The final product is always very important, but before our high-quality fruits and vegetables reach you, they have already come a long way. That is why we not only focus on those delicious natural products, but also on the process that precedes them. We see the responsible entrepreneurship that we value so highly rewarded with quality marks.
For us, responsible entrepreneurship includes minimizing the negative effects of our activities on the environment and, by extension, on society as a whole. We are therefore always prepared to engage in discussions with our stakeholders to further improve CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) thinking and formulate objectives.
In addition, we are also aware of our role in the lives of our employees. Their well-being determines the representation of the cooperative on a daily basis. That is why we always take their health into consideration through the use of electric forklifts, stackers and medical examinations. We also offer the opportunity to follow training courses, so that everyone can develop and grow even more. Our employees also help determine policy, because we always want to engage in dialogue about social issues. The safety of everyone is guaranteed by the safety charter.
Within our diversity policy, equal treatment of people is central, regardless of their differences.
At the grower's
The production process starts with our growers. This means that they occupy a very important place in the sustainable chain. That is why we support them with training courses, targeted advice on the deployment of their personnel, food safety, the use of natural resources, CO2 reduction and profitability.
Our growers often work with seasonal workers. The growers offer them support in all possible areas and where necessary, such as during the reception and with the administration. In this way, the seasonal workers become more involved in the company. In addition, our growers also attach great importance to the training of their staff. First aid courses are provided and seasonal workers are given the opportunity to learn Dutch in the workplace.
All members of the Coöperatie make efforts to reduce their ecological footprint as much as possible, and they do so with conviction! They use innovative systems for this, such as water pumps, energy screens and solar water heaters. In addition, healthy (farming) common sense plays a major role here, because our growers gratefully use rainwater that is collected in silos and basins.
We also consider our communication to be very important and make it a point of honor to communicate transparently about our entire production process.
The modern consumer
Without you, our customers, we would not exist. And the modern consumer is critical, and rightly so, about what they eat. That modern consumer wants to know the origin of their fruit and vegetables, and we are happy to provide that explanation. We not only promise a high-quality product, but we also provide the proof. We do that every day, with passion and with great pleasure.
You can read about all our efforts to meet that need in our sustainability report. There, we discuss the sustainability strategy of Coöperatie Hoogstraten, highlights and achievements in personnel policy, quality research, developments in our mobility and our environmental policy.
The importance of bees and bumblebees
To grow Hoogstraten strawberries, we enlist the help of thousands of diligent bees and bumblebees. We primarily use the latter in greenhouses, where they build their nests in one of the provided foil boxes. Both bumblebees and bees pollinate the strawberry plants. Without this essential help, no fruits would develop into the deliciously sweet strawberries that you can enjoy.
Our sustainable strawberry punnet
For decades, strawberries were packaged in the well-known plastic “tray.” We wanted to break that habit. We searched for new packaging that was innovative, distinctive, and sustainable. In consultation with the supplier, a custom packaging machine was developed where the empty punnets are placed directly into the boxes, ready to be filled! The result: a more cost-efficient packaging concept with significant labor savings at the production companies. The punnet is completely free of plastic, and we use high-quality, food-safe ink for the printing. The punnet will certainly stand out on the store shelf with its attractive design and premium look & feel!
A sustainable personnel policy determines the strength and flexibility of a company. The well-being of our employees is central to Coöperatie Hoogstraten. We are aware of the role we play in the lives of our employees. Health, vitality and safety are also an integral part of our business operations. For example, we continuously strive to monitor and improve ergonomics through preventive and corrective measures. There is also a great deal of attention paid to the development and personal growth of employees. An integral and permanent career policy is central to this. We also resolutely opt for a diversity policy in which everyone receives equal treatment, despite their differences.
Training
Safety: safety plan
Social dialogue: our staff has a say in the policy
Health: electric forklifts, stackers, medical examination, ...
Striving for minimal environmental impact
A sustainability strategy is not complete without an environmental strategy. As a horticultural company, we naturally place the environment high on our list of priorities. We already use more than 5,000 solar panels on our rooftops, which is good for a yield of 1.12 MWh, or about 15% of our total energy needs. In addition, we collect rainwater, which we channel through the pipes of our cooling systems. The result is excellent: our tap water consumption has decreased by half in ten years.
All members of Coöperatie Hoogstraten make efforts to reduce their ecological footprint as much as possible, and they do so with conviction! They use innovative systems such as heat pumps, energy screens and solar water heaters. In addition, common (farming) sense plays a major role here, because our growers gratefully use rainwater that is collected in silos and basins.
Coöperatie Hoogstraten has been a loyal participant in the VCDO Charter for many years. By signing this charter, we commit ourselves to working on sustainable business in a result-oriented and continuous manner. Every year we strive to achieve the set action points within the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.
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