sustainability report Darta 2024

Nourishing planet, people, partnership Sustainability report 2023

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From field to fork Strategy

Welcome to the world of Darta When two Belgian families, Talpe and

Since then, the families’ second generation

De Backere, founded Darta in 1988, their

has widely extended the scope of the

goal was to produce fresh frozen products

company while remaining true to the original

from nearby harvested crops within the

ambition of its founders. 35 years later, Darta

shortest timeframe possible.

produces a broad variety of fresh frozen products at five locations in Europe close to its growers and distributes them to customers in more than 65 countries.

2

Anniversary

Darta celebrates its 35th anniversary In 1988, Johan Talpe and Jean-Pierre De

In 2023, we marked Darta's 35th anniversary,

Backere realized their long-standing dream

an important milestone in our journey of

of starting their own business. Together,

freezing vegetables and fostering close

they established Darta, a name derived

collaboration. To celebrate, we organized a

from De Backere, Ardooie, and Talpe. In

festive family day in Belgium, treating

1989, the first frozen vegetables rolled off

400 colleagues and their families to sweets

the production line.

and providing them with a unique tour of the Darta factory. In addition, our colleagues at

"We reflect with pride on 35 years of Darta. With mutual respect, we have built the company from the ground up. Thanks to good communication and complementarity, Darta has grown into the success story it is today, with the company thriving and our sons working well together."

JOHAN TALPE AND JEAN-PIERRE DE BACKERE, FOUNDERS DARTA

international locations received a surprise to commemorate our company’s 35 years.

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From field to fork

2

FAMILIES



5

PRODUCTION PLANTS

coins

60

TONNES OF FROZEN PRODUCTS

EMPLOYEES

> 1,000

coins %

FOODSERVICE EU + UK

coins

16



210,000

Figures we are proud of 

 production volume

19

%

RETAIL EU + UK

Belgium

Portugal

map 32.3 ha  122,500 tonnes  440 employees

map 11.5 ha  30,700 tonnes  250 employees

UK

Italy

Sicily

map 5.06 ha  20,100 tonnes  30 employees

map 11 ha  33,700 tonnes  240 employees

map 1 ha  2,100 tonnes  50 employees

coins %

EXPORT OUTSIDE EU + UK

5

%

INDUSTRY EU + UK

4

Naturally green

Our sustainability strategy covers the 4 P's OUR SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY

We aim to continuously reduce the environmental impact

Planet

of our activities by keeping a healthy balance between the environment, technological possibilities and economic interests.

Products

People

We want to make sure that our consumers receive highquality, safe, healthy, and authentic products at all times.

OUR PRIORITIES

OUR COMMITMENT TO THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (= SDG'S)

— Limiting and compensating our carbon footprint — Reducing our environmental footprint — Fulfilling 50% of our energy demand with on-site produced renewable energy by 2035

— Safe and healthy food products

We are committed to creating a healthy, engaging, and

— Open to diversity

safe working environment. Through recognition, team

— Team Darta goes international

spirit, and a pleasant working atmosphere, we create

— Safe and healthy working environment

opportunities for personal development and growth.

At Darta, we believe sustainable development can only be

Partnership

achieved through strong long-lasting partnerships and

— Close relationship with our growers

close cooperation with all stakeholders (growers, suppliers,

— Local sourcing

third parties).

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Planet Darta Yorkshire extends carbon neutrality from field to fork In a strategic partnership with GWE Biogas and

Building on this positive result, we are proud to announce

the Swaythorpe Growers, Darta operates its own

that, since 2021, Darta Yorkshire is also carbon neutral at

production facility in Driffield (UK) since 2018. This

the product level for our peas across their full product

site, located in Yorkshire county, processes peas

life cycle - from planting the seeds, through harvesting,

grown in the region by the Swaythorpe Growers

transport to our factory, production processes, and

cooperative, which groups more than 60 local

even the recycling of waste. In addition to further

farmers.

improvements in energy efficiency, such as through

All the power necessary to run the facility is supplied by its neighbour GWE Biogas, which in turn collects all wastewater and vegetable waste produced by the plant to convert it into renewable energy through anaerobic

optimized transportation, we compensate for our climate footprint by supporting a certified wind energy initiative



in Mauritania.

