Corporate Philosophy & Sustainability Report - Sweet experts - sonnentracht.bio
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Sweet experts
2019
Corporate Philosophy
2020
& Sustainability Report
AT A GLANCE FOREWORD & PHILOSOPHY
17 GLOBAL GOALS FOR
A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Our corporate philosophy
Sonnentracht is a young, dynamic family business with a strong
passion.
01
The fascination for bees has accompanied com- Due to the work with renewable raw materials,
pany founder and CEO Gerrit Lang from a very sustainability has a special significance in our
early age. As pollinators bees are of elemen- company. Sonnentracht is committed to the pro-
tary importance for our ecosystems and thus motion of ecological agriculture and biodiversi-
every beekeeper is also an active environmen- ty: long-term, regional and worldwide. Our own
talist. With his roots in apiculture and influenced production of honey and an integrated quality
by the close family relationship to the organic chain for purchased or provided raw materi-
pioneer Walter Lang, the vision of a responsible als enable us to cover every single step of the
food production all over the world was born. production process and to supply. For the sus-
tainable development of our company we are
Through research with alternative sweeten- guided by the Global Sustainable Development
ers, CEO Karin Lang developed the idea of Goals, the 17 goals for sustainable development
enabling healthy enjoyment through nutritio- of Agenda 2030. Environmental protection and
nally high-quality and natural foods. For the strategic sustainability activities are integrated
trained chef and food technologist, health and into all business processes of Sonnentracht and
indulgence are not opposites. Rather, it is about taken into account in all decisions. In order to
consciously enjoying with carefully selected, present our visions and our sustainable efforts
Details of the report ingredients. transparently and to establish them in society,
The environmental data in the current sustainability report cover the years 2017 till 2019. Sonnentracht writes this sustainability report
The report is updated every two years. The aim of reporting is to meet the increased transparency re- every two years.
quirements and information needs of our stakeholders, particularly in the economic, environmental
and social areas. Essentially, our customers are Sonnentracht GmbH's most important stakeholders.
Karin Lang Gerrit Lang
Sustainability Report 2019/2020
INDEX
Index 01 Sonnentracht
01 02
Sonnentracht 03 Sonnentracht Apiary 17
History 04 Migratory beekeeping 18
Organigram 05 Bioland-Guidelines 19
Business segments 06 Environmental protection 22
Private Label and services 07
Product development 10
Our brands 14
03 04
Environmental management 23 Quality 33
Sustainability concept 24 Our quality management 34
Energy 26 Our quality philosophy 36 02
Packaging 28 Certificates 38
SocietSustainability concept 31 03
05 06
Raw materials 39 Employees 47
Agave 40 The Sonnentracht-team 50
Date 41 More than just colleagues 52
Coconut 44
Rice 45
Honey 46
07
Sonnenlounge & Sonnenshop 54
„You are what you eat“ 56
Vegetarian and healthy 58
Meeting places 59
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/2020
01 The Sonnentracht HISTORY ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE 01 The Sonnentacht
The history of the Sonnentracht company
Organigram
How passion and enthusiasm for high-quality organic products led
P
arallel to the expansion and securing of the ture. In order to exploit market opportunities,
to the founding of Sonnentracht GmbH and how a wide range of location in the heart of Bremen, the com- The Sonnentracht Group was created and api-
products can be offered today. pany was also future-oriented reorganised culture as primary agricultural production was
G
in 2017/18 with regard a clear corporate struc- transferred into a separate company.
errit Lang, inspired by his father Walter portant milestone was the year 2012, when the
Lang, developed a passion for bees and brand "agava - Karin Lang" was introduced to
honey at a very young age and worked the organic food market. In addition to the gro-
in apiculture from an early age. As a studied wing number of alternative sweeteners and the
industrial engineer, he dedicated himself to the processing of agave syrup as the basis for the
trade with organic honey. Soon the idea of his syrup range, other coconut products were also
own Bioland-Apiculture was born, which was added. The company grew and soon the existing
then founded in 2001. Thus, he was able to bring buildings became too small for the also growing
in and implement his ideas and experience from team of employees. Through a fortunate circum-
beekeeping to harvesting and bottling to distri- stance, Sonnentracht was able to continue to ex-
bution - all from one source. pand and extend the production facilities in the
neighbouring buildings.
Karin Lang became acquainted with agave sy-
rup as a young food technologist in the mid 90s. 04
She developed her first recipes and soon ever-
yone was talking about agave syrup. Today it is 05
hard to imagine the organic market without it as
a mono-product and ingredient. The ent-
husiasm for natural sweetening possibi-
lities grew and with it Karin´s desire to
2001
Company
present the variety of natural sweete-
ners in under her own organic brand.
Together Karin and Gerrit Lang
2018
Introduction of the
Own beekeeping
foundation bought the first company building Brand "Serapis Brand for the retail trade German Bioland-honeys
and expanded Sonnentracht Culinar"
into today's medium-sized Selected trend products German Naturland-honeys
2012 2018
family business. An im-
Coconut products
2008
Extension of the
Production 2017 Opening of the
Sonnentracht
Distributor
Agave products
Beehive products
2017
facilities Introduction of the
Filling first Lounge
Brand
Coconut products "Maya the Bee" Syrup creations
Naturland-
2015
Partner
Natural sweeteners
2012 Certification Spreads
2017
according to IFS
German honeys
Introduction of the
Brand "agava"
Extension of the
2016 Company
2016SAP
Higher level
certification (IFS) premises
implementation
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/2020
01 The Sonnentracht BUSINESS AREAS CONTRACT FILLING 01 The Sonnentacht
Contract filling
B
oth simple contract filling and the clas- duction facilities and packaging options of all
sic private label complete package are kinds make us a reliable partner. In our produc-
among our strengths. tion facility we have specialized in the filling of
various product groups. These include viscous
We fill your products for you and are at your and syrupy sweeteners, crystalline raw materi-
side from the first consultation to delivery. Our als such as sugar, flours and other bulk goods as
many years of filling competence combined well as oils and fats.
with technological expertise in terms of pro-
coconut products
Our production natural sweeteners
syrups
agaves-based
Our
product variety 06
spreads
07
honey /
Sweet experts honey preparations
We are your experts for natural sweeteners and coconut products. alternative flours
With a few, carefully selected ingredients we create innovative or-
ganic food for your enjoyment. vinaigrettes /
vinegar preparations
B
esides honey production, our main focus
is on the processing of various alternative Our business fields include the following areas
sweeteners and coconut products, such
as coconut oil and coconut spreads. Our clients • Our brands
include large customers from the German and In 2017/18, the production and warehouse fa- production lines, we can fill a large and varied
international food retail market, wholesalers • Product development cilities were expanded to 10,000 sqm to ensure selection of containers in various designs and sizes
and retailers from the German organic food tra- future growth. Our flexible filling and packa- and carry out any type of labelling. On request, we
de market as well as bulk consumers, industrial • Private label and services ging technology enable us to offer our products are also happy to fulfil special requests regarding
customers and through our online shop we even in all packaging types and sizes for sale to end raw materials as well as individual packaging such
reach the end consumer directly. • Consulting consumers and industrial customers. as printed trays or sets to be packed.
