Inspired by French fry manufacturer McCain, Wiskerke Onions is taking a new step toward making Dutch onion cultivation more sustainable. The company is the first in the sector to develop a fully regenerative cultivation system that onion growers can implement in practice.
According to Wiskerke, the regenerative cultivation system provides farmers with practical and future-proof tools to respond to increasing sustainability demands from buyers, municipalities, banks, and other supply chain partners. Wiskerke Onions supports growers with knowledge, cultivation guidance, and practical tools to embed regenerative cultivation at the farm level.
McCain is an international leader in regenerative agriculture for potato growers and has set the standard with its program, Wiskerke emphasizes. The onion company therefore considers it logical to build on this example in the development of a workable system for onion cultivation. This prevents a proliferation of systems, Wiskerke adds.
According to Wiskerke, interest in regeneratively grown products isn't limited to Dutch retail. International and industrial buyers are also increasingly showing interest in products that demonstrably contribute to soil restoration and a lower environmental impact.
Starting in the 2026 harvest year, Wiskerke will sell the first regeneratively grown onions. New sustainable packaging options will also be offered.
Soil and environment
The regenerative cultivation system focuses on soil restoration and reducing environmental impact. According to Wiskerke, this involves:
The idea behind this is that healthy soils produce more resilient crops that yield better and are less dependent on external inputs. Wiskerke Onions offers growers not only guidelines but also guidance, knowledge, and practical tools. Participation in the program has three levels: onboarding, advanced, and advanced.
With its regenerative cultivation system, Wiskerke builds on the adjustments the company has made to its own processing operations. For example, onions are dried using residual heat, a solar farm provides the energy, and internal logistics are electrically powered.