Sustainability Report 2018 by Voelkel

Working together for future-oriented agriculture

Sustainability Report 2018

www.voelkeljuice.de/en

Contents 1. Foreword �� 05 2. Company Profile �� 06 2.1 Voelkel – organic juice manufacturer ��08 2.2 A company based on a holistic business approach ��10 2.3 Our company ��12 2.4 Milestones in Voelkel’s history ��14 2.5 Practicing sustainability at Voelkel ��16 2.6 Growing sustainability awareness ��18 2.7 Awards and prizes ��18 3. Voelkel stands for quality �� 20

3.1 What we mean by quality ��21 3.2 Buying our raw materials ��22 3.2.1 Where our raw materials come from ��24 3.3 The quality of our raw materials ��26 3.4 Skilled craftsmanship put to work ��28 3.5 What makes Voelkel products so special? ��30 3.6 Products introduced in 2018 ��32

4. How Voelkel takes responsibility for the environment �� 36

4.1 Our responsibility for the environment ��37 4.2 Voelkel’s climate strategy ��37 4.3 Environmental management at Voelkel ��38 4.4 Energy ��40 4.5 Water ��40 4.6 Waste ��41

5. Voelkel’s commitment �� 42

5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5

Responsibility for humankind and nature ��43 Social cooperation worldwide ��46 Regional social cooperation projects ��48 Our worldwide ecological commitment ��50 Regional ecological commitment ��52

6. Corporate objectives 2019 �� 56 7. Summary �� 57 8. How to get in touch with Voelkel �� 60 9. Legal notice �� 61

Sustainability Report 2018

1. Foreword Dear readers, dear friends of organic food, Environmental protection, social and cultural responsibility and the endeavour to keep them in line with economic concerns have always been an integral part of our entrepreneurial thinking and actions. With this Sustainability Report, we are now providing written evidence for the sixth time of how important sustainability is to our family-owned company. Even our company founders Karl and Margret Voelkel were inspired by the desire to live and work in harmony with people and nature. Their founding impulses are still an integral part of Voelkel's corporate philosophy and are now being continued into the third and fourth generations. Their vision of future-oriented agriculture is still in each and every bottle of Voelkel juice today. A self-determined life in a healthy environment, hand in hand with cultivation partners and natural food, lovingly pressed and transformed into delicious juice by them. Even if my grandparents had different words for it than we do today, their heart's desire, their inner drive always remained the same. In keeping with the concept of natural food, we support various social and ecological projects, regionally and worldwide, in addition to the production of ecologically high-quality fruit and vegetable juices. It is, for example, our impulse to supply people in remote areas with water, a valuable and vital commodity and make them aware of how to handle this precious commodity. Another matter close to our hearts is Demeter agriculture. We actively support various cultivation partners in their conversion to this ecological form of farming. In 2011, as a signal for the future, we set up the Voelkel foundations and transferred our company capital to them. Since then, to promote future-oriented agriculture, our profits have been reinvested in our organic fruit juice factory and sustainable ecological, social and cultural projects. Responsibility for mankind and nature is and always remains the central philosophy of Voelkel.

Every sustainability report can only be an interim report, which certainly does not claim to be complete and certainly not final. With this report, we are pleased to present to you our current measures and steps on our way to becoming a thoroughly future-oriented company. Kind regards,

Yours Stefan Voelkel

Sustainability Report 2018

Founders: Karl and Margret Voelkel

2. A company portrait Stefan Voelkel (managing director): "What has been driving us at Voelkel for more than 80 years is a self-determined lifestyle in a healthy environment, future-oriented agriculture and natural food â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this is what we are committed to, today, tomorrow and in the future. It is our aim to protect the environment and to keep social and cultural responsibility in harmony with economic interests."

Company Profile

From left to right: David, Boris, Jurek, Jacob und Stefan Voelkel

In the beginning there was: the Mostmax! With this mobile juicer, Margret and Karl Voelkel went through the floodplains of the Elbe river and processed the fruit from the surrounding villages. The couple realized their dream of a life in harmony with nature and founded – inspired by the idea of bio-dynamic agriculture – the organic juice factory at Höhbeck in the Wendland.

Today, around 80 years later, Stefan Voelkel and his son Jacob Voelkel are jointly managing directors in the 3rd and 4th generations. The organic fruit juice factory has built its reputation on a large selection of juices and drinks in organic and Demeter quality. What once began hand in hand with farmers from the region now works throughout Germany, Europe and the world.

Their second born son, Harm Voelkel, continued the tradition of the family-owned fruit juice factory together with his wife Gisela until the 1980s. During this time, the organic movement, that the Voelkel family always lived by, was gaining momentum worldwide and Stefan Voelkel began to expand the regional company, initially nationwide and soon also beyond Germany's borders.

This family business takes its responsibility for humankind and nature very seriously and only uses raw materials from future- oriented farmers in fair-trade partnerships. This is to ensure that the natural diversity we enjoy today is preserved for as long as possible.

Sustainability Report 2018

Voelkel's company premises in 1970 and old apple juice bottles (from the time of Harm Voelkel)

2.1 Voelkel – organic juice manufacturer… …for more than 80 years From the moment the company was founded, the name Voelkel became synonymous with the traditional skilled production of Demeter and organic fruit and vegetable juices, a love of craftsmanship, enthusiasm for the abundance and diversity of nature and the conviction that holistic biodynamic cultivation is the only viable method for sustainable future-oriented farming.

3rd and 4th generations of the Voelkel family and today offers more than 218 different fruit juices, fruit juice variations, vegetable juices and soft drinks. The Voelkel Foundation was established in 2011. It is based on a manifesto for future-oriented agriculture drawn up by the Voelkel family: "Only ecological agriculture is future-oriented agriculture based on healthy soil, clean water, diversity along with healthy plants, animals and farms." We have been following this principle for more than 80 years. Fresh straight from the trees and fields into the bottle for delicious natural juices based on future-oriented

The story of our organic juice factory began over 80 years ago when Margret and Karl Voelkel made their lives into a dream come true. Influenced by Rudolf Steiner's agricultural teachings they enthusiastically pursued the idea of biodynamic farming right from the start, laying the foundation for the Voelkel philosophy. farming – today and for generations to come. Harm and Gisela Voelkel, the 2nd generation, took over the traditional fruit juice factory with the same passion for fair and future- In the spirit of the biodynamic founding ideal, in addition to the oriented agriculture. Our traditional juice factory is now run by the development of Voelkel GmbH (German for a limited company), the

Company Profile

Voelkel Foundation also promotes organic farming by maintaining employment, giving our employees security and a good livelihood along with promoting awareness of sustainability and the values that are conducive to nature and life. The Voelkel Foundation is a reliable fair trade partner enabling organic agriculture cultivation partners to expand and prosper by a strong commitment to nature conservation and environmental protection. This is all part of ensuring that our customers continue to enjoy our tasty natural products in organic and Demeter quality. Everything our organic juice factory does is based on our motto: "Responsibility for humankind and nature". As a true pioneer in the field of organic products, we never lose sight of what is best for the well-being of our customers, employees and partners. The commitment to use natural resources sparingly and considerately as well as continually optimising the day-to-day implementation of these principles is imbedded in every decision we make. Our family business focuses on fair trade and long-term personal relationships with fruit and vegetable growers in keeping with the principles underlying modern natural and organic production methods. Other integral parts of our company philosophy are our social and ecological commitments, both locally and worldwide.

Facts & Figures

2018

Employees

216

Trainees & apprentices

Turnover

approx. 63 million Euros

Registered office

Fährstraße 1, 29478 Höhbeck /OT Pevestorf, Germany

Managing directors

Stefan Voelkel, Jacob Voelkel

Number of products

218

Production output

approx. 65 million packaging units / year

Voelkel’s Philosophy A respect for nature's gifts, using natural resources sparingly and manufacturing high quality products has been our commitment for more than eighty years. The precious knowledge we have gained over decades about the g entle processing of fruits and vegetables

Sustainability Report 2018

from biodynamic and controlled organic cultivation seamlessly translates into natural organic products. In the further development of our multifaceted product range we are constantly challenging ourselves to bring you a w ider range of innovative and exceptionally nutritious products that are also incomparably tasty.

Biodynamic products are really close to our hearts. Here we follow a tradition that goes back to our company founders Karl and Margret Voelkel. We actively ensure sustainable protection of the environment and secure regional employment by working closely with the growers of the organic raw materials.

Harm Voelkel standing next to an Opel Blitz

2.2 A company based on a holistic business approach Voelkel focuses on a holistic way of doing business and this concept runs like a common thread through all our corporate decision-making processes. Right from the start we had a strong commitment to act in harmony with nature and other people. Following from this, the continuing success of our company as a family business rooted in the region was an important achievement secured by the transfer of the company into the Voelkel Foundation in 2011. Im Jahr 1988 schreibt Harm Voelkel: "[…] the operation of the juice factory is based on the cooperation between producers and consumers and thus constitutes a future-oriented way of doing business that serves not only, as is becoming increasingly common today, financial and economic goals, but also qualitative and, in a broad sense, social goals.

Our aim is fraternity in economic life, equality in legal life and we strive for freedom in the cultural and spiritual domains." We still aspire to these standards today. They reflect the fact that holistic and fair business practices were already an important topic for our company long before the concept and principles of sustainability became known to the general public. Not only is running our business ecologically just a natural part of how we do things, we also have a tradition of consideration for society and its future in the long-term. Having been involved in many discussions about sustainability it also became clear to us that the term "future-oriented" is a better expression than "sustainable". It seems to us that "future-oriented" symbolises the principle of using resources sensibly more impressively than the term "sustainable" ever could.

Company Profile

Our family business launches several new products on the market every year, often innovative, sometimes unconventional. Following the success of BioZisch Matcha, the functional juices as well as Cold Brew Coffee in three different varieties demonstrate our desire to experiment and the innovative power of our company and its employees.

Ecological approach Our diverse range of fruit and vegetable juices, fruit juice v ariations and soft drinks are of 100 % organic and Demeter quality. We have supported environmentally friendly cultivation methods right from our earliest years as part of a pioneering role that we continue to live up to today. For us, healthy soil, clean water, biological diversity and ecological farms are the basis for future-oriented agriculture. The principles of biodynamic farming created the founding impulse of our company. Today the third and fourth generations of our family are committed to retaining and spreading these principles.

