. Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days and absenteeism, and total number of work-related fatalities per region. Education, training, counselling, prevention and risk-control programmes in place to assist workforce members and their families or community members regarding serious diseases.
SR 22 SR 22 100% SR 22 SR 21
Human rights HR2
Percentage of significant suppliers and contractors that have undergone screening on human rights, and actions taken.
SR 9
Social SO6
32
SO7
Total value of financial and in-kind contributions to political parties, politicians and related institutions, by country. Total number of legal actions for anti-competitive behaviour, anti-trust and monopoly practices and their outcomes.
none none
Product accountability PR1 PR5
Life cycle stages in which health and safety impacts of products and services are assessed for improvement. Practices related to customer satisfaction, including results of surveys measuring customer satisfaction.
SR 5 - 15 SR 4 + 6 - 13
More information The purpose of this report is to provide a clear and transparent description of activities and developments within our organisation in the area of sustainable entrepreneurship. We would be pleased to receive any questions, comments or suggestions at the following address: duurzaamheid@thegreenery.com
Publication information
33
Publication date: September 2010 Compiled by: Karin van der Voort Editing: Chapeau Communicatie, Rijswijk Photography: Beeldbank The Greenery Design and layout: Capsstudio, Abcoude The Greenery B.V. Spoorwegemplacement 1, Barendrecht, The Netherlands P.O. Box 79, 2990 AB Barendrecht, The Netherlands Telephone: +31 (0)180 65 59 11 E-mail: info@thegreenery.com www.thegreenery.com