‘There’s no Planet B’ is a famous quote by British physicist and mathematician Stephen Hawking and at Bakker we are all too aware of this! Together with our customers and growers, Bakker works tirelessly to reduce our environmental footprint. While this is an ongoing process, we are more than happy to shed some light on our current efforts.  

We conduct our business in a fair way and abide by the rules. All our suppliers are in possession of the appropriate social and environmental certifications. Bakker strives to establish long-term relationships and that also means taking good care of each other. And this is not just the case for our local products but also for our growers of exotic products because there, too, we only purchase products when we are satisfied that labour conditions are good.  

We help and advise our growers to adopt increasingly sustainable methods. We do this by consulting with them on a regular basis, actively searching for solutions to specific obstacles and exploring how various processes can be made even more efficient without additional environmental impact.  

At Bakker we work on sustainable initiatives together with our customers. For instance, in Belgium all Delhaize branches have been CO₂ neutral since 2021, Delhaize offers an increasingly sustainably grown range of products, and in Brussels herbs are even grown on the roof of the supermarket.  

Working as sustainably as possible also means we cast a critical eye on our packagings. With every new and existing product we assess whether packaging is even necessary. And if so, how can we keep packaging to a minimum? We use the most sustainable materials whenever possible without compromising on the quality and shelf life of our products. Examples include biologically degradable or recyclable materials. It is a creative process in which our packaging experts go in search of the latest environmentally friendly packagings. Whenever possible we also ship our products in bulk using crates, which can be placed directly on the Delhaize shelves. If their skin permits it, we try to laser our biologically grown products as often as possible. This continually shrinks our environmental footprint, which ranks high on our and Delhaize’s list of priorities.  

We work with a dynamic product and must act quickly in order to ensure its freshness. Naturally we do everything in our power to minimise food waste. We do this with our growers through tailored cultivation and by implementing a clever and sustainable packing approach so our products arrive fresh and with the longest possible shelf life. Nevertheless we are sometimes forced to look for alternative destinations for our products.  For example, we collaborate with food banks that take surplus products off our hands. It gives us great pleasure that these surplus products can still bring joy to so many people who truly need them. 

Products that are damaged to such an extent that they are no longer fit for human consumption are processed into different end products such as pallets, fertiliser or animal feed.  

Bakker Belgium runs entirely on green energy and we are currently actively greening our fleet.  

Meanwhile our first e-truck is driving back and forth to Delhaize’s distribution centre. We are part of Greenyard, a global market leader in fresh, frozen and prepared fruit and vegetables and we share a powerful drive to make a positive contribution to the CO2 reduction. Greenyard has made a firm commitment to reduce its direct (scope 1 & 2) emissions by 70% by 2030. Read Greenyard’s sustainability report for more details.