Social responsibility Tradition and Innovation Nowadays our organic juices are bottled using state of the art machinery. Nevertheless, craftsmanship and traditional production methods still play an important role in our company. Complex settings need to be made on our machines before each filling across our wide range of 218 products. Our batches are small compared to those of conventional beverage manufacturers. In addition, we have many innovative products with sophisticated development and manufacturing processes. Thanks to decades of experience in juice manufacturing and the skilled work of well-trained specialists the famous high standard of Voelkel quality is delivered to our customers each and every day. The development of a new product is a creative process right from the initial idea through to the finished product. We keep refining a new juice creation like a work of art until the finished product is staggeringly delicious as well as meeting the values and strict standards of our family business in all other respects. Stefan Voelkel, in particular, always has a good nose for trends and the courage to experiment. Since the beginning of the 1980s he has led the way in providing fresh impulses for our product development and has inspired everyone with his enthusiasm for new innovations.

Sustainability Report 2018

Topics such as sustainability, protection of the environment and fair trade are not new concepts in the industry or for us at Voelkel but they have to be continuously filled with new goals and new contents. We work closely with various organisations and institutions to further develop the concept of producing natural organic food. The premise is that the careful and responsible use of nature's resources and the improvement of the quality of life of socially disadvantaged people are just as important to them as they are to us. These include, for example, the Development and Humanitarian Organisation Plan International and missio e. V., but also various regional initiatives that we will talk about in more detail under the headings of "Social Cooperation" and "Ecological Commitment". Since our foundation in the 1930s we have been working exclusively at one company location in the small town of Pevestorf near the Elbe and this won’t change since it is stipulated in our foundation's statutes. We work in shifts to produce our juices. In this way, we achieve better machine utilisation and avoid outsourcing. This all allows us to make sure that Pevestorf remains the production location for our employees and create jobs in the comparatively structurally weak region of north-eastern Lower Saxony. Furthermore, our activities contribute to securing the infrastructure of this rural area and thereby support the local economy.

2.3. Our company The protection of the environment as well as social, cultural and economic aspects have always been an integral part of our plans and actions. Karl and Margret Voelkel had already laid down the golden rule right at the start: we want to live and work in h armony with humankind and nature. This founding impulse is still an integral part of our corporate philosophy and the core of our foundation's statutes. We at Voelkel like to imagine our company as a healthy, giant tree with a magnificent treetop full of green leaves, a broad trunk and deep, healthy roots. This is how the Voelkel Foundation enables all of the company's actions to be rooted in the ideational values of its founding idea. Our guiding principle "Responsibility for humankind and nature" is firmly anchored in this tree's trunk. Long-term oriented action with consideration for nature and society are closely interwoven into our family business. The treetop carries Voelkel's guiding principle into the individual corporate divisions and is further developed by those divisions: product development, quality assurance, bottling, basic production, laboratory, warehouse, logistics, technology, purchasing, export, logistics, production, sales, marketing, trade marketing, accounting, human resources and IT. All of them allow the tree to grow and are necessary for the continuous development of Voelkel GmbH as a healthy tree with strong roots.

Company Profile

A company that grows

dynamicallyâ&#x20AC;&#x2030;...

a trend that speaks for itself!

-GmbH (limited company)

-Foundation

Sustainability Report 2018

2.4 Milestones in Voelkel's history The 1920s

1960

1999

After the First World War Margret and Karl Voelkel get married and settle down in Höhbeck. In doing so, they follow their longing for a simple life in harmony with the cosmos. Originally inspired by the ‘Wandervogel’ movement with its ideal of a return to nature and leading a responsible life they later adopted the ideas of anthroposophy.

Start of Voelkel‘s in-house production of vegetable juices.

Start-up of the company- owned and state-approved mineral spring.

1970

Voelkel begins supplying customers in the Netherlands and starts to build up its export business.

1936 Foundation of the Voelkel cider mill in an old dairy building in Pevestorf.

1998 1945 With Harm Voelkel the second Voelkel generation takes over the business. Under his leadership Voelkel becomes a superregional operating business.

1980

Stefan Voelkel takes over the business. He transforms the company into a modern organic juice factory and significantly expands the product range.

The 1930s Karl and Margret Voelkel travel with the "Mostmax", a mobile juice press, from village to village pressing apples, pears and numerous other types of fruit produced by the local farmers and turn them into tasty juices. They also devote themselves intensively to studying the agricultural teachings of Rudolf Steiner.

A new finished goods warehouse, a container warehouse and the sewage treatment plant are completed.

1950 Voelkel becomes a member of the Demeter Association. Even then our juice factory was one of the first larger Demeter-certified companies.

Company Profile

2000

2013

2018

The company premises are further expanded. Production moves from the old dairy to newly constructed production halls.

Foundation of Elbtalaue Naturkostprodukte GmbH.

Construction of an additional finished goods warehouse with a floor area of 8,553.77 m2.

2016 Expansion of production line with a new 1,400m² hall.

2011 Establishment of the Voelkel Foundation.

2017 2014

Laying of the foundation stone for the finished goods warehouse and production hall as well as founding of Bio-Marktplatz, the organic marketplace for innovative start-ups.

Vegan certification via the Vegetarierbund Deutschland e.V. (German Vegetarian Association) (VEBU) and certification for organic mineral water.

2009/2010

2012

Voelkel celebrates the 18th anniversary of its 7 Zwerge "UNSER ORIGINAL" juice for children and the 10th anniversary of its BioZisch drink.

At the award ceremony for the German Sustainability Awards, Voelkel receives the "nawi Award for S ustainable Business Practices" and an award in the "TOP 3 of Germany's Most Sustainable Future Strategies for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises" category.

Sustainability Report 2018

2.5 Practising sustainability at Voelkel Economic sustainability generally means, first and foremost, securing the existence of the company in the long term and naturally we want our organic juice factory to be here forever. In a world that is changing at an increasingly faster pace we must be able to react to new circumstances ever more flexibly. However, it is supremely important to us that we know the needs of all stakeholders, meet these needs responsibly and maintain a healthy b alance between them. This distinguishes us sharply from companies that are primarily profit-oriented. With this sustainability report, we would like to give an overview of how we implemented the idea of "sustainability" or "future orientation" and fulfilled the ideal with our actions in 2018. To give you an insight, what we have done is to outline some of the concrete measures taken and publish the corresponding figures to clarify what was achieved. This is now Voelkel's seventh sustainability report.

The term "sustainability" encompasses three important points for us and our aim is to keep these in balance and take them into account in all operational decisions:

1. To meet highest quality standards Premium juices and juice variations of organic and Demeter quality guarantee our economic success.

2. Special consideration for nature Almost all of the raw materials we process come from controlled organic and biodynamic cultivation and we support the development of organic farming both regionally and worldwide.

3. Long-term partnerships and social commitment We obtain our raw materials from long-standing cultivation partners. In cooperation with our cultiva tion partners and organisations such as the children's welfare organisation Plan International Deutschland e.V., we are committed to supporting social improvement programmes at home and abroad.

Apple trees at the organic fruit farm Augustin, Altes Land, Jork

We do not always succeed in meeting all the requirements in an equal manner and being somewhat perfectionist we are not easily satisfied with the results we have achieved. We set ourselves objectives so we can align our organic juice factory with future- oriented business activities, optimise this future-orientation in our ongoing processes and adapt it to the changing circumstances we encounter. As part of our sustainability reporting programme we review and redefine these goals at regular intervals. Our sustainability assessment as well as the preparation of the sustainability report is based on the N-Monitor of the BNN

Company Profile

(Bundesverband Naturkost Naturwaren, the federal association for organic producers and organic products). This N-Monitor is a new approach that the BNN and its members have taken and comprises a set of indicators that was established in collaboration with companies at each stage of the value chain to reflect the actual state of affairs of companies at every stage of the value chain as accurately as possible. For us this sustainability assessment serves two purposes. It supports internal corporate management decision-making and provides both internal and external transparency.

Sustainability Report 2018

BNN sustainability indicators for Voelkel and the organic food trade The BNN association's sustainability indicators are an important part of writing our own sustainability report. We use them to specify and collate our sustainability data and make it available to the BNN. This means that we contribute to creating a picture of the overall sustainability situation in the organic food trade as well as writing our own report.

2.6 Growing sustainability awareness A very important part of our work is helping to increase "sustainability" awareness amongst our employees and customers. The prerequisites necessary for future-oriented behaviour can only come about if people are aware of what "sustainability" actually means and if they can see concrete ways of implementing it through their actions. To do this, future-oriented thinking is required so knowledge about sustainability in everyday life is of fundamental importance. We make a sustained effort to communicate to employees and customers everything we are doing.

ing with a local health food outlet we have negotiated a discount deal for our employees to save them money when buying organic products. The company snack bar offers all organic hot food, salads and snacks, which in the summer under the awning and in the winter in the break room ensure an enjoyable break for everyone. As a bicycle-friendly company, our employees are free to take part in the AOK "Cycle to work" campaign and via jobrad.de it is also possible to lease a bicycle with co-financing from the company.

External communication This goes right from the buying in of sustainably farmed raw materials and the quality standards involved to our cultivation projects that form part of our social commitment through to our extensive product range.

Internal communication We give our employees the opportunity to be involved in stimulating debates on various issues and attend short courses on sustainability topics. Lecturers from the Demeter Verein (Demeter association), for instance, give lectures during short or intensive training courses and the Demeter Journal as well as the Demeter im Norden (Demeter in the North) brochure are also freely available in our company. Work-

We engage directly with our customers at various trade fairs and events as well as offering tours of our company premises, answering questions, explaining our future-oriented corporate strategy and recommending to our visitors the opportunities for climate protection and energy cost savings that are possible. Those who are interested can easily download our sustainability reports and sustainability brochure from our website. The brochure has lots of tips for a more future-oriented way of living in everyday life. Many of our customers have told us that they have found it a great help to be able to call us on our free telephone hotline (from all German networks) and that it is always a pleasure to talk to our knowledgeable staff. We also get many enquiries by email or by post.

2.7 Awards and prizes

Readers' Choice Award "natürlich" 2018

Readers' Choice Award "eve" 2018

Culinary Ambassador of Lower Saxony 2018

The consumer magazine "natürlich" polled its readers in 2018 by asking them to vote for their favourite organic products. We were delighted that the undisputed winner for best taste was our Feldfrischer Möhrensaft, Demeter (field-fresh carrot juice in Demeter quality).

