Nourishing planet, people, partnership Sustainability report 2026
Strategy
Sustainability, led from the top At Darta, sustainability is not a side topic. It is
This is reflected in tangible initiatives, such
part of how we think, how we make decisions
as reusing water and generating renewable
and how we build the future of our company.
energy through our own solar panels and wind turbine.
As a family business rooted in agriculture, we know that long-term growth only makes sense
This report shows our ambition in action.
when it goes hand in hand with respect for
Behind every project and every improvement
natural resources, strong partnerships and a
is a collective effort by our local teams, our
healthy working environment. The availability of water, the resilience of our supply chain, the well-being of our people and the impact of our
growers, our partners and our sustainability team, who work every day to translate ambition into progress.
operations are not separate challenges. They
We are proud of the steps we are taking, while
are part of one shared responsibility.
fully aware that sustainability is a journey of
That is why sustainability is embedded in our strategy. It guides the choices we make across our sites, from field to factory, from product
continuous improvement. By staying close to our roots and focused on the future, we keep moving forward together.
development to people policies, and from
co-CEOs Pieter De Backere, Steve De
local partnerships to long-term investments.
Backere, Dries Talpe and Karel Talpe
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3
From field to fork
Figures we are proud of
2
FAMILIES
6
PRODUCTION PLANTS
70
TONNES OF FROZEN PRODUCTS
EMPLOYEES
> 1,300
3,000 PRODUCTS
users
FARMERS
> 300,000
COUNTRIES
800
production volume
DARTA SERVES CUSTOMERS IN FOOD SERVICE, RETAIL AND INDUSTRY
Belgium
Portugal
Spain
185,000 tonnes 550 employees
40,000 tonnes 270 employees
25,000 tonnes 110 employees
UK
Italy
Sicily
25,000 tonnes 60 employees
45,000 tonnes 290 employees
5,000 tonnes 60 employees
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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.
— Investing in high-quality training programs
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 The United Kingdom How local partnerships can reduce environmental impact In Driffield, Darta Yorkshire works in close partnership with local growers and neighbouring energy specialists to build a more efficient and futureoriented production model. The site processes peas grown in the region by Swaythorpe Growers, a growers' association bringing together more than 60 local farmers. Swaythorpe Growers is not only a supplier but also a shareholder in DYO, with
representation on the board. This close involvement makes the partnership particularly strong and unique. This close local cooperation helps keep the supply chain short and strongly connected to the region. The short transport distances also contribute to lowering the carbon footprint of our products. A key strength of the site is its circular approach to energy and resource use. All electricity used at DYO is sourced from 100% renewable energy from biogas plant next to the site. In addition, vegetable residues and wastewater are valorised through anaerobic digestion. In this way, local cooperation helps reduce waste, improve resource efficiency and support more sustainable operations. Since 2023 Darta Yorkshire holds ISO 14001 certification. This confirms the site’s structured approach to environmental management and its commitment to continuous improvement.
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Belgium Water resilience through local cooperation At Darta, responsible water use is a growing priority. That is why our site in Ardooie is involved in Steenovenstraat-Nijverheidsstraat, a local pilot project within the Proeftuinen Droogte programme. By collecting and buffering rainwater from the surrounding business park, the project helps reduce pressure on conventional water sources and supports a smarter local water system.
Thanks to the additional roof surface area of neighbouring companies and the raising of the pond embankment, the project will enable the site to buffer an additional 34,000 m³ of rainwater annually. The harvested rainwater is used in the evaporative condensers and is further treated using membrane technology to produce process water. This project shows how local collaboration can turn water challenges into practical, future-oriented solutions.
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Portugal Securing water resources Since 2019, the Darta Alentejo site in Portugal has operated a dedicated lagoon to secure water supply for the production process. The lagoon is replenished through natural rainfall collected from the roofs of the facility as well as water from the lake in Avis, the town where the site is located. The stored water is subsequently filtered and treated, enabling it to be used as high-quality water for production purposes. By relying on locally available water resources and investing in storage capacity, the Portuguese site has strengthened its resilience to water scarcity while reducing pressure on external water supplies. This approach illustrates Darta's commitment to safeguarding water resources and building sustainable operations adapted to local conditions.
