Verstegen PortalVerstegen. Fun For Food.

People

We spend a lot of our time at work. A familiar and safe working environment is therefore something we all want to achieve. It is important that we are able to show respect when working for and with each other. In order to maintain and reinforce this, Verstegen has drawn up an active policy. This includes such things as preventing and/or reducing sexual harassment, aggression and violence, discrimination, bullying at work, guaranteeing safety in the workplace and reducing the pressure of work.

Verstegen invests a lot in its staff. Also in the people who work in the Fair Trade projects in countries such as Indonesia and India. With Fair Trade, you increase Verstegen’s involvement with the (spice) farmer and you can have much more influence on his operations. As part of CSR, Verstegen makes its contribution to the sub-area 'Mankind' on the following points:

At the moment, we are busy with the translation of new practical examples. Shortly, new articles will be posted online.

Direct Sourcing

Verstegen is trying to gain increasing influence over its own raw materials. Through a chain approach, we are getting a grip on our suppliers with transparency in the chain, the goal being 'direct sourcing'. We have, and are looking for, suppliers for a long-term partnership. Verstegen makes agreements with these suppliers regarding the development of the quality, food safety (HACCP), environmental aspects (use of pesticides, reduction of energy consumption) and social aspects for the individuals’ involved (training, respect, development and a good standard of living).

Fair Trade Nutmeg and Mace

In Indonesia too, on Ambon to be precise, Verstegen has found a partner. A Dutch - Ambonese family set up a company there. Here, the nuts are selected and processed in a responsible way. A small-scale production location has been built where work can be carried out in accordance with HACCP standards. In this way, employment is offered to a large number of families in Hila, a village on the north coast of Ambon.

By intensifying contact with the farmers, Verstegen can teach them how to work in a hygienic way to achieve even better quality. There are extra rewards for compliance with the Verstegen standard and eventually risks will be eliminated as a result. Finally, the whole community is supported through projects in different areas. For instance, street lighting was financed and computers for the local school were shipped over.

Fair Trade Vanille

In Sirsi Karnataka (India), Verstegen has launched a Fair Trade vanilla project. Verstegen purchases vanilla from a cooperative of approximately 60 vanilla farmers. These farmers all have their own piece of land on which they cultivate vanilla.  None of the farmers use chemical pesticides or fertilisers and a large part of the crop is, therefore, already certified organic. To guarantee the quality, Verstegen has started a processing procedure in order to standardise the vanilla pod. This means that the farmers collectively dry and ferment the beans so that the end product is of a high standard and constant in terms of quality.

Together with Verstegen, the current situation of the farmers in terms of knowledge, standard of living and the necessary facilities has, of course, been examined and a plan has been drawn up on how Verstegen’s Fair Trade premium will be spent. The project meets our own standard, the Verstegen Fair Trade Standard, which was chosen because it is a quick, practical and effective method that corresponds with Verstegen’s no-nonsense philosophy. The Verstegen standard is based on internationally accepted norms. 

For instance, a machine was sent from the Netherlands to India, by means of which the beans can be vacuum packed, as well as the necessary packaging material. With instructions from Verstegen, the vanilla beans are individually wrapped so that the product maintains its high quality.

Cycle Plan

Verstegen encourages employees who (want to) travel to work by bike. Not only will this improve the health and fitness of employees, but the positive effects for the environment also play an important role for Verstegen.

This is why Verstegen has been taking part in the National Cycle Project for years now. Employees can purchase a bike to a maximum value of € 749 and gain a tax advantage.
Due to a temporary reduction in the gross wage, the advantage can be as much as an average 42%. Verstegen pays this amount to the NFP and the gross monthly salary of the employee is reduced for a maximum of 3 years. It is not only more environmentally friendly and healthier to go to work by bike, but on top of that it is also a lot cheaper.

Integrity policy

The starting point of Verstegen’s integrity policy is that employees must cooperate on the basis of a shared vision of the company and its objectives, within which the shared responsibility for each other’s performance is clear. People trust one another because everyone assumes, even without laws and sanctions that they are helping in this way to make the company as a whole successful. In such a culture, fraud is not likely to occur. For this reason, core values have been formulated as part of the mission statement. These are core values which run through all of the processes in the organisation and which do not give way for short-term gain or shifts in the market. Core values can cover such concepts as: reliability, respect, integrity and quality.

Integrity risks
In addition to this, it is important to avoid integrity risks. Certain important activities, such as the purchase of goods and their payment, are separated and performed by different employees, in order to prevent fraud.

Verstegen also has a policy when it comes to accepting business gifts. Every year, a mail shot is drafted and sent to all our business relations. In it, Verstegen states that employees prefer not to receive business gifts, but would be pleased if a contribution was made to the good cause that we too will be supporting that year. If an employee is involved in integrity violations, however, they can see a counsellor.

Social policy

We spend a great deal of our time at work. A familiar and safe working environment is therefore something we all strive for. It is important that we must be able to work with respect for each other at Verstegen. Both the employer and the employee must ensure that we retain this valuable possession.

In order to retain and strengthen this, the organisation must have a policy to prevent psychosocial work-related stress. Examples of this could include preventing and/or reducing sexual harassment, aggression and violence, discrimination, bullying on the shop floor and reducing the pressure of work, etc.

For this reason, Verstegen, in collaboration with the occupational health and safety committee and the Works Council, has drawn up a policy aimed at preventing and/or limiting psychosocial work-related stress as much as possible. The topics covered in this policy include the following: bullying, sexual harassment, discrimination, aggression and violence, safety at work, etc. In this way, Verstegen not only cares for its staff, but also ensures a good atmosphere in the departments.