SUSTAINABILITYLocal and sustainable beet farming

We focus on beet that is grown locally and sustainably – not just in Germany, but at all our sugar-producing sites in Europe.

SO CLOSE – SO GOODRegionally and sustainably certified

In Germany, our beet travels an average of just 50 km from the field to the factory. These short transport distances help reduce CO2 emissions and are part of our efforts to produce predominantly regionally. In addition to regionality, we focus on sustainability in beet cultivation, certified in accordance with REDcert2. REDcert2 is a certification system for sustainable biomass from arable crops for food and is therefore our most important pillar of sustainability. All relevant aspects at our locations and during cultivation are taken into account – economically, ecologically and socially – each year anew.

Our beet sugar…

	is obtained from sugar beets grown by around 12,700 contract farmers in Germany, Poland and Ukraine.
	is a regional product, because our beets are processed where they grow.
	comes from sustainable cultivation, certified in accordance with REDcert2, at all European locations.
	is 100% natural, because the sugar beet produces the sugar itself. There is no industrial sugar.

You can find more interesting facts about our beet sugar and REDcert² certification in our REDcert² fact sheet (PDF, Download approx. 1,0 MB).

Strengthening biodiversity

A diverse flora and fauna is essential for keeping our environment in balance. That is why we promote biodiversity in sugar beet cultivation, because sugar beet makes an important contribution to this:

Late-harvested sugar beet fields are an important source of food and refuge for animals, especially birds.
Sugar beet breaks up crop rotations and thus reduces the risk of disease. Fertilizer and pesticide use in subsequent crops can thus be reduced.
With numerous recultivation projects at our sites, we also promote biodiversity, for example through disused rainwater harvesting tanks.