Sustainability Understood: Working Together

Which activities are responsible for your company’s and product’s environmental impact? Which measures are most effective in reducing emissions? And how can you tell which changes will make the biggest difference? For companies aiming to become more sustainable, these are crucial questions that need answers.

Sustainability in food processing is a key concern for many producers. For SMEs, it’s often challenging to assess which improvements are worthwhile—especially when it comes to weighing sustainability gains against the investment costs involved. The AgroChain Greenhouse Gas Emissions (ACE) Calculator, developed by Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (WFBR) in earlier projects, is a practical tool that helps quantify the sustainability impact of specific food processing chains. It calculates greenhouse gas emissions in CO₂ equivalents, as well as energy and water use across the full chain—from raw material to final product, including logistics, processing, and preservation.

Kennis-op-Maat project “Sustainability Understood”

Through the Kennis-op-Maat (KoM) programme, the Top Sectors Agri & Food and Horticulture & Starting Materials provide funding to translate existing knowledge from research and practice into practical guidance for SMEs. WFBR aims to launch a project under this programme, working together with companies to calculate the sustainability effects of their current operations and possible improvements using the ACE calculator. This will allow companies to quantify the impact of different measures and make informed decisions on sustainability improvements—helping avoid choices they might later regret. Examples of potential changes include switching an ingredient, choosing a different type of packaging, sourcing from another region, or making a technical adjustment in the processing chain. A more detailed explanation of our approach is available in this article of Vakblad Voedingsindustrie.

How does it work in practice—and how can I join?

We’re keen to connect with companies that want to explore which changes could help them improve sustainability. WFBR will submit the project proposal on 17 April, including a list of interested companies. Feedback on whether the project and funding are approved is expected after 20 May. If approved, the project will start no later than 1 September.

Assuming 10 participants, we ask individual SMEs to contribute around 60 hours (in-kind) per year to the project, based on their own case(s) and sustainability question(s). For this two-year project, that adds up to a total of 120 hours (in-kind). Most of your time will be spent deepening your case, selecting potential improvements, discussing the results, and participating in project meetings. The total contribution from companies (33%) will be matched with funding (67%) through the KoM programme—resulting in a substantial project.

For participating companies, this project will deliver the following results:

• Insight into the sustainability impact of various potential changes to your food production chain. Based on your input in one-on-one working sessions at your location, WFBR will calculate different improvement scenarios using the ACE calculator, report back, and discuss the findings with you.
• Factsheets for all calculated scenarios will be made available through Groen Kennisnet (with sensitive details omitted by mutual agreement).
• A series of network meetings where broadly applicable improvements—drawn from the individual cases—will be shared and discussed, giving all participants the opportunity to learn from each other.
• Periodic newsletters updating participants on the latest insights into sustainability improvements across the food chain.

To discuss whether the KoM project “Sustainability Understood” aligns with your goals, get in touch with Jacqueline Berghout ([email protected]), Martijntje Vollebregt ([email protected]) or Jeroen van Bon ([email protected]).

Kennis op Maat – KIA Landbouw, Water en Voedsel