CONTINUITY OF QUALITY

Offering products that meet the quality expectations of end customers is crucial for long-term success in the competitive retail environment. InnoFruit aims to produce above-average quality products as standard throughout the entire season. The production locations are accordingly equipped with manual crop protection and modern and high quality equipment and machinery. InnoFruit’s production locations are medium-scale instead of mass-production facilities so attention can be given to detail and more complex crops, such as table grapes and cherries, where a higher level of professionalism and attention to detail is required. Also, the farms are certified in line  with  the relevant international Food Safety and Ethical standards.

CONTINUITY OF AVAILABILITY

Empty shelves have a huge impact on retailers, as they result in a direct loss of sales and thus a loss of profit. InnoFruit has taken every precaution to supply the product in the agreed volumes. In agriculture nondeliveries are no exception, and are mostly caused by the impact of weather and production loss. InnoFruit anticipates this risk by producing in areas with a stable climate, protecting weather-sensitive crops with netting and plastic, and implementing systems to make precise production predictions.

COMPETITIVE PRICING

InnoFruit’s focus is on offering a competitive price-quality ratio. To realise a competitive pricing proposition, two factors are important. Firstly the cost price of production needs to be strictly controlled. This is achieved by realising efficiency gains in the supply chain, by means of mechanisation in some fields, by producing in countries with a cost-price advantage (usually a combination of water, electricity, and labour costs), and by selecting production locations with favourable logistic connections to the main sales market. The other important component for competitive pricing in the fresh produce industry is the shelf life of products. InnoFruit supplies high-quality products that can be stored and kept on the shelf for on average two to three days longer than lower-quality products. This results in less waste and a higher sales percentage for retailers, which in turn has a direct positive impact on the product cost price.

DISTINCTION ON PRODUCT LEVEL

InnoFruit focuses on building distinguishing product icons in its assortment. This is achieved by utilising the specific climatological characteristics of a certain production area to produce products a few weeks earlier than the direct competition, by including products and product varieties in the assortment that have not been produced in the respective area before, and by utilizing  innovative packing technologies.

SUSTAINABLE PROFILE

Sustainability has become a highly relevant topic in all industries. Production circumstances and practices, and the environmental and social impact of business activity is taking an increasingly important role in the consumer-decision-making process.

InnoFruit has defined two sustainability topics, which are serving as the framework for its sustainability initiatives. The implementation of responsible farming practices and the implementation of social initiatives.

Implementation of sustainable farming practices

The awareness of microbial and chemical food safety among customers and authorities is growing worldwide. When setting up its production operations, InnoFruit pays special attention to the implementation of systems that allow the responsible utilisation of natural resources. The establishment of sufficient water catchment areas in the farm design ensures optimal utilisation of rainwater in the irrigation scheme. To prevent overirrigation, modern irrigation and fertigation systems are implemented so water and fertilisers can be applied efficiently, specifically to the respective crop and in exactly the required quantity. Soils are managed by applying the correct measures for bringing back the nutrients extracted in the production process during and after the production season. This means the condition of the soil is maintained in a sustainable way.

InnoFruit also strives to obtain a substantial part of the electricity required for the production process from renewable energy sources, especially solar plants. Furthermore, InnoFruit aims to reduce chemical input to an absolute minimum. This to prevent the pursued production activities from causing disruption to agro-ecosystems. To this end, integrated pest management (IPM) is implemented in the field of crop protection with a strong focus on mechanical pest control, application of biological control mechanisms, and the limited and responsible use of synthetic pesticides. This approach is supported by activities to enrich biodiversity by for instance stimulating soil macrofaunal biodiversity or improving the stocks of local insect species and plants.

Implementation of social initiatives

InnoFruit is providing systems and facilities to address important social challenges in the regions where its production locations are located. Stimulating the role of disadvantaged population groups in the society, providing skill development initiatives not only for employees, but also for their children, addressing important social topics like healthy eating or personal hygiene are some examples for initiatives in this field. With regards to these activities InnoFruit is supported by TRIA Foundation, the family foundation of one of its shareholders.

Handelscentrum ZHZ 40h

2991 LD Barendrecht
THE NETHERLANDS

+31 (0) 180 64 62 70