What is the impact of Vandemoortele’s activities on nature and biodiversity?

Vandemoortele is a food company with two major business lines: plant-based food solutions such as fats and oils, and bakery products. We rely heavily on biodiversity for key raw materials such as palm oil, soybean oil, vegetable oils and cocoa. This dependence runs through our entire chain – from the availability of raw materials to the use of water in our recipes. Healthy ecosystems are essential to our production process. Without a wide diversity of pollinators such as bees, there are no flowers. And without flowers, there are no seeds, and therefore no oil production.

What actions does Vandemoortele take to protect nature on and around its sites?

We are active both at our production sites and in the areas where we source raw materials. In Malaysia, we are collaborating with the Earthworm Foundation in a multi-actor landscape project involving social responsibility, deforestation and coexistence with elephants. In France, we are working with our flower suppliers on a regenerative agriculture project for wheat. Locally, we are reducing our impact on biodiversity through water management measures and providing safe nesting sites for falcons at our French factory. We also use tools such as the WWF Risk Filter to evaluate the impact of our sites. We want to embed biodiversity in our processes in a more structural way.

What are the biggest challenges in developing a biodiversity strategy?

One of the main challenges is to translate the bigger picture into concrete actions. It is difficult to determine exactly which interventions are most impactful, and to strike the right balance between thorough analysis and pragmatic implementation. We often waver between a comprehensive approach such as the Science Based Targets for Nature, or rather an action-oriented strategy with immediate steps. It remains a balancing act between available resources – in time and budget – and expected impact

How does The Biodiversity Shift help move your strategy around nature forward?

We joined the learning network to deepen our understanding of biodiversity and validate our existing efforts. Because of my background in the natural sciences, I felt strongly about the initiative. The program provided a wide range of insights – from scientific approaches to simple but impactful actions – and emphasized that biodiversity is a holistic issue. These insights, along with stakeholder consultations, led us to include biodiversity as a separate material theme in our new sustainability strategy, with dedicated attention and resources.

What are your plans in terms of biodiversity in the future?

We want to expand our field projects – like the one in Malaysia or around wheat – to other raw materials and ingredients. In addition, we plan a deeper analysis of the impact in our value chain to determine the most effective actions. We want to move from stand-alone projects to a more integrated, impact-driven approach across all our activities.

What tips do you have for other companies looking to commit to biodiversity and nature?

Start now, regardless of where you are in your sustainability story. Participate in learning initiatives like webinars and learning networks to find a starting point, and use tools like the WWF Risk Filter for initial analysis. Develop action plans with initiatives directly linked to your core business, rather than stand-alone projects. Awareness is crucial – make sure everyone in your organization understands how their actions affect biodiversity.