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1
Visual water flow Belgium and Portugal SOLAR PANELS
Give back to nature 1
The fully grown and ripe vegetables are harvested and delivered to the Darta factory.
2
3
WIND TURBINE
W AT E
to frozen products.
3 The wind turbine and solar panels generate renewable
UF/RO
5
IN
2 The vegetables are washed in internal recycled water to be processed
RA
PRODUCTION PROCESS TO FINISHED PRODUCT
R
energy for the 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
BYPASS STREAMS
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 The bypass streams of production are 100% recycled as animal feed. 7 The residues from the waste water plant are rich in phosphate, nitrogen
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WASTEWATER
4
PURIFIED WASTEWATER
ANIMAL FEED
UF/RO
BIO GAS
*
8
WASTE WATERPLANT
and potassium, and are the perfect ‘organic fertilizer’ for fields or other crops.
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8 The waste water plant creates ‘bio gas’, which gives back energy to
UF = ultra filtration RO = reversed osmosis
the waste water plant.
*since 2016
ORGANIC FERTILIZER
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Producing sustainable energy on site
Solar energy
Wind energy
Biogas
Solar panels power the Darta production sites in
A wind turbine supplies renewable electricity to the
Biogas from Darta’s Belgian water treatment plant is
Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
Darta production site in Belgium.
recovered, purified and used in a steam boiler.
13,132 MWh
wind-turbine 11,000 MWh
droplet 4,050 MWh
SOLAR ENERGY GENERATED IN 2025
GREEN ELECTRICITY GENERATED IN 2025
BIOGAS WAS PURIFIED IN 2025
sun 8,700 MWh
wind 3.6 MW
recycle 11%
TOTAL SOLAR CAPACITY IN BELGIUM
WIND TURBINE CAPACITY
earth-europe 2025 expansion
Darta reached its 2025 on-site green
electricity target already in 2023.
OF TOTAL GAS USE IS RENEWABLE
bolt FROM 2024 BIOGAS BECOMES A NEW ON-SITE ENERGY SOURCE
SOLAR ENERGY ACROSS THREE COUNTRIES • Darta Alentejo - Portugal: 2,076 MWh • CO.VAL.P.A - Italy: 651 MWh
A by-product becomes usable energy.
• Darta La Mancha - Spain: 1,705 MWh Solar continues to expand across multiple sites.
10% of total renewable energy in Belgium
12% of total renewable energy in Belgium
2% of total renewable energy in Belgium
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CO₂ impact CO₂ intensity from operations and energy use on group level.
Scope 1+2 tCO₂e/tonne sold 0,20
0.1445
0,05
0.1603
0,10
0.1499
0,15
2023
2024
2025
0,00
For transparency, these are market-based results. Darta also calculates its location-based CO₂ intensity. Location-based results: 2023: 0.094, 2024: 0.088, 2025: 0.084 tCO₂e/tonne sold.
Reduction CO2 impact/tonne sold from 2023 to 2025: -3.6%
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CASES Planet in action Across our regions, Darta translates its sustainability strategy into concrete actions tailored to local agricultural conditions. The following cases show how local teams and partners apply sustainable farming practices, reduce resource use and limit environmental impact in line with the Planet pillar of our strategy.
Darta Ardooie (Belgium) DRIVING INNOVATION THROUGH LOCAL AND ZERO-CARBON SOLUTIONS
In Belgium, Darta is reducing transport emissions through the use of a Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 electric truck for transport between Darta and
KEY INITIATIVES INCLUDE
Zero-carbon transport with the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 Optimised cold storage through Coldo
Coldo in Kortrijk. By replacing diesel transport on this
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
route, the truck helps avoid emissions from around
More resource-efficient operations
80,000 km of transport each year. The vehicle is charged with 100% renewable electricity
Coldo is a fully automated frozen warehouse
generated on site, further reducing the impact of these
in Kortrijk. Since January 2026, Darta’s one-
logistics operations. This initiative shows how targeted
third stake in the facility has added 20,000
local solutions can make the supply chain more efficient
pallet positions to its frozen storage capacity.
and lower in carbon.