ISO 14001

digestion. In this way, Darta Yorkshire consumes 100%

The international ISO 14001 standard evaluates a

green electricity. By producing our own green energy, we

company’s environmental management system. In

avoid the emission of 1,000 tonnes of CO2. In addition,

Portugal, Belgium and Italy we obtained this certification

as the biogas facility converts on-site collected organic

in 2012, 2016 and 2017 respectively and since 2023,

waste into energy, we are able to reduce the amount

we also hold this certification in Darta Yorkshire.

of waste that needs to be transported to external waste

This clearly confirms our commitment to sustainable

processing facilities, thus saving another 54 tonnes

entrepreneurship.

of CO2. By supporting a wind power offset project in Mauritania, we have achieved carbon neutrality at the local company level.

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Recycling and reusing water Freshwater sources are running out. That is why we aim to reduce the consumption of intake water/tonne at our various sites, as well as to increase the water reuse percentage. In our plants in Belgium, Portugal, and the UK, all process wastewater is treated to be reused as washing water and even treated up to drinking water quality through ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis. Also, rainwater is collected from our lagunes and purified in the ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis unit and reused in our production facility.

% reused water

(2012 reference year)

2012

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Belgium

48.87

45.54

49.89

50.95

46.73

53.26

Portugal

0

11.02

5.39

7.60

9.26

15.39

UK

All wastewater is used as circular water in the biogas plant First and modern water

Italy



treatment plant will be operational in 2025

Sicily

0

0

0

0

0

7

1

Visual water flow Belgium and Portugal Give back to nature

3

1 The fully grown and ripe vegetables are harvested and delivered to the Darta factory.

2

2 The vegetables are washed in internal recycled water to be processed to frozen products.

PRODUCTION PROCESS TO FINISHED PRODUCT

3 The solar panels on the roof generate renewable energy for our

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production process.

4 All waste-water is treated to be re-used as washing water and even treated up to drinking water quality by ultra filtration and reserved osmosis.

5 Rain water is collected from the roofs and purified with the ultra-filtration and reversed osmosis unit and re-used in our production facility.

6

4

*



6 The bypass streams of production are 100% recycled as animal feed.

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7 The residues from the waste water plant are rich in phosphate, nitrogen and potassium, and are the perfect ‘organic fertilizer’ for fields or other crops.

8 The waste water plant creates ‘bio gas’, which gives back energy to the waste water plant.

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UF = ultra filtration RO = reversed osmosis *since 2016

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Producing sustainable energy on site (-20°) store capacity in Belgium, UK and Portugal, we

As a side product of its operation, our Belgian water

enhanced the energy independency of our plants by

treatment plant creates ‘biogas’. We invested in

increasing the on-site production of green electricity.

machinery to recuperate this gas and, as of 2024, we will



6,000 MWh of biogas will be purified and as a result, we will reduce gas consumption by 20%.

0,05

Belgium with 2.75 MWp to reach a total of 9.37 MWp

Since 2012, growth and increasing automation doubled

generating a total of 5,820 MWh. In Portugal, we

our carbon footprint. Through continuous investments in

expanded our solar capacity with 350 kWp through the

renewable energy (solar, wind, biogas, waste), we were

installation of solar canopies on our parking lots. This

able to keep the CO2 impact relative to volumes sold

project offers a series of advantages: making use of land

under control for the last 10 years. Since 2021 we even

that is already cleared, producing electricity close to

started to reduce the CO² intensity.

those who need it, and shading cars and protecting the

% renewable energy (calculated in GJ renewable / GJ total)

drivers against the sun. In 2023, we also invested in an additional 1 MWp of solar panels on land.

