Fruithof uses a sustainable cultivation method
In 2022 Fruithof had the Natural Fruit logo developed. This logo can be found prominently on the labels. With this, Fruithof wants to express in one image that sustainability plays an important role in all facets of the company. This is reflected in the certificates and appreciation of MPS and GLOBAL GAP. An important part of this is the registration and evaluation of substance use. In recent years this has decreased considerably and we are based on the vision 'Organic where possible and chemical where necessary'. In addition, Fruithof has also started working with peat substitutes. In the coming years, this will be further developed and applied on the basis of experience gained.
We provide Natural Fruit
We use an ebb and flow system to provide our plants with water. A layer of water is placed on the fields where our plants are located. When the plants have absorbed enough water, the excess water is drained and stored in our water basins with a total capacity of almost 20,000 cubic meters. In this way, the water is always reused.
This is not only a sustainable use of water because in this way as little water as possible is lost. It is also a sustainable application because all the water that falls on our site is added to our basins and can thus be used. If it turns out that our current three basins are filled in the autumn and winter, we still have access to a pond of 1.7 hectares of natural water where the excess water is fed to and will be stored there for the drier periods. This system of watering fits in well with our plant tables, because they are also equipped with an ebb and flow system. This way our plants experience no stress in the roots.
Fruithof also uses green electricity. This is electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind and sun. Our waste is collected and processed separately.
GlobalG.AP
Fruithof has had a GlobalG.AP certification since 2019. What is GlobalG.AP you may ask? GlobalG.AP is a trademark and a set of standards for good agricultural practice. GlobalG.AP sets requirements for a quality system that relate to food safety and traceability, the environment (including biodiversity), sustainability, health, safety and well-being of employees.
The abbreviation GAP stands for Good Agricultural Practices, in Dutch this means "Good Agricultural Practices". Fruithof has demonstrated that it meets the requirements by obtaining the GlobalG.AP certificate. As a result, customers no longer have to verify this themselves.
MPS certification
Consumers are increasingly choosing fair products that are grown with respect for people and the environment. MPS (More Profitable Sustainability) develops and manages certificates for this that provide insight into how sustainably a fruit tree or plant has been grown and how socially an organization is set up. MPS-ABC is the certificate that indicates the environmental score of a company and contributes to sustainable business operations. To do this, a company has to go through several steps.
Registration of various consumptions such as crop protection, fertilizers, water and energy are examples of this. But periodic checks in the form of company visits, spot checks and taking product samples are also part of this. This way you can rest assured that MPS certified products actually meet the requirements of the certificate. At Fruithof you can rely on sustainability.
Fruithof is MPS-A certified! The certificate works with the qualifications A, B, C and D. You can see a qualification as a kind of report mark. To obtain a certain qualification, participating growers must meet predefined conditions. Participating growers are awarded points for meeting the conditions, which are periodically converted into a qualification. The greater the environmental performance, the higher the qualification. If you see an MPS-A qualification on a product, it has been grown in a very environmentally friendly way. Fruithof has an MPS-A qualification; we are very proud of this.
A sustainable pot and recycled label
The labels that hang on our plants are supplied by Designstar. Designstar's labels consist of at least 35% recycled polypropylene, this material is highly recyclable. So they also do their best to operate sustainably, which in turn fits in perfectly with Fruithof 's working method.
When we talk about sustainable, we should certainly not forget our sustainable gray pots. The gray pot that surrounds our plants puts an extra stamp on the sustainability of our product. Fruithof supplies its plants in pots made from 100% recycled household plastic waste. If the consumer returns the empty jars to the plastic waste of the municipality, the circle is complete again. To give extra attention to this, we have placed the Eco-loop logo on our labels.
More information about this can be found at: https://eco-loop.nl/ . In this way it is also clear to the consumer that they have a sustainable product in their hands.
