Interview Ikwilleerlijkezuivel.nl
New online dairy store combi business and ideals
A new online milk and cheese farmer wants to personalize dairy and bring it directly to the consumer. In the end, the farmer should be left with more. The initiators have started a crowdfunding campaign to attract small investors and thus keep large lenders out.
Ikwilleerlijkezuivel.nl At first glance, this seems like just another online initiative to sell milk, cheese or other dairy products. A lot has been tried in recent years. For example, the Faire Milk initiative once wanted to give dairy farmers a fair price. A website is quickly created and a crowdfunding campaign is set up in no time.
Ikwileerlijkezuivel.nl is different, assures entrepreneur Rik Hoogenberg from Hezingen, who works together with partners Steven Koenders and René de Bruijn. "We are aiming for something on a larger scale and do not invest in crowdfunding because the banks do not want to participate. We want to keep the banks and large investors out. Our goal is to bring the dairy directly from the farmer to the consumer, but then dairy that is completely geared to the wishes of consumers. We also want the dairy farmer to have more left over than now. What the dairy farmer now gets for his milk, he can't live with."
All three of you are not from farming. How did you come up with the idea of wanting dairy?
"We are indeed active in other sectors, but I live among the dairy farmers and see how little they are left with due to the increasing demands placed on their companies. I was shocked by their situation, how difficult they are. to think about a way to help them and at the same time bring consumers and farmers closer together."
But money has to be made, right?
"Yes, a profitable business model has to be set up with ikwileerlijkezuivel.nl, but it is not just about profit. Farmers also need to be helped. That is why the plan is to use part of the turnover in the next phase of the project for improvement projects. for the benefit of the farmers. I am looking for a kind of social contract, with farmers and also with small investors. With the help of crowdfunding I hope to attract the latter group. Larger investors have also presented themselves, but I want them outside the With them there is too much risk that the focus will be too much on profit. We are targeting the smaller investors."
Will the crowdfunding work?
"The promotion will run until December 15, but of the targeted €1,5 million for the first phase, a third has already been pledged. The number of actual participants is also encouraging."
How do you want to roll out the company? There seem to be quite a few challenges in terms of production and logistics.
"The first regional dairy center should be operational in the summer of 2022. It is not complicated to build small, flexible factories with the help of modern technology. And there are now enough logistics concepts to get products to the consumer quickly. We are in talks with express couriers to get an order to the desired place within fifteen minutes if necessary. That costs more than via a normal order, but that is logical. Consumers can order a product from us via the internet. He or she can determine the composition himself : for example with extra vitamins, extra protein or toppings. Completely personalized."
How do you ensure that you do not have to say 'no' to the consumer and that you do not have large volumes of milk left over?
"The plan is to link a fixed group of farmers to a regional center. This serves a city or population concentration. We aim for a 70% to 80% fixed supply from farmers. We use a shell with milk supplied from the free market around this."
You don't want to start on a very small scale, but how do you get the flywheel turning, with enough consumers and enough supply?
"That must also be partly done with the help of crowdfunding. We hope that the smaller investors who put money into our company will also become buyers."
Are there factors that mean that where previous attempts by others have failed, your initiative will succeed?
"We want to personalize the relationship with the customer as much as possible. We see a strong trend towards more convenience. Covid has also ensured that the world has become even more digital. Finally, more and more has become possible from a logistical point of view. "
Klaas van der Horst
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