Join the challenge against climate change

During Biofach – Europe’s largest trade show dedicated to organic food – Wessanen launched the ‘Organic food against climate change’ challenge. Aimed at having a positive impact on the global food system and climate change, the challenge offers support to innovative companies.

“The need for innovation in the food world is now greater than ever,” says Klaus Arntz, EVP Marketing & Sustainability. “Conventional farming, overconsumption of meat and the rapidly growing world population are all having a negative impact on our climate. We’ve reached the point that we must reconsider the way food is produced if we want to secure a green and sustainable future.” 

The challenge is primarily aimed at Dutch companies: “The Netherlands is a hotbed of sustainability-related innovation in the food world. There are a huge number of entrepreneurs who have valuable ideas for improvements. We want to utilise our capacity to help them so that they can make a real difference,” explains Arntz. 

Wessanen is focused on offering healthy and sustainable food products. The firm believes that a broad range of joint efforts are essential to bring about the necessary change. By supporting like-minded small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the company hopes to strengthen the shift towards a greener and more sustainable future for food.

Incubation programme

Wessanen is therefore calling on anyone who is involved (currently on a small scale) in food-related innovation to apply. In conjunction with Impact Hub Amsterdam and Triodos Bank, Wessanen will then select ten applicants who will receive support to kick-start their companies. They will be able to attend three training days and four masterclasses this spring, during which they will work on making their companies scalable in order to grow. The focus will be on interacting and exchanging ideas and inspiration with one another. The challenge ends on 23 June, when one winner will be chosen. The most promising idea will be rewarded with EUR10,000 of financial aid, extra hours of mentoring and access to a wide network of industry specialists. The deadline for applications is 10 April 2017 (to register, go to the Wessanen website).

The project organisers

Wessanen is a European food company which is guided by the following mission: ‘healthier food, healthier people, healthier planet’. In the Netherlands, it is the owner of the Zonnatura and Clipper brands, among others. Wessanen is focused on organic and vegetarian food, and the health of consumers, employees and other stakeholders is its top priority. 

Triodos Bank is an independent bank that stands for banking sustainably and transparently. The bank is a global authority on microfinance in developing countries, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, and is a co-founder of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values – a network of 36 leading sustainable banks. Together, they are striving to achieve significant growth of sustainable banking and increase its impact. 

Impact Hub Amsterdam forms part of the international Impact Hub social innovators community, which has 15,000-plus members in more than 80 locations. Impact Hub Amsterdam has already helped thousands of companies to launch, grow and scale up in order to raise their impact. Impact Hub achieves this by facilitating a strong network, organising events, offering co-working spaces and initiating accelerator programmes. 

www.wessanen.com 
www.triodos.com
www.impacthub.net