From one pallet upwards, we are able to
flexibly fill your desired batch size. On our six
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/2020
Our product development
08
09
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/2020
01 The Sonnentracht PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING AND DISTRIBUTION 01 The Sonnentacht
Product development Container-
H diversity
igh product quality is the focus of our Research and development are among the
work. Our team from product manage- core competences at Sonnentracht GmbH, as
ment, quality assurance and sales, is is the adherence to high quality standards and
searching for new nutritionally-physiological a transparent supply chain. The elaborating of
high-quality and sustainable raw materials detailed specifications and the compliance of
every day, with the aim of constantly expanding product labelling in consideration of EU Regu-
our experience for you and continuing to sur- lation 1169/2011 (Food Information Regulation)
prise you with new products and varieties in the are part of our routine work.
future.
• Many years of experience and development competence
• Team of food technologists, food and nutrition scientists
• Close cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Bremerhaven
10
20 years of experience 11
Consulting and distribution
W
e draw from over 20 years of experi- manner and is at your disposal with competent
ence in food production and know our and comprehensive advice on our products,
products. We maintain close, long- containers and packaging.
term partnerships with our partners, suppliers
and customers. Our motivated sales team
works in a customer- and solution-oriented
Our container portfolio
• Large variety of round and square glasses (35 ml to 2 KG) and different lid colours
• Squezzer bottles made of R-Pet (from 100% recycled beverage bottles)
• Membrane paper can
• Ziplock and block bottom bags
Container-diversity • Hobbocks, buckets and canisters
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/2020
Janine Hüttner
01 The Sonnentracht OUR TEAM Lena Hemmelskamp
Product Management
Quality Management
Daniel Wittrock
Lisa Schirmer Warehouse Management
Sales Brand
Jessica Fabisch Silvia Machura
Sales & Marketing Commercial Management
Gerrit Lang
CEO
You have an idea for a product, but don't know how Marcel Kiel
Purchasing
to realize or produce it? Or are you looking for the Nadine Rodekamp
Sales Private Label
right packaging for your product? Please do not 12
hesitate to contact us with your question. We will 13
be happy to advise you on your idea.
Karin Lang
CEO
Jana Nobis
Ferdi Ercan
Marketing
Sales Private Label
Theresia Lang
Sonnenlounge
Timon Rodenhauser
Project Management
Britta Trenne
Human Resources
Corinna Disselbach
Head of Production
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/2020
01 The Sonnentracht OUR BRANDS OUR BRANDS 01 The Sonnentacht
agava-Karin Lang Maya the bee
Life is sweet ! Brands are what make
a company unique and
distinguish it from the
masses.
6.000 m2
Flowering area
W
ith the brand Maya the Bee, As a honey bee, she inspires even the very youn-
we have also have children's products gest children with the topic of honey and intro-
in our range since 2018. For over 40 ye- duces them to a healthy breakfast in a playful
ars Maya has been taking us with her into her way. Because a tasty honey bread is the ideal
wonderful world of honey. Like no other figure, start to the day. As the first and most important
she stands for the experience of the local nature meal of the day, breakfast provides valuable 14
Our product variety and educates children about the importance of energy for a good start to the day.
insects for our ecosystem. Also, our Maya the 15
A
Bee honeys as organic honeys contribute to
gava is our specialized re- teners. For us, "sweet" does not environmental protection in Germany through
tail brand and stands for necessarily stand for a sweet their regional and ecological production. For
authentic, delightful and taste, but rather for the multitude example, a certain amount of money is donated
selected products. The passion for of positive characteristics that our to the “Netwerk blühende Landschaften” for a
our products is the basis of our work. With a food has. For us, enjoyment and health period of two years. The proceeds will be used
love of detail and great dedication, we are al- are not opposites. Rather, we try to sweeten to transform a 6,000 square metre area south
ways on the lookout for new raw materials and consciously and select our sweeteners specifi- of Berlin into a blooming flower meadow,
recipes that will sweeten our everyday lives in an cally according to their individual characteri- providing plenty of space for
alternative and sustainable way. We use only a stics. Maja and her wild friends.
few, selected raw materials and do not use palm
oil or any kind of additives, emulsifying agents The range also includes alternative sweetened
or artificial flavours. In addition, we only use raw and palm oil-free coconut creams and syrups
materials of organic quality, many of which are based on agave syrup. The fruit syrups are ideal
already certified by Naturland. for infusion with mineral water or to refine cock-
tails, juices and much more. Our syrups from the
True to the motto "life is sweet" we offer a variety "Coffee's Best Friends" range transform every cof-
of natural sweeteners under our brand, such as fee into your favourite coffee creation or swee-
honey, agave syrup and other alternative swee- ten delicious desserts.
Our honeys
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/2020
01 The Sonnentracht OUR BRANDS
truly organic - passioned explorer
02 Sonnentracht apiary
T
he Serapis Culinar brand stands
for ecological and diverse pro-
ducts in organic quality. As a
explorer, Serapis travels the world in
search of culinary taste experiences. In
his adventures he always pays attention
to the naturalness of the raw materials
and their sustainable cultivation, for ex- 16
ample according to Naturland guidelines or in
small-scale farming structures.
sustainable 17
In Germany he moves with our migratory beekeepers to va- ecological Our brand Serapis Culinar
rious traditional regions in order to produce regional variety
honeys in Bioland quality. diverse
The story of Serapis
Even in former times the Egyptians and Greeks enthused their common god Serapis. He was the cle-
verest god far and wide; much cleverer than all the gods before him. Serapis was not only the ruler of
lightning, thunder and rain but also of the earth and the underworld. Because he could influence the
rain and the sun, he was the protector of nature and therefore of all people. His faithful companion
was the hellhound Kerberos, he helped him to spread fertility over the land. Kerberos was a terrible
figure. He scared people even then, he was a real monster. He was the scariest dog of all. Because his
job was to protect the underworld. So he didn't let the dead out and the living in. In this way, he kept
watch over the cycle of nature, which includes living and dying.