The consumer magazine "eve" also asked its readers in 2018 to vote for their favourite organic products and this year’s undisputed winner for best taste was our Apfel Mango Saft, Demeter (apple mango juice in Demeter quality).

Our Feldfrischer Möhrensaft 0.7 L (fieldfresh carrot juice) was awarded this prize and as such this juice stands for a particularly authentic, responsibly produced food originating from the federal state of Lower Saxony.

Company Profile

Christoph Schäfer with Demeter rhubarb from the organic Feldgemüse Schäfer/Meyer farm from Güstritz, Germany

3. Voelkel stands for quality Boris Voelkel (head of purchasing): "It's a gift to have the o pportunity to be involved in and contribute to this prestigious company founded by my great-grandparents. Sometimes it’s a real challenge to constantly develop the company’s product range, product quality and ideology while becoming more efficient and economical at the same time. It is only possible because of the diverse talents that the Voelkel siblings bring to the table to benefit the company."

Voelkel stands for quality

Charlotte Voelkel prefers eating Demeter carrots – fresh from the field!

3.1 What Voelkel means by quality For us the development and production of high-quality natural food juices in organic and Demeter quality are an expression of our appreciation of nature. This is the foundation for the economic success of our organic juices plant. The purchase of our raw materials is the bedrock of our legendary Voelkel quality. What we prefer is to buy and process Demeter quality raw materials but failing that we accept EG organic quality. Our aim is to guarantee the supreme quality of the juices produced in our in-house plant so we use as few processing steps as possible and never touch any artificial flavourings, additives, preservatives or colourings.

The challenging task of combining modern and traditional production methods, practiced craftsmanship along with an integrated system of food safety and quality management places high demands on each and every Voelkel product. Our quality management is certified according to the internationally accepted DIN EN ISO 9001 and IFS Food standards. Our strict Voelkel quality standards apply to every single organic and Demeter juice that leaves our production site on its way to you.

Voelkel quality standards in a nutshell • We always prefer to process 100 % direct juices and only deviate from this principle if the specific product properties do not permit processing as direct juice. • Our organic juices are gently pasteurised using a special flash pasteurisation process with subsequent immediate re-cooling. This ensures maximum preservation of natural vitamins and minerals. • We only process strictly inspected fruit and vegetables from controlled organic and biodynamic cultivation. • Our juices, juice variations and soft drinks are free from artificial flavours, preservatives and colourings. • We never process any genetically modified raw materials. • Our natural juices are produced using electricity from renewable energy sources.

3.2 Buying our raw materials Every year we buy something like 37,000 tons of raw materials from growers in Germany and abroad. Our first choice for domestic fruit is suppliers in Germany and the Lower Saxony region. Some of our raw materials come from cultivation partners who are just a few kilometres away from our factory premises, rhubarb from Güstritz, for example or carrots from Gartow. We buy exotic fruits, such as mangos and lemons, from farmers in the Mediterranean region, India or South America. These fruits are cultivated under optimal climatic conditions and also in the organic or Demeter quality we require. In order to keep transportation as low as possible we prefer working with suppliers within Europe and around 87 % of all our raw materials come from this area. To minimise energy and shipping costs, our partners outside Europe process their ripe citrus and exotic fruits into juice or puree in the country of origin. Shipment to the Pevestorf factory then takes place in reusable barrels. To avoid contributing to the pollution caused by air traffic these barrels are transported by ship.

After a lot of thought, we decided not to buy land in other countries to carry out our own cultivation and processing of raw materials but opted for long-term partnerships with local growers instead. This has preserved the original structures of the cultivation areas as well as retaining and promoting the know-how of local farmers. This creates the bedrock for long-term partnerships and secures their livelihoods. One example is the cultivation of turmeric and ginger in Demeter quality in Peru. Here, small farmers' cooperatives use manual cultivation methods on the steep slopes and harvest the ginger and turmeric roots by hand. By imparting our comprehensive knowledge about organic and biodynamic cultivation methods to growers worldwide we encourage them to switch to organic farming. In addition, we actively promote the conversion from organic to biodynamic cultivation through our cultivation projects. You can find more information on this under "Our worldwide ecological commitment".

Voelkel stands for quality

Voelkel's guideline for purchasing raw materials

Voelkel’s objectives are to: • Combine fair trade and organic cultivation effectively • Support regional growers and growers in the countries of origin • Engage in fair business practices and fair prices for growers • Provide growers with security for planning through long-term business relationships • Maintain consistent product transparency and traceability

Our commitment • Striving for long-term business relations with our partners • Visiting partners on-site, establishing a status report and working out measures together with cultivation partners to optimise cultivation • Regularly checking compliance with guidelines • Negotiating prices and purchase quantities at defined intervals and producing written purchase agreements Santiago Martinez at our cultivation partner for Demeter ginger in Peru in April 2019

Our partners are committed to: … striving for long-term business relationships with Voelkel GmbH

Around 95 % of our suppliers are long-term partners. We firmly believe that we can only guarantee the supreme quality of our raw materials through long-term partnerships with our fruit and vegetable growers. Contracts that have been drawn up jointly and are designed for years to come secure our demand for high-quality raw materials and give our suppliers both planning certainty and financial security. Sound partnerships are only possible on the basis of fair conditions and constant dialogues since a long-term approach only works if everyone is happy. We have developed a set of guidelines for our cultivation partners to ensure this purchasing philosophy works. It is based on the international standards of Social Accountability International (SAI), the guidelines of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) as well as the Organic Code (commitment of the organic industry to 100 % organic products and sustainability) and defines important points for a fair cooperation between Voelkel and our cultivation partners.

Sustainability Report 2018

… providing a minimum certification according to EC organic regulations or preferably certification according to cultivation association guidelines such as Bioland or Demeter … covering both the production and personnel costs of raw material suppliers and employees by paying for goods and paying wages … striving for environment-friendly processing and production processes in accordance with ISO 14001 … structuring their management and administration in a transparent manner and regularly informing their staff about their activities and involve employees in such activities … reporting to Voelkel annually regarding transparency and traceability (applicable to partners with 10 employees or more)

Germany · apples · artichoke · pears · beans · dill · strawberries · cucumbers · oat bran · rose hip · elder · elderberry blossoms

3.2.1 Where our raw materials come from Voelkel purchases around 37,000 tons of raw materials per year from its partners in Germany and abroad. The map below shows the worldwide distribution of countries of origin for our raw materials.

· yogurt · currants · pumpkin · carrots · plums / damsons · quinces · rhubarb · beetroot · beet sugar · sea buckthorn · sour cherries · sauerkraut · celery · soya milk · onions

Denmark · carrots

Netherlands · carrots · beetroot · celery

Spain USA

Canada

· Californian plums · cranberries

· cranberries · maple syrup

Costa Rica · pineapple · bananas

Mexico · agave syrup

Colombia · guave

Ecuador · bananas

Peru · ginger · turmeric · passion fruit · green coffee

South America · raw cane sugar

Paraguay

· aloe vera · artichoke · oranges · quinces · Spanish mulled wine · lemons · tomatoes · peppers · peaches

Italy · apples · apricots · pears · blood oranges · barbary fig · oranges · peppers · peach · quinces · tomatoes · grapes · lemons · almond butter

Mali · mangos

Brazil · açaí · acerola · bananas · guarana · guava · limes · mandarins · mate · passion fruit

Egypt · hibiscus flowers · limes · oranges

· raw cane sugar · chia seeds

Voelkel stands for quality

Finland · birch sap

Poland

Lithuania

Estonia

· apples · chokeberry · blueberries · cranberries · sea buckthorn

· birch sap

Slovakia · apples

· apples · chokeberries · strawberries · raspberries · elderflowers · currants · rhubarb · rose petals · sea buckthorn · sour cherries

Rumania Ukraine Serbia · strawberries · raspberries · sour cherries

· birch sap · blackberries · blueberries · elder · cranberries

· apples · blackberries · rose hip · blueberries · raspberries · elder · cranberries · sea buckthorn

Azerbaijan Turkey

· pomegranate

Japan

· apricots · blackberries · pomegranates · peppers · plum juice

Iran · pomegranates

· matcha

Thailand · dragon fruit · ginger · coconut · lychee · papaya

Israel · grapefruit · oranges

Vietnam · passion fruit

India Ethiopia · coffee

Comoros

· pineapple · guava · mango · raw cane sugar · turmeric · papaya

· vanilla

Sri Lanka · coconut · passion fruit · ginger

Madagascar · pineapple · lychee juice

Africa · vanilla

South Africa · grapefruit · lemons

Sustainability Report 2018

Boris Voelkel and our cultivation partner for blood oranges, Francesco Salamita (Italian Demeter-pioneer)

3.3 The quality of our raw materials The raw materials processed by us and our cultivation partners are divided into different quality grades. You’ll find the tested quality standard of the ingredients for each of our juices and juice variations on every label and package. We do everything we can to retain the highest possible degree of the naturalness of the nutritious raw materials we use. This is thanks to the Voelkel holistic approach, our wealth of experience, the professional competence of our employees and the gentle processing methods we use – and you can taste it!

Our internal production laboratory is kept very busy carrying out a vast range of tests including inspecting all the raw material that comes in by carrying out sensory, chemical and physical tests. This includes things like finding out the sugar and acid values. You might think we’d be happy with all that but we also have e xternal laboratories that carry out independent control tests to further ensure the highest quality for our products. One of the things they test for is pesticide residues.

Voelkel stands for quality

Demeter quality

FairBio

Only products that have been produced according to the strict principles of biodynamic farming bear the trademark of the Demeter Cultivation Association. This means that they were farmed as best as possible in closed cycles without using any synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Doing it like this means that the preparations made of manure, medicinal plants and minerals work to increase soil f ertility, ensure the growth of humus layers and help plants to develop their natural characteristic flavours. Both sowing and harvesting times are based on natural cosmic rhythms.

Voelkel is also committed to supporting fair trade at a local level. As a FairBio (FairBio e.V is a German registered association) member Voelkel is committed to fixing prices by mutual agreements with producers and to purchasing raw materials locally wherever possible. We always set up longterm supply and purchase agreements with our suppliers. We aren’t looking for a quick profit. To us fairness is more than just fair prices. It is also about transparency, quality, protection of the environment and social commitment.

Organic quality

Organic fruits from meadow orchards

The term "organic" stands for foodstuffs produced in accordance with the EU-Eco-Regulation. The terms "organic" and "eco" in connection with food are protected by law. The use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and genetically modified organisms is prohibited in organic farming. In order to retain and promote soil fertility, organic farming is aimed at ensuring a closed organic nutrient cycle.

