Our founding story

The roots of Eosta were shaped in the late 1970s and 1980s, when founder Volkert Engelsman gained international agribusiness experience at Cargill in the United States. During these years, he saw firsthand how conventional agriculture externalised environmental and social costs.

Encounters with early organic farming pioneers and growers in the Global South strengthened his conviction that global food systems needed fair, transparent and sustainable supply chains.

These formative insights laid the foundation for what Eosta would later stand for: valuing soil, people and long-term ecological health.

In 1990, Volkert Engelsman and Willem van Wijk founded Eosta, inspired by Eos, the Greek goddess of dawn — symbolising a fresh start for organic trade. From the beginning, the company combined idealism with commercial professionalism, building direct partnerships with organic growers and connecting them to markets across Europe.

Eosta emerged in a period of profound global change. The end of the Cold War and growing environmental awareness — reflected in landmark initiatives such as the first UN Earth Summit in Rio — helped shape a new vision for responsibility, transparency and sustainability in global trade.

As demand for organic produce grew, Eosta expanded into new product groups and countries. By the late 1990s, the organisation strengthened its leadership and governance structure, laying the foundation for sustainable international growth.

 From the early 2000s onward, Eosta sharpened its focus on organic fresh produce and sustainability innovation. In 2003 the organisation was restructured, followed by the launch of Nature & More in 2004 as a trace & tell transparency system, and the founding of Soil & More Impacts in 2007 to support soil restoration worldwide.

The introduction of the Sustainability Flower in 2009 marked a holistic approach to social and natural capital. This was followed by initiatives such as Save Our Soils, innovative sustainable packaging, Natural Branding, and later True Cost Accounting pilots, alongside several European sustainability awards.

In 2018, Eosta moved into a new circular headquarters in Waddinxveen and launched one of the agricultural sector’s first Living Wage pilots together with IDH and Hivos, later expanding into ongoing programmes in Burkina Faso and Kenya. Despite the challenges of 2019 and the Covid-19 years, demand for healthy, organic food continued to grow. By 2022, Eosta had evolved from a niche pioneer into a European market leader in organic trade, with sustainability as its constant guide.

A new chapter began in 2023, when Anders Invest became shareholder and founder Volkert Engelsman transitioned from CEO to the Advisory Board. In the same year, Eosta further strengthened its value-driven supply chains through new Fairtrade projects, expanding its social footprint.

In 2024, Eosta launched Organic Raingrown Avocados, underscoring its pioneering role in climate-resilient and nature-positive agriculture. With refreshed leadership and a clear strategic focus, Eosta continues to build on the principles that have guided the company from the very beginning.