With Verstegen you really add something.

That's not just our motto. It encapsulates everything our family business stands for. We offer the highest quality herbs and spices, so you can create the most delicious dishes. At the same time, we actively contribute to the well-being of people and our planet.

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We don't just want to take from nature, we want to add something. From better wages for farmers to increased biodiversity.

Michel Driessen

Owner

our sustainability pillars & ambitions

At the heart of our corporate strategy lie our sustainability ambitions. These ambitions are based on the material themes we have identified through a double materiality assessment (DMA).

GOOD FOR THE CLIMATE

Ambitions 2030:

1. Compared to 2018, a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions from buildings, production processes, leased cars, and freight transport.

2. Compared to 2022, 42% less CO2 emissions from waste, packaging and purchased ingredients.

3. Minimizing our electricity and water consumption.

Climate transition plan

SPACE FOR NATURE

Ambitions 2030:

1. 50% of our ingredients are demonstrably sustainably grown from agricultural raw materials.

2. 30% less CO2 emissions offset compared to 2022.

3. 50% of our historical CO2 emissions offset.

4. Aim for 100% deforestation-free chains by 2026.

BETTER FOR PEOPLE

Ambitions 2030:

1. Stakeholders in our upstream agricultural commodity chains demonstrably have good working conditions, a living wage, and free from forced (child) labor.

2. 100% of direct employees receive a decent income and broad support for their sustainable employability.

3. Verstegen has an active and inclusive corporate culture in which 100% of employees feel socially safe.

We make our chains
transparent

At Verstegen, we're committed to creating transparent and traceable supply chains, and our nutmeg project is a prime example. Using our Trace platform, we've collaborated with Fairfood to map the entire journey of our nutmeg, from farm to fork. Discover how we made this journey possible and how you can make conscious choices.

Discover more

We really add something with
regenerative agriculture

At Verstegen, we believe that taste and sustainability go hand in hand. That's why we're committed to regenerative agriculture: a farming method that doesn't deplete nature, but rather restores it. This contributes to a more resilient food system and strengthens biodiversity.

Soil protection plays a key role in this. By using plant residues or ground cover, the soil remains better protected against dehydration and erosion. We also encourage the maintenance of roots in the soil year-round, as these nourish soil life. More and more farmers are implementing this, and we actively support this development. In this way, we contribute to the preservation of local biodiversity and the reduction of CO2 emissions.

FROM ROTTERDAM

At Verstegen, every department is linked to one or more sustainability ambitions, depending on the impact their processes have on these themes. Because many ambitions transcend individual departments, teams share responsibility for progress. Each department makes a contribution in its own way and translates this into concrete actions within the annual plan.

TOGETHER WITH THE SECTOR

As a member of the Sustainable Spice Initiative (SSI), the company works together with other market players to reduce risks in the herb and spice supply chains and to drive sustainable, positive change in the sector. We actively participate in various working groups focused on the themes of due diligence, climate, child labor, living wage, and communication. Since 2025, Verstegen has also held the role of Chair for the child labor working group, and as such, is part of the SSI Steering Committee.

TOGETHER WITH LOCAL PARTNERS

Our greatest potential negative and positive impact lies within these agricultural supply chains in the countries of origin. In collaboration with local partners, NGOs, and governments, we work within these chains in the countries of origin to drive positive impact across our three pillars: climate, nature, and people. Many of our initiatives start as pilots or projects, but always with the ambition to inspire other players in the chain and give them confidence in a new way of working and farming. Our goal is for the positive impact to extend beyond the project itself and ultimately contribute to structural change.

Our impact programs

Vanilla from Costa Rica

Pepper cultivation in Bangka, Indonesia

Parsley from the Netherlands

transparent

communication

We report annually on the progress of our sustainability ambitions in an external and transparent manner. This contributes to our due diligence process and provides stakeholders with insight into our progress and approach.

Due to the prolonged uncertainty regarding European reporting requirements and the recent recalibration of our strategy and ambitions, which required the necessary internal preparation and adjustments, we chose to share our 2024 progress concisely through an impact infographic focused on our three pillars.

Impact 2024

Duurzaamheid_-_We_voegen_echt_iets_toe_met_regeneratieve_landbouw

Our standards and assessments

We subject ourselves to assessment by leading, independent standards to make our impact measurable and transparent.

BCorp

This certification highlights our commitment to high standards in the areas of sustainability and social entrepreneurship.

In 2024, Verstegen achieved B Corp certification V1.6 and we are currently working on recertification under the new B Lab Standards V2.1

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EcoVadis

Verstegen Spices & Sauces B.V. has been awarded a silver medal by the EcoVadis rating. The EcoVadis methodology covers 21 criteria across four themes: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement.

View certificate

SBTi

Verstegen Spices & Sauces has officially had its climate targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This validation underscores the company’s ambition and represents a significant step in further reducing its CO₂ footprint, contributing to a more sustainable future.

Discover Discover what we addfor a better world

With Verstegen you really add something.

our sustainability pillars & ambitions

Ambitions 2030:

Ambitions 2030:

Ambitions 2030:

We make our chainstransparent

We really add something withregenerative agriculture

Our impact programs

communication

Our standards and assessments

Discover Discover what we add
for a better world

We make our chains
transparent

We really add something with
regenerative agriculture