Organic mineral water Only really pure springs that meet the strict criteria with regards to residues of pesticides, fertilizers, uranium, etc. produce organic quality mineral water. Not only is this the highest quality mineral water but drinking it is good for you and for the environment. Purity isn’t the only requirement though. We need to focus on gentle, sustainable water collection, environment-friendly packaging and the protection of our water resources from contamination. The organic mineral water label guarantees the ultimate in mineral water quality and this is regularly checked by an independent certification body.

Fairtrade Sugar Program Our brand "FÜR" for the food retail trade has been certified for the "Fairtrade Sugar Program". The Fairtrade Sugar Program enables small farmers to sell more sugar under Fairtrade conditions. More at www.info.fairtrade.net/program

Sustainability Report 2018

These types of organic fruits used by Voelkel grow in spacious meadow orchards certified according to the EU-Eco-Regulation. By preserving meadow orchards we can actively contribute to nature conservation and retaining biodiversity. The same Voelkel organic quality guidelines apply for these fruits.

Organic wild fruit Fruits of this quality originate from controlled organic wild fruit collections. These wild fruits are from regions that have been mapped and are then regularly inspected and certified in accordance with the EU-Eco-Regulation. These fruits are not grown on plantations.

FairTSA The Fair Trade Sustainability Alliance (FairTSA) is a non-profit organisation specialising in the development of standards for fair trade and social responsibility, ethical supply chain management and the promotion of a responsible, sustainability-driven ® community. The official FairTSA (Fair Trade Sustainability Alliance) label provides our customers with the assurance that international fair trade standards are being met. It also guarantees that we’ll always do our best to be socially responsible and promote a responsible, sustainability-oriented community. When you buy FairTSA products you are making a contribution to improving the living and working conditions of smallholders, farm workers and workers in the processing plants of the countries doing the cultivation and promoting the protection of the environment all in one go!

3.4 Skilled craftsmanship put to work When we produce our natural juices we comply with the certification regulations of the Demeter Association, the EU-Eco-Regulation and the guidelines of the federal association for organic producers and organic products (BNN) and we are also ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certified. But it is the highly skilled craftsmanship and traditional production methods that we can call on thanks to decades of experience in juice manufacturing, as well as the skilled work of highly-trained specialists that is most important to us. This allows the famously high standard of Voelkel quality to be delivered to you each and every day. Almost all the ingredients, fresh from the field where possible, are pressed in our own juice plant and we don’t stop at the usual fruits and vegetables but also use aloe vera, kale, onions, ginger and turmeric to make our delicious juices. Their valuable nutrients enrich our special juices that are freshly poured into bottles and containers. You might not believe it but our juice specialists know exactly what is in each and every one. Our people are justifiably proud of the extraordinary competence in the production of delicious top-quality direct juices that has been built up over the long lifetime of Voelkel and it is our aim to maintain and expand this comprehensive skill set as time goes on.

Employees In 2018 our family business employed 216 people here in Pevestorf. This makes us one of the largest employers in the comparatively structurally weak region of north-eastern Lower Saxony.

Since Voelkel is always growing we are constantly taking on new staff, many of whom work in shifts to produce our juices. During harvest season, when the largest quantities of fruit and vegetables are delivered, the work in our processing plant is continuous with production going on around the clock in four shifts. Our administrative staff find they can better harmonise their private and professional lives thanks to the flexitime model we use. Many employees can also work at home, giving them a really high degree of flexibility. We have a number of initiatives to support our employees and their families in eating a healthy diet. A discount system using "juice stamps", for example, can be used for purchasing products from us at discounted prices. In addition, we promote buying goods in the local health food shop with a discount campaign and our own in-house catering is almost totally organic. Furthermore, Voelkel employees have the opportunity to take out collective occupational disability insurance as well as a company pension scheme that is supported by Voelkel. The company regularly offers free yoga sessions and massages at the workplace and supports bicycle leasing with initiatives, such as jobrad.de, and together with the statutory health insurance companies promotes travelling to and from work by bike. The re-design of the company premises in a more close-to-nature style has also made a visible contribution to making the company surroundings greener and more sustainable and offers our employees a relaxing atmosphere for informal outdoor get-togethers during breaks.

216 Employees

100

industrial employees

commercial employees

temporary workers

of which are:

who are trained in

trainees

skilled occupations: fruit technology, chemical engineering, IT, commercial administration, industrial mechanics, marketing communications

field service workers

Voelkel stands for quality

Development of the number of employees at Voelkel 225 216 200 194 175 169 150 146

152

156

155

2013

2014

165

125 122 100

2010

2011

2012

2015

2017

2016

2018

Vocational training We need to ensure the highest quality for our organic juices for years to come. In order to meet the annual demand for qualified new employees we train our own staff in various areas. We train people as specialists in fruit juice technology as well as for positions in wholesale and foreign trade, information technology and industrial buying and our trainees are recruited into these posts after their training period. There is often the opportunity for further training at Voelkel. There are supervisors here now who started out on one of these induction courses. In 2018 we took on a total of 28 trainees. We have been continuously increasing the number of trainee places in recent years to keep up with increasing manpower demands.

Jürgen Schrutke (supervisor, fruit juice technology): "After graduating from school, I completed my training as a specialist in fruit juice technology at Voelkel. Then I became a supervisor at Voelkel and now I train specialists myself in all the steps of the craft. When I started my apprenticeship in 2000 there were about 60 employees working here, today there are about 216. This is a great encouragement to our trainees. There is a great atmosphere in the workplace with young teams and a special combination of state-ofthe-art machines with traditional juice-making methods. That’s what makes working at Voelkel so special".

Our organic juice factory offers an interesting range of tasks. It is a wonderful opportunity for young people with enthusiasm for the craft to get the opportunity to learn all the traditional steps of juice making from real experts. Due to the geographical location of the company and declining birth rates in the area it has become a bigger challenge each year to find suitable candidates. This has left us with the need to develop new strategies to meet our increasing demand for qualified personnel in the future.

People Matter Most: Further education Our employees’ knowledge and skills are fundamental for our success. That is why it is a matter close to our hearts to support our employees through further education and training. We do everything we can to provide further training to help ensure their professional and personal advancement. We also offer internal and external training courses, particularly in the fields of safety, environmental management and quality management.

Sustainability Report 2018

l tests on the carrot juice.

Jürgen Schrutke carrying out quality contro

3.5 What makes Voelkel products so special?

Our organic juices are premium quality products with fruits and vegetables from controlled organic and biodynamic agriculture. This means that they already meet essential sustainability criteria. Organic cultivation stands for farming procedures that protect the environment and our resources. It can provide clean water, healthy soil and food for both present and future generations. Organic and biodynamic agriculture is based on a healthy crop rotation cycle and the concept of interactions between natural organisms – all of this is used to farm in harmony with nature. As well as certified organic quality our product range also offers other added value, such as FairTSA and BioFair certification, regional and global cultivation projects, fair prices, the use of non-hybrid seed varieties, support for independent seed research, a vegan range and organic fruit harvested in meadow orchards.

These days our product range extends from direct juices made from freshly-harvested aromatic carrots and beetroots to lacto- fermented vegetable juices and fine mother juices through to delicious direct juices made from carefully selected fruit varieties. We also produce refreshing fruit juice variations and lemonades as well as syrups and fruit vinegars. Today our product range comprises more than 200 different products. • 100 % direct juice – all juices are pressed from fully ripe fruits and vegetables • gentle processing • raw materials from organic and biodynamic cultivation • use of fair-trade raw materials • GMO free • use of non-hybrid seed varieties • local products • field-fresh direct bottling • produced with electricity from renewable energy sources

Voelkel stands for quality

Our first choice is: Demeter

Vegan juices

As we see it, Demeter cultivation combines future-oriented agriculture with produce of superior quality. We regard farming in cycles and in harmony with humankind, nature and the cosmos as the most future-oriented cultivation method there is. Wherever possible, we try to use Demeter raw materials. But some of the fruits our customers like are not always available at this quality and/or in the required quantities. This is why our family business promotes biodynamic agriculture and conversion to the Demeter farming methodology.

With a few exceptions all our products are vegan. The following juices contain honey and are therefore not vegan: Vital ACE and Holunder-Glühpunsch (elderberry mulled punch).

Organic mineral water Drinking organic mineral water can be thought of as active protection of the environment since, apart from the purity requirement, there is a focus on the gentle, sustainable extraction of this water, its environment-friendly packaging and the protection of water resources from contamination. For example, our small BioZisch lemonades in the 0.33l long neck bottles are produced from 100 % direct juice and natural organic mineral water from Voelkel's own state-approved spring in the Elbtalaue biosphere preserve.

Sustainability Report 2018

BioFair To promote fair and regional trade our local juices and the majority of our vegetable juices are certified according to the guidelines of the BioFair Association. We are involved in the BioFair Association to support fair trade at regional level. As a member we commit ourselves to determining prices by mutual agreement with the producers and to purchasing raw materials regionally, wherever possible. We always enter into long-term supply and purchase agreements with suppliers. To us fairness is more than just fair prices. It also includes transparency, quality, protection of the environment and social commitment.

3.6 Products introduced in 2018 Our family business is renowned for its wide range of juice specialities. Every year new varieties are added to the various assortments of 100 % direct juices, fruit drinks, organic lemonades, organic refreshments, organic syrups and organic cocktails.

Our new innovations are usually launched at BioFach in Nuremberg, the world's largest trade fair for organic products, as well as at the four regional organic trade fairs: Bio-Ost in Berlin, Bio-West in Düsseldorf, Bio-Süd in Augsburg and Bio-Nord in Hanover. In 2018 Voelkel launched 29 new products on the market – including four absolute trendsetters: natural INFUSED WATER, Juiced Water, Kurkuma Würzsaft (turmeric spice juice) and "fair to go" Apfel Mango Kurkuma (apple, mango and turmeric).

Switchel Sparkling The sparkling interpretation of the original Switchel recipe of apple vinegar, maple syrup and ginger with a touch of carbonate. Switchel Sparkling has a subtle sweetness and is low in calories due to its higher water content. This is the ideal companion on the go.

Switchel – A real original The fruity and spicy original Switchel drink made from maple syrup, apple vinegar and ginger was once drunk by hard working hay farmers in America as an invigorating drink during their breaks. The four delicious varieties Original, Himbeere-Minze (raspberry mint), Schwarze Johannisbeere (blackcurrant) and Kurkuma (turmeric) are still extremely popular today.

