AMSTERDAM – Tradin Organic Agriculture B.V. (“Tradin Organic”), headquartered in Amsterdam and part of the SunOpta International Foods Group, celebrated the official start of operations at Crown of Holland, its new cocoa processing facility on Thursday 14 November.
Selected guests from the international confectionery industry and cocoa sourcing countries were invited to Middenmeer, Noord – Holland, to take a closer look at the brand-new production line in the boutique factory.
The facility applies the method of ‘whole-bean roasting’, designed to keep the finest flavours in the premium organic and single origin cocoa beans during processing. Ate Oostra, chairman of the Metropolitan Food Security was the guest of honour to cut the ribbon complimenting the international atmosphere through his worldwide collaborations amongst others with the Netherlands Agro, Food & Technology Centre.
Representatives of the embassies of the Philippines, Ecuador and Dominican Republic were present exemplifying the importance of sourcing partnerships in cocoa.
Gerard Versteegh, president of the SunOpta International Foods Group initiated the event with a short retrospect on Tradin Organic’s experience in sourcing organic raw ingredients and the background of their sustainable cocoa processing operation;
“While we had been considering several origin countries as locations for a cocoa processing plant, the final decision for Agriport A7 in Middenmeer was based on the flexibility of importing beans of various origins into the Netherlands and the abundance of know-how and experience in cocoa processing existing in the region.”
Rafal Taciak, Commercial Director Cocoa at Tradin Organic, commented; ”The positioning of the new plant has been a strategic business decision based on above average growth prospects in the specialty & niche cocoa market as opposed to the strongly consolidating world of conventional cocoa processing.”
Ate Oostra, the chairman of the Metropolitan Food Security added; “The Netherlands is a mayor trading nation. Adding value to prime harvest products, sustainability and efficiency have historically been crucial for the Netherlands.
In the low-lying north, most of it reclaimed land, all resources had to be managed wisely, waste and waste water included.
The investment of SunOpta, opened on Thursday, proves that trade can lead to investment.” Crown of Holland is located 40km north of Amsterdam’s port, known to be the world’s no. 1 cocoa port, in a sustainable business park, Agriport A7. The plant has been built using the latest in environmentally friendly building materials and technologies.
A vital element of Agriport A7’s concept is the stimulation of sustainable closed-loop systems of re-use of residuals and by-products amongst the companies, which aligns perfectly with Tradin Organic’s sustainability principles.
