Presentation boerenbond fevia-vbt

1. FROM FARM TO FORK
How the Belgian agro-food chain assures
sustainable food security and quality

2. BELGIAN AGRO-FOOD
CHAIN PLATFORM
Fairness, quality & sustainability

3. BELGIAN AGRO-FOOD CHAIN
Suppliers to agriculture
seeds, fertilizers, plant protection
products, feed, machinery, utilities
Intermediary trade
Horticulture
Arable
production
Animal
production
Intermediary trade
First and second transformation
Wholesale
Consumers
Credit
institutions
Public
authorities
Association
NGO
Research
Extension
Training
Production line
Agriculture
Food industry
Structure

4. BELGIAN AGRICULTURE
A versatile sector
• A strong presence of different sectors
 Wide range of products available
• Specialized rather small scale farmers
 Professionalism and excellence
• Family farm businesses
 Economy with a face

5. BELGIAN AGRICULTURE
Facts & figures
• 1.358 mio ha of farm land
• 42 870 holdings
 31.7 ha/holding
• 80 950 people employed
 61 550 AWU’s
• 8.450 bio euro turnover
 42,9 % crops
 57,1 % animal production
• 2.288 bio euro added value

6. BELGIAN AGRICULTURE
With a strong export vocation
• Exports worth 39.4 bio euro
 16 % outside EU-28 and growing
 Ranging from
 Inputs: machinery, fertilizers, plant
protection products seeds
 Knowledge and know how
 Over agricultural high quality commodities
 To food and drinks in a wide variety
Self sufficiency ratio
Potatoes 251
Fresh milk 145
Cream 154
Condensed milk 139
WMP 210
SMP 234
Beef/veal 140
Pigmeat 237
Poultry 147
Eggs 110

7. BELGIAN AGRICULTURE
Safe, qualitative and sustainable products
• Assured safety and quality
 Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain
 Specifications
 Traceability from farm to fork
• Strengthened by proximity of consumer
 Farming in an urbanized region
• Demanding on all accounts of sustainability
 Biodiversity, environment, resource efficiency,
emission reductions, animal welfare,…

8. TRACEABILITY AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
Animal production
Supply
Agriculture
Processor
Retail
ConsumerConsumer
Animals: genetics
Feed: GMP, OVPG
Veterinary medicine: GVP
Other
Belbeef, Belpork, BCV, Belplume (animal health and welfare, feed,
veterinary medicines), organic, others
IKM (
 Public monitoring programma, sanitel by-laws
 Residu monitoring
 HACCP, hygiene rules
Specifications, GAP
 Meritus, Certus, Belplume
Consum
Sanitel
Beltrace
Federal Agency for the
Safety of the Food Chain
(FASFC) has to control and
monitor about 200.000
agro-food firms

9. TRACEABILITY AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
Crop production
Supply
Agriculture
Processor
Retail
ConsumerConsumer
Seeds and plants
Pest management products
Treatments
Other
OVPG, Vegaplan, Eurep Gap, Flandria
Good farming practices, early warning systems
Residu monitoring programs (public and private schemes)
 Residu monitoring
 GMP, HACCP, certification schemes
Specifications, GAP
Flandria, Vegaplan
Federal Agency for the
Safety of the Food Chain
(FASFC) has to control and
monitor about 200.000
agro-food firms

10. BELGIAN AGRO-FOOD CHAIN
Strong collaboration
• Agro-food chain platform
 Representatives of suppliers, farmers, food industry and retail
• Setting the scene for
 Faire trading practices
 Code of conduct
 Quality assurance schemes
 Common specifications
 Sustainability
 Strategic plan

11. AGRO-FOOD CHAIN PLATFORM
Code of conduct for fair trading practices
• First signed 20 May 2010, adjusted 10 June 2014
following mutual recognition with the European Supply
Chain Initiative
• Scope
 Applies to all links in the chain and to all operators
 Governs relations between purchasers and suppliers
 Eleven recommendations on fair trading practices
• Legitimacy
 Signed by the representative sector organisations
 Companies adhere on a voluntary basis by signing a
“declaration for fair trading practices”
• Enforceability
 “Comply or explain”
 Generic annual report (no individual files)
 Minister and its administration are informed

12. AGRO-FOOD CHAIN PLATFORM
Interprofessional agreements
• Detailing the code of conduct at sectorial
level
 Framework for (individually or collectively
negotiated) contracts
 Potential result: fairer producer prices
• Points of departure
 Level playing field for a balanced relationship
between the different partners in the Agro
Food Chain
 Respecting sectorial specificity and freedom of
choice of all operators, especially farmers

13. AGRO-FOOD CHAIN PLATFORM
Sustainable development
• Developing generic sustainability
requirements
 Pro actively manage sustainable development
 246 sustainability requirements identified
−In specifications and check lists from retailers, food
service providers and multinational food companies
 Generic sustainability requirements integrated in
market access specifications
−Vegaplan – crop production
−IKM/QFL – dairy
 Transformation of the agro-food system
−Project with support from the regional governments

14. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Dairy – IKM/QFL
• Sustainability monitoring throughout the dairy chain in a joint
approach by farmers’ organizations and dairy industry
 Production - collection and transport – processing
• Sustainability Monitoring of dairy farms
 List of 35 initiatives for more sustainable milk production (7
themes):
− Animal health
− Animal welfare
− Energy
− Environment
− Animal nutrition
− Water and soil
− Social en economic sustainability
 Auditing by independent body : 1/3 of all dairy farms per year
 Farmers’ organizations and dairy industry provide support

15. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Dairy – IKM/QFL
• Priorities: sustainability, quality and food security
 Conditions for sustainable growth for farmers and industry
2.600
2.700
2.800
2.900
3.000
3.100
3.200
3.300
3.400
3.500
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Melkleveringen(mio. L)Milk deliveries (mio. L)
Investments (mio. euros)
40
45
50
55
60
65
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Uitvoer Belgische zuivelindustrie (% vanomzet)Export (% turnover)
231
247
270
282
311
337
356
369
389
0
100
200
300
400
500
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013
Milk deliveries by producer (1.000
L)

16. BELGIAN AGRO-FOOD CHAIN
Strong collaboration
• Focus on
 Fairness
 Quality
 Sustainability
• Resulting in
 Responsiveness
 Flexibility
 Accountability
= strong basis for sustainable growth at home and abroad
Happy to partner
Piet Vanthemsche
President of Boerenbond
President of the Belgian Agro-food Chain Platform
Vice chairman of the World Farmers Association (WFO)
Diestsevest 40
B-3000 Leuven
+32 16 28 66 01
Piet.Vanthemsche@boerenbond.be

17. THE AGRO-FOOD INDUSTRY
IN BELGIUM
A reputation of Quality, Diversity & Innovation

18. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Employers Food industry
Breakdown of companies by size
< 5 employees 5 - 9 employees 10 - 19 employees
20 - 49 employees 50 - 99 employees 100 - 249 employees
> 250 employees
BELGIAN FOOD INDUSTRY
A dynamic & flexible sector thanks to its SME’s
Only 61 of the
4.638 food
companies
employ > 250
people (1,3%)

19. BELGIAN FOOD INDUSTRY
A growing industry and one of the most important
industries in Belgium
2013 Jobs (FTE) Businesses Turnover Added
value
Export
Food industry
Total industry
% share of
the food
industry
Food industry
ranking
73,200
+0.5%
422,400
-2.9%
17.3%
1st
4,600
-2.7%
16,700
-3%
27,8%
1st
€ 48.2 bn
+1.7%
€ 281.3 bn
-3.3%
17.1%
1st
€ 6,8 bn
+1.7%
€ 42.8 bn
-1.8%
15.8 %
1st
€ 22,1 bn
+2.2%
-
-
3rd

20. BELGIAN FOOD INDUSTRY
A solid & export-oriented industry
Diverse
Export-oriented:
exports = 50,1% of total turnover
13,7%
12,3%
9,7%
9,7%
9,6%
8,8%
8,3%
7,0%
3,6%
3,5%
3,3%
1,9%
1,8% 1,3%
5,7%
Meat Dairy
Beverages Vegetable & fruit preparations
Preparations of cereals Cocoa and cocoa preparations
Vegetables Fats & oils
Sugar & sugar confectionery Preparations of meat & fish
Flour and malt Cereals
Fish Coffee, tea and spices
Other
€ 0
€ 1.000
€ 2.000
€ 3.000
€ 4.000
€ 5.000
Netherlands France Germany United-Kingdom Italy Rest EU-15 Rest EU-28 Rest of the
world
Bn.Euro
Evolution and geographical distribution exports
2003 2013
Exported
products

21. STRENGTHS OF THE BELGIAN
FOOD INDUSTRY
Excellence in food
Optimal efficiency and products with superior
quality, safety and taste are central to the
Belgian food industry
Stringent food safety standards and rigorous monitoring of the
quality and safety of food – HACCP principle
Compulsory self-checking system for all companies active in the
food chain to guarantee maximum food safety
Continuous training of employees in quality management
Close collaboration throughout the food chain strengthens the
spirit of quality – traceability throughout the chain
An efficient and quality agriculture
QUALITY
SAFETY

22. STRENGTHS OF THE BELGIAN
FOOD INDUSTRY
Excellence in food
The Belgian food industry is a robust sector with
a wide variety of activities
Throughout history Belgium has been a crossroads of flavours
which made Belgians very demanding about food and its quality
The Belgian food industry consists of 4600 companies, of which
a large number are small and medium-sized enterprises.
The Belgian food industry is known for chocolate, beer, waffles.
But the Belgian food industry has a lot of other export success
stories… : world’s biggest exporter of frozen potato products,
European leader in frozen vegetables, dairy and meat are
exported worldwide, etc.
DIVERSITY

