New sector passport for the Belgian fruit, vegetables and potatoes traders and processors shows the way to a solidary and circular agrofood chain

FVPhouse, the umbrella association for the Belgian trade and processing of fruit, vegetables and potatoes, has recently finalized its sustainability project : ‘Together towards a circular and solidary supply chain in the fruit, vegetables and potatoes sector’.

The new sector passport on sustainability is an update of a previous passport and makes the link with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The passport has also been upgraded with a roadmap that helps companies to make their own sustainability report.

Covering the entire sector

FVPhouse is an umbrella association for Belgapom, Vegebe and Fresh Trade Belgium. The projects covers the international supply chain of fruit, vegetables and potatoes. Together with pilot companies, partners within the supply chain and a large group of stakeholders, FVPhouse has completed a ‘trajectory’ of learning and improvement to make the switch to concrete actions. Companies have been able to strengthen their sustainability strategy and they were able to measure and evaluate their results thanks to the sector passport. The Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations served as guidance. GRI criteria were used to make the sustainability reports.

Concrete goals :

The new project focussed on concrete goals, classified in 4 groups :  

1. Prevention of food waste and food loss, close the circle by making the best use possible of waste and secondary flows.
2. Close the water cycle thanks to re-usage, purification and recycling
3. Reduction of social inequality, even outside the borders
4. Towards a more sustainable production and consumption : how to reduce the environmental impact and energy use? And how to make logistics more sustainable ? How to help the consumer make a good choice in the extensive offer of local produce, seasonal produce, imports, refrigerated produce?

The sectoral passport on sustainability and the roadmap support traders and processors of fruit, vegetables and potatoes to determinate their strategy and to make their sustainability report.

The efforts of 10 pilot companies have resulted in a sustainability report:   

1.  Ardo, processor of vegetables
2. Agristo, processor of potatoes
3. Calsa, wholesaler/ exporter of fruit and vegetables
4. D’Arta, processor of vegetables
5. Greenyard, processor of vegetables
6. Mydibel, processor of potatoes
7. Nicolai Fruit, wholesaler/ exporter of fruit and vegetables
8. Van Laethem, wholesaler of fresh herbs and edible flowers
9. Warnez, wholesaler/ packer of potatoes
10. Special Fruit, wholesaler/ importer of fruit and vegetables

The project has been realized with the support of MVO Vlaanderen, the Flemish Sustainability Administration. In order to engage more companies in sustainability a follow-up project has already been launched : FVPhouse starts implementing the ‘Sustatool’ method, a web application that stimulates SMEs to take concrete actions, to integrate sustainability in the policy of their own company and to make well-constructed sustainability reports. Thanks to the new sector passport on sustainability, the application can be tailor made for the trade and processing of fruit, vegetables and potatoes. This project has also the support of MVO Vlaanderen.