Vion: 'Sustainable value chain for the future of farmers'

Sustainable chains are of value for the future of farmers and also ensure that buyers and consumers have a choice. This is stated by Vion CEO Ronald Lotegerink in the company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report.

The sustainability plan is based on six strategic themes: food safety, animal welfare, sustainable agriculture and livestock, traceability and product integrity, labor and working conditions and fair prices. 

Central position in chain
CEO Ronald Lotgerink indicates that Vion has worked hard over the past year to build transparent and sustainable food chains with chain partners. Vion is at the center of the playing field between farmer and buyer and, according to Lotgerink, the company knows what it takes to meet customer demand, together with chain parties. Parties must respond to social developments such as the growing demand for organic meat and vegetable alternatives, animal-friendly measures on the farm, better insight into animal welfare in slaughterhouses, solutions for climate problems, more biodiversity and more sustainable soy in animal feed.

Sustainability ambitions
In the report, Vion also states that it is also striving to bring the company's CO2 emissions in line with the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal. In addition, Vion wants to be completely emission-free by 2045. In the coming years, the company already wants to reduce its own absolute energy consumption and increase the use of green energy.

In recent years, Vion has collected relevant CO2 emission data in collaboration with Wageningen University & Research. With this, Vion wants to make the carbon footprint transparent for customers and consumers. Parties in the chain can also use these insights to improve themselves.

Vion is one of the companies targeted by Milieudefensie. The environmental club threatens Vion with lawsuits if it does not come up with a climate plan.

Steve Wissink

Stef Wissink is an editor at Boerenbusiness and writes about current market developments in the dairy and pig market. He also follows Dutch and international agribusiness.

s.wissink@boerenbusiness. Nl

© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.