Voelkel stands for quality

COLD BREW Wild coffee from Kaffa Hand-picked gently roasted Arabica beans give the three varieties of COLD BREW WILD COFFEE specialities their mild aroma. These coffee specialties are not hot brewed like conventional coffee products, but are gently steeped in cold water and filtered. The fair-trade Single Origin Coffee comes from the Qeshi cooperative in Kaffa. The ORIGINAL FOOD PROJECT provides a livelihood for over 100,000 people and was awarded the Hamburg Initiative for Human Rights honorary prize in 2017.

fair to go novelty – apple mango turmeric juice There is a soothing touch of Ayurveda hidden in this golden t emptation to take away. Fresh turmeric root pressed immediately after harvesting makes this new fair to go variety a very special treat – with a fruity finish of apple and mango juice.

Kombucha Our Kombucha is traditionally produced with the Kombucha tea mushroom culture, which has been used for over two millennia and is now popular worldwide. The cult drink from Asia with green and black teas, aromatic herbs and a dash of organic juice with a hint of carbonate is thrillingly refreshing: a slightly tart alternative to lemonade in four delicious varieties.

Sustainability Report 2018

Introducing new products at BioFach 2018 in Nuremberg, Germany

Juiced Water Our Juiced Water is the low-calorie alternative to lemonade or spritzer. Naturally refreshing with up to 25â&#x20AC;&#x2030;% organic juice in three different varieties. For all those who care about their diet but want it to be tasty!

natural infused water The perfect thirst quencher on hot summer days and after training! The three varieties are free from added sugar, carbonate, flavourings and colourings.

Voelkel stands for quality

Kurkuma Würzsaft – turmeric spice juice perfect for exquisite cuisine The pure direct juice freshly pressed from the turmeric root is ideal for seasoning and mixing. It can be used to make trendy turmeric drinks such as Golden Milk or turmeric tea and exotic dishes in no time at all.

bioC We all want to enjoy our lives by being full of energy and naturally healthy. Every glass of Voelkel bioC juice supports this aim since only 0.2 L cover the daily vitamin C requirement of an adult. With only natural ingredients and no synthetic additives, Voelkel bioC is just the best for you and your family. These yummy organic multi-fruit juices are wonderfully refreshing and a sensual pleasure for young and old.

Field fresh juices now also available in 0.33 L Our classics are now also available in a new handy "to go" format suitable for small households! The vegetables are pressed directly after harvesting in our in-house juice-pressing plant and put straight into the bottles without any storage in-between. Voelkel's trademark field freshness is unmistakable and comes from using a variety of 100 % Demeter-quality non-hybrid vegetables filling every single bottle with pure goodness.

Sustainability Report 2018

Ralf Weber from the Bauckhof farm in Amelinghausen

4. How Voelkel takes responÂ sibility for the environment Jacob Voelkel (managing director): "With our growing product range the demands on the capacity and performance of our processing Âsystems are also growing. To keep the consumption of resources and our emissions as low as possible we rely on efficient processes and therefore continue to invest in state-of-the-art technology."

How Voelkel takes responsibility for the environment

4.1 Our responsibility for the environment Sustainability has been defined as a core topic in our foundation's statutes by our management and the foundation's board of trustees. For the day-to-day business of our company this means that we do not focus on individual facets of sustainability but implement all of its aspects holistically within our company. In other words, all major corporate processes are analysed and constantly

optimised with regard to their impact on the climate and resource usage. The same applies to our company buildings and production facilities. We avoid the consumption of resources and the generation of harmful greenhouse gas emissions as far as possible and reduce them as best as we can by using renewable energy providers.

4.2 Voelkel’s climate strategy Since 2012 our family-owned company has been pursuing environmental impact and energy management as part of our integrated management system in accordance with DIN EN ISO 14001 and DIN EN ISO 50001. We have committed ourselves to measuring, controlling and reducing the environmental impact of our production and transport where such an impact cannot be avoided. As required by these standards, the continuous improvement process requires us to check where we can make savings with things like water and energy usage every year. The calculation and improvement of our greenhouse gas footprint has been integrated as a further element into our environmental management system.

In order to achieve a lasting reduction in CO2 emissions, we have drawn up an action plan: 1. Description of our company's production chain 2. Identification of the causal CO2 emission factors for each production step 3. Projects to reduce CO2 emissions 4. Monitoring the CO2 emission reductions achieved 5. Employee training The plan’s implementation has been verified by internal and external audits. Our environmental management officer (EMO) lists the monthly CO2 emissions generated through the major e nergy consuming processes of Voelkel GmbH in an energy table. In a quarterly management review, our management and the plant manager check and scrutinise the degree to which targets have

Sustainability Report 2018

been achieved using the "CO2 from gas and electricity per pack aging unit" indicator. Since this management review is a requirement under the ISO norms mentioned above, it is also audited by an external body. In addition, we also complete the BNN (federal association for organic producers and organic products) CO2 Monitor once a year, which gives us an overview of the production chain from procurement source through product manufacture to the first stage of trading. CO2-footprint according to BNN (CO2e / PU in g) 95 90 89,2

89,88 87,49

81,63

79,8 75

75,9

70 65

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

This figure illustrates that thanks to our comprehensive production measures we were able to reduce our CO2 footprint by 13.2g per packaging unit between 2014 and 2017. The value in 2018 is higher than in the previous year, since less PUs were produced in 2017. However, in comparison to 2013, this figure has already reduced by 10.54 %.

4.3 Environmental management at Voelkel In addition to using raw materials from organic or biodynamic cultivation for our juices, our production processes play an important role for us in dealing responsibly with nature. The main thing we have to think about at Voelkel is energy consumption. The use of electricity, natural gas and water in our production processes has an environmental impact as does the waste water at the end. We use modern facilities with efficient processes to keep resource consumption and our carbon footprint as low as possible. We are always reinvesting to make sure we optimise our production processes by having state-of-the-art machines. Every time we replace machines like pumps and motors, we look carefully at their energy consumption before we decide which ones to buy. Our corporate environmental management complies with DIN EN ISO 14001 and DIN EN ISO 50001 international standards as part of our integrated management system guidelines, practical

assistance and projects that make an important contribution to the implementation of our future-oriented business development. Future-oriented thinking can only be based on the setting of clear objectives. Our management team as a whole work with our energy and Âenvironment managers to draw up an effective set of environmental and energy objectives with effective policies for achieving these objectives. We start from compliance with statutory regulations as the basis of our management system and then define our own guidelines and targets because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to do even better. This plan is then submitted to top management for approval. Once approved, the energy and environment managers are primarily Âresponsible for implementing the plan and do everything they can to achieve the objectives.

How Voelkel takes responsibility for the environment

Projects 2018 New warehouse for finished, raw and semi-raw products In 2018 a new warehouse for finished products, finished raw and semi-raw goods with integrated cooling and deep-freezing areas was built and put into operation. This meant that we could stop using less energy-efficient refrigerated containers and external refrigerated warehouses. With on-site storage we also reduce our carbon footprint since we don’t have to transport goods from refrigerated warehouses to the production plant.

This cockpit was comprehensively updated in 2016 and new counters added for things like the new disposable glass and Elopak lines. Since then the whole structure has been continuously expanded and feeds straight into the planning of new projects as it has for the new returnable glass bottling line. This system lets us analyse the steam, electricity, water and compressed air energy consumptions more efficiently and more user-specifically. Using these analyses, we can work out concrete measures for improvement.

New bottling line for returnable glass bottles Construction work on the new bottling production line started at the end of 2017. The first test fillings of the MW2 (line 2 for re-usable bottles) took place at the end of 2018, the final commissioning will take place in 2019. Since it will produce more bottles per hour this will reduce the energy consumption per packaging unit. We reckon that the absolute energy consumption will also decrease because the new production line will be much more energy-efficient than its predecessor.

Our advertising materials and packaging are as eco-friendly as possible and in most cases have a standard eco-label like the FSC label. We also make sure that ecological printing inks are used. We buy our office supplies and other consumer goods from the sustainable mail order company memo. We send our mail climate-neutral using the Go-Green service.

Continuous improvement in energy data reporting A large number of electricity, water and steam meters collect the energy data which then gets displayed and evaluated in our ‘energy cockpit’.

Each bottle is checked for defects by the

bottle inspector before bottling

Targets 2019 • Reduction of specific energy consumption by 8 % compared to 2018 kWh/PU electricity and gas consumption • Differentiated consideration of individual areas

Returnable bottles being washed

• Implement "high-performance heat storage" project, reduce natural gas consumption by 4 %. • Testing of the transformer load • Reduction of the specific electricity consumption by 1 % compared to 2018 kWh/PU consumption

Sustainability Report 2018

4.4 Energy Every year our energy team comes up with new plans and carries out new projects to save gas and electricity and improve production efficiency. We focus on effective energy saving and efficient production objectives to minimise the environmental impact of juice production. We set ourselves the strategic goal of continuously reducing our relative energy consumption in 2012 and aim to achieve 100 packaging units per 6.08 kWh of electricity and 22.56 kWh of natural gas by 2020. Despite the extensive construction work that took place from 2016 into 2018, we are continuously on an energy saving course and are confident of achieving our target. We make sure that none of the electricity we use is nuclear or coal-based. What’s the point of being so concerned about healthy food if the energy being used to make it is dirty and unhealthy? We want to promote renewable energy. We mostly use electricity to make the compressed air that our pneumatic drives need to make pumps and conveyor belts work during manufacturing and in the juice pressing plant. The slight increase in specific electricity consumption in 2018 compared to 2017 was due to the construction of the new finished goods warehouse and the new bottling line. Considering the electricity and gas consumption per packaging unit (PU) from 2013 to 2018, the long-term downward trend becomes apparent. Specific electricity consumption (kWh / 100 finished packaging) 7,5 7,3

7,2

6,5

6,99 6,5

6 5,5

2013

2014

2015

2016

6,74

2017

Our water comes from three sources. We use natural mineral water from our own nearby state-approved spring in Lower Saxony's Elbtalaue nature reserve in southern Höhbeck for our BioZisch lemonades and the natural Infused Water products. This pure drinking water comes up from about 62 metres down. Some of the water we use as a coolant comes from another well. Our third source is the regional water supplier. Much of this water is used in production, where it is used to clean raw materials and bottles, as a coolant and to make steam. After the specific water consumption increased in 2017 due to extensive construction measures, we succeeded in reducing this value again in 2018. While the extreme summer climate still required large quantities of drinking water for the re-cooling of products, two new refrigeration systems will be available in future. In order to further reduce drinking water consumption, test drillings were also carried out for a well to obtain cooling water.