WIND

In October 2022, the wind turbine at Darta Belgium,

0.140

0,10

0.148

In 2023, Darta expanded its solar panel capacity in

0,15

0.170

Portugal, and Italy.

of natural gas in one of the steam boilers in the factory.

0.179

Solar panels power the Darta production sites in Belgium,

2012

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

(2012: reference year)

2012

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

% 20122023

Belgium

4.70

6.36

6.20

5.85

9.91

21.44

+ 17.33%

operational. The 3.6 MW wind turbine generated in 2023

Portugal

1.80

1.50

6.20

6.71

5.83

5.90

+ 4.10%

UK

/

60.90

78.08

79.55

81.42

81.76

site’s electricity demand. Our target was to fulfil 25% of

Target

We aim for 50% renewable

our site’s energy demand with on-site produced green electricity by 2025, but we have already achieved this

2012-2023 - 18.3%

0,00

which is jointly operated with Aspiravi, became fully 11,066 MWh green electricity/year, covering 13% of the

(2012: reference year)

0,20

purify the biogas and use it as an energy source instead

0.171

SOLAR ENERGY

CO2 intensity scope 1+2 Darta group (tonnes CO2/tonnes sales)

BIOGAS

0.171

After investing heavily in additional packaging and cold

Italy & Sicily

/

0

0

0

0

0

0

objective in 2023.

energy production by 2035

Total Darta

4.25

4.72

4.48

5.28

7.84

15.36

+11.28%

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PRODUCTS Darta Cuisin'easy plant-based range At Darta, we have a vast range of more than 2,000

eliminating waste in the kitchen. The chef only needs

products, available under our own brand or in private

to defrost the salads, and they are ready for use.

label. Our core business is processing and selling fresh frozen vegetables, of which the most common are peas, cabbage, beans, carrots, and broccoli. We also offer vegetable preparations - with legumes, grains, rice, or pasta - and vegetable snacks, as well

Darta Cuisin’easy has been developed to meet the increasing awareness of consumers to choose healthy, plant-based products that are also tasty. A diet without animal foods results in lower greenhouse gas emissions

as a wide range of herbs and fruits.

than the average diet containing meat and dairy. Most

Our innovation and expertise can be found in our

vegan cooking.

of our Darta Cuisin'easy recipes are now also suitable for

convenience products. With Darta Cuisin’easy we have developed a premium range of different cold salads, ready-to-serve and with an unrivalled culinary finishing. This range offers a solution to the increasing time pressure that every chef in the kitchen experiences,

nergy projects in India.

to serve dishes with a high culinary finish and based on healthy, tasty, high-quality ingredients. Our products also serve as a valuable alternative to fresh products,

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PEOPLE Engaging our employees Determining whether our employees are happy, satisfied,

effective metrics for gaining insight into our employees’

and loyal to their workplace is crucial to our organization.

feelings and opinions. It measures how willing our

That is why we want to keep our finger on the pulse of

employees are to recommend their workplace to their

employee engagement. Measuring the employee Net

family or friends.

Promoter Score (eNPS) annually is one of the most

NPS score 2023 RESPONDENTS

WEIGHTED AVERAGE NPS

Darta

207

24.40

Darta Abruzzo

132

15.60

Darta Italia

17

1.30

Darta Alentejo

87

9.10

Darta Yorkshire

25

3.60

Darta Sicilia

Not representative due to low response 468

54 POINTS

An eNPS can range from -100 to 100. Anything above zero is acceptable. In general, a score of 10-30 is considered good, and a score of 54, which is the case for Darta, is excellent. Using the eNPS as the core of our engagement evaluation gives us a solid basis for understanding employee loyalty, and helps strategically improve our retention rate.