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Darta Yorkshire (UK) REGENERATIVE AND PRECISION FARMING TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND RESILIENCE
In the UK, pea production is gradually evolving towards a more integrated approach, combining regenerative farming practices with precision agriculture. This helps improve soil health, use resources more efficiently and build a more resilient farming system.
KEY INITIATIVES INCLUDE
Reduced tillage to limit soil disturbance, fuel use and nutrient losses Winter cover crops and summer catch crops to improve soil structure, retain nutrients and increase organic matter Exploration of biostimulants to improve nitrogen fixation and reduce fertilisers Annual variety trials to assess new, more resilient varieties Precision farming through NDVI mapping and optimised field operations
THIS RESULTS IN
Healthier and more resilient soils Higher output efficiency (+5%) Reduced fuel consumption (-10%) More precise field management Continued improvement through data and innovation
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PRODUCTS A broad portfolio 01
02
Vegetables
03
Cuisin' easy
04
Fruits
herbs
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Darta Cuisin'easy range Our innovation and expertise can be found in our
Darta Cuisin’easy has been developed to meet the
convenience products. With Darta Cuisin’easy, we have
increasing awareness of consumers to choose healthy
developed a premium range of convenient, ready-
products that are also tasty. A diet without animal foods
to-use products, combining culinary quality with ease
results in lower greenhouse gas emissions than
of use. The Cuisin’easy range includes premium and
the average diet containing meat and dairy.
catering salads, toppings, snacks, side dishes and ready meals, offering solutions for a wide variety of professional kitchen applications.
The Darta Cuisin'easy range offers a wide selection of vegetarian and vegan recipes, especially within the premium salad category.
This range offers a solution to the increasing time pressure that every chef in the kitchen experiences, 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, eliminating waste in the kitchen.
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Darta Cuisin'easy salads Extended shelf life Continuous recipe improvements have extended the shelf life of our premium salads after defrosting from 2 to 5 days, helping professional kitchens reduce food waste. This unique process has been recognized through a European patent protecting our creative solutions for a better future.
Key benefits
calendar-check
clock
truck
NO EXTRA ORGANIC WASTE
LONGER SHELF LIFE
TIME SAVING
REDUCES TRANSPORT
Ready-to-use salads require
After defrosting, our premium
Ready to use and requiring
Ready-to-use salads combine
no trimming or preparation,
salads stay fresh for up to 5
no additional preparation,
several ingredients in one
helping professional kitchens
days instead of 2, offering
our salads help chefs save
long-life product, reducing
avoid preparation losses
more flexibility while helping
valuable time while delivering
the need for separate
and reduce food waste.
reduce food waste.
consistent, high-quality results.
ingredient purchases and frequent restocking.
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PEOPLE Engaging our employees Understanding whether our employees are happy, satisfied and loyal to their workplace is crucial to our organization. The HR Barometer helps us gain this insight by combining six key indicators into a broad view of the employee experience, supporting our ambition to continuously improve as an employer. One of these indicators is the Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS), which measures how likely employees are to recommend our organization as a place to work to family or friends.
NPS score 2025 NPS SCORE (NET PROMOTER SCORE) Darta Ardooie
62.79
Co.Val.P.A.
61.76
Darta Alentejo
58.24
Darta Yorkshire
77.78
Sole di Sicilia
50.88
Darta La Mancha
Not yet included at the time of the survey.