6,99

Specific water consumption (Litre / 100 finished packaging) 2018

350 330 320

30 27,6

25,9

23,9

24,1

23,3

24,4

290 280

270

260 2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

306

300

320

310

345

340

Specific gas consumption (kWh / 100 finished packaging) 25

4.5 Water

250

277

282 265

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

How Voelkel takes responsibility for the environment

4.6 Waste Reducing waste is a priority for us. Nevertheless, not all waste can be avoided. Pressing the fruit alone generates large amounts of biogenic waste. But logistics and our administration also generate waste that cannot be completely prevented. In order to protect nature and the environment as much as possible, we therefore focus heavily on recycling unavoidable waste. What’s left of the pressed fruits and vegetables (the ‘pomace’ if you want to get technical) is used as animal feed or is supplied to a nearby biogas plant. The gas they make there is used for things like heating systems so it all goes around in a natural cycle. The residual waste is carefully separated and passed on for recycling. All employees contribute to this by implementing an easily accessible waste separation and recycling system. With a recycling rate of around 95 % of the total waste, the amount of non-recyclable waste has already been reduced as far as possible.

0,4 0,3 0,25

0,304

Juice cartons

2018

We use juice cartons (Elopak and TetraPak) for around 5.9 % of our products because they are lighter and take up less storage space than bottles. This means they can be transported in a more eco-friendly way, especially when exporting. The cartons use a combination of cardboard, aluminium and polyethylene to keep the carton stable and protect the juice from light. They are all fully recyclable through the appropriate recycling services.

0,299 0,255

0,2 0,15 0,1 0,05 0

2013

2014

2015

2016

A disposable glass bottle can sometimes be a better option based on the nature or intended use of the product. There can be visual, practical or production reasons behind this decision.

0,384 0,346 0,299

Disposable glass bottles

Organic syrups, fruit sauces and take-away products such as fair to go and green smoothies are like this. Disposable bottles make up about 6.8 % of Voelkel's total glass bottle usage.

Residual waste (in kg /100 PU) 0,35

These bottles can be reused up to fifty times and are perfect for preserving the purity of the juice. They don’t transfer anything to the juice so they maximise the natural taste and make the juices even healthier.

2017

Packaging We have designed our high-quality organic juices packaging so that our juices get to you in perfect condition and we make as little waste as possible. The best way to do this is with returnable glass bottles so we use them as much as we possibly can.

Returnable bottles 87.3 % Disposable bottles 6.8 % EloPak 3.4 % TetraPak 2.5 %

Returnable glass bottles We use German Fruit Juice Industry Association (VdF) returnable glass bottles for 87.3% of our product range. Since this makes Voelkel part of a kind of club (with other VdF members who use these bottles) they can be returned at various locations.

Sustainability Report 2018

We are committed to the species conservation of bees

5. Voelkel’s commitment Jurek Voelkel (sales and marketing director): "We inherited the obligations we have towards our customers, the farmers and our employees as well as to further develop the Voelkel company and p roduce the best juices possible. The setting up of our foundation demonstrates clearly how this applies to us, the Voelkel sons, but anyone who is enthusiastic about our work and its ideals can help us promote the c ompany and certainly get something practical back from that."

Voelkel’s commitment

5.1 Responsibility for humankind & nature This is the guiding principle of our family business. Long-term oriented management and action with careful consideration for humankind and nature is the tradition at Voelkel. Our aim and philosophy is to further develop the health food concept. Topics such as sustainability, protection of the environment and fair trade are not new concepts in the industry or for us at Voelkel but

Sustainability Report 2018

they do need to be continuously filled with new goals and new contents. We work closely with various organisations and institutions to promote better ways of producing natural organic food. The basic premise is that it is in everyone’s interest to use nature’s resources carefully and responsibly and to improve the quality of life of those who are socially disadvantaged.

The following mottos are at the heart of our comprehensive commitment: We live TRADITION ... and Voelkel is synonymous with the traditional skilled production of organic juices. It is the bio-dynamic idea that is at the heart of our family business. Using the agricultural teachings of Rudolf Steiner our founders, Karl and Margret Voelkel, recognised and lived this form of agriculture as the most consistently sustainable, environmentally friendly and socially acceptable form of farming. We will continue to do our utmost to ensure that Demeter cultivation and the cultivation methods promoted by organic associations such as Bioland are used as much as possible in our region and worldwide.

We INNOVATE ... while maintaining our excellent quality standards. We are always trying out new combinations by blending nutritious organic and Demeter ingredients into tasty recipes and transforming these into delicious natural products. We can only meet or exceed our own strict standards by creatively mixing natural juice compositions using only 100 % direct juices without using any additives at all. The unique taste of our products comes only from the inherent natural aromas of the fruits and vegetables. Mother Nature herself gives our organic juices their rich flavour using her natural ripening process. Isn’t she wonderful!

A product innovation of the year 2018:

cesses. The basis of this quality standard is the complete transparency of our supply chain from cultivation to the finished product. We use an integrated food safety and quality management system and are certified in accordance with international standards.

We share our EXPERTISE … by offering comprehensive vocational training. We focus on training skilled junior staff who have an enthusiasm for the fruit juice trade. Each year we hire new trainees and offer our employees further vocational training. As an employer we have come to have an important role in creating jobs in the comparatively structurally weak region of north-eastern Lower Saxony. We will continue to live up to this responsibility by actively involving our employees in the company and getting them excited about sustainability.

We create TRUST … and commit our suppliers and partners to future- oriented principles. Despite the competitive demands in our business we make sure we always treat our suppliers fairly and are committed to long-term partnerships and keeping things personal. The contracts that have been drawn up jointly with our cultivation partners are designed to work for many years to come. This secures our demand for high-quality raw materials and gives our suppliers both the confidence to plan ahead and financial security.

Switchel

We delight the taste buds ... and guarantee supreme quality. The top priority is the organic or Demeter quality of the raw materials for our natural organic juices and preserving their nutrients by using gentle pro-

Boris Voelkel visits our pomegranate suppli

er Göknur in Turkey

Voelkel’s commitment

We act FAIRLY … and take responsibility. Our long-term supply contracts and fair prices also help to make our cultivation partners autonomous. All participants in the value chain receive fair compensation for their services. This in turn encourages safety at work and motivated employees, which are the basis of our success. We think carefully about our social standards and supplement the legal obligations with additional special promotions and benefits.

We prefer to buy REGIONALLY … and value short transportation routes and freshly harvested raw materials. Whether carrots from Gartow or rhubarb from Güstritz – whenever possible, we buy our fruit and vegetables from regional cultivation partners. This strengthens regional structures and has a positive effect on the quality of our products. Fresh produce, coming directly from the field to our factory for pressing, results in organic juices that taste uniquely field-fresh and delicious.

w in Lüneburg Heath

Habitat for bees & Co: Our blooming meado

We demonstrate COMMITMENT

Rhubarb grower Christoph Schäfer with on a field near Güstritz

his son and Jacob and Jurek Voelkel

We support DIVERSITY …by promoting organic and biodynamic farming. We help to spread organic farming through our regional and worldwide promotion of Demeter agriculture in cultivation projects and the constant expansion of our product range. The ingredients for our natural juices come solely from controlled organic and biodynamic cultivation. In this way we support organic farmers who work in harmony with nature and make an important contribution to climate protection and the protection of natural resources.

Sustainability Report 2018

… on a regional, national and international level. Social and ecological commitment is firmly embedded in our corporate philosophy and whenever we can we incorporate new projects to enhance and strengthen this commitment. The expansion of our partnerships with the children's welfare organisation Plan, the international aid organisation missio e.V., the organic orchard associations Elbtalaue and Lüneburg as well as local sports and educational institutions are just as important to us as the independent seed research of Kultursaat e.V. or the flower meadow sponsorship for the species conservation of bees in cooperation with Mellifera e.V. It all helps to make the world a better place!

We shape the FUTURE …and remain pioneers. Regardless of today's trends we made it our goal to operate ecologically, responsibly and holistically more than 80 years ago. Right from the very beginning c ultivating awareness for sustainability and especially for future-oriented agriculture has been an integral part of our corporate culture.

Since 2006 Voelkel has been supporting the Plan children's aid organisation

5.2 Social cooperation worldwide Plan International Since 2006 our family business has been working closely with the children's welfare organisation Plan International and supports various projects in developing countries through the sale of the "7 Zwerge Kindersaft" children’s juice products. In 2018 we supported the start-up of a new project in Malawi by donating 7,490 Euros and thereby helped improving the quality of life of the children in this developing country. At a new station in South East Africa, in the Lilongwe region, we are involved in the project "Water for Schools and Communities" which started here in June 2017. The aim of the project is to build classrooms, sanitary facilities for an appropriate hygiene situation and teachers' accommodation, to equip the schools with furniture and teaching materials, to provide further training for teachers and to generally expand the water supply. Another important topic is equal rights of boys and girls with regards to education and the creation of an awareness of education as a chance for a better life.

ies schooling for girls Unfortunately, in many developing countr : Plan/Jane Hahn) (Photo . course of r matte a yet not is

Voelkel’s commitment

IK on Lesbos

Stefan Voelkel (3rd from left) visiting MOSA

MOSAIK Support Center Voelkel and borderline-europe e.V. Fair TSA The "borderline-europe Menschenrechte ohne Grenzen e.V." (Borderline Europe Human Rights without Borders) association works with projects and cooperative groups against the European migration and border policies. Since 2007, the organisation has offered civil resistance against the fact that people fleeing war, environmental catastrophes and unjust economic and trade conditions die in search of a humane life or have to live in inhuman conditions after a successful escape. In this context Voelkel supports the Mosaic Support Centre for Refugees and Locals on Lesbos. The centre is a meeting place for refugees and locals, where conditions are created that facilitate the integration of refugees. There are educational facilities offering language courses, creative workshops, psychosocial support and legal advice and other services. The approximately 6,000 people who live in the so-called "hot spot" Moria on the island, living under extremely bad conditions, find a place of refuge and hope in the Mosaic. In January 2018 Stefan Voelkel visited the different projects on Lesbos and personally got an impression of the disturbing conditions on site. In 2018, Voelkel donated 3,000 Euros towards improving the living conditions of the refugees and will continue to be committed to this cause in the long term.