Nature is responsible for all organic and inorganic phenomena in the world. It gives us our daily
bread and nourishes all living beings on this earth.
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/202002 Sonnentracht apiary SONNENTRACHT APIARY BIOLAND-GUIDELINES 02 Sonnentracht apiary
Sonnentracht apiary
For more than 40 years the family members of the Lang family have
been beekeepers by passion. The fascination to work with the bees,
their valuable products and the diversity of varieties has developed
into a life-task around honey.
T
oday, about 6.800 bee colonies managed Through our many years of practical work and
by our partner are part of the Sonnentracht experience with honey, we have been able to
apiculture. As migratory beekeeping, we build up a wealth of experience over the years.
harvest traditional, local honey varieties and This forms the basis for our high quality stan-
also produce other products from the beehive, dards. We are happy to pass on our knowledge
such as beeswax. In addition to species-appro- and experience of beekeeping and the unique
priate beekeeping, the careful selection of the natural product honey to interested parties. Sin- Gerrit Lang explains the structure of the
traditional areas and plants, which we make ce spring 2018, participants of our honey semi- prey at the honey seminar
F
in close cooperation with local far- nars have been able to experience how honey
mers and foresters, is an integral is produced, extracted and bottled, from school or us, quality begins above all with the he- 18
part of our business philosophy. classes to senior groups. alth of the bees, because only when the Our beekeepers work according to the
bees are doing well, when they have vital following guidelines: 19
6.800 Our team consists of 7 bee- queens from whose offspring strong and healthy
Bee colonies keeper-teams, who work for us colonies are formed, can we harvest honey of • the purity of the wax is the basis of
all year round. During the api- high quality and grade. apiculture
culture periods from March Only ripe honeys from covered honeycombs • the careful selection of the traditio-
to August they are on the road are harvested, carefully extracted, processed nal areas and plants
with the bees and travel from one gently and in a way that preserves their value. • a respectful and species-appro-
beekeeping region to another. They We make sure that no small wax particles cloud priate treatment of the bees. Own
are supported from our headquarters the liquid honey and that crystalline honeys are queen breeding
in Bremen in the areas of coordination, sales, slowly stirred until creamy before filling. Only • the selection of natural materials
purchasing and quality assurance. then they are carefully filled and securely sea- for hive construction and contami-
In addition, we maintain close contact with other led. nant-free paints
German and international organic apia- In addition, we monitor and test the honey in our • food-safe material: such as
rists and buy honey from them for pro- laboratory for compliance with perfect analyti- equipment during harvesting and
cessing, bottling and resale to our cal values such as water content, enzymes and processing
trading partners. HMF value (hydroxymethylfural, a value for pos- • disease prevention no use of chemi-
Honey sible thermal damage to the honey) as well as for
its sensory properties. The absence of residues •
cal synthetic vetenary drugs
consistent ecological action high
Seminars is confirmed to us by an external accredited la-
boratory.
demands on quality, taste and
naturalness
our beekeeping team
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/2020Our bees in the rape blossom
20
21
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/202002 Sonnentracht apiary ENVIROMENTAL PROTECTION
Conclusion: organic beekeeping is active
environmental protection
03 Sustainability and
A
fter all, beekeeping makes an import- 20-30% can be achieved through the work of the
ant contribution to the preservation of
an intact and diverse nature. 80% of
all flowering plants in our world depend on
industrious bees. Keeping bees and beekeeping is
active environmental protection and makes a very
important contribution to the preservation of na-
environmental management
pollination by insects, especially the honey ture. The bees are responsible for the diversity in
bee. Over millions of years, flowering plants the respective region worldwide.
and bees have adapted to each other and
developed a close partnership. Thus, the bee,
which is faithful to the flowers, ensures the
survival of these plants. In addition, the en-
tire agricultural sector benefits from the bees' + =
stunning performance. The yield in fruit and
seed cultivation alone exceeds the value of
honey 10 times. Even in the case of self-fertile The only equation that propagates.
plants, such as rape, an increase in yield of 22
23
our apiculture
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/202003 Sustainability and environmental management SUSTAINABILITY CONCEPT SUSTAINABILITY CONCEPT 03 Sustainability and environmental management
Our comprehensive sustainability concept includes the following points:
Sustainability as the social responsibility
Environmental protection and nature conservation have a special
status in our company. In our production we use exclusively organic
raw materials and pay attention to a sustainable operation and pro- Ener
g gy
duction process. We reject the use of genetically modified organisms g in
categorically. cka
Pa
F
or the sustainable development of our com- in Germany and abroad. Environmental pro-
Mob
pany and the entire value-added chain, we tection and strategic sustainability activities are
attach great importance to socially and integrated into all business processes of Son-
ethically responsible business processes, both nentracht.
ility
Raw
24
Through sustainable action and holistic thinking we achieve:
mate
25
• Fair producer prices • Equal rights for all employees, regardless of
• Support of biodiversity gender, origin and faith
rial
• the preservation of natural and original • a safe and hygienic production method
regions by farmers and apiarists based on:
n
s
• An environmentally friendly and energy-sa- io
rit
-qualified employees
ving production method -a dynamic HACCP concept
ut
• An economical and prudent use of all -a food defence system for the defen- Soci N
resources ce and prevention of targeted conta- ety
• A target-oriented corporate management mination from inside and outside
with continuous improvement of results and -a partnership and reliable cooperation with
processes our national and international customers
• that international human rights are respec- and suppliers Climate
ted without exception and regardless of -ensuring consumer health protection while
Through our sustainable actions and voluntary environmental commitment, we have
Protection-
origin or religion complying with legal requirements
been allowed to call ourselves an environmental company since 2017. In 2018 we were operation
• an explicit rejection of child and forced -an effective, complete traceability
labour or discrimination awarded the title of Climate Protection Company Bremen due to our extensive ener-
gy-saving renovation measures and the associated CO2 savings of 20%.
