Sustainability
AUTHENTIC
It’s our humanistic duty to protect our planet, and AGRANA Fruit takes that duty to heart. We’re continually implementing substantial improvements to ensure we operate more sustainably.
ASPIRATIONAL
We’ve set ambitious, companywide goals that are tangible, realistic and in alignment with our short-term and long-term environmental responsibilities.
ALTRUISTIC
We make decisions that go beyond what’s best for our company. Our products are also made with a selfless concern for our planet, as well as our communities.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENTS AND TARGETS
of electricity used in AGRANA Fruit in 2021|22 is renewable
reduction of waste to landfill across all AGRANA Fruit sites since 2019|20
reduction of water consumption at AGRANA Fruit Poland due to closing the open water cooling circuit
single use plastic packaging for products delivered to customers in France, Germany and Poland
SOCIAL COMMITMENTS AND TARGETS
of AGRANA Fruit managers were female in 2021|22
of raw materials (volume based) were sourced sustainably* in 2021|22
of our fruit (volume based) was sourced from SEDEX compliant suppliers in 2021|22
* Sustainable sourcing is an integral part of AGRANA Fruit’s strategy. We want to ensure visibility of where our raw materials come from and how they are produced while also promoting ethical, social, and environmental sustainability in our supply chain. We guarantee that the sustainable raw materials we source have been produced in accordance with our sustainability principles as outlined in AGRANA’s General Principles for the Procurement of Agricultural Raw Materials and Intermediate Products.
Reducing water consumption
Our water recovery system is reusing up to 53 m3 of water per month from the cooling process of a pasteurization line for the pre-washing of totes. The system avoids overflows due to excess water and, in the case of no water recovered, the system returns to the previous well water flow. In addition, the operator does not have to open or close any valves during this process, which reduces manual operation of the system. For the implementation of the water recovery system, we have re-used materials such as an out-of-use water tank that was adapted for the new function, pipes, valves and level sensors.
Treating our wastewater before discharge
Our unique natural wastewater treatment system enables us to support the development of ecosystems nearby our operations, by using treated wastewater for forest irrigation. We treat our wastewater in a system of three shallow lagoons (0.2m-0.6m) where the water circulates at a very slow flow through stems and roots of emergent aquatic plants.
The lagoons replicate the purifying effect of natural wetlands in which floating and rooted plant species are inserted into a substrate where microorganisms facilitate a natural treatment of our wastewater. The wetlands reliably remove biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS) and, with longer retention times, the system can also produce low concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus. In 2021, the system achieved a BOD reduction efficiency of 97%, compared to 85% in 2015.
The main benefits of a natural wastewater treatment system are:
- Low-cost technology
- Minimum mechanical equipment and energy use
- Lower operating and maintenance tasks
- No permanent operational control compared to conventional wastewater treatment
Reducing use of plastic in our operations
We have established a strategic partnership with Servieco S.A., an ecological service company that enabled us to implement circular economy principles, by reducing the use of and recycling plastic materials. Together, we have turned industrial scrap into recycled products such as waste bags, notebooks, boxes, upholstery and more. Our partnership with Servieco S.A. has also helped us reduce overall operational waste.