Sustainability Report 2018

At Voelkel we don’t just pay lip-service to the idea of fairness and this has not gone unappreciated since we have been given awards such as the "nawi Award for Sustainable Business Practices" by Muveo GmbH and GREEN BRAND. Long-term market stability, cultivating raw materials close to our production plant, trust worthiness, transparency in the supply chain and how well we treat our suppliers have all contributed to Voelkel’s outstanding reputation. The long-term and personal cooperation we have with our partners all over the world is based on a firm trust that ensures that the entire production process is both transparent and completely controlled. In 2018 Voelkel, together with our cultivation partners and in association with the Fair Trade Sustainability Alliance (FairTSA), followed the CSR guidelines that had been established in 2017. The independent FairTSA label on our products assures our customers that we comply with international fair-trade standards. It guarantees our special social responsibility and the promotion of a community working according to future-oriented principles. By purchasing a FairTSA product, customers make a contribution to improving the living and working conditions of smallholders, farm workers and workers in the processing plants of the countries doing the cultivation work as well as promoting the protection of the environment.

Concert by the cello class at the Lüchow-Dannenberg music school

5.3 Regional social cooperation projects Young musicians – a Voelkel initiative Stefan Voelkel is not only passionate about composing juices but also loves music and is himself a passionate flute player. There is a natural close connection between the holistic Demeter philosophy and artistic development so we have been setting a trend to develop creativity in children and young people as early as possible. Many years ago, this led to a close relationship with the Lüchow-Dannenberg Music School cellist class. There are over 70 cellists in this class and probably nothing like it exists anywhere else in Germany. It is even more astonishing that a small district such as Lüchow-Dannenberg could produce such an amazing level of musical commitment. Students of all ages, playing in various ensembles and orchestras, take individual lessons and practice for the "Jugend musiziert" annual music competition for children and adolescents in Germany that takes place on a local, regional and national level. Many successes, including participation in the national competition, have been achieved and it is a joy to see the enthusiasm with which all the musicians with an age range of 5 to 50 play together in a large orchestra. But outstanding

commitment also means substantial financial expenditure. We are happy to help. Voelkel has made financial contributions towards buying musical instruments, funding cello concerts and the annual rehearsal weekend as well as buying orchestra uniforms. In 2018 we donated 2,500 Euros.

w-Dannenberg music school cello class

Young musical talents in the famous Lücho

Voelkel’s commitment

e number of visitors Gartow Water Adventure Park gets a massiv when the summer heat is on

Gartow water theme park Water means life and it is our most vital commodity. Our planet, its vegetation, the animal world and mankind too could not exist without water. But our society tends to overlook the simple necessity of water. In order to sensitise people to the handling of this valuable asset, Voelkel, as a partner of the "Gartow Water Theme Park", supports their regional project with an annual donation of 2,500 Euros. The theme park is a brilliant and entertaining way to encourage children, youngsters and adults to learn how to treat this most important of all resources with respect and give it the attention it deserves. We can start to educate from a really early age by making it great fun. In this theme park everything revolves around this true elixir of life. In the individual exhibits in the Water Theme Park there is information about things like how much fresh water there is worldwide or average drinking water consumption in Germany. Motor skills are also developed as young children play with scoops, fountains and jumping devices. There is water cascading in fountains, flowing in trenches and pipes or surging up in an Archimedean screw. Children can learn to spot the "flowforms" that are found around the grounds of the water adventure park where the wet e lement is put into its natural movement and returned to its o riginal inner structure.

Sustainability Report 2018

We actively support independent seed research and biodynamic agriculture.

5.4 Our worldwide ecological commitment Demeter raw cane sugar from Paraguay In the remote region of Arroyos y Esteros ("streams and swamps") in Paraguay, the Manduvira smallhold cooperative is home to around 2,200 people. This cooperative has been successfully using organic cultivation since 1996 and has already converted part of its land to biodynamic cultivation. The production and marketing of their own Demeter cane sugar that started in 2013, has been something of a revolution for Paraguyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sugar market that had generally been controlled by a monopoly of private sugar cane mills. Manduvira has gained more than a hundred smallholders thanks to the Demeter initiative.

tion partner in the Manduvira

Demeter raw cane sugar from our cultiva cooperative in Paraguay.

Sugar cane farmer Antonio Vera explains: "Like this, the smallholders in our cooperative have gained access to Fair Trade and benefit from a minimum price and continuous income with pre-financing. Paraguay is a really poor country and sugar cane farmers were traditionally dependent on mills. But, as Manduvira members, we sell most of our processed sugar cane ourselves so we have gone from being sugar cane farmers to being sugar cane producers."

Aloe vera from Spain Aloe vera is hailed as the empress of medicinal plants. The legendary Egyptian queens Nefertiti and Cleopatra are reputed to have used this exotic desert plant as a skin tonic. Drawings of the aloe vera plant were found in the tombs of ancient pharaohs. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used aloe vera. So did Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo. We get the leaves of this versatile medicinal plant from our Spanish cultivation partner Herfru, where David HernĂĄndez's roofed cultivation areas give Aloe Vera plants protection and ideal growing conditions. We have enjoyed a great future-oriented business relationship with David for many years and working together we were able to convert his farm to biodynamic cultivation in 2014. For us, the conversion to Demeter is an important contribution to

Voelkelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment

with high yields can be achieved. However, the positive traits only come out in the first sowing and the yield usually decreases significantly in the next generation. This means that hybrid plants are basically a genetic dead end. There are a number of consequences but one bad one is that farmers end up being mainly dependent on a few large corporate seed companies. "We feel that nobody should be allowed to "own" varieties in the form of patents because this effectively means they are allowed to own the plant’s genetic code," explains Stefan Voelkel. Our aloe vera cultivation partner in Spain

future-oriented agriculture – farming in harmony with nature and focussing on the protection of natural resources.

Demeter cranberries from the USA Wisconsin is well-known for being large and having lots of rivers and lakes. The climate here makes it a great choice for our Demeter cranberries. The Nekoosa Family Farms team has been operating its own biodynamic rhythm here in the east of the USA since 1975. The outstanding quality of their harvests is a direct result of the many years of experience of these pioneers as well as their respect for nature.

In order to become independent of the partially-patented hybrid varieties, organic breeders have been working for over 20 years to preserve non-hybrid varieties and to breed new natural varieties. These include, for example, agricultural engineer Christina Henatsch, who has focused on breeding carrots, broccoli and chard since 2003. In biodynamic breeding non-hybrid varieties are created exclusively through traditional selection. This means that only seeds from particularly well-developed plants are used. One criterion is of course the taste, which is evaluated after the harvest. This process often has to be repeated several times in order to develop seeds that are both adapted to regional conditions and meet the desired quality standards.

We support ecological seed research While some major global corporations are reducing seed diversity, our company maintains the conviction and tradition of using non-hybrid fruit and vegetable varieties. These are varieties that can be propagated and whose seeds can be used the following year so that farmers do not have to buy seeds every year. We also actively support independent seed research, the "We've had enough!" alliance and biodynamic agriculture. Sadly, the use of these types of natural seeds is very uncommon in many industrialised countries. A large proportion of the plant varieties used commercially in Germany today is made up of the so-called hybrid varieties, which cannot be further propagated, or only with large yield losses. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) this has been a main factor in the irrevocable loss of around three-quarters of the available varieties over the last hundred years. There are a lot of vegetable seeds now that are virtually all hybrids. They are created by the self-fertilization of as many different parent lines as possible. By repeatedly using certain characteristics such as size, shape, colour or resistance as criteria for crossbreeding, high-performance plants

Sustainability Report 2018

Christina Henatsch at Wulfsdorf farm

Voelkel supports these efforts by purchasing raw materials in Demeter quality. Today, we are the largest purchaser of non-hybrid organic vegetables in the organic food trade. For our field-fresh vegetable juices and our sauerkraut juice we use only 100 % Demeter non-hybrid varieties. In addition, we have been actively promoting the research and development of these original seeds for many years by working with Kultursaaat e. V. based on Mrs Henatsch's research work.

We support Mellifera e.V.

5.5 Regional ecological commitment Alliance for agriculture suitable for our grandchildren On 28 November 2017 – one day after Christian Schmidt, the then German Federal Minister for Agriculture, had made it possible that the use of glyphosate was approved by the EU for a further five years – the Alliance for agriculture suitable for our grandchildren (Bündnis für enkeltaugliche Landwirtschaft) launched the "Agricultural poisons? No, thanks" campaign. The alliance developed the campaign with the bee logo, in order to enlist fellow campaigners n ationwide into the fight against agricultural poisons and to increase public awareness on this topic. Since the founding meeting on 10 January 2018, the campaign has been officially supported and propagated by renowned organic companies.

Mellifera e.V. For many years the ever-increasing number of monocultures, genetically modified organisms and pesticides used have led to a decline in bee colonies and a general deterioration in the poor bee’s health. Whether in Germany or the rest of the world, the industrious buzzers just simply can't find anything to feed on or pollinate. In fields, meadows, public areas and gardens the human- organised order prevails everywhere and wild meadow flowers are no longer found. After becoming a patron for blooming meadowland, Voelkel then also supported the Mellifera e.V. association with a donation of 10,000 Euros in 2018: this donation will be used for an educational project in the form of workshops and seminars, in which teachers, KiTa employees and pedagogues will be trained on the subject and then pass on their knowledge to children and young people.

The campaign informs people about the effects of the widespread use of agricultural poisons. Consumers need to be sensitised and encouraged to sanction the use of Glyphosate & Co through conscious consumer behaviour. As a founding member, Voelkel is committed to all alliance activities and campaigns such as "Agricultural poisons? No thanks". Our family business puts the bee logo on advertising surfaces, banners, materials and puts these into circulation. In addition, Voelkel, by working together with the other alliance members, helps to design action plans and generate ideas for the future. ws in cooperation with Mellifera e.V.