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/202003 Sustainability and environmental management ENERGY ENERGY 03 Sustainability and environmental management
Energy
O
ur holistic energy concept consists of a own photovoltaic system generates sustainable
variety of measures. On the one hand, electricity from solar energy, which covers al- E-MOBILITY
these include sustainable energy ge- most 50% of our total energy requirements. For
neration from renewable resources and, on the the additionally required demand we obtain In 2018, two Sonnentracht company vehicles were converted to electric or
other hand, increasing energy efficiency through green electricity from 100% hydropower. hybrid mobility. With the installation of the solar system, a separate char-
targeted renovation and conversion actions. By feeding in the energy from our solar energy ging station can be implemented at the site. Of course, we also give our
A modern block-type thermal power station system and purchasing CO2 neutral energy from employees the opportunity to charge their private vehicles during working
produce heat and energy, we can completely green electricity, our production is CO2 neutral hours.
dispense with heating oil and minimise energy even without the purchase of CO2 certificates.
loss through short energy transfer paths. Our
Conversion measures for efficient energy saving CO2 NEUTRAL PRODUCTION GREEN ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION
100%
An energy audit is an important tool to identify opportunities to increase energy efficiency and
reduce energy costs and emissions. Through an intensive analysis and identification of the
C
savings potential in the company, the following measures and implementation concepts were
identified 26
2
27
Measure Savings kWh Savings CO₂ t/a
Switch off air compressor outside opera-
ting hours 4,550 2,7
elimination of leakages in the compressed
air network 4.225 2,5
neutral
Renovation of the building envelope 106.490 33,2 Through our photovoltaic system and the use of Green electricity, generated from hydropower,
CO2 neutral green electricity, we have a CO2 neu- saves the environment 36,581 mg of nuclear waste
Boiler renovation 82.500 53,4 tral production even without the purchase of CO2 and 37 tonnes of CO2 per year.
certificates.
Block heating and power station, 20kWel - 49,6
lighting concept, use of LED lights 42.600 25,3 HEATING OIL CONSUMPTION
in kWh per piece
Solar energy system, 99 kW 81.500 48,3
69,6%
321.865
CO₂- emissions could be saved in 2017
215
2018 0
after the renovation measures. 2017
25,1
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/202003 Sustainability and environmental management PACKAGING PACKAGING 03 Sustainability and environmental management
Glass Packaging
We use glass packaging for honey, but also for oily, greasy, partially unsaturated liquids to prevent
The value chain of our packaging the migration of plasticizers. Glass is one of the most sustainable raw materials because it is made
almost exclusively from natural raw materials and can be reused indefinitely without loss of quality.
However, the production of glass requires a relatively large amount of energy and the weight of the
We purchase the packaging materials for our products from long- glass means that the CO2 consumption during transport is comparatively high. For this reason our
glass is made of up to 60% waste glass. We want to increase this proportion even further in the future.
term, regionally based packaging suppliers. We pay special atten- Our tinplate lids are also worth mentioning because we use a Blue Seal closure made of the ther-
tion to the reliability of our partners and the consistent compliance moplastic Provalin. This means that our lids are 100% PVC free and also free of harmful substances.
We are particularly proud of this, as we not only contributed to the development of the lids with the
with the legal packaging standards and conformity. Blue-Seal closure, but were also the first to switch to this lid.
Squeezer Bottles BlueSeal
Our syrups and liquid sweeteners are sold in dispenser bottles. This makes the R-PET Technologie Recycling tip:
syrups convenient and easy to dose. Compared to glass the squeezer bottle also ∙ Dispose of glass in a glass container
has the advantage that it cannot break that easy, the bottle is lightweight and sa-
ves a lot of CO2 during transport. In addition, the squeezer bottles can be emptied up to 60% of ∙ Lid in yellow bag
of residues extremely well. Since the plastic waste in our nature and the oceans is Waste glass
increasing, it is important to us not to raise the proportion in our ecosystem further.
That's why we have switched all our squeezer bottles to sustainable R-PET. This means that
we do not take any new resources from the environment, but only use PET, which is already in the Further use as Optimization goal:
packaging cycle. storage container 28
Increase in the proportion of waste
glass per glass. 29
Squeezer bottle body Wraparound Can
from R-PET We changed the packaging for our crystalline sweeteners in 2016. Since then we have been using a
membrane can, which consists of over 90% cardboard. We use fresh fibers for the production, which
Recycling tip: come exclusively from forests managed according to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
not ∙ Remove cover Due to the conversion to the membrane can all packaging of our crystalline sweeteners are now
fragile aluminium-free and recyclable. Only the lid is still made out of plastic. This is due to the fact that the
∙ Peel off label sugars are not sufficiently closed with a cardboard lid and draw too much moisture, which impairs
the quality of the product.
Optimization goal: Recycling tip:
Aluminium-free
∙ Better recyclability of the products ∙ Dispose of can in paper waste
through easier removal of the cap
simple dosage and label.
∙ Conversion of the caps to R-PP renewable resource:
Optimization goal: paper
Optimization of the cardboard lid
so that we can dispense with the
plastic lid in the future.
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/202003 Sustainability and environmental management OUR SUPPLY CHAIN SOCIETY 03 Sustainability and environmental management
Our supply chain
An important aspect in the design of our value chain is the minimi-
zation of possible waste potential. For this reason, we have made Sonnentracht supports many local organisations
sure, especially with our packaging, that it can be recycled after
usage of the products. and maintains sustainable partnerships
An inherent part of our corporate philosophy is to support and pro-
mote regional projects.
S
onnentracht GmbH would like to proacti- companies.
vely participate in climate protection and We hope to find climate-friendly solutions for our
Transport by ship encourage other companies to promote company through the interactive exchange of
∙ Optimized container utilization corporate environmental protection through in- knowledge and information among PUU(=Part-
∙ Cultivation of bio-raw materials novative measures. nerschaft Umwelt Unternehmen) members and
Since 2017 we have been a proud partner in the to integrate these into our core and support pro-
Bremen-based partnership of environmental cesses.
30
Sonnentracht GmbH
31
Partnership PUU/Environment Business
Raw materials from • Currently 181 members
the origin • Cross-industry knowledge and exchange of experience
• Partner meetings and events on current environmental and management topics
• Working groups on integrated management and public relations
• Contact and transfer to science and research
• Networking of company experts and development of joint activities
• Competence in corporate environmental protection and environmental communication
Organic food store & • Presentation of their environmental performance through PR measures such as company
Packaging made in consumer portraits, presentation on the website of "Umwelt Unternehmen", reporting via newsletters
the region and press releases
(03 Sustainability and environmental management GREEN NUDGING
Green Nudging – small impulses
04 Quality
for climate-friendly behaviour
Sonnentracht was selected as a pilot company in August 2019 for the
nationwide research project "Green Nudging". The project is accom-
panied by the Bremen Climate Protection Agency “Energie-Konsens”
and the Institute for Consumer Policy “ConPolicy”, among others.
