Dutch meat producer draws on decades of experience in the Netherlands in creating a comparable supply chain in Germany and uses BIOFACH 2023 for talks with further partners.
The company De Groene Weg B.V. has been the largest organic meat supplier in the Netherlands and an established partner for the German market and processing industry. The subsidiary Der Grüne Weg GmbH is pursuing an approach of demand-driven, cohesive organic meat supply chains specifically for Germany. With production of pork started in Thuringia during the past few days, Der Grüne Weg has now officially put its first organic pork supply chain in Germany “into operation”. As announced at BIOFACH 2021 and to better serve the German market, the company has established a 100% German organisation. By offering organic pork of German origin, Der Grüne Weg can therefore now also meet the “5 x German” preference among German consumers, where birth, rearing, finishing, slaughtering and processing of the animals – also in the organic sector – take place in Germany.
Demand-driven structure in the supply chain
“The demand in the German food market and among its customers for regional goods and meat of German origin is ever increasing,” says Allard Bakker, Director of Der Grüne Weg. “As part of a large organisation, we are able to respond to this market requirement and thereby remain a strategic partner for our customers as an organic meat supplier.” To this end, Der Grüne Weg brings 40 years’ experience in the building of sustainable organic meat supply chains from the Netherlands, going from one chain to a market leader in organic meat.
With this in mind, the goal of Der Grüne Weg in Germany is to further expand and advance the market for organic products in this country as well. “For us,” Bakker adds, “this also means that new market participants will only join the supply chain along our growth strategy if there is sufficient demand. And as I said when I presented our concept at BIOFACH, it takes about two years to convert a conventional pig farm to an organic farm.
Reliability with conversion, price and guaranteed off-take
The same terms and conditions in the supply chain when collaborating with Der Grüne Weg apply for German pig farmers as their Dutch counterparts. For example, instead of the usual weekly price setting, Der Grüne Weg offers a system where the pork price is set quarterly based on market and cost price developments. Furthermore, German farmers profit from a commitment to purchase and an open-ended contract. These conditions given the farmer the necessary planning security and stability to further develop their eco-friendly operations. Another advantage for farmers is that the changeover can take place gradually. This means fewer risks, better planning security and more manageable expenditure. “Something that is particularly important for farmers during times of uncertainty,” remarks Allard Bakker.
Equal partners
For farmer Matthias Bürgel from Eckestedt in Thuringia, “Der Grüne Weg has so much experience in the whole organic supply chain. To my mind, the price guarantee provided by this company stands for fair conditions and exemplifies an equal partnership in which we face the challenges together.”
BIOFACH 2023
BIOFACH is the biggest and most important international trade show for eco-friendly consumer goods. The event takes place in Nuremberg this year from 14 to 17 February, and expects to see 30,000 professional visitors. The company Der Grüne Weg GmbH is presenting its concepts and consultation services on eco-friendly animal raising and the relevant transformation of operations in Hall 5, at stand number 5-133.