Agroforestry is a sustainable agricultural system officially called ‘regenerative agroforestry’. With this system, different crops on the same piece of land absorb CO2 from the air. In addition to CO2 uptake, this agricultural method also yields more biodiversity, higher yields for farmers, healthier plants, better harvest quality and better soil conditions.
Verstegen has won the Business and Biodiversity Award by the European Business Award for the Environment (an initiative of the European Commission). The jury of the EBAE was impressed by the first steps that Verstegen has taken towards a sustainable future by means of agroforestry, a sustainable agricultural method.
With the Business and Biodiversity Award, Verstegen has been given a platform which enables us to give more attention to our sustainability ambitions and activities throughout Europe. Together, we can make more impact, on a national and international level and we invite you to join and support us on this incredible journey.
Verstegen wants to leave the world a better place for the next generation. It wants to increase agricultural productivity, strengthen biodiversity and fight climate change.
Agroforestry means planting different crops in multiple layers. The bottom layer are vegetables and herbs, such as ginger and turmeric. The middle layer consists of shrubs with spices, such as white pepper, berries and fruits. The top layer consists of trees producing fruit and nuts. This system can do away with pesticides and fertilizers and no use is made of them. It also contributes to CO2 uptake from the air.
Indonesia: Food forests with white pepper, ginger and turmeric
Western Sumatra: Food forests with coffee and cinnamon
India: Food forests with chilli and turmeric
Costa Rica: Food forests with vanilla, cocoa and palm oil
Bangka is an island in Indonesia, between Sumatra and Borneo. The hills behind the port of Muntok have the ideal climate for the production of white pepper: the culinary sister of black pepper. This place is the origin of the white pepper. Behind the hills is where the sustainable production process begins. We work together with a permanent group of farmers who grow pepper for us through agroforestry.
For the Gula Gula project in West Sumatra, a large piece of land has been purchased to carry out an extensive agroforestry programme. Coffee plants and cinnamon trees grow in the different layers.