N
udging, as a concept of behavioural eco- behavior. In the field of Green Nudging, these
nomics, is intended to promote a certain nudges are applied in particular to sustainab-
behaviour of employees with small nud- le, environmentally friendly and climate-friend-
ges. The focus here is less on the conventional ly goals. For Sonnentracht, three projects have
measures of behavioral change such as appeals, been identified: 32
financial incentives or bans, but rather to make
it easy for employees to decide on the desired 33
Waste separation project:
Employees are encouraged to carefully separate their waste. With the
help of training courses on recycling and specially provided and mar-
ked waste bins, a better recycling rate is to be achieved. Behaviour-
change
Double-sided printing project:
The default printing settings on the PCs/laptops are changed from
single-sided to double-sided printing. The aim of this is to reduce paper
consumption.
Project PC Presetting:
The presetting for all PCs / laptops of the employees will be changed so that the monitor will be put
into a sleep mode after 10 minutes of inactivity and the stand-by mode will occur after 30 minutes
for all PCs / laptops. The aim of this is to reduce average power consumption.
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/202004 Quality OUR QUALITY MANAGEMENT OUR QUALITY MANAGEMENT 04 Quality
Our quality management
Laws, guidelines and regulations
The quality of our products and the associated satisfaction of our
Quality requirements
Product quality
customers are our top priority. Our quality standard consists of pro-
duct quality and quality philosophy. certified
quality and
Controlled pro-
cess management
Cooperation
with reco-
Regular
training and
environmental ∙ Core processes gnised test further educa-
management ∙ Management centres and tion of our
T
pro-interest laboratories employees
he consistent compliance and implementation of our high quality standards is based on a ∙ IFS Featured ∙ Support - ∙ Eurofins
complex structure of different quality components. The framework for this is formed by the Standard processes ∙ Intertek
∙ Ecostep ∙ QSI
applicable laws, guidelines and regulations, in particular the Organic Regulation (EC No.
834/2007), as well as our corporate vision and values.
The following four quality components guarantee a constantly high product quality: Raw material/supplier 34
Customer selection and supplier Goods receipt- Product
Production tours
1. A certified management system according to the IFS Featured Standard higher level audits review 35
2. Controlled process management divided into core, leadership and support processes
3. Cooperation with accredited external laboratories
4. The regular training and further education of our employees within the framework of the conti-
nuous improvement process
100% organi- Cooperation Alternatives Close coope-
cally produced with independent to household ration with
food associations sugar and long-standing
Quality Philosophy
pamel fat partners
Social, ethical
∙ natural ∙ Bioland ∙ Without
Requests
∙ sustainable ∙ Naturland artificialche ∙ Periodic visits
∙ Fair Trade sweeteners
Corporate philosophy and values
100%
organic
Quality control of our
coconut creams
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/202004 Quality OUR QUALITY PHILOSOPHY OUR QUALITY PHILOSOPHY 04 Qualität
Our quality philosophy Sustainable Work with associations
We use only a few, selected raw materials. When selec- Many of our products carry the Naturland/Natur-
ting our raw materials, we pay particular attention to their landFair, Bioland or FairTrade logo. These logos
The high quality of our products is the focus of our work. For a simple reason: sustainable production. In addition to organic quality may only be worn by certified contract partners of
and certification by associations, we also take care not the associations. The associations prescribe stric-
We produce food and food is the basis of all life. to use raw materials that are harmful to the climate. Palm ter guidelines than the EU Organic Regulation and
T
oil can´t be found in our products. However, some of our have set themselves the goal of promoting organic
he frequently used term "quality" comes from the Latin ("qualitas") and means condition/state. But what does raw materials, such as agave syrup or coconut oil, have farming and fair trade worldwide. For us, this co-
quality actually mean? We don't know exactly, but we know what quality means for the Sonnentracht: undergone a long journey, which has a negative impact on operation is important in two ways: firstly, by net-
the climate balance of these products. Nevertheless, we working and supporting our partners in achieving
stand by these products. This is because they are shipped our common goals and secondly, by having our
100% Organic Natural as climate-friendly as possible in optimally equipped sea products certified by external, independent asso-
We only use ingredients from controlled organic cultivati- All our raw materials are natural. This means that freight containers almost to our doorstep. In addition, we ciations.
on. Because we are firmly convinced that organic farming we do not use any kind of additives, emulsifiers or use them to promote organic farming in the countries whe-
is the agriculture of the future. For us, "organic" not only artificial flavours. In addition, we also reject swee- re they are grown and the economic development of local
stands for the purity and originality of the raw materials, teners and sugar substitutes as a matter of princip- cooperations.
but also for a sustainable and fair treatment of nature le because there have not yet been any long-term
and the people who produce them. human studies on the effect of calorie-free swee-
Only if we manage our available resources carefully and teners on the human metabolism. Strict quality
sustainably we can guarantee our children a future per- controls confirm the purity of our raw materials. 36
spective. The close connection of the Sonnentracht with In addition to the absence of residues, we also at-
organic farming is no coincidence, because Walter Lang tach great importance to the originality of the raw 37
- father of Gerrit Lang - is one of the pioneers of the organic materials. Thus, we reject mixtures of raw material
movement and paved the way for the organic food indus- batches from different regions.
try as we know it today.
Healthy alternatives
In our modern times there is an abundance of food. Ho-
wever, if we take a closer look at the assortment in the su-
permarkets, we find mostly the same products. Especially
in the case of processed products, the same terms appear
in the lists of ingredients again and again: sugar, palm oil,
salt. We find this monotony a pity and would like to offer
healthier alternatives to sugar and fat. After all, our en-
vironment offers us a variety of individual and sustainable
foods for a healthier enjoyment.
Quality control during
filling
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/202004 Quality CERTIFICATES
Fairtrade Zertifikat
Sonnentracht GmbH
05
FLO ID 36026
erfüllt die unten aufgeführten Fairtrade Standards und die FLOCERT
Zertifizierungsanforderungen für den nachstehenden
Geltungsbereich:
Produkt(e) Kräuter, Kräutertees & Gewürze, Ölsaaten und Ölfrüchte
Details zu den genauen Produkttypen entnehmen Sie bitte
Geltungs-
Anhang 2.
