A future-proof agrochain
With the very best potatoes grown by the very best growers we are able to produce the best products. Thanks to our long-term relationships with our growers and the close involvement of our growers in Aviko, and vice versa, we are able to work together on future-proof potato growing: profitable and sustainable.
Proud Farmers
The challenges we face in potato growing among others flow from the European Commission’s Green Deal:
- Financial returns for the grower;
- Social appreciation of the arable farming sector;
- Retention and improvement of soil fertility, including the efficient use of minerals and water;
- Reduced dependence on crop protection agents;
- Retention and improvement of biodiversity;
- Reducing the carbon footprint and dealing with the negative consequences of climate change in relation to potato yields and quality.
These challenges can only be met through intensive cooperation throughout the chain. This is why we proactively support our growers in faster finding answers to the potato growing challenges they are confronted with pursuant to laws and regulations, social trends and climate change.
Aviko aims to make the growers that supply Aviko proud of their product and buyer. A durable, long-term relationship with growers is a key theme in this respect. Through our parent company, Royal Cosun, a cooperative with approximately 8,400 growers, many of our potato growers also are indirect owners of Aviko. Our bond with potato growing Netherlands is unique in our sector. This is why cooperation is part of our DNA. We work together with growers on a profitable, viable and sustainable potato growing and storage sector in which growers feel valued.
We aim to help our growers create a future-proof farm that they can pass on to the next generation. This concerns returns, efficiency and yields in order to valorise potatoes as effectively as possible into as much food as possible, whereby the soil is maintained in a healthy condition and any negative impact on the environment is as much as possible limited at the same time.
We give substance to maximising the valorisation of our potatoes by acquiring insight at a very early stage into the quality of the potatoes cultivated by our growers, both in the field and in the warehouses. On the basis of this knowledge, the plans developed by our plants link the right batches to the most appropriate end-products on the basis of quality criteria and product requirements.
This way every batch is optimally used and unnecessary transport movements and food waste are prevented. Because Aviko not only produces fries and potato specialities, but also dried potato products, such as granules and flakes, we are also capable of valorising small potatoes or lower-quality potatoes into food. To further prevent food waste, we also work with potatoes that were adversely affected by weather conditions and therefore do not meet standard conditions. Our plants are geared to also use 100% of these batches of potatoes and to valorise them.
“Everyone today realises that sustainability is an enormously important theme that we, as the entire potato chain, must give substance to. When we ignore this, the soil, and the basis on which we operate together, will become increasingly more fragile. At the same time it is also important for everyone to realise that giving substance to this theme does not just happen by itself. It requires extra effort from everyone within the chain. Both in terms of commitment and behaviour, as well as financially.”
André Broeze - Chairman Dutch Potato Growing Commission (ATC) growers delegation
Our goals
We take care of nature
water and soil quality
improvement of quality with < 50 mg nitrate/l groundwater (2027), Cosun-wide
We take care of nature
53%
reduction in crop protection agents by 53% kg active ingredients (2030), compared to the 2015-2017 average
We take care of nature
0.5M tonnes
reduction in CO2 emissions by 0.5M tonnes (2030), reference year to be determined
We take care of nature
100%
of our potatoes complies with the ‘FSA Gold’ standard (SAI) or equivalent (2030)
We facilitate our growers
15%
of our growers are actively involved in the development of ‘future-proof cultivation’ (2025), 50% (2030)
We facilitate our growers
4
inspiration farms (2024)
Targets and KPIs
We are accelerating the transition to a future-proof agrochain by rolling out best practices. Together with Cosun we are establishing pilot farms (inspiration farms) on a voluntary basis, distributed across the most important purchasing regions. Together with these pilot growers and our buyers we are using a project-based approach to researching how we can jointly make the chain more sustainable. This approach is a catalyst for change. The pilot farms function as a ‘flywheel’ and enable us to use a positive approach to informing other growers and including them in our sustainability goals. The objective is for 15% of our growers to be actively involved in this journey by 2025 and 50% by 2030. The necessary preparations were made in 2022, so that in 2023 we can open the first inspiration farms in the Netherlands and France.
We are also accelerating the transition to a future-proof agrochain by formulating specific cultivation goals together with the corresponding measurement methods. In 2022, we added three goals to promote sustainable farming that aim for specific sustainable results in arable fields relating to soil and water quality, and a reduction in crop protection agents and CO2 emissions.
The majority of our potatoes (90%) come from growers within a radius of approximately 100-150 kilometres from the plant.
To support our growers in achieving these goals, we initiated a number of pilot projects in 2022. We will be rolling these out in 2023. For example, we will start working on measuring the CO2 impact of potato cultivation in detail with a pilot group, to enable us to find ways of reducing this impact. In addition, we will continue working on identifying the sustainability performance of our growers on the basis of new measuring methods. The sector recently launched the Arable Farming Biodiversity Monitor (BMA). This monitor includes eight critical performance indicators designed to improve biodiversity in arable fields. For example, the organic material balance, environmental impact and percentage soil cover.