Voelkel’s patronage for blooming meado

Voelkel’s commitment

Meadow orchards initiative BioFair membership Fair trade is an integral part of our purchasing policy. We are a member of the BioFair association so we are dedicated to supporting fair trade both locally and throughout Germany. This initiative promotes quality, transparency, regionality and sustainability down the entire value chain. These aspects are deeply anchored in our company's roots since they are beneficial both for the environment and the quality of the groundwater. The BioFair association provides consumers with valuable help for their decision-making when it comes to purchasing. In addition, we explain the principles and values of organic farming. The specialist organic trade has become increasingly confusing and anonymous for consumers over the last two decades due to a strong growth in the general organic sector. Growers whose products show the BioFair label work according to the association's standards, which go far beyond the requirements of EU Organic Regulations. These include, for example, the specific Demeter, Bioland or Naturland cultivation associations’ guidelines.

Meadow orchards are a precious cultural asset and a valuable habitat for a diverse community of many different species of animals and plants. The commitment to the upkeep of regional meadow orchards is entirely in line with the health food concept of our family business. Through our guaranteed purchasing of local fruit from these orchards to process it into high-quality 100 % direct juices, meadow orchard cultivation in the region can be sustainably promoted. For us, as an organic juice producer, fruit juice made from meadow orchard fruits is also really important from a quality perspective since the biodiversity makes for a deliciously rounded taste as well as helping to preserve traditional fruit varieties in the region. The great thing is that this kind of cultivation actually creates a diverse habitat for wildlife as well as promoting biodiversity. It gives insects, birds and small mammals the best possible opportunities for their development and protects the soil and drinking water. In 2001 Stefan Voelkel initiated the founding of the "Bio-Streuobst verein Elbtal e. V.", a registered association for the promotion of local meadow orchards, and promised to buy and press its members' fruit at a fair price. Every year some 80 tons of orchard fruit have been produced by the members of the Bio-Streuobstverein Elbtalaue and delivered to Voelkel, but this volume is set to increase steadily in the coming years as the number of members grows. This model was successfully adopted in the Lüneburg region resulting in the "Lüneburger Streuobstwiesen e. V." association founded in July 2010.

Working with Gräflich Bernstorff’schen Betriebe (Earl Bernstorff estate enterprises)

for Stefan Voelkel receives the ESD (Education itment to Sustainable Development) Award for comm the BioFair Association

Members of the BioFair association are annually audited by an independent inspection body. The Quality Commission of the B ioFair association has the final decision on whether new products can have the BioFair label or not. The BioFair label guarantees fair prices throughout the entire value chain, future-oriented business practices and reasonable wages. In addition, local raw materials are mainly used by BioFair accredited companies. Our field-fresh vegetable juices are BioFair certified. Our sauerkraut juice, lactic fermented juices as well as our local fruit juices also carry the BioFair association label.

Sustainability Report 2018

An agricultural enterprise and a processing enterprise in the same area started working together on a pilot project to create effective regional networking and convert local farmland to Demeter cultivation. The objective was to convert from organic to biodynamic cultivation and reduce the distance between raw material cultivation and processing. As if you hadn’t already guessed, Voelkel, with its constantly high demand for raw materials in Demeter quality was the processing enterprise and the Gräflich Bernstorff ´schen Betriebe the agricultural partner with about 850 hectares of agricultural land. The progressive conversion of the Count’s cultivated areas started in August 2013 and in May 2014 the Count's farms became members of the Bioland association. The project focuses in particular on future oriented arable farming, which is intended to increase soil fertility and promote humus growth so that external input factors are minimised. By setting up this joint venture, Voelkel was able to convince the von Bernstorff family to increasingly use Demeter cultivation.

Voelkel engagiert sich

Excerpt from the cinema poster for the film "Our seeds - we reap what we sow!"

Our seeds – We reap what we sow! The eco-documentary film by directors Taggart Siegel and Jon Betz deals with non-hybrid seeds and thousands of years old crop plants as the source of almost all life. The film brings complex facts and contents about the valuable resource of non-hybrid seeds closer to the audience and tries to draw people's attention to the explosive nature of the topic: More than 90 % of all non-hybrid seed varieties have already disappeared. Biotech companies such as Syngenta and Bayer Monsanto control the global seed market with genetically modified plants. More and more passionate farmers, scientists, lawyers and seed owners are committed to fighting monopolists in order to preserve the future of biodiversity. As a producer of organic juices, we sponsored the film and provided free goods for the major premieres in Potsdam, Hamburg and Cologne. Our field-fresh vegetable juices, made from non-hybrid seed vegetables, convinced the audience with their taste. In addition, further showings were supported in a total of seven cinemas with around 700 bottles of field-fresh vegetable juice made from non-hybrid seed vegetables, which were handed out free of charge to cinema-goers before or after the showing, accompanied by information material.

ÖKORegio: The association for sustainability in our region Our region in the north-east of Lower Saxony has been a p ioneer for organic agriculture over many decades and is home to some of the oldest organic companies. Together with Bauck farms, Voelkel has been a major player in the ecological design of north-eastern Lower Saxony since the 1930s and has once again played a pioneering role by becoming one of the founding members of the ÖKORegio association in 2005. This association today has more than 40 members from different business areas and is totally committed to future-oriented, social, ecological and economic projects and initiatives in the region by staging events such as the Öko Market, ÖkoRegio-Ball, Bio-Bread Bin and Öko-Talk.

Voelkel’s commitment

Biosphere reserve Lower Saxony Elbtalaue

6. Corporate objectives 2019 Ecological objectives

Social objectives

• Reduction of specific energy consumption by 8 % compared to 2018 (electricity and gas consumption in kWh/PU)

• Introduction of a company health management system

• More differentiated consideration of individual areas

• Communication of information regarding sustainability issues throughout the company

• Reducing natural gas consumption by 4 %: implementation of the "high-performance heat storage system" project

Economic objectives

• Transformer load testing

• 10 % increase in turnover

• Promotion of biodiversity and ecological agriculture through continuation and expansion of the meadow orchard initiative and various cultivation projects

• 12 % increase in sales volume

• Reduction or substitution of potentially harmful hazardous materials

• Increase the awareness of the quality of Voelkel products

Quality objectives

Corporate objectives 2019

7. Summary The story of our organic juice factory began over 80 years ago when Margret and Karl Voelkel made their lives into a dream come true by adopting Rudolf Steiner's agricultural teachings. They enthusiastically pursued the idea of biodynamic farming right from the start, laying the foundation for the Voelkel philosophy. Our traditional juice factory is now run by the 3rd and 4th generations of the Voelkel family with the same passion for fair, future-oriented agriculture. It is particularly important to us to take the well-being of our customers, employees and partners into account in all our decision� -making. Equally important to us are the careful and respectful use of natural resources and the ongoing optimisation of the day-today implementation of our principles. As an organic pioneer and in keeping with the spirit of health food we are committed to fair trade and long-term personal relationships with our fruit and vegetable growers. Another integral part of our corporate philosophy is our social and ecological commitment, regionally and globally. The guideline for every issue relevant to sustainability that we tackle is to keep to our principles and get better every year at what we do. To make sure we do this, we set targets for each new project so we can check at the end of each year what has been achieved or where improvements still need to be made. In 2018, we were able to keep specific energy consumption virtually constant despite extensive construction work. We currently c onsume 6.99 kWh of electricity and 24.4 kWh of gas to produce 100 packaging units. We aim to reduce this consumption by a further 15 % or a good 8 % to 6.08 kWh of electricity and 22.56 kWh of gas by 2020. At 320 litres per 100 packaging units, water consumption was actually significantly lower than in the previous year (345 litres / 100 PUs). We see climate protection as being a long-term task. For this reason, we are striving to continuously optimise our production processes, improve logistics and building management as well as reduce transport emissions by procuring raw materials ever more locally, all the while supporting local producers. In addition, the preservation of biodiversity is a matter close to our hearts. That is

Sustainability Report 2018

From left to right: David, Boris, Jurek, Jacob

and Stefan Voelkel

why we are particularly supportive of two initiatives: The cultivation of organic meadow orchards and the promotion of non-hybrid vegetable varieties. Non-hybrid varieties can be propagated and pass on their properties. This means that farmers are not dependent on the large corporate seed producers. Old, traditional fruit varieties grow in the meadow orchards that are both a cultural landscape and a habitat for many species of insects, small mammals and birds. We are committed to the preservation of the meadow orchards that are characteristic of the north-eastern Lower Saxony region and initiated, among other projects, the Elbtalaue and Lüneburg organic meadow orchard associations. Long-term oriented action and business practices with a consideration for humans and nature have a long tradition in our company. To continue to actively live this pioneering role, think outside the box and explore new avenues is and will ever remain the essence of all our corporate decisions.

8. How to get in touch with Voelkel Where can I get Voelkel products? Voelkel’s organic juices are available in health food shops, organic grocery stores and from specialist dealers. Our organic juices are also offered in a variety of eateries.

How to get in touch with Voelkel Homepage www.voelkeljuice.de/en Hotline From Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. our friendly staff are happy to answer all your questions about our products. You can call us on 0800 / 950 950 5. Shop finder Are you looking to buy Voelkel juices somewhere near you? On our Voelkel Homepage there is a shop finder. Here you can search for organic, farm or health food shops in your area that sell our organic juices.

Facebook Here you will find the latest information about Voelkel and our organic juices. Everything posted here is directly from us. Field workers Voelkel currently employs 21 sales representatives in various regions of Germany. Email All emails and inquiries that reach us via our contact form will be answered personally by us. Messen You can visit us at annual trade fairs such as BioFach and consumer events such as "Bio Hamburg" or "Grüne Woche" in Berlin. Onlineshop All our products can be ordered and delivered directly to your home via the Voelkel Onlineshop: http://shop.voelkeljuice.de

How to get in touch with Voelkel

9. Legal Notice Voelkel GmbH Fährstraße 1 29478 Höhbeck / OT Pevestorf Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 5846 / 950 - 0 www.voelkeljuice.de Conception and editing Voelkel GmbH Layout and typesetting Voelkel GmbH Contact for queries info@voelkeljuice.de © 2019, Voelkel GmbH No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Sustainability Report online In the spirit of sustainability and in order to conserve precious resources, we have printed this Sustainability Report in a limited edition only. A digital version is available for reading and downloading on our website.

Sustainability Report 2018

All understanding begins with amazement, and only those who marvel, who wonder, are on the way to the right insight. Rudolf Steiner

Voelkel GmbH Fährstraße 1 · D-29478 Höhbeck / OT Pevestorf Telefon: (+49) 5846 - 950 - 0 · Fax: (+49) 5846 - 950 - 50 E-Mail: info@voelkeljuice.de · www.voelkeljuice.de Eco-Control-Body: DE-ÖKO-007