Returning to The Amsterdam Coffee Festival as our official partner for 2020, we sit down with Alpro's Head of Sustainability Greet Vanderheyden to discuss today’s hot topic: sustainability.
Hey Greet! Sustainability seems to be the most talked about thing within every self-respecting company these days. What does it mean for Alpro?
"At Alpro, sustainability and economic growth go hand-in-hand. We want to reach as many people as possible with our healthy, sustainable and plant-based products. By doing so, we create shared value: we help both society and our company to flourish. That's at the heart of our vision of sustainability: we want to be part of the solution."
Alpro has been a true pioneer, working on plant-based solutions even before it became trendy. What are your new sustainability goals?
"We are currently setting our new goals as we reach the end of the previous period (2015-2020). Our sustainability update will come out in May, when Alpro celebrates its 40th anniversary. It will include a number of new focus points, such as biodiversity and sustainable packaging. But we will also continue to hone in on things that have also been at the heart of Alpro’s vision, such as encouraging more people to eat healthy and plant-based food. Our One Planet Thinking programme has scientific targets for - among others - CO2, water and nitrogen. As well as buying locally in combination with building long term relationships with cooperatives and farmers."
How can coffee lovers make a difference?
"As a coffee drinker, or actually a consumer in general, you can make a difference by choosing a (more) plant-based diet. These products must, of course, be healthy and sustainably produced. You can look online to check what steps each brand takes to ensure this. Does the soy have a sustainable certificate? Will the bees in the almond cultivation be protected?
What is the most sustainable drink within Alpro's range?
"Generally, all our drinks can be called sustainable. In collaboration with WWF and other scientific partners, we are fully committed though to further reducing the impact of each product with the One Planet Thinking program. Soy is always a good choice. It has a very low footprint and contains healthy proteins."
Yet soybean cultivation is often linked to global deforestation. What’s your take on that?
"The large-scale deforestation in soybean cultivation takes place with soy intended for cattle feed. So if you eat soy or plant-based products - as in plant-based alternatives to dairy or a meat substitute - you're automatically taking a big step to combat deforestation. With the ProTerra label, Alpro offers a 100% guarantee that the soy was produced without any deforestation. We also strongly monitor this and can trace every soybean in our packs to the field and even the seed."
FIND OUT ALL ABOUT ALPRO'S PLANT-BASED REVOLUTION AT THE AMSTERDAM COFFEE FESTIVAL (13-15 MARCH). plus, TAKE A LOOK AT THE 3 TIPS FROM ALPRO'S AMBASSADOR MERIJN GIJSBERS FOR THE BEST PLANT-BASED LATTE ART.