SVZ pledges 100 % sustainable sourcing by 2030

Premium fruit and vegetable ingredients supplier, SVZ, has announced its commitment to 100 % sustainable sourcing by 2030 by signing the Sustainable Juice Covenant. Dedicated to sustainability and agronomy expertise since its very beginning, in the year of its 150th anniversary, SVZ has vowed to keep strengthening its sustainability credentials, reaching 75 % sustainable sourcing by 2025 before the ultimate goal of 100 % by 2030.

The Sustainable Juice Covenant is a global initiative, coordinated by IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, and supported by AIJN, the European Fruit Juice Association. It aims to make the sourcing, production and trade of fruit and vegetable-derived juices, purees and concentrates completely sustainable by 2030. Sustainable sourcing is vital to protecting the planet and ensuring a brighter world for future generations.

Jobien Laurijssen, Sustainability Manager at SVZ, states: “By signing this covenant we have formalised our continuous commitment to make a positive contribution to sustainable production. This is a true milestone in our sustainability efforts. In order to achieve the formal targets outlined, we have already invested heavily in additional resources within our sustainability and agronomy teams. However, this is not something we can do alone and driving sustainability through the whole supply chain needs collaboration. Through this commitment, we aim to support our customers in their sustainability targets while also creating stability for our growers and setting up long-term projects that can make a real difference.”

Anouk ter Laak, SVZ CEO, adds: “For years we have built our practices on three pillars: sustainable sourcing and agriculture, environmental sustainability and valuing people. We are very proud of the work we have done so far, which have been made possible due to our stringent supply chain control and team of agronomy and sustainability experts. As outlined in the Sustainable Juice Covenant, all of our ingredients – for customers in juice and beyond – will be sustainability sourced by 2030 as we take the next step in our work towards a greener future.”

Prior to this, SVZ’s sustainability initiatives have included investing in a training programme that has promoted best practise among over 3000 farmers and water management initiatives. SVZ is also an active member of both the SAI Platform and Sedex, and has achieved a gold EcoVadis ranking.