In addition, it is our goal that by 2030, 100% of our potatoes meets the ‘FSA Gold’ standard (SAI) or equivalent. The Farm Sustainability Assessment (of the Sustainable Agricultural Initiative (SAI) platform) is an international standard for sustainability on farms and arable fields. In 2022, an improvement was evident in this respect in comparison to 2021. Of our total potato volume, 33% is currently grown at the desired level ('Gold') (2021: 6%). In terms of the potatoes used for our granules and flakes, 30% are grown at the 'FSA Gold' level, while 34% of the potatoes used for our fries are grown at this level.
Governance
Our potato purchasing organisation is responsible for the day-to-day state of of affairs, activation and implementation of the Proud Farmers pillar. Our Agro Sustainability Officer safeguards further progress on this theme on a daily basis. Through many years of cooperation with growers and specifically our Dutch and French growers delegations, the Potato Growing Commission (ATC) and Producteurs Pour Aviko (PPA), respectively, we are seeing that mutual cooperation results in further advances in the area of sustainability.
The constructive discussions and our pragmatic approach form an excellent basis for the implementation of our goals for a sustainable, future-proof chain.
Together with Cosun, our parent organisation, we are actively working together within the ‘Groeikracht’ [Vigorous Growth] programme on sustainability projects in arable fields and we harmonise our respective programmes. The ‘Groeikracht’ programme combines the strengths of potato, sugar beet and chicory growers with those of Cosun and thus facilitates the exchange of knowledge and experience.
Projects relating to the themes weed control, soil, crop protection, climate and biodiversity are taking place in arable fields, which makes it possible to improve crops and make them more sustainable.
Together with Cosun, our parent organisation, we are actively working together within the ‘Groeikracht’ [Vigorous Growth] programme on sustainability projects in arable fields and we harmonise our respective programmes.
In 2022, various Groeikracht projects for improving soil and water quality, sustainable crop protection and promoting biodiversity were underway. Just before the summer, the approach and priorities of these projects were shared with a large number of growers through means of a promotional tour.
Stories
Learning and improving together
By combining our strengths and sharing best practices with each other, we are learning and can continue to grow together. In recent years we translated the findings of the research conducted in a number of agronomy projects into specific sustainability recommendations for our growers. Thanks to various long-term research projects, we were able to determine the best storage conditions for the Innovator variety and translated these into practical recommendations for our growers. This way we avoid waste together. Recently we also shared the lessons learned for reducing losses through possible rotting of the Saprodi variety. Thanks to close cooperation with tens of growers in a two-year research project, we managed to achieve these waste reduction results.
Search for better varieties is essential for sustainability
Both Aviko and our supplying potato growers have a need for ‘better’ varieties. Aviko is in contact with breeders about potato varieties that are currently in development and tests them before they are included in the list of varieties. This accelerates the development of ‘better’ varieties. We consider research into varieties as facilitating in terms of making potato cultivation sustainable. Genetics and new breeding techniques to improve varieties are necessary to ensure the cultivation of potatoes continues to be future-proof, because drought and mould resistance, for example, are becoming indispensable. "Better varieties are varieties that at some place within the chain yield benefits in comparison to current varieties. This can be in various areas. For growers, yield, including in hot/dry years, shelf life and resistance to diseases and plagues are important...
Read more
Dilemma: Water, fertilising and crop protection versus food supply
The steadily increasing fertilising, crop protection and climate regulations make farming a difficult puzzle for our growers. We nevertheless continue to devote our efforts to making cultivation sustainable, for example by minimising nitrate leaching, better soil management and minimising crop protection agents that have an adverse environmental impact. Sustainable food production is only possible when our growers can earn a good living.
Search for better varieties is essential for sustainability
Both Aviko and our supplying potato growers have a need for ‘better’ varieties. Aviko is in contact with breeders about potato varieties that are currently in development and tests them before they are included in the list of varieties. This accelerates the development of ‘better’ varieties. We consider research into varieties as facilitating in terms of making potato cultivation sustainable. Genetics and new breeding techniques to improve varieties are necessary to ensure the cultivation of potatoes continues to be future-proof, because drought and mould resistance, for example, are becoming indispensable. "Better varieties are varieties that at some place within the chain yield benefits in comparison to current varieties. This can be in various areas. For growers, yield, including in hot/dry years, shelf life and resistance to diseases and plagues are important. Furthermore, the end-product’s quality and its processing efficiency of course are also important to Aviko,” says Matthijs Meijer, Manager Agronomy at Aviko. New varieties directly (through resistance) or indirectly (through yield) lower the environmental footprint and improve the earnings potential. "For example, Aviko tests varieties that are resistant to phytophthora (fungal disease). By participating in the development of varieties at an early stage, Aviko proactively contributes to the development of potato varieties that have a positive impact on sustainability and the yield of the potato growing sector. But resistance is not my only area of focus," he smiles, "of course you must also be able to make excellent fries or puree with them."