Corporate Social Responsibilityit’s our nature
Corporate social responsibly is second nature at Banken Champignons. It’s an integral part of who we are. We ‘live’ by virtue of nature and the world around us and want to continue to do so. For this reason, we launch initiatives designed to ease the burden on our environment and reduce energy consumption. We also consider a pleasant and safe working environment in which people can develop their talents to be paramount.
Some examples:
- We cultivate our mushrooms according to the stringent standards of Global GAP/TNC/FtF
- We use green energy (certified)
- We purify our waste water using our own water purification installation
- We do not use pesticides or chemical crop protection
No Food to Waste
Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year goes to waste. No Food to Waste is an initiative that promotes the reduction of food waste. Banken Champignons supports this initiative and takes action.
Cradle to Cradle
Mushroom growing efficiently and effectively uses by-products and waste from our food chain (animal manure). So mushroom growing is an activity that is in complete harmony with nature and a balanced environment. In addition, wild mushrooms naturally grow (without human intervention) on natural residual waste found in woods. Many elements in the mushroom food chain are a perfect fit with the Cradle to Cradle principle and go beyond present-day standards of corporate social responsibility.
Fair Produce
Banken Champignons was one of the initiators behind the Fair Produce quality mark. This quality mark stands for fairly harvested mushrooms and guarantees that the pickers are paid in accordance with the applicable regulations in the country in which they work. Since 15 January 2013, the Dutch and Belgian divisions of Banken Champignons have held Fair Produce certification For more information on the Fair Produce quality mark, visit www.fairproduce.nl
Greenport Gelderland
Banken Champignons is a co-initiator of Greenport Gelderland. Greenport Gelderland aims to promote projects and support and enhance the position of horticulture in the Rivierengebied region in the Dutch province of Gelderland. A dedicated mushroom pact has been established to support growers in this region.
For more information on Greenport Gelderland, visit www.greenportgelderland.nl
Banken Academy
Our human capital is the most important asset of Banken Champignons. We are convinced that the way to improve our performance as a team is to work in a good, harmonious manner. To this end, we have integrated Lean Management into our operational management on the work floor. ‘Lean’ means that we deploy the capabilities of the employees at our organisation in a smart way to create added value for society.
To unleash the true potential of lean production, you have to train your employees to work according to lean principles. It is precisely for that reason that we launched the Banken Academy. At the Academy we teach our workforce all the ins and out of our production processes so they can operate optimally within that framework. They learn how to boost their own performance within our processes. The Banken Academy is therefore an essential link in guaranteeing sustainable quality at the work place. It also greatly contributes to the general well-being and personal advancement of our employees.