Total weighted average
62.10 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 62.10, 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
SMETA ethical audit
Internal communication
Darta is a fast-growing family business, where atmosphere and
Trust is central to the way we work at Darta. That is why we attach
Darta employs a balanced mix of cultures, with more than
collegiality are important. To ensure these ingredients are nourished
great importance to SMETA, the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit,
20 mother tongues spoken among our employees. To support clear and
at all time, we started Team Darta, which groups all types of initiatives
an international audit focused on people, safety and responsible
inclusive communication, also for non-native speakers, a new internal
from Sport@work (cycling, jogging, walking) and Fun@work (Easter
business practices. During a SMETA audit, an independent auditor visits
communication plan was drawn up.
surprise, Darta Day) to Health@work (from tasting our own products at
the workplace, reviews how we operate and speaks with employees
the food truck to participating in health-promoting activities, such as
about topics such as working hours, remuneration, health and safety,
stop-smoking coaching).
respectful conduct and environmental care.
modules. The principles taught in these modules are reinforced each
Team Darta is an international initiative. All our colleagues throughout
Today, all sites within the Darta group can present an ethical audit,
and the Darta(licious) app.
the Group receive a surprise gift at Easter and for Darta Day. In 2024,
either through SMETA or a comparable audit system. This reflects our
the filming of the Dartalicious movie was also a true team effort.
commitment to transparency, responsible working and continuous
More than 100 employees enthusiastically took part in the recordings,
improvement across the organization.
As part of the onboarding process, Darta offers multilingual e-learning month through dedicated themes on cafeteria screens, notice boards
alongside the founders and co-CEOs, creating a shared experience that strengthened team spirit and engagement across all sites. Each year, we also organize employee product sales, giving employees the opportunity to purchase selected items from our own range. By making the Darta assortment more accessible to employees, this initiative strengthens their connection to the products they help create every day. In addition, Darta continues to organize an annual summer challenge across all sites. Over the years, this challenge has taken different forms. While earlier editions focused more strongly on walking, running and cycling towards a shared target, more recent editions have also encouraged colleagues to participate in a lighter and more creative way, for example by sharing fun photos and team moments. In every format, the goal remains the same: strengthening connection, participation and team spirit across countries and sites.
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Training and development Darta strongly invests in the development of its employees. Through a broad range of internal and external learning opportunities, we encourage employees to develop their talents and acquire new skills, enabling them to grow both vertically and horizontally within the organization. In 2025, the number of training hours reached 3,859, representing a rise of almost 40% compared to the previous year and coming close to the target of 4,000 hours. Training initiatives include Dutch language courses, forklift certification, first aid training and other jobspecific learning opportunities.
Sustainable mobility As part of our sustainable mobility policy, we offer our colleagues practical alternatives for their daily commute. Through our bike leasing programme, an e-bike or speed pedelec becomes an accessible and healthy option to come to work. We also see a clear rise in the number of colleagues commuting by bike to our sites, confirming that more employees are embracing active mobility. This number increased from 63 in 2022 to 96 in 2025, representing a rise of more than 50%. Since 2023, all new lease vehicles at Darta have been fully electric.
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SOCIAL ENGagement Active together At Darta, we encourage employee well-being
Supporting our communities
through an active lifestyle. Colleagues across our sites
Alongside these initiatives, Darta actively supports
regularly take part in sporting initiatives that promote
the communities in which it operates. In 2024, a
movement, team spirit and connection. Darta
one-time, staff-driven charity initiative allowed
supports participation in local and regional events
employees to put forward causes they care about,
such as the Urban Run, Dwars over de Mandel,
resulting in a collective action with strong internal
Christmas Run and the Rhodesgoed walking/
engagement.
cycling event, strengthening both physical wellbeing and collegial bonds.
This community support also takes shape through more regular initiatives. In Belgium, Darta donates products to food banks, including its Smart Soup Mix, and participates in De Warmste Week each year through its well-known soup campaign. In Portugal, Darta donates frozen vegetables to organizations supporting vulnerable groups, including homeless people through GMASA and elderly residents through Casa de Repouso.
