Jaguar The Fresh Company has begun year-round supply of certified climate neutral oranges to Albron, one of the largest companies in The Netherlands specialized in food service and food concepts, and to HMSHost Netherlands, market leader in the food and hospitality industry for travelers at airports, railway stations and shopping centers.
Jaguar has turned to purchasing organisation Victoria Trading, in which it has maintained a successful relationship with for many years, to handle the buying. Officials say that adding climate neutral oranges to the supply portfolio adds “solid value for all parties.”
“The Paris 2030 climate agreement requires strong and impactful actions from all parties. Oranges are a key segment within the fresh fruit category (around 10%), so it made sense for us to be the first player to redefine this playing field,” Mathieu Hirdes, Retail Manager at Jaguar. “We are now substantially reducing CO2 emissions in the orange supply chain.”
Bastiaan van Asten, SVP Commercial at HMSHost International, said the company was pleased to be part of such a worthwhile endeavor.
“As a global leader in hospitality, we want to apply our leadership to sustainability as well,” he said. “We are always looking for innovative ways to supply sustainable food experiences and show our concern for the wellbeing of the planet. Although the step towards carbon neutral oranges may sound small, it is a huge one for sustainability and underlines the importance of the pioneering work of Victoria Trading. We are proud that we are now one of the first in the Netherlands to offer our guests climate neutral oranges all year round.”
The process of achieving climate neutrality consists of three parts. The first phase requires the mapping of existing emissions, using primary data from the chain. The second phase is all about reducing CO2 emissions by 35% within 10 years. The last phase covers the offsetting of the remaining emissions through approved projects. Jaguar aims to offset the remaining emissions as much as possible through its own projects, such as the implementation of solar energy at farm level through sister company Jaguar New Energies.
“Earlier this year we switched to 100% sustainable fish (in collaboration with SmitVis and Good Fish Foundation) and we were the first large caterer to switch completely to organic milk, buttermilk and yoghurt from Weerribben Zuivel,” Tjeerd Nuijen, Senior Buyer at Albron, said. “With Jaguar’s climate-neutral oranges, we can once again expand our sustainability impact. Controlling emissions in the fruit and vegetable chain has our full focus. That’s what makes this collaboration so much fun.”
Pré-Consultants and the Climate Neutral Group oversaw the preliminary certification process at Jaguar. This has led to a successful audit, which complies with the Climate Neutral Standard 1.0.
“As a leading importer and marketing company of citrus, specifically oranges, Jaguar sees it as its moral responsibility to contribute to sustainability by substantially reducing CO2 emissions in the supply chain,” Vincent van Kuijen, General Manager of Jaguar, said. “The first steps have been taken, and our commercial team will now focus on the introduction of climate neutral oranges in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Belgium, Germany and France, in collaboration with leading sustainability-focused retailers and food service companies. Our team will also be available to discuss this exciting opportunity at Fruit Attraction in Madrid from 4-6 October.”
