Investing in a pure-plant future

“The world of fruit and vegetables is often wrongfully perceived as a more traditional business, where technology and innovation only play a supporting role. This is certainly not the case for Greenyard. Our business is far past merely providing the healthiest food to society. Some of our installations and technologies are one-of-a-kind. We use the latest advancements in food-tech to develop the food of the future: high added-value, pure-plant food experiences that combine the best nutritional value with great taste and maximum convenience.”

“In 2023, we finalised another round of major investments in our convenience production lines. At Greenyard Prepared, we installed a new sauce kitchen, along with a new filling station for the sauce stick packs in our meal-kits and a new glass packaging line. Meanwhile, our Frozen division has started implementing an industrial plan with major infrastructure projects to gradually enhance our freezing capacity.”

“These investments not only allow us to increase capacity and respond to the growing appetite for our convenience products. They also help us to speed up product development and reduce our time-to-market, diversify packaging to support different moments and places of consumption, and ensure the best quality is available at the right price. All with one goal in mind: to further drive the consumption of pure-plant food.”

“With our Integrated Customer Relationships (ICR), we have been leading the way in our sector for many years, decades even. It’s a unique business model that connects end-consumers and growers, from Fork-to-Field, through vertical integration with some of Europe’s biggest retailers.”

“The basic idea is to completely unburden retailers in the key category of fruit and vegetables. More than any other section, the fruit and vegetable section shapes the image of a grocery store. Every day, we ensure the shelves are filled with the right assortment of high-quality fruit and vegetables, carefully developed in line with the retailer’s own positioning and brand strategy. ICR also includes a wide range of value-added services, including warehousing, logistics, ripening, packaging and direct-to-store deliveries. We support our customers in being a true love brand for their consumers.”

“This integrated way of working is especially relevant in the fruit and vegetables category. We’re working with fresh, perishable goods – fast moving pure-plant goods in every sense of the word. Once harvested, they need to find their way to consumers as soon as possible. With our ICRs, we make the connection between market demand and what is grown in the field. It’s quite a challenge, as both are very dynamic.”

“It will come as no surprise that data-driven technology is increasingly important to make that connection. Based on specifically designed algorithms, including historical sales data, weather forecasting and market trends, we can make quite accurate predictions of what will be needed and develop programs to steer our growers in the right direction. That way, we ensure the produce arrives when the demand is actually there.”

“We also keep a close eye on what is happening in the field, where the output is very much dependent on weather conditions, which have become more extreme due to climate change. On the one hand, when produce is not available, we may look for other sources or suggest alternatives. On the other hand, when large volumes are on their way, it may be a good time to plan targeted promotions. In any case, exchanging the right data is key to intensify collaboration and ensure fair pricing throughout the chain.”

“The market certainly seems to agree with us, as we keep adding new customers to our ICR portfolio. Last year was no exception, with the establishment of a dedicated Aldi Frische Hub near Hamburg,Germany. Since mid-2023, we are directly supplying more than 100 Dohle-HIT supermarkets with the complete assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables, with steadily increasing volumes.”

“But it’s just as reassuring to see how our existing ICRs continue to bear fruit. Year after year, even in difficult market circumstances, we continue to grow our business at our integrated customers, even though some of these partnerships date back more than twenty years. It also shows in our customers’ results, in the fruit and vegetables category, which has only become more important to attract end-consumers to retail stores.”