HAK: more sustainable farming with compensation for the farmer

Despite all the commotion from the LTO about the sustainability label On the way to PlanetProof last week, vegetable manufacturer HAK persists in getting all its freshly processed vegetables and legumes from Dutch soil On the way to PlanetProof certified by 2021. It will also continue to reward its growers who invest in sustainable cultivation. After harvesting the first On the way to PlanetProof red cabbage in October 2019, it was now the turn of the spinach, which will be harvested in glass jars in the coming weeks.

Incidentally, this more sustainable cultivated spinach harvest was not self-evident due to the relatively dry April month. However, according to Adri den Dekker, Director Purchasing, Agriculture & Sustainability of HAK, the quality of this first On the way to PlanetProof spinach is excellent. He also repeats his plea that growers should be rewarded if they invest in sustainable cultivation and that this extra compensation should be borne by the entire chain: "With this second harvest of On the way to PlanetProof vegetables, we are now showing that it is really possible to appreciate growers for their sustainability efforts. As with our red cabbage that we harvested in October 2019, we are discussing the extra compensation with the growers in advance".

However, this additional compensation varies per crop. In this case HAK pays the growers of the On the way to PlanetProof spinach an additional 30%, including an agreed compensation to the growers for the extra costs they incur to grow according to the quality mark On the way to PlanetProof. "This compensation covers, among other things, the extra costs they incur for audits carried out by an independent body. In addition, growers have to comply with a series of extra statutory requirements which also incur extra costs. For example, the soil must be in good condition and maximum use is made of green crop protection products," explains Den Dekker.

Better reward for growers pays off

In October 2019, HAK not only argued that growers should be rewarded for the extra costs they incur in the area of this sustainable On the way to PlanetProof cultivation, but also put their money where their mouth is. By doing so, the company wants to make as many growers as possible enthusiastic about this sustainable cultivation method. Den Dekker: "We therefore believe that all links in the supply chain must contribute to the additional costs involved. Only then can we continue to get high-quality food from the Netherlands in the future.

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