Die Anhänge sind Bestandteil des Zertifikats:
ZERTIFIKAT
bereich Anhang 1: Liste der Fairtrade Standards und der FLOCERT Hiermit bestätigt die Zertifizierungsstelle auditpartner GmbH,
(akkreditiert nach DIN EN ISO/IEC 17065 für IFS-Zertifizierungen und Vertragspartner des IFS-Standardeigners)
Zertifizierungsanforderungen dass die Verarbeitungstätigkeiten von:
Anhang 2: Produktumfang
Gültig bis 14 Sep 2022
Adresse Auf dem Dreieck 1, 28197, Bremen, Deutschland
Sonnentracht GmbH
Auf dem Dreieck 1, 28197 Bremen
COID 48758
für den Zertifizierungsbereich des Audits:
Raw materials
Abfüllen von Honig, flüssigen / kristallinen Süßungsmitteln, flüssigen /
trockenen Kokosprodukten (Öl, Mehl, Süße) sowie Herstellung und Abfüllung
von Brotaufstrichen in diverse Behälter (Metall, Glas, Kunststoff)
(filling honey, liquid / crystalline sweeteners, liquid / dry cocos products (oil, powder, sweetener) as
well as production and filling sandwich spreads in diverse containers (metal, glass, plastic))
Produktscopes 6 Getreideprodukte, Cerealien, Industriebackwaren und Feingebäck,
Süßwaren, Snacks, 9. Öle und Fette, 10. Trockenprodukte, andere Zutaten und Zusätze
(z.B. Nahrungsergänzungsmittel) - Technologie-Scope F
27 Nov 2018 die Anforderungen des
Ausstellungsdatum Rüdiger Meyer International Featured Standard
Geschäftsführer
IFS Food, Version 6.1 November 2017
und anderer zugehöriger, normativer Dokumente
erfüllen auf
Höherem Niveau
Dieses Zertifikat darf nur durch FLOCERT GmbH geändert werden. Jegliche unbefugte Änderung ist ungültig. Alle vorhergehenden Zertifikate werden Das Audit wurde unangekündigt vom 06. November 2019 bis 07. November 2019
hiermit widerrufen. Auf www.flocert.net können Sie über die Kundensuche (Fairtrade Customer Search) aktuelle Informationen zu Gültigkeit und Umfang 1|3 durchgeführt.
dieses Zertifikats einsehen. © FLOCERT GmbH · Bonner Talweg 177 · 53129 Bonn, Germany
Elmshorn, den 20. Dezember 2019
..................................................
Gisela Küchler
Stellv. Leiterin der Zertifizierungsstelle
Gültigkeit der Zertifizierung:
auditpartner GmbH 20. Januar 2021
Hamburger Straße 137 Zeitraum nächstes Audit:
25337 Elmshorn 01.10.2020 - 10.12.2020
Zeitraum unangekündigt:
06.08.2020 - 10.12.2020
Zertifikats-Nr.: IFS-A19-3789
38
39
Zertifikat
In einer Begutachtung hat die Organisation
Bescheinigung
Sonnentracht GmbH gemäß Artikel 29 Absatz 1 der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 834/2007
am Standort
Auf dem Dreieck 1, 28197 Bremen 1. Nummer der Bescheinigung 08235
2. Unternehmer: 3. Kontrollstelle:
nachgewiesen, dass ein Integriertes Managementsystem eingeführt wurde und erfolgreich Sonnentracht GmbH Kiwa BCS Öko-Garantie GmbH
angewendet wird entsprechend den Forderungen von Auf dem Dreieck 1 Marientorgraben 3-5
28197 Bremen 90402 Nürnberg
Kontroll-Nr: Codenummer:
DE-HB-001-19106-BCD DE-ÖKO-001
Haupttätigkeit:
Verarbeitung
Das System erfüllt die Kernforderungen der folgenden Normen: Import
Vergabe von Tätigkeiten an Dritte
ISO 9001:2015
ISO 14001:2015 4. Erzeugnis/se, Erzeugnisgruppe/n, 5. Definiert als:
ISO 45001:2018 Tätigkeit/en:
Verarbeitung und angeschlossene Bereiche Ökologische Erzeugnisse
Import und angeschlossene Bereiche Ökologische Erzeugnisse
für die Tätigkeit Vergabe von Tätigkeiten an Dritte Ökologische Erzeugnisse
Abfüllen von Honig, flüssigen und kristallinen Süßungsmitteln, flüssigen und trockenen
6. Gültigkeitsdauer: 7. Datum der Kontrolle/n:
Kokosprodukten (Öl, Mehl, Süße) sowie Herstellung von Brotaufstrichen und Sirupen als
Getränkekonzentrat Diese Bescheinigung ist für alle hier 12/12/2019
aufgeführten Erzeugnisse gültig
ab Ausstellungsdatum bis 31/1/2021
Dieses Zertifikat ist gültig vom 14.06.2019 bis zum 13.06.2021.
Diese Bescheinigung wurde auf Basis von Artikel 29 Absatz 1 der Verordnung (EG) Nr.
834/2007 und der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 889/2008, akkreditiert durch DAkkS, ausgestellt.
Berlin, 13. Juni 2019 Der angegebene Unternehmer hat seine Tätigkeiten der Kontrolle unterstellt und erfüllt die
Anforderungen der beiden vorgenannten Verordnungen.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jan Uwe Lieback Andreas Lemke
Geschäftsführer Leiter der Zertifizierungsstelle
Nr. Q-19-23792
Kiwa BCS Öko-Garantie GmbH
Nürnberg, 10/1/2020
Marientorgraben 3-5
Kiwa BCS Öko-Garantie GmbH
90402 Nürnberg
DEUTSCHLAND
+49 (0)911 42439 - 0
bcs.info@kiwa.de
www.kiwa.com
i. A. Daniel Lorenz
Seite 1 von 2 DE-HB-001-19106-BCD-08235
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/202005 Raw Materials AGAVE DATES 05 Raw Materials
Date
T
Visiting Mexico he date belongs to the palm family and is palms are the best adapted cultivated plants
a plant of hot and extremely dry countries. in oases and their cultivation does not displace
Our dates grow in warm Tunisia and are food crops for self-sufficiency, natural vege-
harvested there and shipped to Europe to be tation or even forest. From an ecological point
processed into date syrup. of view, dates are very valuable because they
provide additional wind protection and shade
Dates are often associated with flowering desert - also for other plants grown under their protec-
oases, oriental stories and legends. As a hardy tion. All parts of the palm tree can be used for
cultivated plant, they have been of great eco- building timber, fuel or roofing, a value not to be
nomic importance for thousands of years. This underestimated in regions with few trees. Palm
early appreciation is not surprising, since date wine will be made from the sap extracted from
palms are often the only useful plants that still the trunks. The nutritious fruits of the palm tree,
grow under difficult climatic conditions. the dates, are not considered the bread of the
desert for nothing.
