
Sustainability
The last decade we’ve mainly invested in modernizing the company, to build a good foundation for our future, both on organizational and (growing) technical level. To be able to compete with other chicory growers and horticultural products in general, now and in the future, optimization of the production process continues to be an item with high priority.
The last decade has brought up a climate change. Regarding the higher peaks in temperature and extremer weather conditions, climate control during the growing process gains importance.
As a company we set a great deal of value on Corporate Social Responsibility. It may therefore be said that chicory growers were one of the first Vertical Farmers on this planet. The pursuit of optimisation and innovation stays, but should also be durable. That is why the balance between people, planet and profit is very important to us.
Producing and packing chicory takes place under strong quality demands. Nature’s Gold is, among others, Global Gap, Grasp and Vegaplan certified. To adjust to the growing need for transparency and safety, process control is gaining importance in every link of the chain. Food safety systems like Global Gap and Vegaplan are gaining in traceability and are making sure the chance of an incident remains at a minimum.
Nature’s Gold grows as biological as possible, meaning that only in time of great need our chicory is treated with chemicals. Organic fertilizer is not used at our company. For years we’ve worked together with a growth supervisor, to reduce the use of fertilizer to a minimum. Every year, all loads of roots coming in are analysed. This means that we know exactly which nutritional elements are present in the roots. Then, partially based on analyses, we decide in what period of the year a load of roots is ready for forcing. Also the growing method that we use, the so called Vertical Farming, ensures that we only need a minimum of chemicals to correct when needed. Vertical Farming, in combination with the continuous recycling of water, also ensures minimal use of fertilizers.
At the end of 2019, 1,040 solar panels were installed at the location in Zundert. With this, 290,000 kWh of electricity can be generated annually for own use. This means a CO2-reduction of 220 tons per year.
Working conditions and safety are the base to a healthy and well performing organisation. Guaranteeing safety and good working conditions creates certainty. That means less absence and a good working atmosphere. It’s a good thing for us, our employees and our customers.
Our business success depends on delivering high service and quality to our customers. This means “Nature’s Gold” does not concentrate solely on producing from inside, but also continuously looks out for the developments in the market.