Planet & environment

In February 2019, the Eckes-Granini Group signed the agreement "Sustainable Juice Covenant" (SJC) of the sustainability initiative "The Sustainable Trade Initiative" (IDH). We have thus committed ourselves to ensuring sustainability - along the supply chain to fruit cultivation. Our goal is to be able to offer our entire juice range from sustainable cultivation by 2030 at the latest. We therefore work intensively with our suppliers to promote and ensure sustainable fruit and vegetable cultivation through further development, training and auditing of farms and farmers. By taking this step, we are supporting the protection of natural resources in the growing regions. We also ensure that everyone involved in the production of our products is treated with care, respect and fairness. Since 2019, we already offer fruit juices made from sustainably grown oranges. We ensure and verify this through our sustainability criteria, which correspond to at least the bronze level of the "Farm Sustainability Assessment" (FSA) of the "Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform" (SAI). We purchase our raw materials in accordance with what is known as the quantity balance model. This means that the quantity of sustainably grown oranges purchased is blended with conventionally grown oranges as it progresses through the supply chain. This simplifies the complex tracing process and makes it affordable. The quantity balance model facilitates the transition to sustainable procurement, from which more and more growers benefit. Seamless traceability makes it possible to confirm that the quantity of fruit that comes from sustainable growing operations and is introduced into the system matches the quantities we process. The use of this model makes sustainably grown fruit affordable and enables an increasing number of growers to adopt sustainable cultivation methods.

Climate change is already causing considerable changes in the weather today. This development could have a significant impact on agricultural productivity in the future. This is another reason why - among other risks - it is necessary to limit global warming to 1.5°C. As a leading European juice producer, we want to send a clear signal: Among other things, this involves the gradual introduction of numerous measures to reduce or even eliminate harmful greenhouse gases that are emitted directly or indirectly due to our business activities. We have been reducing our carbon footprint in Europe for years now by modernising facilities, sourcing green electricity, lowering packaging weight and cutting fuel consumption in the logistics fleet.

Incorrectly disposed plastic pollutes our ecosystem. Our concern is to actively counteract this. Through the use of new technologies, more environmentally friendly packaging alternatives, and recycled PET, we are continuously working to improve our packaging solutions to reduce their environmental impacts and strive for circularity solutions.