23. STRENGTHS OF THE BELGIAN
FOOD INDUSTRY
Excellence in food
Innovation is crucial for the excellence of
Belgian food products
Continuous research to improve the taste of products, their
nutritional composition (less sugar and salt etc.), microbiological
safety, food for the elderly, diabetics etc., packaging, industrial
efficiency and so on.
1 food company in 3 works on new products while 1 in 2 works
on organizational and processing innovations
Two knowledge institutes for innovation established by the food
sector : Flanders’ FOOD in Flanders and Wagralim in Wallonia
Technology platforms
INNOVATION

24. STRENGTHS OF THE BELGIAN
FOOD INDUSTRY
Other strengths
Well located in a dense Western European
market
Logistics hub in the EU
Major ports : Antwerp, Zeebruges, Ghent,
Liège

25. THE BELGIAN FOOD SECTOR
Delivering high quality and safe products respecting
the environment throughout the food chain
16 self-checking guides for the food
processing sector alone, covering ± 95% of
the production
Third party certification covering majority of
products (and most/all of exported products)
Main sectors covered by additional
monitoring schemes offering additional
guarantees

26. THE BELGIAN FOOD SECTOR
Delivering high quality and safe products respecting
the environment throughout the food chain
Preserving resources
 Circular economy – Zero waste – No landfill
 28% less water by ton product
Reducing emissions:
 29 % less CO2-emissions between 1990 - 2011
World top for recycling of packaging
Chain approach – all together
www.fevia-sustainability.be - Sustainability
report (GRI Standard) Food & Drink Industry

27. Treatment of rain water, surface water and
freatic groundwater as alternative for deep
groundwater or tap water

28. Water reuse: treated industrial wastewater effluent
for irrigation

29. THE BELGIAN FOOD SECTOR
Delivering high quality and safe products respecting
the environment throughout the food chain

30. BELGIUM…. A SMALL COUNTRY,
BUT GREAT FOOD
Thank you
Nadia Lapage
+32 2 550 17 57
nl@fevia.be
www.fevia.be, www.food.be

32. Belgium is the country of the…
Belgian Waffle Belgian (French)
Fries
Belgian Chocolates
Belgian Diamonds

33. But Belgium is also the country of …

34. Corner stone BE Fruit & Vegetable sector:
Producer Organisations / Co-operatives

35. Concentration
of the supply
PO1
p11
p21
p31
p41
PO2 p12
p22
…
…
…
POn
p1n
p2n
Producer orientationCustomer orientation

36. Vegetables
Fruit &Vegetables
Fruit
4.500 growers

37. Turnover PO members VBT
€ 354.899.819€ 501.231.394
Frozen vegetables € 93,0 million
Fresh produce € 856,1 million

38. Quality control
and inspection,
grading
Packaging
Procurement of packaging
Sales &
Marketing
Distribution
Centralised
Calibration
(Peppers, Fruit)
Conservation
short and long
term
Tasks of PO’s

39. Quality management
Main objective:
– To deliver a sound, safe and
sustainable product to the customer
By:
– Imposing production guidelines to
the producer
– Control of the production guidelines
(certification)
– Guidelines for product quality
– Grading and quality control

40. Product specifications
Guidelines concerning the product:
– Quality
– Shape
– Colour
– Weight
– Packaging
– ….
Control by PO
at entrance

41. Quality control Sales Packaging Logistics
Research/ Innovation Marketing Support Planning
Unique role in the value chain
BELORTA SHORT EN_854x480.mp4

42. •One collective label for Fruit and Vegetables
•The sustainability label 'Responsibly Fresh' is a sign of recognition
for all those concerned in the market for fruit and vegetables who
seek to make progress in terms of prosperity, well-being and the
environment.
•'Responsibly Fresh':
– 'Fresh' because we are working in the context of fresh fruit and
vegetables.
– 'Responsibly' means fruit from socially responsible companies and
social involvement.
• More information & report: www.responsibly-fresh.com
Sustainability concept

43. Focus on different dimensions
Planet – People - Profit
Low impact
Biodiversity Food thrift
Proximity

44. • Private-public collaboration for global food security through good
agricultural practices signed on October 28th 2014 in Abu Dhabi
• Open call for global collaboration to find new approaches that it will
make it easier, more cost effective, and more attractive for farmers to
adopt safe, responsible and sustainable production practices.
• H.E. Dr. Rashid Bin Fahed, Minister of Environment & Water UAE
was the first official signatory (on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Food
Control Authority). Other signatories include: Unilever, Nestlé, VBT-
Association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives, …
www.declaration-of-abu-dhabi.org
Declaration of Abu Dhabi

45. Opportunities for partners UAE
• Fresh Produce is available & controlled
– Production conditions, product specifications
• Through PO / Co-operative:
– Meeting demands of customer
– Short logistic chain, cold chain
– Packaging
– Efficient and transparent sales system
• Export by dedicated companies and/or POs
• Knowhow co-operative structure, sales systems, quality
schemes, sustainable development concept, …
Anytime there is an opportunity:
focus on quality & sustainability
and think of - Fresh Produce

46. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
Philippe Appeltans
General Secretary VBT
T +32 16 20 00 80
E info@vbt.eu