Commitments by aspirational objectives:

Aspirational objective 3: A climate-neutral food chain in Europe by 2050

With the following aspirational target: 

Reducing net emissions from own operations, contributing to a 55% GHG emission reduction target in the EU food chain by 2030 (following a science-based approach).

Verstegen commitments:

• We have been monitoring our Scope 1 and 2 emissions for almost 15 years and have used green electricity from Dutch windmills since 2018;

• We implemented a rainwater system for sanitation, saving 500,000 liters of water annually;

• Our Verstegen trucks have the cleanest engines, and we have 867 solar panels on our roofs;

• We compensate for all of our Scope 1 emissions through carbon credits and recently joined the Leadership on Climate Transition and the SBTi;

• The plan is to reduce our CO₂ emissions in the coming years, by 30 % and become net zero positive in 2050.

Aspirational objective 5: Sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, employment, and decent work for all

With the following aspirational targets:

a) Improved resilience and competitiveness of companies operating at any point along the food value chain by 2030;

b) Quality jobs, skilled workforce, and safe and inclusive workplaces for all.

Verstegen commitments:

• Training farmers and making the value chain transparent. Reaching out to 500 nutmeg farmers;

• Connecting geodata and pepper farmers through an app. The goal is to reduce the use of agrochemicals and increase living income by 10 %. Introducing microfinancing is planned for 2022. Reaching out to 5000 farmers in 2023.

Aspirational objective 7: Sustainable sourcing in food supply chains

With the following aspirational targets:

a) Transformed commodity supply chains that do not contribute to deforestation, forest degradation, and destruction of natural habitat and which preserve and protect high-value ecosystems and biodiversity;

b) Improved social performance in (global) food supply chains.

Verstegen commitments:

• Gula Gula food forest program: CO2 compensation through Cassia and coffee agroforestry implementation in Sumatra. Sequestering 19,800 kg CO₂ by planting 128,000 trees on 66 hectares of land, impacting 102 farmer families. The Food Forest Program aims to restore forest ecosystems on unused or degraded land while achieving three main objectives: poverty reduction, biodiversity enhancement, and carbon sequestration.

• Costa Rica: The project aims to source at least 1.5 tons of vanilla per year from agroforestry systems. training of farmers and promoting forest farming/ diversification is facilitated byour partners on the ground Preta Terra, Aromas de Osa, and farmers’ cooperative OSACOOP.A model farm is installed as a proof of concept for farmers and investors.

• Bangka Indonesia: The project aims to source 20% of Verstegen’s white pepper volume from agroforestry systems by 2025. In the process planting 800.000 trees on 400 hectares of land impacting 500 farmers. Our supplier opened a training center for farmers including instalment of a model farm as a proof of concept for farmers and investors.

• India: Project aims to procure at least 50 tons of chili product by 2022 from agroforestry systems after successful upscaling to 150 tons annually from approximately 130 farmers in the region of Andhra Pradesh planting 40.000 trees on 80 hectares of land in the process.

Full detail of the pledge in the provided attachment.