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Team Darta goes international

Internal communication We do not only employ a balanced mixture of cultures, we also have more than 20 mother tongues among our

Darta is a fast-growing family business, where

employees. To facilitate internal communication, also for

atmosphere and collegiality are important.

non-native speakers, a new internal communication plan

To ensure these ingredients are nourished at all

was drawn up. Darta offers multilingual e-learning options

time, we started Team Darta, which groups all

during the employee onboarding process. The principles

types of initiatives from Sport@work (cycling,

taught in these e-learning sessions are reinforced each

jogging, walking) and Fun@work (Easter surprise,

month through themes displayed on cafeteria screens,

Darta Day) to Health@work (from tasting our

notice boards, and within the Darta app. Additionally,

own products at the food truck to participating in

we place a strong emphasis on ongoing internal training

health-promoting activities, such as stop-smoking

sessions, including Dutch language courses, forklift

coaching).

certification, first aid, and more.

Team Darta is an international initiative. All

Sustainable mobility

our colleagues throughout the Group receive a surprise gift at Easter and for Darta Day. During

As part of our sustainable mobility policy, we offer our

Christmas time, everyone throughout the Group

colleagues alternative mobility solutions. An e-bike or

takes a photo with their ’ugly’ Christmas sweater.

speedelec is a sporty and healthy option to come to work,

In 2023, we also launched a summer challenge

which is now supported by Darta through a bike leasing

and a 30-day challenge across all sites. During

program.

the summer challenge, our employees had to bike, run, walk, or move along a route in the shape of a

Also, electric cars are becoming increasingly popular at

carrot. From the top 5 submissions, a winner was

Darta. Since 2023, all new lease vehicles are fully electric

selected through a poll on Facebook. During the

cars.

30-day challenge, our colleagues were challenged to perform a small daily task that contributed to their well-being, health, and happiness. For example, they were challenged to drink 2 liters of water or to eat lunch outdoors.

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Partnership Partnering with farmer cooperatives in Italy and the UK

Business ethics throughout the supply chain

In Italy, seven agricultural cooperatives joined the

in the food supply chain to work ethically. At Darta,

Marsicana Association of Potato Producers in 1989, with

we have committed ourselves to 100% transparency.

the aim of offering genuine and 100% Italian frozen

Since 2010, we are a member of Supplier Ethical

foods to the general public. Today Darta Abruzzo

Data Exchange (SEDEX), a non-profit membership

(Covalpa) boasts 150 producer members, grouped into

organization that houses the world’s largest collaborative

2 cooperatives, located in the Fucino plain in Abruzzo.

platform for sharing responsible sourcing data on

Thanks to the commitment made every day by certified

supply chains. It enables us, as a member, to manage

farmers, quality vegetables are grown and harvested,

our performance regarding labour rights, health &

carefully selected and processed in our factory.

safety, the environment, and business ethics. This

In the UK, the Swaythorpe Growers cooperative, which

information is made available to customers through the

groups more than 60 local farmers, co-invested in Darta

SEDEX network, giving them a clear view on our ethical

Yorkshire. This is a perfect example of the long-term

performance.

Customers around the world expect the different actors

strategic partnership we have with our growers.

An eNPS can range from -100 to 100. Anything above zero is acceptable. In general, a score of 10-30 is considered good, and a score of54, which is the case for Darta, is excellent.

Using the eNPS as the core of our engagement evaluation gives us a solid basis for understanding employee loyalty, and helps strategically improve our retention rate.

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Selection of certified partners At Darta, we go all in on quality. That is why we only work with certified growers: Vegaplan in Belgium, Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) in France, and Red Tractor in the UK. These standards for good agricultural practice are external independent and objective certifications that ensure the safety and quality of our raw material supply.

On top of that, our agronomists subject our growers to additional internal audits (yield, quality, communication, etc.) and give a score that is evaluated afterwards. Based on the result, we initiate corrective measures and organize regular follow-up meetings to ensure top quality at all time.

An eNPS can range from -100 to 100. Anything above zero is acceptable. In general, a score of 10-30 is considered good, and a score of54, which is the case for Darta, is excellent.

Using the eNPS as the core of our engagement evaluation gives us a solid basis for understanding employee loyalty, and helps strategically improve our retention rate.

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Head Office & Main Production Site Pittemsestraat 58 A, 8850 Ardooie, Belgium T +32 (0)51 82 30 00 sales@darta.com | www.darta.com