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Growing from within
Company visits In addition, Darta regularly organizes company visits for schools, partners and other stakeholders. During these visits, participants gain insight into our processes, our sustainability initiatives and the role our employees play in making them happen. These visits are an opportunity to Darta’s social engagement starts
make our values tangible and stimulate
with its own employees. We aim
dialogue around Darta and sustainability.
to create an environment where people are supported in their development and encouraged to grow within the organization.
Aspiravi Days In September 2025, Darta hosted the threeday Aspiravi Days event at its site. Schools, employees, cooperative members and local
Omar’s trajectory is one example:
partners were invited to discover wind energy in
after joining Darta in 2019 through
an interactive way through four converted sea
an interim agency, he moved from
containers.
packaging to a new role in Menu in 2024. With guidance from colleagues and additional training, including forklift certification, he continues to develop and take on
By opening up our site, we strengthened our connection with the local community and raised awareness of the role of wind energy in a more sustainable future.
new responsibilities.
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Darta academy The Darta Academy is our umbrella term for all internal, external, and online training courses. It encompasses our LMS system, where people can register for internal, external, and online training courses, as well as online courses. This internal learning platform offers employees the opportunity to follow courses at their own pace, tailored to their role, ambitions, and interests. From technical skills to soft skills, we are also establishing a physical training center, offering practical training courses that mimic the workplace. The Darta Academy is a key pillar of our sustainable HR strategy. It promotes lifelong learning and contributes to an agile, resilient organization.
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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 Co.Val.P.A. boasts
Data Exchange (SEDEX), a non-profit membership
150 producer members, grouped into 2 cooperatives,
organization that houses the world’s largest collaborative
located in the Fucino plain in Abruzzo. Thanks to the
platform for sharing responsible sourcing data on
commitment made every day by certified farmers,
supply chains. It enables us, as a member, to manage
quality vegetables are grown and harvested, carefully
our performance regarding labour rights, health &
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.
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Growing together
How WILL strives for sustainability Working with Darta Will Jones is Estate Manager at Albanwise Farming Ltd,
In the field, this approach is reflected in a strong focus
a large arable farming business in East Yorkshire and
on soil health, supported by diverse crop rotations, cover
member of Swaythorpe Growers. As part of its cropping
crops where appropriate, precision farming technology
rotation, the farm grows vining peas for Swaythorpe
and integrated crop management. The farm also
"Sustainability is now
Growers, which coordinates the collaboration with
continues to explore ways to improve water efficiency
Darta.
and reduce its overall environmental impact.
embedded in everyday
For Will, sustainable farming means producing high-
The collaboration with Darta and Swaythorpe Growers
being treated as a separate
quality crops while protecting the environment and
supports this way of working. A reliable long-term
keeping the farm productive for the future. It is about
customer gives growers the confidence to keep
objective."
making informed decisions that balance economic,
investing in more sustainable farming practices, while
environmental and social responsibilities on a daily basis.
regular communication and shared objectives help
farming decisions rather than
- Will Jones
improve the way crops are grown.
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Selection of cultivation partners At Darta, quality begins in the field. Depending on the region of origin, we work with growers that are selected and supported through recognized certification systems (like Vegaplan, HVE, Red Tractor) and/or specific agronomic monitoring programmes. These systems support good agricultural practices and help ensure the safety, quality and sustainability of our raw materials. In addition, Darta’s agronomists regularly evaluate growers on aspects such as crop performance, quality, communication and compliance with Darta’s requirements. Based on the results, corrective actions and follow-up measures are taken where needed. This supports continuous improvement and helps ensure a consistent supply of high-quality raw materials.
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What's in it for me?
Four pillars. One ambition. Planet
products
people
Partnership
Choosing Darta means choosing a smart, responsible future. 27
Head Office & Main Production Site Pittemsestraat 58 A, 8850 Ardooie, Belgium T +32 (0)51 82 30 00 sales@darta.com | www.darta.com