They tolerate everything that fruit
and vegetables cannot tolera- Dates are rich in sugar and have a correspon-
te: sandstorms, high radiation dingly high calorie content. However, they are
Up to 100 kg intensity, dry air and extreme not only pure sources of energy, but also natu-
of fruit per heat. However, date palms - rally contain numerous valuable nutrients. Such
dalajara. In the wide, unlike other plants adapted to as fibre, minerals, potassium, calcium, magne-
gently undulating, palm heat and drought such as olive sium, vitamin A, vitamin B, lutein and carotene.
dry landscape, trees, argan trees or the prickly Especially vitamin B, lutein and carotene are
Agave the silvery rows of pear - need a lot of water. But this wa- very good for the eyes.
A
plants form a be- ter does not have to be fresh water. Date 40
gave – even in past times the na- autiful contrast palms still thrive with up to 3% salt in the water,
tive people of Mexico, the May- to the sandy, red- almost the salt content of seawater. Furthermore, 41
as and Aztecs, roasted or baked dish soil and the they are not affected by salt crusts, they simply
flower buds and agave leaves thous- often azure blue root in deeper soil layers. With sustainable and
ands of years ago, they worshipped the sky. The dry, almost traditional use, the date palm can live for over
agave plant and dedicated an own god: steppe-like climate ma- 100 years. In addition, a palm tree can yield up to
Mayahuel, to it However, agave juice was not kes normal agricultural use 100 kilograms of fruit, but it only bears fruit every
only used for sweetening, but was also proces- practically impossible. In con- two years.
sed by fermentation to the alcoholic national trast, the resistant and adaptable agave
drink Pulque. plants thrive there despite the difficult conditions. For many small farmers in Arab countries, the
Besides the sweet juice, other products can also After about 6 - 7 years the Agave shoots a meter production of dates is the only source of income.
be made from the agave plant, so the cultivati- high flowering bud, visible from afar. After nume- Unlike typical tropical cash crops in intensive
on of the plants has both a high traditional and rous seeds have ripened there, the mother plant monocultures, date production achieves both
an important economic value in the history and dries up. In its place, one of the basic daughter ecological and social equili- brium. Date
economy of Mexico. shoots, dormant in the ground, now sprouts and
The agaves for our products grow in the high- begins to grow again.
lands of Mexico in the southern foothills of the
Sierra Madre Occidental west of the city of Gua-
Did you
know? 1 kg cane sugar = 1500 l water 1 kg agave syrup = 35 l water
(Water consumption for the production of 1kg product)
Dates
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/2020To visit our coconut supplier, there the coconut palms grow in mixed cultures.
05 Raw Materials COCONUT RICE 05 Raw Materials
Rice
R
ice is the staple for many million people zyms to transform starch back into a sweet syrup.
and has had a high cultural significance for The rice grain is therefore a small energy store.
Sugar is extracted from thousands of years. In all of Asia, especi- We have chosen organic rice from a develop-
the nectar of the ally in China, India, Thailand and Pakistan, rice ment project at the foot of the Himalayas in Pa-
coconut blossom. cultivation is the traditional basis of life for the kistan as the basis for our high-quality sweet-
people. In some countries, rice is still used as an ness.
offering in temples and also as a preservation.
The rice grain consists mainly of the endosperm,
in which the plant stores the energy for the later
Sugar is extracted from germination process in the form of starch. Starch
the nectar of the is a polysaccharide that is split by enzymes back
coconut blossom. The fibres of the brown coconut into its components maltose and glucose. This is
shell are used to make mattres- then available to the seedling as the basis for its
ses, fertiliser and coal. growth. We use a similar natural prozess with en-
Roofs and decorative
Oil is extracted articles are made from the leaves.
from the coconut.
44
Supplier visit
45
Coconut
C
oconuts have been cultivated throughout All our products are palm oil free.
Asia for at least 3,000 years. Because the
palm tree can grow not only in the inner Palm oil is used in many food and non-food pro-
country, but also on salty soil near the coast, it ducts today, mainly because of its low price. For
offers the inhabitants an excellent source of food the establishment of palm oil plantations, large
and raw materials. It is of great importance in parts of the rainforest are destroyed worldwi-
the Southeast Asian culture, as a variety of pro- de. In addition to the associated CO2 emissions,
ducts are made from the inflorescences and fru- rainforest dwellers threatened with extinction, rice fields
its alone. The fruits are eaten, the petals are used such as orangutans, are being driven out of their
to make shells or similar products and syrup and habitat. Since oil palms are mostly grown in mo-
coconut blossom sugar are extracted from the nocultures, they significantly change the biodi-
nectar. versity of the region. Coconut palms, on the other
hand, are cultivated in mixed cultures, which
With sustainable and traditional use, a coconut leads to a healthy and natural flora and fauna.
palm can live for over 100 years. It only grows
in a natural alliance with other plants and trees.
Coconut palms are often visible to the observer
from a distance, because their crowns tower
above the plant diversity in the tropical jungle.
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/202005 Raw Materials HONEY
Honey
T 06 Employees
he almost unique natural product honey
is not only full of myths and parables, but 3.2% Accompanying
is also an incomparable food with a very substances
special enjoyment value.
Over 9,000 year old cave paintings from the Sto- Enzymes
ne Age show that even then honey was used as Vitamins
a food. Ancient cultures such as the Egyptians, Minerals
Greeks, Indians, Germanic tribes and Persians organic acids
used honey primarily as a healing and restora- Amino acids
tive agent. Hormones
natural inhibitors
Genuine bee honey is a gift from nature and is natural colours
the result of the interaction between plants and flavours
honey bees. Honey can be differentiated into
blossom and honeydew honey. The sweet nec-
tar from the flowers serves as the basis for blos- bee pollen
som honey, such as rapeseed honey. In contrast,
bees collect sweet droplets similar to dew from 10% sucrose
the leaves and needles of trees for honeydew or
forest honey. 17.2% Water
46
Compared to white household sugar, sweet 31.3% Glucose
honey contains many valuable ingredients. An 47
overview gives the accompanying diagram. 38,2% Fructose
Household sugar
consist of
99,9%
sucrose
Buckow, Märkische
Schweiz
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/2020The Sonnentracht-Team
06 Employees THE SONNENTRACHT-TEAM THE SONNENTRACHT-TEAM 06 Employees
Training and development: measures provide for an increase in know-how, for the
Since 2014 Sonnentracht has been a company that improvement of quality assurance processes, but also
takes on trainees. In 2019, our team already includes for work motivation, in short, for a more effective and
7 apprentices who are completing their training as more successful way of working.
