We want to supply our customers with high-quality products. Working ethically and treating humans and animals with respect is an absolute requirement in everything we do. We are constantly looking for new markets or sales channels where we can add value with our products and can contribute to the demand for safe and nutritious animal proteins. We are also investing in maximising economic value.

We are a food manufacturer and want to meet the quality requirements set. There are different views in society about our production chain. We ensure a transparent way of working and share our ambitions in the fields of animal welfare, animal health and sustainability. By investing in innovation and new technologies, we are continuing to develop and simultaneously contribute to solutions to the challenges which our sector is facing. We work with integrity and actively highlight this theme to our employees and partners.

Strategic innovation

We develop and implement innovative solutions and new technologies in our operations and supply chain to improve our efficiency.

We are working on innovation in various ways at our companies. The most visible is our in-house Research & Development team, which each day carries out research into animal health, sustainability, robotics and smart farming. The R&D team tests innovations in practice at its own research centres.

Various studies, such as public-private partnerships (PPPs), are being conducted by the industry organisations to which we belong. We contribute to this in kind and in cash. A great example of a project we are involved in is ‘Kijk op het kalf’ (View of the calf): A subsidy was awarded to the 'Kijk op het kalf' (View of the Calf) project from CAP funds in 2022. This project explores a new way of working between the dairy and veal farming sectors, with a focus on calf health. This project commenced in 2023 and includes a 'calf passport' and health checklist for calves. Only when a calf meets all the criteria on this checklist and a vet declares it healthy will it be transported. The calf is also fed the same diet on both dairy and veal farms. The aim of the project is to gain new insights to further improve the move from dairy farming to veal farming for animal health. The project will run until 2024.

• Responsible corporate governance ethics
  We want to do business in an open and responsible manner. That means that we provide insight into our results, work in an ethical way and deal with people, animals and the environment in respectful way.

• Culture, code of conduct and whistleblowers’ scheme
  Dedicated employees doing the work they are good at in a safe working environment are at the heart of our company. Values such as commitment, an eye for quality and responsibility resonate strongly with the family business that is the VanDrie Group. That also means we conduct our business fairly and ensure that food safety and animal welfare are always taken into consideration. The VanDrie Group has a code of conduct, our compass, a whistleblowers’ scheme known internally as SpeakUp, and a guide to doing business fairly.

• Animal welfare code of conduct
  The VanDrie Group's Dutch meat processing companies have signed the animal welfare code of conduct adopted by the Central Organisation for the Meat Sector (COV). This code with non-statutory obligations includes the annual training of slaughterhouse employees, intensive camera surveillance, the use of artificial intelligence in the deployment of cameras, and knowledge sharing between companies to enhance learning capability. The code of conduct also requires external specialists to assess the safeguarding of animal welfare in slaughterhouses. The COV reports annually on the operation, compliance and results of the code of conduct.

• Palm oil production
  Oils and fats are an important source of energy in the feeds we produce; they provide the essential fatty acids (linoleic acid and linolenic acid) that an animal cannot produce itself. These essential fatty acids subsequently help with the absorption of vitamins and are therefore indispensable as means of ensuring the calves’ good health. Important raw materials for these essential fatty acids are palm oil and palm oil derivatives. Palm oil is also used in calf milk replacer. About 0.55 per cent of the calves' diet consists of palm oil, which comes mainly from Asia (40 percent comes from Malaysia and Indonesia). The VanDrie Group conforms to the agreements of the Dutch feed industry organisation (Nevedi) that all palm oil and related products purchased by its members from 2024 onwards will be certified 100% RSPO-certified. We joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in 2022. This is a multi-stakeholder organisation that determines the standard for sustainable palm oil production and sets rules such as not chopping down rainforests and observing human rights. We only purchase certified palm oil that meets the established RSPO requirements.

• Soya procurement
  Our calf feeds contain low amounts of soya compared to other feeds. Around 4% of calf feed consists of soya products. Soy has the lowest footprint per kilogram of protein compared to other proteins such as peas, beans and lupins from Europe. Completely replacing this soy with a good European alternative is not possible at the moment. Therefore, the VanDrie Group chooses to allow the use of non-European soya under strict sustainability requirements until a more sustainable European alternative presents itself. When purchasing soya, we comply with the Soy Sourcing Guidelines 2021 of the European Feed Manufacturers' Federation (Fefac). This ensures that the soya meets important sustainability requirements and that soya is produced responsibly and comes from deforestation-free land. Among other things, the VanDrie Group uses RTRS-certified soya. We guarantee the certified soya with the ‘book & claim’ method.