The Sonnentracht-team industrial managers, food technology specialists,
warehouse logistics specialists and machine ope-
rators. In addition to the technical knowledge that
Our employees are the heart of our company. Our young, dynamic team has we impart to our trainees, the apprentices are also Trainings 2018/2019
involved in cross-departmental, long-term pro-
individual strengths as well as different training and backgrounds. In additi- jects. These include the Green Nudging research • BNN sensor training courses for our quality
on to our beekeepers and staff, students and two employees of the Martins- project, in which the trainees are to motivate their assurance
colleagues to act more sustainably by providing • Adobe-Indesign and Photoshop training for
hof (Martinshof Foundation) also support our team. creative thought-provoking impulses. our marketing staff
In a constantly changing market and especially in • Telephone training for our sales staff
the organic sector, it is important to think outside • Further training of 2 employees to become IQ
What is not possible for the individual, many can do." the box in order to be able to react flexibly to chan- process managers
(Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen) ging conditions. Therefore, further training plays a • Market discussion (Bioverlag)
special role in our personnel policy. Further training
Staff policy:
The qualification, motivation and information of Health Management:
employees is the basis of every company's success. 2017 2018 2019 Regular exercise is still the best medicine for body and mind. True to the motto "if you rest,
Within the framework of our personnel policy, we th- you rust", we want to actively and positively influence the exercise behaviour of our em-
erefore create a fundamental condition for the mo- headcount 60 69 68 ployees and motivate them to take more exercise in everyday life. Our measures include,
tivation and satisfaction of our employees. Flexible among others: 50
working hours and part-time working models allow Fluctuation 5,1% 6,8% 3,4%
a good work-life balance and the compatibility of ∙ Company fitness ∙ Company run 51
family and career. We also support our employees Women's quota 55% 63% 61% With the “qualitrain” company fitness offer we offer In order to strengthen the physical exercise and team
in the long term capital-forming benefits and subsi- our employees the possibility to use many sport, fit- spirit of the employees, Sonnentracht GmbH takes part
dies for company pension schemes. Trainees 3 5 7 ness and wellness facilities at a reduced price. The in company runs every year. In 2019 the Sonnentracht
favoured sport is currently bouldering. On some team "Follow the swarm" took part in the BMW company
days up to 10 employees can be found bouldering run with 11 employees. Under the motto "Running for a
together after work. good cause", 5 euros per participant were donated to
Management culture: a well construction project in Uganda. So next year, the
Flat hierarchies and a self-reliant way of working enable our employees to actively shape the successful de- challenge is to motivate even more participants.
velopment of the company. We attach great importance to a management style based on partnership as well ∙"Mit dem Rad zur Arbeit"
as team and project work in order to make optimum use of the individual strengths of our employees and to From 01.05.-31.08.2019 a part of our employees
promote learning effects within the teams. took part in the nationwide join-in campaign of the
AOK. We congratulate the winning team "RSC Bie-
ne Maja". The goal for next year is to activate even
more teams. In addition to that we offer bicycles
can be leased at a reduced rate from October 2019.
Flat Sumary: the campaign is not only good for health,
Hierarchies but also for the environment.
∙ Step-counting campaign
In 2018 we carried out a step-counting campaign
in which 29 employees took part. Over 6 weeks the
steps of the employees were counted and the win-
ner was then chosen at our Christmas party. The
winner took 482,713 steps during this period. This
corresponds to a distance of about 290km.
Company run
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/202006 Employees MORE THAN COLLEAGUES MORE THAN COLLEAGUES 06 Employees
Summer party Christmas party
More than just colleagues A highlight every year is our great summer party. The Bremen Christmas Market was voted the
Because, as the name suggests, the summer par- most popular Christmas market in Germany in
ty is all about celebrating and enjoying the sum- 2018. Our employees love it too: that's why the
Those who can celebrate can also work, or rather, those who can work mer together. That's why we like to celebrate in a obligatory visit to the Christmas market is alrea-
cosy atmosphere, preferably just in the middle of dy a tradition for our company. Before going to
can also celebrate. And above all, we can celebrate together. Becau- the courtyard. Every employee brings something the venue in the evening, we stroll together th-
se joint outings and celebrations not only strengthen team spirit, but to eat, so that there is always a culinary feast. rough the Christmas market and enjoy the festive
Families and friends of our employees are very atmosphere with mulled wine and „Feuerzan-
also turn colleagues into friends. welcome. Together we end the evening laughing genbowle“(punch based on warm red wine).
and dancing. Every year we set up a special celebration com-
Beexcursion mittee to organise our Christmas party. This
Our beekeeper are on the road with their co- committee has the task of welcoming the new
lonies during the flowering period to produce employees to the company with atmospheric
the pure, regional honey. However, in order to and funny games. The committee determines the
give all employees of our company an insight program of the evening, so that there can be a
into the everyday life and work of the beekee- Bremen traditions: “Kohltour” and surprise for some of the old hands, even for the
pers, a staff excursion is regularly organised. “Freimarkt” management. Afterwards there will be dining,
In June, when the acacia is in bloom, we For almost every Bremen resident, a visit to the celebrating and dancing until late in the evening. 52
spend two nature-oriented days in the „Freimarkt” is a tradition. The Freimarkt is one of
forests of Märkische Schweiz (a region the oldest and largest public festivals in Germa- 53
in the northeast of Berlin). In addition ny. For almost 1,000 years, the legendary folk
to educational lectures on the life of the festival has been held in the last two weeks of
bees and the creation of honey, the em- October, attracting almost 4 million visi-
ployees are allowed to visit the beehives tors. It is the highlight of the year and
on site. They not only watch the beekee- it is impossible to imagine Bremen
pers at work, but also try out different ways without it. Therefore, it is a matter
of working with the bees. „Ischa of course for us, as an Bremen-ba-
But the bee excursion is not only for our em- sed family business, to take a tour
ployees. In 2018 we were also accompanied by Freimaak“ of the Freimarkt together with our
customers and bloggers, so that a colourful mix- employees. Afterwards we will go
ture of different interest groups came together. A to one of the marquees, where it is
summary of the excursion can be read in the blog called "Ischa Freimaak".
post by Jennifer Müller: https://www.bio-blog. Another North German tradition that sim-
de/2018/06/11/warum-dieser-hype-um-die-bie- ply belongs to it for us is the annual Kohltour.
nen/. Kohl tours are especially well known in the Bre-
men and Oldenburg area. Originally this custom
Trip to our bees was reserved for the nobility, possibly this is the
in the Märkische reason why even today a king and queen is cho-
Schweiz
sen at every Kohltour. Even "cabbage despisers" Our summer party
take part in the tour, as there are vegetarian and
alternative dishes as well.
Sonnentracht GmbH Sustainability Report 2019/2020You can also read
